Jason Rapp

    701 CCA’s South Carolina Biennial opens tonight

    Two-part exhibition runs Oct. 7 to Dec. 23

    The 701 CCA South Carolina Biennial 2021 is the sixth survey of South Carolina art taking place at 701 Center for Contemporary Art.

    As the successor of the South Carolina Triennial, 701 CCA's Biennial is the main regular event of its kind. The Biennial presents some of the best contemporary art produced statewide and is a juried, multimedia exhibition in two parts. Exhibitions Part I and II both feature works created on a variety of media—oil or acrylic on canvas, photography, inkjet print, woodcut, mixed media, and three-dimensional art.

    Acceptance to the 701 CCA South Carolina Biennial 2021 was based on a competitive selection process. Contemporary artists living in South Carolina were invited via a public call to submit both images of their recent artwork and documentation of their career to 701 CCA.

    An independent jury of three art professionals reviewed all submissions, selecting 24 artists out of a total of about 88 applications. Visit the 701 CCA website to find out who they are. But know that among them are four recipients of the S.C. Arts Commission individual artist fellowship:

    • Jean Grosser (1993) – Part I
    • Adrian Rhodes (2020) – Part II
    • Kristi Ryba (2022) – Part II
    • Valerie Zimany (2020) – Part I

    The jurors were:

    • Anita N. Bateman, Ph.D., associate curator, Modern and Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
    • Paul Barrett, independent curator, Birmingham, Alabama
    • Cecelia Lucas Stucker, independent curator and founder of both Curating & Collections and the Palmetto Curatorial Exchange, Columbia, South Carolina

    The Biennial 2021 will be presented in two parts. The first part begins tonight with a reception from 7-9 p.m. and remains on view through Nov. 14. The opening reception for Part II will be Friday, Nov. 19 from 7-9 p.m. 701 CCA is located at 701 Whaley St., 2nd Floor, in Columbia. During exhibitions, hours are Wednesday-Saturday 1-5 p.m. by appointment and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Free, but donations appreciated.

    Jason Rapp

    Commemorate Sept. 11 attacks today with SCAC Fellow

    Composer Meira Warshauer's work commemorating the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorism attacks airs at 11 a.m. today on South Carolina Public Radio.

    Warshauer is a 1994 and 2006 composition fellow for the South Carolina Arts Commission. She wrote In Memoriam (September 11, 2001) in response to the horrific day. The four-minute work airs on the "Sonatas & Soundscapes" show. From her website:

    I wrote these sketches during the days of watching the horror of the attacks of September 11: the collapse of the World Trade Center, the attack on the Pentagon, the plane crash in Pennsylvania.

    I didn’t have a piece in mind, or consciously set out to write one. But the sketches seemed to belong together, afterwards, and to fit the solo cello. It is my way of holding each other in our loss.

    Find your local S.C. Public Radio affiliate or stream here.
    Image by David Mark from Pixabay

    Jason Rapp

    South Arts announces the 2021/2022 Southern Circuit

    S.C. adds a new screening partner venue

    Today, South Arts announced the 24 screening partner venues and 10 films and filmmaking teams selected for the 2021/2022 Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers.

    This long-running South Arts program connects U.S.-based documentary filmmakers with communities throughout the South to share their work, discuss the art and process of filmmaking, and engage with audiences about issues impacting their communities. All films will be screened online for audiences of each screening partner venue, with each screening followed by a pre-recorded 30-minute conversation with the filmmakers discussing their film's subject matter and the filmmaking process. Each film will be available for attendees to view on demand during a four-day window allowing viewers to stop and resume at their leisure. As a precaution for health and safety in the COVID-19 pandemic, filmmakers will not tour in the Fall. Films will be presented online, though some screening partners may also host in-person screenings for their communities. In-person screenings and discussions with filmmakers in attendance will resume for Spring 2022. “This year’s selections broach a range of important, timely topics including border and immigration issues, confederate monuments, healthcare justice, and domestic violence,” said Teresa Hollingsworth, program director. "South Arts has a strong commitment to equity and inclusion in all of our programs. We are proud to affirm that commitment in our selection of feature-length documentaries and their creators, with many sharing a direct connection to the subject matter and communities represented.” Curious about where you can take in the films? South Carolina's screening partner venues are:
    • The Arts Center of Clemson; Clemson, SC
    • Presbyterian College; Clinton, SC
    Here are the films and filmmakers for the new season:
    • And So I Stayed – Daniel A. Nelson and Natalie Pattillo, Directors
    • At the Ready – Maisie Crow, Director
    • Duty Free – Sian-Pierre Regis, Director
    • Lily Topples the World – Jeremy Workman, Director
    • Los Hermanos/The Brothers – Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider, Directors
    • My Name is Pauli Murray – Betsy West and Julie Cohen, Directors
    • Not Going Quietly – Nicholas Bruckman, Director
    • The Neutral Ground – CJ Hunt, Director
    • Proper Pronouns - Megan Daniels, Director
    • Stateless – Michèle Stephenson, Director
    Since its inception in 1975, Southern Circuit has brought some of best independent filmmakers and their films from around the country to communities throughout the South. The program is made possible through a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

