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Jason Rapp

New gallery coming to Fountain Inn

And it's looking for exhibitors

Another day, another call for art. The megaphone has been busy!

[caption id="attachment_34666" align="alignright" width="150"] The world-famous Hub Calls for Art Megaphone.[/caption] This one will be brief. Joe Lowery reached out to The Hub to issue an invitation to #SCartists to exhibit in his new venture: The Back Door Gallery. He's looking for visual and craft artists working in 2D and 3D. The goal is to provide "an affordable venue for local artists and crafters to display and sell their creations." Spaces are available in three-month increments for $50/month. Here is the link to apply and learn more. The Back Door Gallery is to open Nov. 15 at 107B South Main St. in Fountain Inn. Artists who have questions are able to reach Joe on 203.994.8446 or joe_lowery_98 (at) yahoo dot com. Best of luck to Joe.  

Jason Rapp

GCCA announces Brandon Fellows for 21/22

The Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) announced the recipients of the 2021/2022 Brandon Fellowship at its Annual Showcase on Aug. 6.

The Fellowship is a 12-month program that aims to develop three emerging artists between the ages of 21 to 30 who represent the diversity of the Greenville visual arts community. Now in its seventh year, the program provides free studio space, a stipend for supplies, a supportive environment, mentorship, and art education, including professional development resources, to help these artists thrive in the next step of their education, career, or business.

The Recipients

Kim Le (left) is an alumna of the Fine Arts Center at Wade Hampton High School. She recently received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Winthrop University, where she graduated magna cum laude. Kim won the distinction of being the only student ever to have received first place in three consecutive undergraduate juried exhibitions at Winthrop University Galleries. She is a mixed media artist who uses her art to explore the abject adolescent feminine psyche. Working in a variety of mediums, her goal is to decontextualize objects of feminine consumerism to explore the "true" and "false" self as it relates to repressed violence, aggression, and abjection in the female mind. Terrell Washington (center) makes intimate paintings inspired by his dreams and what he sees in the world around him. His high-energy, colorful pieces are layered with meaning and reflect the personal, spiritual, and societal challenges he has experienced in his young life. Primarily self-taught, Terrell is a painter with a natural eye for design, composition, and color. During his senior year at Eastside High School, Terrell became a member of the National Arts Honor Society. He has also participated in Artisphere several times, where he received an Honorable Mention and two First Place awards in the student exhibition. In addition to painting, Terrell is a partner in a business where he produces unique and custom-designed T-shirts. Sienna Patterson (right) creates unique and expressive metal and enamel jewelry and is also a proficient watercolor and ink artist. She previously studied at the Fine Art Center at Wade Hampton High School, where she excelled in metals classes and robotics. While in high school, Sienna was selected to exhibit at Art Fields in the junior division and won several Scholastic Art and Writing awards. Her use of color is vibrant and rich, and is expressed seamlessly across all of the mediums in which she works. Sienna continues to explore mediums and ways to expand her creative expression and is driven by a desire to make art accessible and present for all populations.
This year’s Brandon Fellows selection committee included chair Pamela Adams, design professional and Art in Public Places Commissioner for the city of Greenville; a photographer and member of the original Brandon Fellows class of 2016; Danielle Fontaine, artist and Brandon Fellowship Founder; Julio Hernandez, a GCCA board member and chief of staff of the Office of Hispanic Outreach for the Division of Inclusion and Equity at Clemson University; Glory Day Loflin, working artist and member of the original Brandon Fellows class of 2016; Ashley Waller, working artist and Brandon Fellows alumna from 2016-17, and Kara Bale, operations manager for GCCA who oversees the fellowship program. “The competition was fierce again this year and demonstrates the quality of artistic talent in Greenville,” said Kim Fabian, GCCA’s executive director. “We are delighted to welcome these artists to the GCCA family and be a part of their growth. For many of our recipients, we know this program can be the distinguishing opportunity that allows them to make a living doing the work that inspires them and enriches our community.” Previous Brandon Fellows alumni have gone on to become full-time working artists, designers, participants in Artisphere and other festivals, graduate students, artists-in-residence, instructors, community muralists, published artists, grant recipients, and award winners. An exhibition featuring the work of the 2020/2021 Brandon Fellows, Anna Grace Cunningham, Evan Givens, and Savannah Ralph is on display through Sept. 22 in GCCA’s Main Gallery, which is free and open to the public Tuesday-Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. To learn more about the Brandon Fellowship, visit www.artcentergreenville.org.
Greenville Center for Creative Arts is a non-profit organization that aims to enrich the cultural fabric of the community through visual arts promotion, education, and inspiration. For more information, visit www.artcentergreenville.org, call 864.735.3948, or check out GCCA on Facebook (Greenville Center for Creative Arts) & Instagram (@artcentergvl).

