2022 S.C. Watermedia Society Annual Juried Exhibition announced
The South Carolina Watermedia Society announced that the S.C. State Museum in Columbia is to be host venue for the 2022 version of its Annual Juried Exhibition.
The exhibit will be on display from Aug. 27 through Jan. 8, 2023.
SCWS President
Renea Eshleman claims the show is set to be the best yet.
"It features work from artists as far away as Wisconsin, although 45 of the 70 featured works are from South Carolina artists. This is a testament of the deeply talented artists who call South Carolina home. We are grateful to the State Museum for hosting the show in the Lipscomb Gallery, especially since Guy Lipscomb was a founding member of the society," Eshleman said.
The opening reception and award ceremony is Saturday, Aug. 27, at 6 p.m. The public is invited; light refreshments will be served. Juror
Linda Daly Baker, a Charleston-based artists, choose 70 pieces from 157 entries by 95 artists located throughout the U.S. Awards for 30 of the 70 will be announced at the awards ceremony. The 30 awarded pieces will become part of a state-wide traveling show coordinated by the State Museum and displayed at locations in South Carolina.
The exhibition is made possible by The Lipscomb Family Foundation, and the project is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
In addition to judging the show, Daly Baker will teach a three-day workshop at the museum from Aug. 25-27. More information is available at
https://scwatermedia.com/workshop/.
Recent top award winners of SCWS juried shows are
Anne Hightower of Columbia (Best of Show, 2022 Digital Show);
Dong Feng Li of San Francisco (Best of Show, 2021);
Stacy Lund Levy of Owings Mill, Maryland (Best of Show, 2020);
Ashley Arakas of Myrtle Beach (Best of Show, 2019); and
Lynda English of Florence (Best of Show, 2018).
The South Carolina State Museum is located at 301 Gervais St. in Columbia.
Established in 1977, SCWS is an incorporated, non-profit organization. The mission of the SCWS is to promote the aesthetic and professional interests of its members, provide the public with artistic opportunities through watermedia painting, elevate the stature of watermedia, and educate the public to its significance as an important painting medium. More information on SCWS can be found at its website: www.scwatermedia.com.
Front page image by
StockSnap from
Pixabay.
Tuning Up: Family sues Dutch in S.C. to get back art + SCSM exhibition review
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...
Dutch won't return art Nazis forced S.C. man's grandfather to sell. The Hub is not really the place for news with geopolitical implications...
until it is. "Two Jewish brothers in the Netherlands sold works of art at steep discounts to Nazi officials, some in exchange for helping relatives escape the occupation. But now, a lawsuit filed in South Carolina says, the Dutch government refuses to return the paintings to the family." (Charlotte Observer)
S.C. State Museum celebrates 30 years with help of #SCartists. "Perusing all 70 works in the juried exhibition, any visitor to the Lipscomb Gallery should be impressed by the overall variety of subject matter and range of media ... In all, the juried anniversary exhibition effectively takes the pulse of South Carolina’s contemporary arts scene. And the heartbeat is strong." (
Free Times) The exhibit is ongoing, so consider a visit during your holiday break.
Tuning Up: Eclipsing 50 at SCSM, Speaking Down Barriers in Spartanburg
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...
- Eclipsing 50. Originally scheduled to come down in June, the State Art Collection will remain on display at the South Carolina State Museum into August, so consider this a periodic reminder to go check it out. With the wet weather this week and summer's heat looming, this is a way to escape both. It's rare to see so much of the collection displayed in one place... unless you visit the S.C. Arts Commission. Free with museum admission.
- Speaking Down Barriers in Spartanburg. This Saturday, our friends at Chapman Cultural Center and South Carolina Humanities are planning to use music, poetry and art to help bring people together to build a better community in the Upstate. Speaking Down Barriers holds the first "Day of Transformation" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Spartanburg (210 Henry Place, Spartanburg). $15. Read more about it here and here. (The SCAC provided support for this event.)
