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Tuning Up: Vintage Mary Edna, SEPF + more

Good morning!  "Tuning Up" is a morning post series where The Hub delivers 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...

Vintage Mary Edna. South Carolina artist Mary Edna Fraser was a 1998/1999 S.C. Arts Commission Visual Arts Fellow and is a recent (2016) winner of the Verner Award in the artist category. As you can probably tell by her website, she's also an entrepreneur (and received an Artists Ventures Initiative grant from SCAC to that end). She's further proof that South Carolina artists and creatives are out there killing it every day. But here's something really cool: Tres Acres Vineyards of Argentina commissioned Mary Edna to make a batik for their label design. The wine is not yet available in the U.S. (sorry). How many people can lay claim to such an honor? Congrats (again), Mary Edna. Check out Family Ties, her new exhibition in Charleston "co-starring" her artist daughters Reba West Fraser and Labanna Babalon, starting Friday and running through July 29. Keys to Happiness. The piano event of the summer returns to Columbia June 17-23. Tickets are on sale now for all events at the 2018 Southeastern Piano Festival, led by Artistic Directors Marina Lomazov and Joseph Rackers. Pianist Simone Dinnerstein is the headlining guest artist. Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery: Call for Art! The 3rd annual M&G Makers Market opened its application process yesterday to BJU grads, current or former students, or current or former faculty/staff members. M&G has 30 positions available for makers in the following categories: 2D Fine Art, 3D Fine Art, To Wear, Paper Goods, Fiber Art, and Everything Else. Submit your application through midnight on June 10. Learn more here. And, if you’re not a grad or an artist, the university invites everyone to consider attending M&G’s 3rd annual Makers Market on Saturday, Oct. 13, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Countdown to SC Arts Awards Day – highlighting awards recipients

SC Arts AwardsWednesday, May 11 is a big day for the arts in South Carolina! The day begins at 11 a.m. in the lower lobby of the State House with awards presentations to recipients of the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Awards for the Art and the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards. The awards presentation is free and open to the public. Other events include a ticketed luncheon and the South Carolina Arts Gala, which features an art sale of original works by some of the state's finest contemporary artists AND a dance party with The Root Doctors! Overview of events (find more at www.SouthCarolinaArts.com):

  • 11 a.m. - State House awards presentation to recipients of the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Awards for the Arts and the Folk Heritage Awards; free and open to the public.
  • 12:30 p.m. - luncheon hosted by McKissick Museum at Michael's Cafe, 1620 Main St., Columbia. Tickets $20; reservations required by May 4. Email or call Jane Przybysz, (803) 777-3712 or jprzybys@mailbox.sc.edu.
  • 6:15 p.m. - concert featuring bluegrass and gospel; recognition of award recipients, in the Granby Room, 701 Whaley Street (in the same building as the gala). Free and open to the public.
  • 7:15 p.m. - South Carolina Arts Gala, presented by the South Carolina Arts Foundation as a fundraiser to support S.C. Arts Commission programs, including arts education and artist development. The gala features an art sale and dance party with The Root Doctors, 701 Whaley St., Tickets $75; purchase online at www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.
Meet two of this year's Verner Award recipients (and check back each day for additional spotlights): Mary Edna Fraser, Artist
Mary Edna FraserThe pioneering work of Charleston artist Mary Edna Fraser has been collected and exhibited worldwide. Captivated by the complex patterns of land and water when viewed from high above, she has been exploring aerial landscapes for more than a quarter century. Using her own aerial photography along with satellite photography, maps, and charts, Fraser composes pieces in the ancient textile medium of batik using modern dye technology. Her stunning works on silk have incredible visual impact by virtue of their scale and compelling designs. Fraser's interest in the environment enables her to bridge two areas often seen as opposites: art and science. Her art not only offers a creative depiction of watersheds and landscapes but communicates a broader message of conservation and stewardship. Her working relationship with Dr. Orrin H. Pilkey of Duke University resulted in two widely acclaimed publications illustrated with Fraser's batiks: A Celebration of the World's Barrier Islands, and Global Climate Change: A Primer. Fraser is a widely recognized master artist with numerous awards and a growing international reputation, having lectured abroad in countries including Australia, Indonesia and Taiwan. She has had more than 100 one-woman exhibitions of batiks and monotypes, including venues such as the National Academy of Sciences and Duke University Museum of Art. She was the first woman to have a solo exhibition at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Her work is in a number of important private and public collections, most notably the Elliot School of International Affairs  and  George  Washington  University,  the  Heinz  Center  for  Science,  Economics  and  the Environment in Washington, D.C., the New England Aquarium in Boston, the American Embassy in Thailand, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Through her work, Fraser has presented the natural beauty of South Carolina's coastline to the world.
Betty Plumb, Individual
Betty PlumbFor the past 27 years, Betty Plumb has been the principal voice for public support for the arts in South Carolina. As the executive director of the South Carolina Arts Alliance, she transformed the grass-roots advocacy organization into the most influential and effective champion of the arts in the public arena in South Carolina. In S.C. and across the country, her name is synonymous with exemplary arts leadership and effective arts advocacy. While much of her effort has been directed to maintaining sustainable funding for national and state arts agencies, she has been remarkably successful in advocating for funding and public policies that support quality arts education, strong local arts organizations, issues important to artists’ careers, and developing networks of arts advocates. These networks are continually strengthened by Plumb’s willingness to share resources, conduct workshops and serve on panels to educate nonprofit leaders on best advocacy practices. She is also active in recruiting younger advocates and has lectured in arts management programs at the College of Charleston, USC, and Winthrop University. Plumb has twice been listed among the 50 Most Powerful and Influential Leaders in the Nonprofit Arts in America by Barry’s Blog, a website published by the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF). She received the Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award from Americans for the Arts and the Medal of Honor in the Arts from Winthrop University. Thanks to Betty Plumb’s dedication and hard work, the arts are thriving in South Carolina.
The 2016 Verner Awards are sponsored by Colonial Life.  

2016 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Award recipients announced

vernerstatuescolorCongratulations to the recipients of the 2016 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Awards for the Arts! The S.C. Arts Commission annually presents the awards, the highest honor the state gives in the arts, to recognize outstanding achievement and contributions to the arts in South Carolina. Awards will be presented May 11 at 11 a.m. during a ceremony at the Statehouse. This year’s recipients:

"Each of these Verner Award recipients has attracted positive national attention for the Palmetto State," said S.C. Arts Commission Chairman Henry Horowitz. "Their dedication to the arts greatly benefits South Carolinians and materially enhances our state’s economic vitality. Their contributions regionally and nationally are a source of pride for South Carolinians living anywhere. The Verner Awards recognize service, commitment and passion, and we are honored to have these individuals and organizations working to enhance our state's reputation as a leader in the arts." Also on May 11, the S.C. Arts Foundation will honor the recipients and the arts community at the South Carolina Arts Gala, a fundraiser supporting the programs of the S.C. Arts Commission. The gala begins at 7:15 p.m. in the Grand Hall, 701 Whaley St. in Columbia. Gala tickets are $75 per person and may be purchased online. The 2016 Verner Awards are sponsored by Colonial Life. For more about the Verner Awards or the S.C. Arts Gala, call (803) 734-8696 or visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com. About the South Carolina Arts Commission The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission works to increase public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.

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