Jason Rapp

Artisphere 2022 makes call for entries

Apply now for 17th annual festival

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, October 8, 2021

Artisphere, one of the nation's top annual arts festivals, wants your applications to exhibit May 6-8, 2022.

From the announcement:

Ranked a TOP 10 Fine Art and Fine Craft festival by the Art Fair Sourcebook and #3 out of 20 finalists in USA Today’s Reader’s Choice Award for Best Art Festival, Artisphere is a signature event on Greenville’s busy cultural calendar that draws both locals and art buying tourists to Greenville, SC's dynamic downtown.

A supportive, art-loving community, beautiful setting, notable on-site artist amenities and hospitality, and over 500 volunteers make the Artisphere three-day event an enjoyable experience for exhibiting artists and the public alike.

Graphic text

Artisphere presented by TD Bank May 6-8, 2022

Jason Rapp

Brandon Fellowship opportunity for emerging Greenville artists

Three sought for high-profile GCCA program

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Greenville Center for Creative Arts is seeking artists to apply for the 2021-22 Brandon Fellowship.

The high-profile, 12-month program aims to develop three emerging artists between the ages of 21-30 by providing a supportive environment, mentorship, and art education. The three main goals of the Brandon Fellowship are:
  • To help launch young artists
  • To foster a sense of community
  • To reflect the diversity of Greenville artists
The application opened Monday. All materials must be submitted by the application closing date of July 7, 2021.

Criteria for eligibility

Criteria for eligibility may vary over time depending on the demographic make-up of the active artist community at GCCA. To fulfill the goal of promoting diversity, initially and for the foreseeable future, the basic criteria for selection are as follows:

  • Applicants must be resident of Greenville County.
  • Applicant must be between 21 and 30 years of age.
    • Applicants who turn 21 before the end of the application period are eligible to apply. Applicants who turn 31 before the application period opens are not eligible to apply.
  • Prior professional art training or post-secondary education is not required.
  • Successful candidates will be highly talented, self-motivated artists with the discipline to work on their own. They will also be community-minded and eager to participate in group activities with other Brandon Fellows and events at GCCA.
  • At the time of application, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident of the United States for at least 5 years.
  • Selection will be made without regard to marital status, sexual orientation, religion, or disability.

Benefits of the Brandon Fellowship

  • A free university-style studio at GCCA, where a minimum of 25 hours per week must be spent working. Fellows often interact with guests during GCCA’s public hours.
  • A $500 stipend for art supplies.
  • Complimentary classes and workshops at GCCA.
  • Mentorship from a local artist.
  • Presentation of an ARTalk lecture.
  • Participation in an exhibition in August-September.
  • Opportunities for networking, collaboration, and participation in other local arts events.
  • A visit to a local or regional museum of interest.
  • Broad exposure as an artist in Greenville and beyond.

Learn more and start your application here.

Submitted material

S.C. public arts high school welcomes poet Danez Smith

On April 12, creative writing students at the Fine Arts Center in Greenville had the opportunity to participate in a class presented by Danez Smith, a national award-winning author and writer, through the Momentum Series, a program headed by the students of the program.

