Women's Caucus for Art, Charleston Chapter - A national, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the opportunities for women in the visual arts. The Charleston Chapter of the WCA meets to discuss exhibition opportunities, to critique art and to build a network of women in the local art community. Meetings are informal, and held at a variety of sites throughout the Charleston area, often at openings and art events. For more information e-mail (WCAcharleston@yahoo.com) or visit (www.WCAcharleston.blogspot.com).

Carolina Bronze Sculpture in Seagrove, NC, is a full service foundry, handling all of your sculpture needs. Our 8000 sq. ft. facility is located in Seagrove, just off Interstate 73 in the central part of the state and just 38 miles south of Greensboro, NC. We manufacture all types of silicon bronze sculpture, from small, table top pieces to monumental size works. We are currently adding scanning and enlarging capabilities that will be unmatched on the east coast. Visit our gallery to see examples of some of our finished work and check out the rest of the website to learn more about the bronze casting process. When you are ready to turn your sculpture into a finely crafted bronze that will last for centuries, just call at 336/873-8291 or visit (www.carolinabronze.com).

Red Bank Arts Guild is currently taking membership applications. Red Bank Arts Guild is designed to encourage exhibition and communication for artists and crafters in the Red Bank, White Knoll, Pelion rural communities of Lexington County, SC. For more information contact a member at 803/808-5328 or visit (www.RedBankArtsGuild.com).

The Rhodes Art Center, part of the North Charleston Cultural and Civic Center Complex, is located in The Navy Yard at Noisette. Artist studio space is currently available. E-mail to (culturalarts@northcharleston.or) or call 843/745-1087 for more information.

With 49 members attending the first meeting, established in 1953 the Charleston Artist Guild, in Charleston, SC, is one of the oldest in the nation. Today with hundreds of artists and art lovers as members, the Guild plays an important role in the Charleston art community and Low Country art scene. Currently the Guild (CAG) is actively recruiting fine art photographers as members. After joining as an associate member, and attending one meeting, photographers will be eligible to present their work to a panel of judges who will determine qualifications for Exhibiting Photographer status. Having achieved Exhibiting Photographer status, photographers may then enter work in CAG sponsored shows, exhibit work in the CAG Gallery and participate in Sidewalk Shows during the spring and fall tourist seasons. CAG and the Center for Photography are working together to develop a schedule of photography programs for CAG members at the Center for Photography. The Charleston Artist Guild is a nonprofit organization with an ongoing mission to further the appreciation of fine art by providing education in all aspects of the art world; sponsoring workshops, demonstrations, lectures and exhibits for both artist and collector. The Guild has five on-going projects in its community outreach program to help the less fortunate as well as young artists to ensure the future of the Charleston art scene. Membership in the Charleston Artist Guild offers many benefits: Receipt of the newsletter The Easel; monthly programs with interesting speakers; the opportunity to participate in workshops at discounted rates; and the chance to be a part of many community outreach programs. Contact: Robert G. Ingram, Executive Director 843/722-2454, or the gallery at 843/722-2425, for more information. See our website at (www.CharlestonArtistGuild.com) for more information and to secure a membership application.

The Arts Council of Beaufort County, in Beaufort, SC, offers small grants ($200 - $1,000) that are awarded quarterly to non-profit organizations, schools, individual artists and teachers in Beaufort County for cultural activities occurring in or benefiting the greater Beaufort area. In the past, these grants have been used to provide support for professional development, high quality arts programs for the community, public awareness, audience development, arts in education for young people and cultural projects that celebrate the diversity of the Lowcountry. All grants require matching funds and can be used to provide support for wide range of art projects. Applicants do not have to be a member of the ACBC but all grants must be submitted on the proper forms and meet the announced deadline. Application Packets are available at (www.beaufortcountyarts.com/acbcsg.html) and are particular to each funding category. They also include complete guidelines within each packet. Please note, Applicants must consult with an Arts Council staff member prior to submitting an application. Please call Emily at 843/379-2787 if you have any questions! The ACBC Subgrant program is supported with public funds from the South Carolina Arts Commission, the City of Beaufort, John and Susan Bennett Meemorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Carolina Community Foundation of South Carolina, and Arts Council member Support.

