S.C. author sees third book published
Artist, writer, and illustrator Janet Kozachek has published her third illustrated book of poetry.
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A Rendering of Soliloquies - Figures Painted in Spots of Time marks observations between artist, model and memory through an emblematic juxtaposition of verse and images.
It is on sale now through the publisher, Finishing Line Press. It is her second book with them.
Poet and professor
Dr. Sarah Wyman said in a review, “In Kozachek’s art, cats and quilts, jewels and molecules fragment and scatter like dropped words from the mouths of models. Sketched subjects sit in the artist’s studio and tell their stories as she paints them: the feminine Kinnari birds with tongues like whips, la mente malevola, a migraine like a doomed mouse before the feline paw, memories of a mother who worshiped the mango bone. In poems, paintings, and drawings, the artist captures moments of deep listening, translated to word and image.”
Janet Kozachek has an eclectic educational background, having studied arts and languages on three continents. She has worked as a peripatetic artist/educator, teaching Chinese art, drawing, painting, and mosaics to students from grade level through college. Her previously published chapbook,
My Women, My Monsters (Finishing Line Press, 2020) won an honorable mention award from Concrete Wolf Press.
When not writing, drawing, or painting in her studio in Orangeburg, Kozachek finds joy in cooking, gardening, and making her one of a kind ceramic musical instruments. She is represented by the Artisan’s Center in Walterboro.
Finishing Line Press is a poetry publisher based in Georgetown, Kentucky. In addition to the Chapbook Series, it publishes the New Women’s Voices Series and sponsors the Finishing Line Press Open Chapbook Competition.
Call for illustrators issued by Richland County
Six needed for children's book
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, October 22, 2021
Richland County is searching for artists to illustrate Tessa’s Tale, a children’s story featuring a fish whose adventures educate young readers about stormwater pollution.
The activity book, which explores different water quality scenarios in a local waterway, will include six original illustrations. It will be distributed to school-age children.
“We’re excited about having another opportunity to get the community involved in our outreach programs in a way that has a wide reach,” Chenille Williams, education program coordinator for Richland County’s Stormwater Management Division, said.
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Tessa’s Tale was a joy to write, and I hope it has an impact on the lives of our budding environmentalists.”
Illustrations should be geared toward children ages 7-12, and images that specifically reference the wildlife and waterways of the Midlands are preferred, the county said.
Artists have until Oct. 22 to apply.
“We all connect through stories and pictures, and this project is an imaginative and exciting way to engage young people as they learn more about how water moves through our land and communities,” said Richand County Councilwoman Allison Terracio, who represents District 5. “We are growing the next generation of conservationists.”
Special exhibit arrives in Richland County during Black History Month
Recognizing outstanding African American illustrators
Exhibit runs Feb. 15 through April 26
Richland Library is partnering with the Columbia Museum of Art to bring the largest collection of Coretta Scott King Illustrator Medal and Honor-winning art ever assembled, starting Feb. 15.
Titled
Our Voice: Celebrating the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards, the exhibit is celebrating 50 years of upholding the vital importance of children's literature that celebrates African American life and culture. To learn more about the awards, visit richlandlibrary.com/art.
Our Voice: Celebrating the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards features 101 originals and prints, which the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature organizes and tours. Some of the participating illustrators include
Jerry Pinkney,
R. Gregory Christie,
Jan Spivey Gilchrist,
Michele Wood and
Floyd Cooper.
View both parts of the exhibit by visiting Richland Library Main (1431 Assembly St.) and the Columbia Museum of Art (1515 Main St.). It's free and open to the public.
An opening reception is set for 6:30–9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 15 at Richland Library Main. There are a number of events planned around the exhibit as well. For a complete list,
visit us online.
Our Voice: Celebrating the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards is on display through April 26. It's made possible, thanks to funding from the Baker and Baker Foundation, Central Carolina Community Foundation, and Columbia Museum of Art installation sponsors.
For questions, please contact Emily Stoll: 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 12 bustling facilities located throughout the county, Richland Library provides a truly customizable, modern library experience for residents and visitors alike.
New biography explores life and career of Snap! Crackle! Pop! illustrator Vernon Grant
It’s a Rock Hill tradition to roll in the Christmas season with the annual reveal of a new Vernon Grant holiday card and ornament.
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This year's free reveal event, scheduled for Thurs., Nov. 20 from 10 - 11 a.m. at the Museum of York County, will feature a book signing by Rock Hill’s Linda Williams, author of “Beyond Snap! Crackle! Pop! The Story of American Illustrator Vernon Grant.” Brimming with color images of Grant’s artwork, this new biographical account explores his early life on a South Dakota homestead, his career in New York as an illustrator for magazine covers, advertisements, and books, and his years as a well-known civic leader in Rock Hill.
Grant has garnered international fame as the creator of Kellogg’s “Snap, Crackle, and Pop;” his holiday art has been reproduced on magazines covers and as Christmas cards for more than 80 years. Since 2006, Grant’s illustrations have been the inspiration for ChristmasVille, an award-winning regional festival that is celebrated annually in Grant’s adopted hometown of Rock Hill. Grant spent the last half of his life in Rock Hill, where he was well-known as a civic leader who named, promoted, and created Glen-the-Frog, the mascot for the city's annual Come-See-Me festival.
Selected Grant images have been reproduced as holiday ornaments and on holiday cards to help celebrate the famed artist’s work and raise money to refurbish and maintain his vast collection of original works and reproductions. The 2014 ornament, “Giddy-Up Go, It’s Christmas!” is the 28th annual holiday ornament produced by Culture and Heritage Museums. The 24kt gold finish ornament has a limited edition of 700. The 2014 Vernon Grant Christmas Card, “Santa’s Stunning Reflection,” has a limited edition of 500; the holiday card marks the museums’ 36th consecutive edition.
The 2014 limited edition cards and ornaments as well as additional Vernon Grant items are available at The Museum Store, the gift shops at Main Street Children’s Museum, at Historic Brattonsville, and online at the Culture & Heritage Museums' website.
About Culture & Heritage Museums
Culture & Heritage Museums is a family of museums in York County, S.C., which includes Historic Brattonsville, Main Street Children's Museum, McCelvey Center and Museum of York County. The mission of the Culture and Heritage Museums is to communicate and preserve the natural and cultural histories of the Carolina Piedmont, inspiring a lifetime of learning.
Via: Culture & Heritage Museums