The Momentum Series is a project produced and managed by the Fine Arts Center Creative Writing Program, in which members of the class work together to bring an innovative writer of national reputation to Greenville to do a community reading and teach a class to the creative writing program at FAC. Through this, the students are able to learn from professional and accomplished writers who are active in the field while also promoting the arts within the Greenville community and strengthening the bonds between the city’s diverse cultural communities and the school district. The Momentum Series is curated, organized, implemented and publicized by students in the Fine Arts Center’s Careers In Publishing class. While usually available to the public, this year the Momentum Series will take place as a closed, virtual event for the FAC creative writing class due to COVID-19 restrictions; however, next spring we hope to be live again in the community! For this year’s installment, the organizers of the program have worked together to bring in poet Danez Smith. Danez Smith is a Black, Queer, Poz writer & performer from St. Paul, Minnesota. Danez is the author of "Don’t Call Us Dead" (Graywolf Press, 2017), winner of the Forward Prize for Best Collection, the Midwest Booksellers Choice Award, and a finalist for the National Book Award, and "[insert] boy" (YesYes Books, 2014), winner of the Kate Tufts Discovery Award and the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry. Danez is a member of the Dark Noise Collective and is the co-host of VS with Franny Choi, a podcast sponsored by the Poetry Foundation and Postloudness. Danez’s third collection, “Homie”, was published by Graywolf in January 2020. - Elizabeth Scott, Fine Arts Center creative writing student

Jason Rapp

Art exhibit spreads wings in the Upstate

'Wings of the City' on display in Greenville

[caption id="attachment_46737" align="aligncenter" width="600"]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.[/caption]

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.

Submitted material

Nine Upstate students recognized in national arts competition

Students stand out in national applicant pool

Each year the National YoungArts Foundation holds one of the largest student art competitions highlighting promising young artists, ages 15-18, in the literary, visual, design and performing arts from around the country.

This year, nine students from South Carolina, including two finalists, were selected as winners from an applicant pool of over 7,400 nationally. The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities had seven students who placed, including Isaiah Boozer, theater finalist; Tyler Wesley, theater finalist; Grace Warren-Page, honorable mention for creative nonfiction; Alexa Smith, theater merit; Jaden McGuire, visual arts merit; Katherine Davis, creative nonfiction merit, and Felix Killingsworth, poetry merit. The Fine Arts Center in Greenville also had two students who placed, including Thomas Hicks, honorable mention for photography, and Philip Rawlinson, classical music merit in viola. "YoungArts empowers artists to pursue a life in the arts beginning at the critical time when many are faced with decisions about life after high school,” said Executive Director Jewel Malone. “This group of extraordinary artists has reminded us yet again that extraordinary artistry is ageless, and I encourage everyone to get to know these faces and names as we will be seeing them for many years to come." YoungArts award winners at the finalist level were invited to participate in National YoungArts Week + held earlier this month featuring virtual classes, workshops and mentorship from internationally renowned artists. A virtual showcase featuring these finalists will be held Jan. 25-30. For the full schedule, visit https://www.youngarts.org/national-youngarts-week. Finalists are also eligible to be nominated to become a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of the highest honors given high school seniors bestowed by the President of the United States. This year, YoungArts award winners at all levels will receive cash prizes between $100 and $10,000 and the opportunity to learn from leading artists such as Debbie Allen, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Frank Gehry, Wynton Marsalis, Salman Rushdie and Mickalene Thomas. YoungArts winners also become part of an alumni network of over 20,000 artists, which offers them additional professional opportunities throughout their careers.