"Start and Run a Creative Services Business" is the new title of a book once titled, "The Freelance Survival Guide" written by Susan Kirkland (ISBN 155180607X Published by Self-Counsel Press). The book's table of contents includes: Getting Started, Creating Your Work Environment, Take a Personal & Portfolio Inventory, Keeping Your Clients, Identifying & Targeting Your Market On-line, Partnering Alliances, New Business Cold Calling Tips, Negotiating with Vendors, Nine Sure Signs You're Not Getting Paid, Fees and What to do When Clients Don't Do the right thing, Scoundrels & Scalawags, Piranhas & Barracudas, Life Rafts for the Drowning, Sage Advice from a Veteran, and Online Resources you can use. Kirkland graduated from the Columbus College of Art and Design in 1975 and put 30 years of experience into the book. The book is filled with information for freelancers, encouragement and guidance for the free-fall of self-employment.

The Center for Creative Arts and the Greensboro Artists League have recently merged organizations forming the Center for Visual Artists in Greensboro, NC. Both non-profit agencies have long been creative forces in Greensboro and Piedmont Triad region. The merger has formed a new, vital organization that provides professional exhibition galleries, a full-service education center, a juried sales gallery and community outreach programming. An exhibition level membership in the CVA brings opportunities to exhibit in the main gallery and to be considered for solo, small group and sales gallery exhibitions. Non-exhibiting memberships are available for students, friends and corporations. In-House programs provide artist's seminars and workshops as well as classes in fine arts and crafts for adults and children. For membership or gallery information contact Jan Chenoweth, exhibits coordinator, or Charlotte Chipman, gallery manager at 336/333-7485.

The South Carolina Arts Commission in Columbia, SC, and Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina in Charleston, SC, are working together to honor the wishes of a foundation donor by making grant funds available to support artists and arts projects around the state. This year CCF is providing $27,000 from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund to support arts programs around the state. The SC Arts Commission is distributing the funds through its Quarterly Project Grants and Sub-granting programs. "Our organizations share common goals for supporting quality community arts activities that encourage a thriving arts environment for the state," said Suzette M. Surkamer, Executive Director of the SC Arts Commission. "We are pleased to be working with CCF to honor the Bennett family and help the arts prosper in South Carolina." "The SC Arts Commission was the logical and best partner for helping us fulfill John Bennett's desire to support the arts throughout the state of SC, by creating a fund with us through his bequest," said Richard Hendry, VP of Programs for CCF. The John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund honors Mr. Bennett's grandparents, who were intellectual leaders and lovers of the arts in Charleston during its literary renaissance. In addition to sub-grants awarded through the SC Arts Commission throughout the state, grants from the John and Susan Bennett Fund are provided through three of CCF's own funding programs: Open Grants, the Beaufort Fund Grants, and Expansion Arts Grants. This is not the first time the two organizations have worked together. In 1994, the Arts Commission gave CCF a grant of $5,000 to help develop a community-driven "Arts & Culture Plan" for the Charleston-Berkeley-Dorchester area. In addition, the SCAC awarded $5,000 to help CCF realize a 1989 challenge match from the National Endowment for the Arts that created the Expansion Arts Endowment. This fund has been making grants to emerging Lowcountry artists and arts organizations (particularly minority and rural) whose work reflects the Lowcountry heritage. Operating in alternate years, Expansion Arts grants have provided nearly $200,000 to scores of individual artists and arts organizations in all disciplines. "We are proud and privileged to be both funders of SCAC programs and the recipient of SC Arts Commission grants. We enjoy a partnership of mutual support and respect and look forward to many opportunities to work together in the coming years," Hendry said. The SC Arts Commission is an agency of state government, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the SC Arts Foundation. Board members are appointed by the Governor and approved by the Senate. For details on programs and services available from the SCAC, visit (www.SouthCarolinaArts.com) or call 803/734-8696. For more information on Coastal Community Foundation, visit (www.CCFgives.org) or
call 843/723-3635.

Do you have a talent and would like somewhere to show it off to the public? Just Fresh® Bakery Café & Market is holding an Artists Market the third Saturday of every month in each of their four locations throughout the Charleston, SC, area. Artists of all kinds are invited to set up a booth/display at Just Fresh® and sell their work to customers. This is a great opportunity to share your work with others in the community, and it's totally free! Jewelry, Painting, Arts and Crafts, and all other skills welcome. For more information, please contact 843/571-0999 or e-mail at (info@hometeamcommunications.com).

