SC Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics celebrates Youth Art Month with three student exhibitions
The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics (GSSM), located in Hartsville, is celebrating National Youth Art Month with student artwork exhibited in three locations: the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Library’s Morris Gallery in Florence, the Hartsville Memorial Library, and the Michelin InTIREnational Art Competition Exhibition in Greenville. The Michelin exhibition is open until March 31; the Florence and Hartsville exhibitions run through April 17.
(Images – Above: Seized, wheel-thrown altered clay, by GSSM junior Claire Moore of Greenwood, S.C. Right: Collage by GSSM junior Maya Jenson of Blythewood, S.C. Click on image for larger view.)
The works were produced by students in GSSM’s Art in the Interim and Open Art Studio programs. During January Interim – a “mini-mester” – students select from a range of elective courses or trips. Art in the Interim, taught by GSSM Visual Arts Coordinator Patz Fowle, is an annual favorite. Fowle also coordinates the Open Art Studio, which is open daily for students to explore art techniques, further refine their artistic expression and find an outlet for self-expression.
During this year’s Art in the Interim, students worked to develop the skills, techniques and processes to create meaningful, original 2-D and 3-D works of art. The course focused on printmaking, as well as on making cultural connections using indigenous South Carolina clay with special guest sculptor Mike Fowle.
“My passion as a teaching artist and educator is to guide and to encourage each student to reach their full potential as creative beings,” said Patz Fowle. “I believe that creativity and a lifelong love of the arts not only enrich the soul of the individual, but also reach out and enhance the lives of others around them.”
The Morris Gallery is located on the second floor of the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Library, 509 South Dargan Street, Florence, S.C. The library is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 2 to 6 p.m. For more information about the exhibit, visit www.florencelibrary.org or call (843) 413-7070.
The Hartsville Memorial Library is located at 147 W. College Avenue, Hartsville, S.C. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the exhibit, contact Library Manager Audrey Tripp at (843) 332-5115 or audreyt.har@darlington-lib.org, or contact GSSM’s Visual Arts Coordinator Patz Fowle at fowle@gssm.k12.sc.us.
GSSM is participating in the 2016 Michelin InTIREnational Art Contest along with 26 teams hailing from Anderson, Greenville, Simpsonville, Hartsville, Spartanburg and Columbia. In its third year, the Michelin InTIREnational Art Contest is hosted by Michelin North America in conjunction with Upstate International. Using up to four scrap tires donated by Michelin, participants were asked to convert ordinary tires into extraordinary works of art. Two winning works of art will be selected. One winner, the People’s Choice, will be awarded to the entry that receives the most votes online at inspiredtires.com between March 1 – 31, 2016. The second winner will be selected by a panel of judges. Each winning entry will receive a $5,000 donation to a charity, school, or nonprofit of its choice. The exhibit is on view at the Hughes Main Library at Heritage Green in downtown Greenville, S.C. View entries and vote for your favorite at www.inspiredtires.com.
About the S.C. Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics
The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics is a two-year, public, residential high school in Hartsville, S.C., specializing in the advanced study of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), with a unique emphasis on economics and entrepreneurship. GSSM’s residential program can serve as many as 288 high school juniors and seniors annually from across the state. In addition, the school impacts nearly 10,000 teachers and students each year through its innovative outreach programs. Learn more by visiting www.scgssm.org