    Jason Rapp

    ‘A Fine Hand’ exhibition features accomplished #SCartists

    SCAC Fellows, State Art Collection artists included

    This is not to be missed.

    As it continues to celebrate reopening, Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center opens A Fine Hand this week:

    “Dexterous skill, creative imagination and focused intellect pursuing the mystical aura of unique; gifts to the world that cultivate and revere beauty,” is how we envision the purpose and pleasure of this show.

    Featured among the 16, #SCartists all, are names familiar to those who follow S.C. Arts Commission goings on. Jeri Burdick, Jocelyn Châteauvert, and Lee Malerich are all former SCAC fellowship recipients and all have works featured in the State Art Collection. Orangeburg's own Dr. Leo Twiggs (modeling his hands above) also appears in the State Art Collection and is a two-time recipient of the Governor's Award for the Arts. A Fine Hand opens this Wednesday evening with a reception from 6-8 p.m. It runs through Wednesday, Aug. 18 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Lusty Gallery (649 Riverside Dr., Orangeburg). Free.

    Jason Rapp

    Tuning Up: Federal ARP funding webinar + Dreskin, Flowers news

    Good morning! 

    "Tuning Up" is a morning post series where The Hub delivers curated, quick-hit arts stories of interest to readers. Sometimes there will be one story, sometimes there will be several. Get in tune now, and have a masterpiece of a day. And now, in no particular order...

    Who's tuning up on a Friday? We are!

    Don't miss...

    The NEA and South Arts are joining forces to present a webinar on two NEA programs to distribute American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds (more info on those here). Join the webinar TUESDAY, JULY 13 FROM 3-4:30 P.M. to explore these new programs, learn how to register your organization to be eligible for federal funding, gain other resources, and participate in a Q&A session. First-time applicants are encouraged to apply, and this workshop will provide content for first-timers as well as previous NEA applicants.

    News from State Art Collection artists!

    • Head to Hampton III Gallery for a new exhibition: Jeanet S Dreskin: 100 Years. Four of Dreskin's works are included in the State Art Collection. The exhibition began yesterday and runs through Aug. 21. Preview online here, or visit in person Tuesday-Friday from 1-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The gallery received the S.C. Governor's Award for the Arts in 2019 in the organization category. 3110 Wade Hampton Blvd., Suite 10 in Taylors. Free.
    • Speaking of Governor's Award recipients, Tom Flowers, a recent, posthumous lifetime achievement recipient, left behind a vast collection of artwork. Beginning tomorrow, some of it could be yours. His family is auctioning off much of it to, in part, fund the scholarship fund in his name at Furman University. Flowers taught there for three decades and was head of the art department as well, and the State Art Collection includes two of his works. The auction runs Saturday, July 10 at noon to Saturday, July 24 at noon.
     

    Submitted material

    Columbia-area artist directory opens

    If you're interested in learning more about or connecting with other creatives in the Midlands region, there's a new resource.

    Thanks to a partnership with former Richland Library artist-in-residence (AiR) Crush Rush and One Columbia for Arts & Culture, Richland Library is excited to announce the launch of the Local Artist Directory. It provides an online platform for local artists to share a brief biography, indicate their art medium or area of focus, and exhibit some of their work. They can also add ways to communicate by listing a personal or business website, social media channels, and contact information. You can view the Local Artist Directory through our website at richlandlibrary.com/art and One Columbia for Arts & Culture's website at https://www.onecolumbiasc.com/artist. The Local Artist Directory was part of Rush's final project as the library's artist-in-residence at the end of 2020. He proposed working with One Columbia for Arts & Culture to offer a free online resource that features working artists and allows local residents to engage with or hire artists in our community. If you're interested in becoming part of the Local Artist Directory, you can create an artist profile by visiting https://www.onecolumbiasc.com/artist/. For questions, please contact Emily Stoll at 803.587.3637 or estoll@richlandlibrary.com.