About The National YoungArts Foundation

The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) was established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison to identify and nurture the most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary, design and performing arts, and assist them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development. Through a wide range of annual programs, regular performances, and partnerships with some of the nation's leading cultural institutions, YoungArts aspires to create a strong community of alumni and a platform for a lifetime of encouragement, opportunity and support. YoungArts' signature program is an application-based award for emerging artists ages 15-18 or in grades 10-12 from across the U.S. Selected through a blind adjudication process, YoungArts winners receive valuable support, including financial awards of up to $10,000, professional development and educational experiences working with renowned mentors-such as Debbie Allen, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rebecca Walker, Plácido Domingo, Frank Gehry, Jeff Koons, Wynton Marsalis, Salman Rushdie and Carrie Mae Weems-and performance and exhibition opportunities at some of the nation's leading cultural institutions, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art and New World Center. Additionally, YoungArts Winners are eligible for nomination as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of the nation's highest honors for high school students who exemplify academic and artistic excellence. YoungArts winners become part of a thousands-strong alumni network of artists, which offers them additional professional opportunities throughout their careers. YoungArts alumni who have gone on to become leading professionals in their fields include actresses Viola Davis, Anna Gunn, Zuzanna Szadkowski and Kerry Washington; Broadway stars Raúl Esparza, Billy Porter, Andrew Rannells and Tony Yazbeck; recording artists Josh Groban, Judith Hill and Chris Young; Metropolitan Opera star Eric Owens; musicians Terence Blanchard, Gerald Clayton, Jennifer Koh and Elizabeth Roe; choreographers Camille A. Brown and Desmond Richardson; visual artists Daniel Arsham and Hernan Bas; internationally acclaimed multimedia artist Doug Aitken; New York Times bestselling author Sam Lipsyte; and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Doug Blush. Carnival Foundation is the YoungArts National Premier Sponsor. For more information, visit youngarts.org, facebook.com/YoungArtsFoundation or twitter.com/YoungArts.

About S.C. Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities

Located in Greenville, the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities (SCGSAH) cultivates young artists from across the state through pre-professional training in the areas of creative writing, dance, drama, music and visual arts. As a public, residential high school, serving juniors and seniors, students refine their talents in a master-apprentice community while receiving a nationally recognized academic education. Summer programs are available to rising 7th-12th grade students. SCGSAH also serves as a resource to all teachers and students in South Carolina, offering comprehensive outreach programs designed to bring together artists, educators, community organizations and schools.

Submitted material

Scholarship opportunity for emerging Greenville writers

Glenis Redmond Scholarship for Emerging Writers

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday, February 28, 2021

Glenis Redmond’s love of words has carried her across the country for two decades.

She travels nationally and internationally reading and teaching poetry and has had posts as the poet-in-residence at the Peace Center in Greenville and at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Glenis is a Cave Canem Fellow, a North Carolina Literary Fellowship Recipient, and a Kennedy Center Teaching Artist. She also helped create the first Writer-in-Residence at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in Flat Rock, North Carolina. Glenis believes that poetry is a healer, and she can be found in the trenches across the world applying pressure to those in need, one poem at a time. In 2020, she was awarded the South Carolina Governor's Award for the Arts as the artist recipient.

About the scholarship

This scholarship is awarded annually to high school seniors or first-year college students to support their development as creative writers as they attend college.
  • Award amount: $1,000
  • Submissions open: January 1st
  • Submissions close: February 28th
  • Winner announced: March 15th

Eligibility

College-bound high school seniors and first-year college students, ages 17-20, and who are current residents of Greenville County, South Carolina. Students may enroll in any major but must plan to further develop their creative writing abilities. Students must plan to enroll in a two-year or four-year college on either a part-time or full-time basis. Visit this link to apply.

Jason Rapp

Artisphere, postponed since May, to go virtual

Greenville's signature festival will be held online in October

[caption id="attachment_15746" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Young dancers in a line wearing costumes to look like one large U.S. flag. An Artisphere dance performance. File photo.[/caption]

Artisphere presented by TD Bank, one of the nation’s top fine arts festivals, will be transformed into a virtual event the weekend of October 2-4.

Artisphere- The Virtual Experience will go live to the public on Friday, October 2 at 8 p.m.

Artisphere -The Virtual Experience will feature the work of over 70 juried professional artists from around the country.  Each artist will have multiple pieces for sale in an online marketplace, where patrons can seamlessly browse and shop from a varied and curated selection of art, from pottery to oils to jewelry.