- More Spoleto! On Monday, May 28, Palmetto State Arts Education will host the opening performance of the 2018 Rising Stars Piccolo Spoleto Series, showcasing young actors, dancers, musicians, writers and visual artists in the high profile venue of Spoleto Festival USA through its affiliation with Piccolo Spoleto. A series of six programs, each program will feature 5-7 young artists and/or ensembles in a conversation and performance format. All programs are presented at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church across from Marion Square on King Street in the heart of downtown Charleston at 4 p.m. $8.00.
Reserve your space at the Statewide Arts Conference!
Guided by the theme "No Time Like The Future," we’re gearing up for an outstanding Statewide Arts Conference September 14 and 15 at the State Museum in Columbia. The conference features two national keynote speakers and top-notch sessions, the opening reception for the new State Art Collection exhibition, Eclipsing 50, AND customized museum experiences created just for our conference. We've also added a pre-conference session that is included in your registration fee of $75 ($65 for two or more people who register at the same time.) Register today to reserve your space.
Conference highlights:
Two national keynote speakers - we welcome two highly regarded keynote speakers, Dr. Jane Chu, (left) Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts, and Elizabeth Merritt, (right) Founding Director, Center for the Future of Museums and Vice President for Strategic Foresight, American Alliance of Museums. Merritt will also lead a session during the conference.- Opening reception for new exhibition - Eclipsing 50: The State Art Collection 1967 - 2017 was created to celebrate the Arts Commission's 50th Anniversary and includes more than 80 pieces from the collection. The exhibition focuses on the spirit of dynamism and leaps of artistic faith of our state’s changing art landscape and spans work from the last five decades. The State Art Collection was established in 1967 as one of the first programs of the South Carolina Arts Commission.
- Pre-conference session - Join the S.C. Arts Commission staff Thursday, Sept. 14 from 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. at the State Library, 1500 Senate St., to find out about the Arts Commission's new and updated programs, opportunities and grants, including The Art of Community:Rural SC, ArtsGrowSC (a new loan program for artists) and our new grant application platform.
- Conference location - we're taking advantage of our unique venue by designing museum experiences for you - our conference attendees. Choose from several options created and presented by museum staff.
- The Vista Cultural District - explore Columbia's only state-designated cultural district during lunch on your own. Numerous restaurants and arts venues are a quick walk from the State Museum.
Conference schedule overview
(Except for Thursday's pre-conference, all sessions -- including registration -- take place at the State Museum.)
Thursday, September 14
- 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. Pre-Conference Session (State Library)
- 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Registration (State Museum)
- 6:00 - 7:15 p.m. Opening keynote address - Elizabeth Merritt
- 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Opening Reception for the 50th Anniversary State Art Collection - Eclipsing 50
Friday, September 15
- 8:00 - 9:30 a.m. Registration
- 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Networking & coffee
- 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions, Round One
- 10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions, Round Two
- 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. Lunch on your own in The Vista
- 2:15 - 3:30 p.m. Keynote address - Jane Chu
- 3:45 - 5:00 p.m. Museum experiences
A sample of sessions and speakers
- Peering Into the Financial Future
- South Carolina’s Creative Cluster - the Arts and Economic Development
- Transformation: Creating Asset-Based Diversity and Inclusion Strategies
- NASCAR, Improv and Advocacy?
- Building Your Arts Community (for artists)
- Combating Resistance in Your Art Practice (for artists)
- Recycle and Renew: Hands-On Art Making
- Moonshot! Exploring the State Art Collection in Eclipsing 50
- Have Exhibition, Will Travel
- Over the Moon - An Interdisciplinary Approach to Museums
- Planetarium Potpourri
Area hotels are offering special rates for conference attendees.
Find out more and register today!
Thank you to Wells Fargo, our Statewide Arts Conference sponsor.
Statewide Arts Conference to feature two national keynote speakers
Special anniversary pricing of $50 is valid through July 21.