    About Richland Library

    Awarded the National Medal in 2017 by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Richland Library is a vibrant, contemporary organization that provides resources and information that advance the Midlands. Offering state-of-the-art technology, a variety of literary and cultural programs and 13 bustling facilities located throughout the county, Richland Library provides a truly customizable, modern library experience for residents and visitors alike.

    Jason Rapp

    Spartanburg artist explores mental illness, including his own

    ‘It’s okay to say mental illness.’

    Spartanburg artist Bailie will debut his latest body of work—In The Midst of a Trauma, an extensive collection that probes the minds of people with mental illnesses—May 4-29 at Artists Collective | Spartanburg.

    Bailie | Bipolar disorder. Click image to enlarge. “After suffering through a mental block and finding help through therapy, I’ve spent the past two years working on this exhibit,” the one-name artist said. “I’m telling everyone that ‘It’s okay to say mental illness.’ That phrase or slogan is my mantra, and I want to bring mental illness out of the dark and explore it in a way that people can come to understand that we all have problems, that we all need a little help from time to time, that we can do better and even thrive.” This multifaceted exhibition includes photography, paintings, multimedia sculptures, video, and creations that defy definition. To create much of this exhibition, Bailie worked with his therapist to interview five people diagnosed with various mental health problems, such as split personalities and manic depression. From those interviews he created six encaustic wax photographs (including one of himself) that depict the person’s mental health. Also, he asked each person to describe his or her worst state of mental health, and from those descriptions, he made six sculptures, including one about his own state of mind. When the photography and sculptures are exhibited, they will be accompanied by the actual questions and answers. All but one person will use his or her real name. “It takes true bravery to put your mental health problems on display for the world to see,” Bailie said. “However, speaking from experience, it is also freeing. It’s like telling the world you are not ashamed. In most cases, people with cancer are not ashamed. Or people with diabetes. Or people with COVID-19. Mental health problems are really no different than physical health problems. If you have a problem, get help, and live your life!” In addition, Bailie will display Scribble Man, a sculpture of a man’s upper body made of wire; a video of an animated white figure crab-walking backward as the body is torn apart and blown away; and a plexiglass box full of pill bottles that represent the many type of mental illnesses and the drugs used to treat them. Bailie | Encaustic portrait | 10x10. Click image to enlarge. To give people insight into his own state of mental health, Bailie has painted several large canvases that depict times in his life that he either struggled with mental illness, looked for answers, and accepted the cards that life had dealt him. In what is probably the most telling creation, Bailie has painted a profile self-portrait that shows him in deep contemplation, emerging from darkness into light. “That painting has more story behind it than what the average patron might get to know,” Bailie said. “Originally, the painting was done about 10 years ago, right after my parents died within two weeks of each other. To say the least, that was a hard time for me. I painted a dark picture with an anguished and agonized face in the center. It was pretty disturbing. To make it even more personal, I had mixed some of my parents’ cremation ashes into the paints that I used. “After going through therapy and discovering some repressed memories about my family, I had to express myself in the most profound way I could,” Bailie continued. “So, I painted over that picture with my self-portrait, a picture that shows me finally coming to grips with why I felt so angry, so hurt, so damaged. Behind my exterior, there are some dark things. But I recognize them. I deal with them. I am passed them. I’m okay.” Establishing professional credibility for this exhibit, Bailie has received both moral and financial support, including that of Mental Health America of Spartanburg, The Carolina Center for Behavioral Health, the Phifer-Johnson Foundation (a family foundation based in Spartanburg that gives primarily to the arts, education, health and human services), and various unnamed individuals.
    In the Midst of a Trauma will open for public viewing Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning May 4. Free. A free and public reception will be held Thursday, May 20, 6-9 p.m., during Spartanburg’s monthly ArtWalk, now returning to its regular third Thursday schedule.

    Jason Rapp

    Art exhibit spreads wings in the Upstate

    'Wings of the City' on display in Greenville

    A man in a red shirt poses with giant bronze wings displayed in an outdoor art exhibition 'Wings of the City' on display in San Antonio, Texas.

    It's no secret that Greenville has really taken off...

    As further evidence, the city is first East Coast landing spot of a famed art exhibit called Wings of the City. The traveling exhibition of Mexican sculptor Jorge Marin's work has giant bronze wings outdoors in Falls Park and on the Peace Center campus. His "Alas de Mexico" sculpture, shown above, is part of the fun and obviously 'gram-worthy if you're so inclined. The Hispanic Alliance of Greenville, a partner of the S.C. Arts Commission, helped make the exhibition a reality. Bank of America, a Governor's Award recipient in 2018, is sponsor. Read more about this from Fox Carolina.