“Although we can’t be together in our usual festival atmosphere this year, we are proud to continue our partnership with Artisphere to present The Virtual Experience,” said Chris Fincher, regional vice president for TD Bank. “We hope the Upstate community will join us virtually as we show our support for these talented artists from across the country and our unique, vibrant arts culture in Greenville.”

The Virtual Experience will also provide unique opportunities for engagement with artists, jurors, and gallerists through Facebook and Instagram Live. Programming also includes favorites from past Artispheres, such as metalsmith Ryan Calloway and chalk artist Nate Baranowski, live from Chicago, as well as Kidsphere activities and Artist Demos.

“Our aim is to create an engaging virtual experience for the Artisphere faithful,” stated Linda Hannon, president of the Artisphere board of directors. “Our patrons have become accustomed to a level of unparalleled artistry and programming and our innovative approach to this year’s show will not disappoint.”

Art patrons can experience Artisphere presented by TD Bank -The Virtual Experience October 2-4 by visiting Artisphere.org. Patrons are encouraged to sign up for the newsletter and follow on Instagram and Facebook to stay informed.

About Artisphere

Artisphere is a highlight of Greenville’s cultural calendar and a Top 10 Fine Arts festival in the country.  The event features a juried Visual Artist Row; Artists of the Upstate, a juried exhibition of local artists; Outdoor Stages with performances by local and national artists; hands-on Kidsphere children’s art activities; the Culinary Arts Café that highlights local restaurants; and Special Festival Art Projects that enliven the streets of Greenville with street musicians, acrobats, sidewalk artists, and more. Artisphere is attended by approximately 90,000 patrons annually and has an estimated economic impact of $6.4 million on the Greenville community.  Artisphere is a 501(c) (3) not for profit organization. For information visit www.artisphere.org.

Artisphere is presented by TD Bank and receives grant funding from the South Carolina Arts Commission, among others.

Jason Rapp

Tuning Up: CAE lands call for art; Carter Boucher, GCCA 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...

CAE: S.C.'s newest arts hotspot taking off?

(Sorry, we couldn't resist. The pilot has illuminated the fasten seat belts sign, because it gets worse.) Columbia Metropolitan Airport (Lexington County) has been active on the arts scene in the past week. Consider:
  • Midlands artists, please pick up the white courtesy phone. Last week CAE announced a call for Midlands artists to exhibit their artwork at the airport's new rotating exhibition. That is cleared for takeoff October 2020 into 2021. A new program, Art in the Airport is also intended to enhance travelers’ experience while “creating a sense of place” within the airport. Upon landing, travelers will see the art "which showcases the life and culture of the Midlands." Artists accepted may sell their work(s), and CAE will not be taking any commissions. That's more than ... fare; it's an upgrade! This link will route you to your final destination for more information from ColaDaily.com.
  • Yesterday, a partnership with Transitions Homeless Shelter continued as 18 works of art by past and present residents of the shelter were displayed. These works, too, are available for purchase. Residents keep their commissions as well. Read more about the new exhibition from (again) ColaDaily.com.

Carter Boucher news

Works by #SCArtists Carter Boucher is being noticed. To wit:
  • Another of his Enigma series paintings accepted in a juried show. This time, his painting "Pandemic Engulfment" (acrylic on canvas) was accepted in the Mid-Atlantic Juried Art Show in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
  • Further, his poem, "A Love Letter To Covid 19," was accepted for publication in Constellations. Boucher has had four creative pieces, three poems and one creative non-fiction piece, accepted so far this year. He also published his book, How to Be an Artist in Residence (And Excel at It!) on Amazon.

GCCA honors founder

[caption id="attachment_45309" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Linda Furman surrounded by family and friends in front of new building signage bearing her name. GCCA photo.[/caption] Greenville Center for Creative Arts has completed a $1 million fundraising campaign to sustain operations and expand its impact—all in the name of a beloved member of the Greenville arts community. GCCA’s historic Cloth Building at 101 Abney St. will now be named the Linda Quinn Furman Building in honor of one of its founders, a dynamic artist and philanthropist. Family and friends surprised her with the announcement yesterday when they stopped by GCCA to view the newly installed signage (above).

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