The Statewide Arts Conference will feature two national leaders as keynote speakers: Dr. Jane Chu, (left) Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts, and Elizabeth Merritt, (right) Founding Director, Center for the Future of Museums and Vice President for Strategic Foresight, American Alliance of Museums. Merritt will also lead a session during the conference.
The conference kicks off at the S.C. State Museum in Columbia's Vista Cultural District Thursday, September 14 with an evening plenary and a reception for the exhibition Eclipsing 50: The State Art Collection 1967-2017. The conference continues Friday, September 15 with a full day of sessions and museum experiences.
A sample of conference sessions:
- South Carolina's Creative Cluster: A Look at New Data About the Arts and Economic Development
- Making Your Life as an Artist: A Guide to Building a Balanced, Sustainable Artistic Life
- Advocacy and NASCAR
- Recycle & Renew: Hands on Art Making
- Peering Into the Financial Future - Finding New Strategies for Sustainable Support
- Moonshot! Exploring the State Art Collection in Eclipsing 50
- Have Exhibition, Will Travel
The conference also includes customized tours and presentations by State Museum staff members.
Take advantage of special anniversary pricing! Registration is only $50 through July 21. After July 21, registration is $75 per person ($65 per person for two or more participants who register at the same time.)
Area hotels are offering special rates for conference attendees.
Find out more and register today!
Thank you to Wells Fargo, our Statewide Arts Conference sponsor.
Register today! Statewide Arts Conference registration is $50 through July 21
Special anniversary pricing of $50 is valid through July 21.
Fifty years? Where did the time go? Half a century can fly by when you’re busy making your state a thriving place for the arts.
The 2017 Statewide Arts Conference will celebrate the S.C. Arts Commission’s 50th anniversary with a focus on the future. Keynote presenters include National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu and Center for the Future of Museums Founding Director Elizabeth Merritt. Sessions will cover topics of interest to artists, arts organizations, arts educators and community partners.
The conference kicks off at the S.C. State Museum in Columbia September 14 with an evening plenary and the opening reception for the 50th Anniversary State Art Collection Retrospective and continues September 15 with a full day of sessions and museum experiences.
Take advantage of special anniversary pricing! Registration is only $50 through July 21. After July 21, registration is $75 per person ($65 per person for two or more participants who register at the same time.)
Find out more and register today!
Thank you to Wells Fargo, our Statewide Arts Conference sponsor.
Central Carolina Community Foundation awards Connected Communities grants to launch seven innovative projects
Central Carolina Community Foundation has awarded Connected Communities grants to seven nonprofits for new projects designed to enrich the Midlands region:
- Columbia Museum of Art: “Cut! Costume and the Cinema” – Visitors will peek behind the scenes into the craftsmanship and artistry of cinematic costume design with this international arts and education exhibition, including 43 costumes from 25 well-known films, depicting five centuries of history, drama and comedy. The exhibit, which aims to draw new, cross-generational audiences to the Midlands, will be on display at the Columbia Museum of Art from November 18, 2016 to February 19, 2017.
- Doko Meadows Park Foundation Amphitheatre Project – First-class performances and arts and community events will have a new home within Blythewood’s 25-acre, master-planned Doko Meadows Park, where the Doko Meadows Park Foundation will construct a new amphitheater, welcoming audiences and visitors of all socioeconomic backgrounds, ages and abilities.
- EngenuitySC: What’s Next Midlands – Economic development nonprofit EngenuitySC will launch its second year of What’s Next Midlands, the collaborative crowdsourcing program aimed to gather great ideas for Midlands improvement from residents, and then connect those ideas with the community, capital and volunteers needed to turn them into reality. The program will complete one publicly vetted and approved project per quarter. The first What’s Next Midlands project to be funded has recently added brightly colored, metal patio tables and chairs along Main Street to add social seating during events and peak times (pictured above).
- Riverbanks Society: Waterfall Junction at Riverbanks Botanical Garden – Waterfall Junction – a new attraction within the Riverbanks Botanical Garden – shelters three acres of ponds, creeks, falls and meadows, inviting visitors of all ages to connect with nature through hands-on exploration, imaginative learning and social offerings. The grant provides funding for public gathering and education sites within the new attraction.