    Jason Rapp

    Governor’s Award recipient lands new radio gig

    ColaJazz to entertain on S.C. Public Radio

    South Carolina Public Radio (SC Public Radio) announced a collaboration with The ColaJazz Foundation to produce and broadcast a new, weekly limited series focused on South Carolina’s jazz community.

    Titled "ColaJazz Presents," the series will air Sundays at 8 p.m. on all eight SC Public Radio stations, with the first episode slated to debut on April 4 – a fitting premiere date as April is recognized as National Jazz Appreciation Month. The first episode will spotlight the Columbia-based ensemble Les Flat Out Strangers. Host Mark Rapp (right), executive director of The ColaJazz Foundation, will feature performances from a diverse group of South Carolina’s top jazz musicians, as well as interviews with those musicians offering an intimate glimpse into their lives, communities and passion for music. Consisting of 13 episodes, with the last one slated for broadcast on June 27, the series will utilize The ColaJazz Foundation’s ever-growing library of concerts, many of which were recorded over the last year in socially distanced recording sessions where COVID-19 safety precautions were followed. Ed. note: Rapp is no relation to the author of this article. “South Carolina is home to a growing jazz community consisting of some incredibly talented musicians and charming venues that provide a home to their performances. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with The ColaJazz Foundation to launch this new series and shine a spotlight on this burgeoning community,” said SCETV President and CEO Anthony Padgett.
    This project is the result of SC Public Radio’s ongoing strategy to ramp up local programming. Now in its 48th year of broadcasting, the SC Public Radio network covers not only most of the Palmetto State, but also communities that border South Carolina, including Charlotte, Augusta and Savannah. This broad coverage area allows the network to reach an average weekly listenership of approximately 300,000 individuals. “It is with great honor and excitement for The ColaJazz Foundation to partner with and to be supported by SC Public Radio. The weekly Sunday night ‘ColaJazz Presents’ radio show expands our ongoing mission in style, and we can’t wait to share the incredible jazz music being made in South Carolina by South Carolina jazz artists,” Rapp said. Established in 2014, The ColaJazz Foundation is a community-minded 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization focused on growing, supporting and promoting jazz in the Midlands through events, education, recordings, resources and advocacy. The ColaJazz Foundation is a recipient of the 2021 South Carolina Governor’s Awards for the Arts, the state’s highest award for achievements in practicing or supporting the arts. For more information on ColaJazz Presents, click here.

    Jason Rapp

    Artisphere, Ag + Art Tour announce spring plans

    In-person opportunities continue to increase

    That bright thing is back in the sky today.

    One's thoughts inevitably turn to spring on days like today. The days are zipping toward March and there's a warmer weather pattern to enliven the spirit and enhance mood. With so many people yearning for some semblance of routine to return, and time drawing nearer to outdoor events being more palatable, two South Carolina (outdoor) arts festivals announced plans to come back after joining so many on an unfortunate (but understandable) one-year hiatus.

    South Carolina Ag + Art Tour (weekends May 29-June 27)

    This is an annual crawl across several South Carolina counties that showcases things South Carolina does well. (You probably guessed what from the event's name.) Starting the final weekend in May, and every weekend in June, explore the agriculture and artistic heritage of South Carolina through the South Carolina Ag + Art Tour.  This experience is a free, self-guided tour of designated farms in South Carolina, featuring local artisans and farmer's markets. This year you can plan to make visits in these counties: Charleston, Chester, Chesterfield, Colleton, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lexington, Newberry and Richland + York. The festival is organized by Clemson University Cooperative Extension.

    Artisphere (May 7-9)

    Hailed as one of the country's top arts festivals, Artisphere announced yesterday that it's returning to Greenville's Main Street for its usual Mother's Day Weekend run. Like so many things, it won't quite be the same—at least not yet. Masks will be mandatory, attendance will be limited and everyone will be funneled through one of three entry points. And, just for this year they say, it will be confined to the West End Historic District on South Main. Reservations for 2.5-hour time slots will be available to the general public starting March 15 for a $5 fee that will be returned upon admission as a credit to buy art. Sign up for notification and learn more about Artisphere 2021 here. (Disclaimer: the S.C. Arts Commission provides operating support to Artisphere that is tangential to this newsworthy item.) The Hub will try to keep readers updated on additional festival announcements as they occur.
    Image by kie-ker from Pixabay

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