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Issue
5.29 | Monday, May 20, 2013
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Curators
to have art show in their home during Spoleto MAY
20, 2013 -- Two Warren Street curators are opening their home later this
month to highlight the contemporary artwork of two British artists and
three locals. Home
Is Where the Art Is, a Charleston-based, artist-run progressive Contemporary
Art Initiative, is designed to share art in an accessible, open and comfortable
environment. Based in the curators' historic circa-1880 Warren Street
home, which is custom designed for ample exhibit space, the organization's
goal is to share contemporary art in an intimate, relaxed setting, without
diminishing the respect for the artists and their work.
"Art
comes alive when it is lived with. Art is meant to be experienced, shared
and discussed in an open, comfortable environment," says co-curator
and resident Stacie McCormick. "Home Is Where The Art Is aims to
innovate and inspire the contemporary art scene in Charleston by providing
a space accessible to the general public and not forgetting the critical
discourse of each exhibit. We are proud to call Charleston home and it
is the city's progressive attitudes that allows us. The curators'
passion for art and all that it means has led to the remarkable opportunity
to view progressive international and local artists in the cozy environment
of their home, hopefully planting the seed of new critical thinking and
exposure to challenging and celebrated art, according to a press release. On display
at Home Is Where The Art Is starting May 30 is work by Chicago-based artists
Tim Parsons and Jessica Charlesworth. The show, open 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday through Friday and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends, will also feature
works of local artists Joshua Lynn, David Boatwright and Jane Winefield.
A conversation with artists will be June 8. The show closes June 9. "We
are thrilled that our gallery will be home to Jessica and Tim's work,"
says McCormick. "These world-class exhibits seek to unravel and provoke
rich interactions between people, technology, products and services. The
fact that exhibits of this depth will be hosted in our casual, comfortable
home gallery is perfect. Charleston residents and visitors from all over
the world who are in town for Spoleto can explore world-class contemporary
art in a welcoming environment, allowing for more critical thinking. When
art is more approachable, it becomes more meaningful." Tim Parsons
and Jessica Charlesworth are a husband and wife team working in the realm
of experimental and speculative object making. They are graduates of the
Royal College of Art in London, Charlesworth from the Design Interactions
course (graduating 2007) and Parsons from Design Products (graduating
2000). Parsons currently holds the position of Associate Professor in
Designed Objects at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).
Their work is wide-ranging, from material experimentation to adapting
meaningful found objects to speculative, narrative-led work. While in
Charleston, Parsons and Charlesworth will work locally in a studio run
by Home Is Where The Art Is creating a Charleston-based specific work
inspired by the city. The artists will develop a series of experiments
during the residency that communicates the couple's sensibility and approach
to object making.
Time
to focus on Southern Crescent of Shame MAY 20,
2013 -- A few years back, Columbia public relations guru Bud Ferillo made
a film about several economically distressed counties that he dubbed the
"Corridor of Shame." This area, which stretched along Interstate
95 from Dillon County to Jasper County, got a lot of attention when then-presidential
candidate Barack Obama toured an old Dillon middle school in the run-up
to the 2008 election.
Our Corridor
of Shame is just a piece of a Southern Crescent of Shame of economically
distressed areas inhabited by more than 4 million people. They live in
a rural South shaped by long-term poverty and lack of economic opportunities
outside of agriculture. [Below at right, see map of poverty in 2008;
the darker that the red is, the higher the amount of poverty.]
That's
not to say there aren't success stories. Downtowns in places like Hampton,
S.C., and Blakely, Ga., are getting new lives. Some forward-looking communities
have taken extra steps to plan and innovate. Over recent years, for example,
Vidalia, Ga., has branded itself as the go-to place for sweet, delicious
onions. Prosperity shows throughout the town, but 25 percent of the people
in Toombs County live in poverty. Or look at Hartsville, S.C., where Sonoco
is making big investments in local education efforts to help create a
more skilled work force for the future. Still,
there's an sense of gloom in these Crescent towns, hamlets and crossroads
that mixes with a pride of being less complicated and more friendly, relaxed
and personal than generally found in suburbs. A bank employee in Fitzgerald,
Ga., this week reflected that her young son was growing up in a good place,
but schools in her nearby hometown didn't have the high-tech tools that
her brother's son had in his school in Seattle. She worried that he'd
be left behind.