Opportunities Available! The City of North Charleston, SC, Cultural Arts Department is calling for proposals for consideration from teachers and instructors in various forms of visual and performing arts classes are now being accepted. The Cultural Arts Department will sponsor and co-sponsor with other agencies, classes and workshops in visual arts, photography, crafts, music, dance, theater, and more. Class offerings will be geared toward children, youth and adults, Check the city website for updated class schedules (www.northcharleston.org) or call 843/745-1087.

Art Critique at The Charlotte Art League, 1517 Camden Rd., Charlotte, NC, on the second Thursday of each month from 10 to 11am. Facilitated by Ron Fields, the group discusses how one might improve a painting, weaving, or sculpture. Let's talk about how to "tweak it" to perfection, or correct an unintended focus of attention. Maybe you are not sure it's finished or you are stuck on how to fix a problem area. Attendance is free. Bring 1 to 2 pieces. For further info call 704/376-2787 or visit (www.charlotteartleague.org).  

The Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill, NC, mounts five monthly art exhibitions throughout each year for both two- and three-dimensional art. One of the purposes is to enrich the interest in art of it 450 residents. In addition, it stimulates the work of resident and staff artists who have two monthly shows of their own. The shows of visiting artists are opened with a reception where the two artists make presentations concerning their backgrounds and their work. Then, with a guest, they join us at dinner, The artists are asked to provide appropriate biographical material for posting and, if they choose, price lists. Artists are required to submit ten or more slides of the work they would intend to show. 2-D works must be prepared for hanging (the height of 2-D works is limited to 42 inches). 3-D works must be installed indoors or out. Carol Woods will be responsible for preparing display labels for all works. The artists must bring the works to Carol Woods and remove them on the dates agreed as storage is not available. Applications may be obtained by mail to the Art Committee, Carol Woods, 750 Weaver Dairy Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514; or by phoning Jean Parish at 919/918-3607; or by e-mail to (dokun@unc.edu). The applications will be reviewed in Sept., 2004, for the 2005 year. Given that time is short, applications will be considered when they arrive in the event that a vacancy remains or, if not, they will be considered for the following year. Materials submitted may be returned or held by the Art Committee as the applicant chooses.

The City of Charlotte, NC, is well on its way toward boasting one of the most modern and community-friendly rapid transit systems in the country. The 2025 Corridor System Plan includes long-term planning for five corridors and the areas between them, as well as potential expansion outside Mecklenburg County. Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is sharing the responsibility for improving the Charlotte region's quality of life, by providing efficient, cost-effective public transportation and contributing to the development of a livable and sustainable community for both riders and non-riders. In the context of creating vibrant and neighborhood oriented transit facilities, CATS has earmarked 1% of its transit capital budget for the Art-in-Transit Program. Through the program, public art will be integrated into most major projects in the capital program, including stations and surrounding areas, park and ride lots, transportation centers, maintenance facilities, and passenger amenities. Visual artists, working in virtually every medium, may design elements intrinsic to facilities and be commissioned to create public art. In Nov. 2002 the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC), CATS' governing board, adopted the 2025 Transit System Plan. This plan consists of rapid transit improvements to five corridors called the North, Northeast, Southeast, South and West Corridors. Also in the future plan are improvements in Uptown Charlotte including a streetcar system and bus service and facility improvements throughout the region. In 2003 and 2004, artists were selected to work on the South Corridor Light Rail Project design team and commissioned to create art for the 15 stations CATS plans to build and then open in the fall of 2006. Artists have also been selected to work with project teams to incorporate public art at park and ride lots. Studies are being completed to develop Draft Environmental Impact Statements (DEIS) for North, Northeast, Southeast and West Corridors as well as the Center City with its streetcar line. One percent of the design and construction budget of those transit projects will be dedicated to public art. Public art will also be integrated into these corridor designs, as well as all future facilities regardless of size. CATS encourages all professional artists from any locale who have been involved in public art, public art-in-transit, the visual arts, as well as professional artists who are just becoming interested in public art, to submit current slides and materials listed herein to be considered for the CATS' Art-in-Transit program. The selection process is ongoing. For more information on CATS' Art-In-Transit program, visit us on the web at (www.ridetransit.org).

Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc. Copyright© 2010 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© 2010 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.