South Carolina Biennial, Part 1 Reception and Art Quilt at City Hall

(Me and my studio assistant, Jeana Boyd, with three large "Stained Glass" fiber pieces at the South Carolina Biennial, Part One reception.  Click on image to enlarge.)

Last night was a whirlwind of art activities in Columbia, South Carolina.  In addition to "First Thursday" on Main Street featuring more than eight or nine venues including Nickelodeon Theater's dunking booth, there were art openings at both City Art Gallery and at 701 Center for Contemporary Art.  Steve tried desperately to keep me on a stop-watch pace in our attempts to "do it all".  We couldn't but had a blast trying!


(Above:  City Hall's brand new public art space where the Palmetto Hands Juried Traveling Exhibition is on view ... including Anonymous, one of my grave rubbing art quilts.)

We started at City Hall's inaugural exhibition in the lobby's brand new public art space.  The Palmetto Hands Juried Traveling Exhibition was on view ... including my grave rubbing art quilt, Anonymous.  The reception food spread was impressive and there were two television cameras in action.  I wish I had known about this more than 48 hours in advance ... but I only got an email press release on Tuesday afternoon.  It was a great opening nonetheless.


(Above:  701 CCA South Carolina Biennial, part one reception ... including three of my large "Stained Glass" fiber pieces.)

We stopped in to see Jonathan Calicutt's show, Jim Lalumondier's show at Anastasia and Friends Gallery, the art at Tapps Art Center, and Lindsay Wiggins' show at Frame of Mind before heading to 701 Center for Contemporary Art for the artist's reception of the South Carolina Biennial, part one.  It was a great evening and an awesome show!


(Above:  701 CCA South Carolina Biennial, part one reception ... including two of my "In Box" series pieces.)

The talent displayed in this show is amazing and I am very, very proud to have work included.  I love watching people look at my work ... almost pressing their noses up to the glass wondering how these pieces are created!  I met several incredible artists and got to chat with many friends ...



... including Peter Lenzo, an amazing ceramists.  I've known his daughter Roxanne since she was in the seventh grade.  She's quite a lady now and looked as terrific as her Dad's work looks scarily into the depth of his personal life through clay.  I've always admired Peter Lenzo's work ... and should have bought one of his earlier jugheads ... back when I could have afforded one!  It was also nice meeting Roxanne's beau Will.


(Above:   Me with my studio assistant Jeana and one of my best friends Dolly Patton ... a photo by Rob Thompson of The State Newspaper.)

I wasn't the only one snapping "people pictures".  A photographer from The State newspaper was capturing the crowd and the art.  The on-line slideshow is HERE.

 

(Above:  Me with Steve and my mentor Stephen Chesley.)

Rob Thompson also took this great image of my husband Steve Dingman, my mentor Stephen Chesley and me!  It was a wonderful evening ... and I hope that Saturday evening's reception for Connecting Concept & Materials: Fiber Arts in South Carolina at the Pickens County Museum of Art and History yield equally wonderful photos!  Hopefully, I'll be posting again on Sunday!