- South Carolina Philharmonic: Conduct the Phil – The S.C. Philharmonic expands their successful pop-up, interactive experience that allows the public to conduct the orchestra, holding Conduct the Phil sessions in isolated areas of the community to interact with new audiences including the homeless, mentally challenged, incarcerated, physically ill and at-risk youth populations.
- South Carolina State Museum: RACE: Are We So Different? – The concept of race is scientifically and culturally examined, pondered and challenged at the S.C. State Museum’s new exhibit, which explores three primary themes – the science of human variation, the history of the idea of race and the contemporary experience of race and racism in the U.S. – and explains why we should celebrate our differences. Associated programs complement the exhibit, displayed from June 11 to September 11, 2016.
- The Jasper Project: Marked by the Water – In commemoration of the first anniversary of the devastating South Carolina flood in October 2015, local artists and community members will collaborate and produce a multi-disciplinary community arts project, featuring visual art, literary elements, music and dance. Funding from the Foundation will support the publication of a book containing collected works from this project.
The grant recipients presented innovative ideas that embrace one or more of the following three focus areas, identified by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Gallup as the three most important elements of an attractive community: Welcoming Community, which promotes and encourages open and inclusive activities and programs; Vibrant Social Offerings, which support the availability of community events, arts and culture opportunities; and Superb Public Spaces, which enhance the beauty and physical setting of the Midlands community. Each selected project encourages citizen involvement and community-wide collaboration.
“The projects selected relate directly to our quality of life and enrich our community in meaningful ways,” says JoAnn Turnquist, president & CEO of Central Carolina Community Foundation. “We look forward to working with these organizations throughout the next year and watching their projects unfold.”
In the 2015-16 fiscal year, the Foundation’s first Connected Communities grants funded local programs such as “What’s Next Midlands,” a crowdsourced regional improvement program championed by EngenuitySC; The Nickelodeon Theatre’s “Indie Grits at the River,” enabling the Indie Grits Film Festival to offer free admission for all events for the first time; and educational opportunities in conjunction with the “From Marilyn to Mao – Andy Warhol’s Famous Faces” exhibit at the Columbia Museum of Art, bringing the works of the world-famous artist to downtown Columbia, S.C.
For more information about Connected Communities grants,
visit the Foundation's website or call 803.254.5601.
About Central Carolina Community Foundation
Central Carolina Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization serving 11 counties in the Midlands by distributing grants and scholarships and linking the resources of donors, nonprofits and area leaders to communities in need. For more information about the Foundation, visit
www.yourfoundation.org or call 803.254.5601.
SC fine craft artists: apply for Palmetto Hands Juried Competition and Exhibition
Fine craft artists from across the state are invited to participate in the 15th annual South Carolina Palmetto Hands Juried Fine Craft Competition and Exhibition, the state’s only dedicated fine craft competition and exhibition. Objects juried into the show may compete for cash prizes totaling up to $6,500. The exhibition is presented as a component of the annual North Charleston Arts Fest, to be held April 29 - May 7, 2016. A $15 entry fee applies. Artists may submit up to four entries. The application is strictly available online and can be accessed via www.NorthCharlestonCulturalArtsDepartment.SlideRoom.com. Deadline for entries is Tuesday, March 15, 2016.
[caption id="attachment_24914" align="alignright" width="300"]
Kathy Oda, Koi Pond[/caption]
Organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, this unique exhibition offers fine craft artists from across South Carolina the opportunity to exhibit their inspiring objects in the media of clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood, and three-dimensional mixed media. Thousands have enjoyed the refined talents of South Carolina fine craft artists during past annual exhibitions. Following the close of the show, up to 30 works will be selected to tour the state through the South Carolina State Museum’s 2016/2017 Traveling Exhibitions Program. Sites across South Carolina may request the exhibit to tour in their facilities, thus providing additional exposure for the selected artists.