Folks,
the Southern Crescent is a remnant of plantation life -- a region that
has been the soft underbelly of the Deep South for generations. One hundred
and fifty years after the Civil War, it's time that this area starts receiving
the same attention that Appalachia did in the 1960s War on Poverty. The Center
for a Better South is starting a three-prong effort to focus attention
on the Southern Crescent. First, it has a new Web site -- www.SouthernCrescent.org
-- that highlights a different image of life in the region every other
day. Second, it seeks to work with nonprofits and foundations to fund
research and studies on how to coordinate better and smarter delivery
of existing services to infuse more dynamism in the region. And the Center
encourage creation of a special national study commission to recommend
federal and state policies to raise living standards. This effort
may not cost a lot of money. The Center presumes that if various state
and federal government bureaucracies get out of their comfort zones and
work with engaged rural communities, they can figure out ways to coordinate
services better and create more economic opportunities. After a
week of riding roads in South Carolina and Georgia through Crescent communities,
it's clear that millions of rural Southerners want more opportunities
for their counties. Now is the time to get moving so they don't get left
behind even more.
Send us your thoughts, opinions
Charleston RiverDogs
The public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring Charleston Currents to you at no cost. This issue's featured underwriter is the Charleston RiverDogs. The Lowcountry’s leader in sports entertainment, Charleston RiverDogs baseball is an attractive, affordable medium for your group or business. The RiverDogs develop the next major league stars for the 27-time World Champion New York Yankees at one of the finest ballparks in Minor League Baseball -- Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. Three short words sum up the every day approach taken by the Charleston RiverDogs front office. The brainchild of club President Mike Veeck, the nine-letter phrase “Fun Is Good” is meant to be a guideline and daily reminder of how employees should approach their jobs and in turn capture the imagination of the fans to turn them into repeat customers. The season is in full swing! [Bad pun intended.] See the schedule. Call the 'Dogs today at (843) 723-7241 or visit online at: www.RiverDogs.com.
The
birds and the bees ... and conservancies MAY 20, 2013 -- This spring has brought us continuous encounters with birds and butterflies with the added attraction of an in-school bee hive installation.
Our recent journeys have provided us with a clear record of the best Lowcountry spots for viewing birds and butterflies. The lists that follow enable you and your family to head straight to the action and plan a great weekend walk. Don't forget your camera! [If you find that your favorite bird or butterfly observation spot has been left off the list, please email Pluff Mud Kids and we will check it out!] For Bird Observation
For Bee Study
For Butterfly Observation
Gullah
Geechee Corridor takes another step forward The Gullah
Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Management Plan has officially been
approved this month by the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, which
makes it an official document with which to begin implementation of projects
and programs.
"I
commend the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission for their
four years of intensive work to create this management plan," said
the corridor's sponsor, U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-S.C. "Their
efforts have already brought tremendous attention to the Gullah Geechee
culture, and this plan will serve as a blueprint to not only educate people
about the culture, but also to ensure its sustainability for future generations.
It is gratifying to see the vision I had for the Corridor coming to fruition,
and I thank all of those involved who made this possible."
Proposed budget includes lower county taxes
The proposed decrease is possible because of an offset credit from Local Option Sales Taxes that have been collected. The proposed primary county budget of $194 million is up $6.9 million mostly due to added workers at the mosquito control division and 9-1-1 dispatch center employees, according to a press release. 6th annual jazz series takes place during Spoleto
Among the performers from the area and nation are the Kevin Hackler Quintet (May 23), The New South Jazzmen (May 24), Jamie Slater Trio (June 1), Charlton Singleton Quintet (June 2) and Charleston Latin Jazz Collective (June 5). Each night, there will be sets at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., each of which will last about 75 minutes. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the show.
Historic plats, buildings on Seven to Save list for 2013 When the Preservation Society of Charleston puts something other than an old building on its Seven to Save list for a year, you know it's different ... and important.
"These documents are essential to the interpretation and understanding of the development of the built environment of Charleston and the Lowcountry," according to a press release. "The collection is in danger of being lost forever because of deterioration. Improper conservation methods and storage conditions in the 20th century exposed these fragile documents to fluctuating air temperatures and inappropriate levels of moisture." The county recently pledged $100,000 to buy the equipment necessary to digitize the plats for posterity.
