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Janaury Issue 2003

Festival of Homes, Music, & Art at McClellanville, SC

The Village Museum will conduct its second annual Festival of Homes, Music, & Art on Feb. 8, 2003. Featured during the Festival are three homes and five churches of historic interest in or near the town of McClellanville, SC, as well as three plantations along the beautiful Santee River. Many of these sites will be filled with the music and art of Lowcountry musicians and artists. The event offers history ranging from the area's early rice planting days to the times of Archibald Rutledge, famed naturalist, author and poet.

Included are five churches of great historic importance and architectural beauty: St. James-Santee Parish Episcopal Church ca.1768, St. James-Santee Chapel of Ease 1890, New Wappetaw Presbyterian Church 1875, McClellanville United Methodist Church 1903, and McClellanville Baptist Church 1941. The halls of each of these fine churches will echo with the sounds of beautiful chamber music, lively spirituals, and toe-tapping bluegrass.

Hampton Plantation, built ca. 1735, is among the sites featured during the Festival. Come visit the home place of Archibald Rutledge, South Carolina's first Poet Laureate (1934-1974). William Lucas' beautiful home, the Wedge Plantation, ca. 1826, and Declaration of Independence signer, Thomas Lynch's Hopsewee Plantation, ca. 1739-1740, will be on tour.

The nostalgic acoustic sounds and lyrical voices of Mitzi Goodie and Doug Lumbley, the infectious tempo of the old-time spirituals and gospel songs of the "Plantation Singers," the stirring melodies of chamber music played by the Magnolia Music Ensemble and the energetic beat of America's own bluegrass music performed by Southern Flavor will fill the porches, bandstand, church halls and streets of McClellanville.

Three village homes, the John Y. DuPré House (ca. 1790...McClellanville's oldest home), the Robert Venning Morrison House (ca. 1860...another of the village's original houses), and the Old Presbyterian Manse (ca. 1880...now a private residence and newly restored) will be open for touring. Many of the houses will be hosted by descendants of the original owners. They will be happy to answer any questions visitors might have.

Traditional and contemporary paintings, metal and wooden sculptured pieces, as well as color and black and white photography will decorate the walls of the Town Hall and our art galleries. Two father and son shows will be featured: (1) For this event McClellanville author, William P. Baldwin will put down his pen for a while and share with you the wonders of Hampton Plantation as seen through the lens of his camera. His very talented son Aaron Baldwin will exhibit a group of his modern wood sculptures and a collection of his oil paintings. (2) The classic style of master portrait artist Charles DeAntonio will be highlighted in a display of portraits and landscapes while his son Charles DeAntonio, Jr. will offer a collection of colorful and bold modern oil paintings. A show of the metal sculptures by Thomas Smoak, the wood carvings and oil paintings by Lee Arthur, and the black and white photographs by Chip Smith and Glen Racine will also be offered during the Festival. Watercolor artist, David Gobel will also exhibit a collection of his painting of local interest. The works of Elizabeth Bronson, a very fine portraitist, will be exhibited in her Pinckney Street Gallery. She will show several landscapes and nautical paintings as well as her outstanding portraits. All this exhibitions will be on view through Feb. 22, 2003.

The black and white photographs of Bernadette Humphrey will be displayed at the gallery of the McClellanville Arts Center. This exhibit will continue through Mar. 8, 2003. Several other artists will be showing their work throughout the village. There will be something for everyone's taste.

On the day of the Festival The Village Museum will hold an open house and invite visitors to learn about the history and heritage of the region once known as "French Santee." The parish of St. James-Santee, was organized in 1706, but was settled as early as 1685 by French Huguenots and thereafter by the English and the Scots. Great rice and cotton planters and people of national prominence have made their homes in the area. The village of McClellanville was established by a few of the Santee rice planters in the mid-1850's as a seaside resort.

The Festival of Homes, Music, & Art will be held from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Tickets, $25., may be purchased from The Village Museum, 401 Pinckney Street (Main Street) or ordered by mail by sending a check and a stamped, self-addressed business size envelope to: The Village Museum, P.O. Box 595, McClellanville, SC 29458.

For details call the museum at 843/887-3030.

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