Internationally exhibiting contemporary silversmith Kaminer Haislip will jury this year’s exhibition. Haislip, a South Carolina native, is a jeweler and sculpture artist who creates original, handcrafted designs in silver and gold. She earned her BFA in Jewelry and Metals and her MFA in Silversmithing and Design from Winthrop University, studying under internationally acclaimed English silversmith Alfred Ward. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and featured in a number of print publications including Eide, Traditional Home, Elle Décor, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, Charleston Magazine, and Charleston Weddings. In 2012, Kaminer was honored with the Made in the South Award in the Home category from Garden & Gun magazine and in 2011 with The Eric Berg Prize for Excellence in Metal at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. The Historic Charleston Foundation honored her with the Samuel Gaillard Stoney Conservation Craftsmanship Award in April 2014, and more recently she collaborated with Reese Witherspoon’s Southern lifestyle company Draper James on a silver bowl. Kaminer currently lives and works in Charleston and has a studio at Redux Contemporary Art Center.
The 15th Annual South Carolina Palmetto Hands Juried Fine Craft Competition & Exhibition will be on display April 29 - May 6, 2016, at the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. A free public reception and announcement of awards will be held at the Convention Center on Friday, April 29, 2016. For more information about the North Charleston Arts Festival, Palmetto Hands, or other exhibition opportunities, contact the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854, email culturalarts@northcharleston.org, or visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com.
African American fiber artists sought for A Piece of Peace exhibition in North Charleston
Deadline is March 1, 2016
The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is seeking entries from African American textile artists from across the nation for a special exhibition presented as a component of the 2016 North Charleston Arts Festival, taking place April 29 - May 7 in North Charleston, S.C. African American artists, ages 18 and up, working in fiber and living in the United States, Mexico, or Canada, are invited to participate in the 10th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition, titled A Piece of Peace. The exhibition will be on display at North Charleston City Hall from April 30-June 20, 2016. A $30 entry fee applies and allows artists to submit up to four entries. The application is strictly available online at www.NorthCharlestonCulturalArtsDepartment.SlideRoom.com. Deadline for entries is Tuesday, March 1, 2016.
Curated by award winning and nationally exhibiting textile artist, Torreah “Cookie” Washington, this unique exhibition offers African American fiber artists a showcase to display their original and innovative designs. This year’s exhibition calls for fiber art inspired by the concept of peace. The challenge for this special exhibit is for artists to create a fiber work, such as an art quilt, doll, wearable art piece, etc., that expresses their personal vision of peace. In today's world, many are feeling lost, frightened, or overwhelmed. Often times life can feel tumultuous and fractured. Where can one go to find a "piece of peace"? How does one find a “true north”? For some, it is through a long meditation, a walk in the woods, or a good book. Others find their piece of peace through action - caring for a beloved child or aging parent, spending time with an animal friend, worshipping in a sacred space, or working towards social justice to help change the world in both small and large ways. "We are all so very excited that we are celebrating 10 years of producing high quality textile art as part of this magnificent festival,” says Washington. “Each year this show grows bigger and better, and we are particularly thrilled by this beautiful, healing theme."
Following the close of the show, up to 30 works will be selected to tour the state through the South Carolina State Museum’s 2016/2017 Traveling Exhibitions Program. Sites across South Carolina may request the exhibit to tour in their facilities, thus providing additional exposure for the selected artists.
The 10th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition: A Piece of Peace will be on display 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. daily from April 30 - June 20, 2016, on the 1st and 2nd floors of North Charleston City Hall, located at 2500 City Hall Lane in North Charleston. Admission is free. A free public reception in honor of the artists will be held at City Hall on Thursday, May 5, 2016, from 6 - 8 p.m.
For more information about the North Charleston Arts Festival, the exhibition, or other exhibition opportunities, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843) 740-5854, email culturalarts@northcharleston.org, or visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com.
Image: Katrina Gorman, Be Still
Via: North Charleston Cultural Arts Department
Good morning! "Tuning Up" is a new, morning series of posts 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...