Jazz in South Carolina South Carolina has been home to an impressive number of nationally prominent jazz figures as well as the site of many high-caliber jazz activities, including major festivals, comprehensive jazz education programs, and even an award-winning radio show. Although Cheraw native and bebop pioneer Dizzy Gillespie, a major influence on modern jazz trumpeters, is the best-known and most historically significant jazz musician to have come from the state, many other important performers were either born or spent their formative years in South Carolina, some being alumni of the world-famous youth bands of Charleston's Jenkins Orphanage. Among the earliest South Carolinians to make names for themselves outside the state were tuba player Pete Briggs, who recorded with Louis Armstrong in 1927; trumpeter Jabbo Smith, regarded by many in the 1920s as
a serious rival to Armstrong himself; preeminent alto saxophonist Willie Smith; and popular trumpeters Peanuts Holland and Gus Aitken. The Duke Ellington Orchestra included South Carolinians such as trumpeters Bubber Miley, Cat Anderson, and Taft Jordan; clarinetist and saxophonist Jimmy Hamilton; and drummer Rufus Jones. South Carolinians who performed with Count Basie include his longtime guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeter Pete Minger and saxophonist John C. Williams. Charleston's Fud Livingston became an important arranger for many swing bands. Players who rose to prominence in modern times include saxophonists Lucky Thompson, Odean Pope, Houston Person, Bob Belden and Chris Potter; guitarist James Blood immigration; drummer Alphonse Mouton; and trombonist Ron Westray. Two major jazz festivals have brought scores of famous musicians to the state. Since 1980 the annual Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston has presented dozens of top stars, including such luminaries as the Count Basie and Duke Ellington orchestras, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Sarah Vaughan, Chick Corea, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, George Shearing, Dianne Reeves and many more. And for ten years, starting in 1987, Columbia's Main Street Jazz annually imported performers of a similar quality. Educational institutions, arts presenters, and other organizations bring leading performers to the state on a regular basis. The Hilton Head Jazz Society, founded in 1986, imports name musicians to raise funds for its jazz scholarship program and present master classes at the local schools. The group also holds monthly concerts featuring regional artists. In the late 1950s, one of the first collegiate jazz bands on the east coast was organized at Newberry College. Shortly afterwards the Newberry College High School Jazz Festival was founded to allow student jazz bands to perform for ratings and comments by nationally known clinicians. Later, after the formation of the South Carolina unit of the National Association of Jazz Educators (now the International Association for Jazz Education) to promote jazz education in the state, the Newberry festival, in conjunction with that organization, introduced the South Carolina All-State High School Jazz Ensemble, whose members are selected by audition from throughout the state. At the start of the twenty-first century, many of the state's secondary and postsecondary educational institutions provided some form of jazz in their curricula. Offerings included ensembles, classroom courses, clinics conducted by professional artists, and even full majors in jazz. The University of South Carolina at Columbia offered curricula leading to both bachelor's and master's degrees in jazz studies. The South Carolina Jazz Hall of Fame, founded at South Carolina State College in the late 1970s, honors outstanding students, professionals, and support personnel. In 1985 Dizzy Gillespie became its first professional inductee. The citizens of South Carolina have regular access to high quality jazz through the offerings of South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) and the South Carolina Educational Radio Network (SCERN). The latter not only brings the music to citizens throughout the state in the form of locally produced and nationally syndicated programs, but has for more than two decades produced the nationally distributed, Peabody Award-winning "Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz," a weekly program featuring the highly regarded pianist and her guests. In the year 2000, the network's Rock Hill station began to broadcast jazz exclusively and continuously.
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IN THE WEEK AHEAD (NEW) Make Google apps work for you: 9 a.m. to noon, May 21, Coastal Community Foundation, 635 Rutledge Ave., Charleston. The S.C. Tech Academy of Coastal Community Foundation presents a 2-session class to help nonprofits get the most from this incredibly powerful suite of tools. Learn tips that will help you get stuff done faster and work more effectively with others in your organization to reduce re-work and confusion. More online. (NEW) Turtle release: 4 p.m., May 23, Isle of Palms County Park. "Birdie," a 16-pound Kemp's Ridley sea turtle brought to the S.C. Aquarium in September and two loggerhead turtles are the first three turtles to be released publically this year. More: SCAquarium.org. Run to Remember: 6:30 p.m., May 23, Mount Pleasant Pier, Mount Pleasant. The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission offers the inaugural evening run as a way to kick off Memorial Day celebrations. Online registration is open through May 22 at www.ccprc.com. Great watercolors: May 24 to Sept 15, Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston. In conjunction with Spoleto Festival USA, the Gibbes will present watercolors created in Charleston in the early 1990s by celebrated contemporary artists Stephen Mueller and Carl Palazzolo, who will give an opening day gallery talk at 2:30 p.m. at the museum. Art is from the collection David and Carol Rawle. More: GibbesMuseum.org Run, Forrest, Run: 4 p.m., May 25, The Joe stadium, Charleston. The Charleston RiverDogs will host the 10th annual "Run Forrest Run" 5K race before that day's 6:05 p.m. baseball game against the Greenville Drive. Pre-registration is $30. More online. (NEW) Free admission: May 27, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. Active-duty members of the military and their immediate family will be able to get free admission to the attraction for general garden admission. More: MagnoliaPlantation.com. CONTINUING AND IN THE WEEKS AHEAD (NEW) Conversation with West Fraser: 6 p.m., June 3, Preservation Society of Charleston Book and Gift Shop, 147 King Street, Charleston. Lowcountry traditionalist painter West Fraser will offer his thoughts on Charleston, his style and more. Reception starts 30 minutes before the lecture. $15 for members/$20 others. More: PreservationSociety.org Photo contest: Images due by June 6. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is holding its annual photo contest for photos taken at the attraction between March 1 and May 31. Entry is $25. To enter and look at rules, visit the Lowcountry Photographic Club. (NEW) Nighttime at the Museum: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., June 7, Charleston Museum, Meeting Street, Charleston. Bring your flashlight to the annual event as living historians represent many time periods. The event will help history come to life for your children. Tickets are $10 for member adults, $20 for non-members; rate is half of that for kids. More: CharlestonMuseum.org Spivey Hall Children's Choir: June 7-11, around town. The internationally recognized chorale group from Clayton State University in Morrow, Ga., will perform as part of its summer tour in local retirement homes and at Piccolo Spoleto at 3 p.m. June 9 at Grace Episcopal Church. More online. Charleston Carifest
Caribbean Carnival: June 20-23 with events including a June 22 parade
led by diplomats from Trinidad and Tobago. Learn
more online about the festival's broad cultural events. Bird walks: 8:30 a.m. to noon, every Wednesday and Saturday. This is the time of year that a great variety of migrating birds fly through the Lowcountry so what better time to take part in one of the regular early morning bird walks at Caw Caw Interpretive Center in Ravenel. Pre-registration is suggested. Cost is $5. Walks also are conducted on James Island and Folly Beach.Learn more online.
