March Issue 2002
Patriot Hall in Sumter, SC, Offers Exhibition on Wearable Art and More - Much More
What's in your closet?
Tear, rip, torch, smash, zip, pour, or mount it! And join us-clad
in your very own fantasy-in Sumter, SC, Mar. 29, 2002. Sumter,
a small mostly rural community of nearly forty thousand inhabitants,
has recently become home to some of the most innovative and cutting
edge art events taking place in South Carolina. Sumter, the exact
geographical center of the state, is often "off center"
in their approach to providing creative opportunities for artists
from South Carolina and beyond. The current 'opportunity' is the
Out of the Closet exhibit which celebrates wearable art
and fashion and is coming to the prestigious Patriot Hall, Sumter's
white columned symbol of Southern gentility and tradition. Proudly
sponsored by the Sumter County Cultural Commission, this exhibit
and related events continues a commitment to explore the boundaries
of visual, literary and performing arts. The juried gallery exhibit
features two-and three-dimensional works, local to international
in origin, that reflect a fascinating range of artistic styles:
exotic jewelry, high fashion garments, sketches and photographs
of unusual designs.
The innovative opening night festivities, beginning with an avant-garde
reception at 7pm, offer once-in-a lifetime experiences. Where
else are you going to see fantasy clad attendees invited to participate
in a quirky award ceremony? Imaginative Best categories include:
Body Art (piercing and tattoos welcome), Fantasy Hair, and Wicked
Accessories and, of course, Most Outrageous. From bizarre to elegant
to comical, every bold participant will be rewarded with a rousing
chorus of "wows, oohs and ahs."
Off beat performance art, featuring South Carolina aritsts, Martha Brim, Director of Columbia, SC's Power Company and Loren Schwerd, Professor of Art, College of Charleston, will command center stage from 8:30-10pm. A bewitching runway fashion show will fill the breaks between the various performance artists. Clothing designers, hair designers and artists from throughout the US and Europe have already submitted proposals describing their designs or on-stage performances. An example is noted South Carolina artist, Marcelo Novo, who will be painting models in his origional and highly distintive style. When pressed for details, the event coordinator mentioned metal and paper dresses, a costume that "breaths," and high-rise hair that glows in the dark, explaining, "Think of it this way. Out of the Closet collides with traditional notions of art and fashion." Discovery beckons!
Technical Director for the event, David Shoemaker, promises an industrial, high tech, "hard edge" feel and appearance to his creative set design.
Hats off to the exhibit and event organizers:
Bernadette Vielbig, Professor of Art at the University of South
Carolina, Columbia, Martha Greenway, and Peggy and Booth Chilcutt
(the Sumter team that organized the award winning Accessibility).
The gallery exhibition at Patriot Hall continues through Apr.
17, 2002. Patriot Hall Gallery is open Mon. - Fri., between the
hours of 9am-5pm.
Participants in the exhibition include: from
SC - Carter Seibels (Charleston); Felicia Smith (Columbia); Marla
Black (Rock Hill); Jane Allen Nodine (Spartanburg); R. Cole (Columbia);
Nancy Badgley (Summerville); Doug DeGood (James Island); Susan
Lenz (Columbia); Liisa Salosaari Jasinski (Newberry); Heidi Parikh
(Columbia); and Jodi Klinger (Charleston). US Artists from outside
SC include: Catherine May (VA); Alice Flight (VA); Grace Teng
(NY); Kendra Roberts (NY); Valeri Rose (FL);Demaris Ann Howe (MD);
Mary Ann Lucas (TX); Elizabeth Mackie (NJ); Aileen Boos (LA);
Shannon Wallace (GA); Songyi Kim (VA); and Rob McAdams (unknown).
International participants include: Katia Vardoulaki (Greece).
Come out of the closet. Be there on Mar. 29, for the exhibition
opening and "fantasy" stage show.
The exhibition, opening reception and stage performances are free and open to the public.
For additional information contact: Bernadette Vielbig, at 803/777-6918, e-mail at (freeartgirl@hotmail.com); Booth Chilcutt, at 803/436-2616, e-mail at (sumteroperahouse@yahoo.com); and Martha Greenway, at 803/436-2260, e-mail at (patriot_hall@sumtercountysc.org).
Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O. Drawer
427, Bonneau, SC 29431
Telephone, Answering Machine and FAX: 843/825-3408
E-Mail: carolinart@aol.com
Subscriptions are available for $18 a year.
Carolina Arts
is published monthly by Shoestring
Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc.
Copyright© 2001 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston
Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts
from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts
Online, Copyright© 2001 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved
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