5/20: Home
converted into gallery 4/29:
Greenberg:
Not insurmountable 3/25:
Benson,
Noble: Envision SC 1/28:
Ross:
Root of stress
5/13: Recovery
of Keokuk guns
5/20:
Southern
Crescent of Shame 4/29:
Pinckney's
heroic story 3/25:
Candidates
spend $2M
5/6:
Revocable
Living Trusts
4/29: Tax
policies 11/26/12: Consumerism
5/20:
Birds,
bees, butterflies
5/20:
Cleaning
up rooms 4/29:
5
on Cinco de Mayo 3/25:
Park
and play 2/25:
Five
on storytelling
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Fulfilling
a lifetime dream of the curators, Home Is Where The Art Is curates up
to three shows of highly respected progressive contemporary artists per
year. Exhibits are held in both the home gallery and the organization's
studio space, "Where it's Made."
But
did you ever wonder whether South Carolina's Corridor of Shame was an
anomaly -- or whether something similar was happening on the other sides
of our state borders? Unfortunately, similar conditions continue, extending
north to Tidewater Virginia and curving south and west across middle Georgia
and Alabama before swinging north to the Mississippi Delta. 
This
Southern Crescent is home to as many people as live in the whole state
of South Carolina. But unlike cities with the dynamism of Charleston,
Columbia and Greenville or the increasing manufacturing prowess of Sumter,
Anderson and Florence, the 100+ counties in the Crescent seem to be places
where hope may go to die. 
It's
not hard to see the Crescent stand out on maps that display how its counties
have higher rates of poverty, unemployment, single family households,
chlamydia, obesity and diabetes. With the blink of an eye, it's easy to
see that these areas easily correlate with another map at the left --
that of where enslaved people lived in 1860. 
Nature-walking
throughout this month is a great way to quiet the hubbub of the daily
routine and hush idle chatter as your children sneak up and observe closely
their winged friends before they take flight.
The
Pitt Street Bridge in the Old Village, Mount Pleasant: Walking,
picnicking or kayaking this area is best in the early morning sun or
on a cool spring evening for bird watching as it is a natural habitat
teaming with pelicans, songbirds and other marsh birds. Stand at the
end of the bridge to view more protected land directly across the water
on Sullivan's Island, courtesy of the efforts of the 
The
Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, established by federal legislation
in 2006, is the only one of 49 National Heritage Areas that promotes the
living culture of an African American population. It spans the coastal
communities from Wilmington, N.C., through South Carolina and Georgia,
to St. Augustine, Fla.
Charleston
County residents could see a 6 percent reduction in taxes on owner-occupied
homes if a budget proposal by Charleston County Administrator Kurt Taylor
is approved by County Council. The proposed decrease, which equates to
$4.80 on a $100,000 home, will be before council's finance committee 5
p.m., May 21.
Upstairs
at 493 King Street will be home for a second year for the Jazz Artists
of Charleston's sixth annual JAC Jazz Series from May 23-26, May 29-June
2, and June 4-7. The venue is between Radcliffe and Morris streets on
King Street.
On
the Society's new list is Charleston County's historic plat collection
in storage with the Register of Mesne Conveyance. The office has archival
maps that date as early as 1680 and includes the John McCrady Plat Collection
of more than 10,000 plats. 
In
last week's Broadus, we showcased a lush Lowcountry scene, but wondered
if you could guess where it was.