Arts

Home

Arts

Magnificent Music at USCB, Again

Music

magnif-edwardarron
The Festival Series ushers in two Russian masters, a little fantasy, and more.

The March 28^th program will be centered around two thrilling Russian masterpieces: Tchaikovsky's epic and impassioned Piano Trio for piano, violin and cello and Stravinsky's ingenious and quirky Suite from L'histoire du Soldat for piano, violin and clarinet. Artistic Director, Edward Arron has also included a tribute to Robert Schumann in the 200th year of his birth, with his poetic Fantasy Pieces for clarinet and piano.

Host and cellist Edward Arron will welcome back to the Series the dynamic clarinetist, Jose Franch-Ballester, as well as the elegant pianist, Gilles Vonsattel. In addition, this concert will mark the Beaufort debut of the internationally acclaimed violinist, Yehonatan Berick.� These prize-winning musicians will perform the three previously mentioned pieces and a sonata by Poulenc to complete the evening�s performance.

Recipient of the highly coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2008 and recently selected as one of the year�s �most prominent emerging soloists, clarinetist Jose Franch-Ballester has been thrilling audiences in Canada and New York and will also be performing in Europe, South America, Korea and Japan during 2010. magnif-josefranch

Mr. Franch-Ballter was born in Moncofa, Spain and began his musical studies at age 9 with Venancio Rius Marti.� He graduated in 2000 from the Conservatory Superior of Music �Joaquin Rodrigo� of Valencia and then studied with Donald Montaro at the Curtis Institute of Music.

magnif-gillesvonsattel Also a 2008 recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, pianist Gilles Vonsattel was the top prize winner at the 2006 Geneva International Music Competition and is a laureate of the Cleveland and Dublin Piano Competitions.� Heard often on NPR�s Performance Today, Radio France Musique and the BBC, Mr. Vonsattel has produced highly acclaimed recordings of Liszt and Beethoven.� His touring season is varied with appearances at concert hallsand music festivals throughout Europe and the US.

Esquire Magazine did a feature on Mr. Vonsattel in spring 2008 focusing on his efforts to expand the conventional concert experience and citing him as one of America�s most exciting ground-breaking classical musicians.� He studied in Boston with David Deveau and then worked with Jerome Lowenthal at Julliard where he received his MM.

Solo violinist and chamber musician, Yehonatan Berick maintains a busy performance sched magni-yehonatanberick ule in Canada, the US, Europe and Israel.� Beginning his musical training at age six, he entered the Tel Aviv University�s Music Academy at sixteen and completed his studies at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.� He currently plays on a violin made in 1852 by Honore Derazy Pee also available at the door.
re.

The March 28th performance will begin at 5 pm at the USCB Performing Arts Center on Carteret Street. For advance tickets, call Staci Breton at 843-208-8246, Monday � Friday 8:30 � 4:30. Tickets ar

A Perfect Night Out

Music

Duke Symphony Orchestra to perform in Beaufort with Conductor�s Reception to be held at historic Tidalholm

duke-voices-beaufort The Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation, known for its spectacular local events, is turning up the dial on the annual Duke Symphony Orchestra Concert. The magnificent orchestra is traveling to Beaufort to perform for its favorite audience for the seventh year in a row. Also, there will be an appearance by local choral group �Voices,� all in the newly constructed Arts Center at Beaufort High School.

If those three attractions weren�t reason enough to make plans to attend this wonderful event, scheduled for Saturday, March 27 at 7 p.m., perhaps the Conductor�s Reception following the performance will be �the icing on the cake!� This year Mrs. Hilda Holstein is graciously opening the doors of her home, which is a Beaufort icon, to welcome Patron ticket holders to historic Tidalholm for drinks, heavy hors d�oeuvres, and socializing with the orchestra and Conductor, Harry Davidson.

Tickets are on now sale, and this year group rates are available for parties of ten or more. General Tickets are $35, with a group rate of $250 for 10 tickets, and Patron Tickets are $75, with a group rate of $500 for 10 tickets. And to top it all off (perhaps this is the �cherry on top�) proceeds from the event will benefit Beaufort Memorial Hospital�s Keyserling Cancer Center and Healing Arts Program.

The Duke Symphony Orchestra, drawn from Duke undergraduate and graduate programs has a repertoire ranging from the seventeenth to the twentieth century and includes both well-known masterpieces and rarely heard works.

Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort, Lowcountry Anesthesia, and Wachovia are sponsoring the event. To purchase tickets or for more information about the event, call the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation at (843) 522-5774 or www.bmhfoundationsc.org

�

String Quartets Mystical & American

Music

string-melissa-barrett
You may have heard of him, Arvo P�rt, composer of contemporary concert music. His pieces are at the top of classical music charts, and he has provided scores for more than 50 films. Informed by early polyphony and Eastern mysticism, P�rt�s is music is transparent, harmonious and contemplative � and not at all discordant, the trait so often associated with modern music.

Chamber Music Hilton Head will present music by Arvo P�rt, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Antonin Dvorak at its upcoming concerts March 21 and 22.� The Sunday, March 21 performance will be at Lowcountry Presbyterian Church in Bluffton at 3:30 pm (PreConcertChat at 2:45 pm). It will be repeated the following evening, Monday, at All Saints Episcopal Church on Hilton Head Island at 7:30 pm (no PreConcertChat).

Sunday�s audience is invited 45 minute prior to concert time to learn more about the music, especially the styles and techniques associated with these composers. Parents who bring their kids to this music appreciation session will be guests of CMHH, in other words families with school-aged children are free to the concert.

The program opens with �Fratres for String Quartet.� P�rt wrote a series of six single movement chamber compositions entitled �Fratres� or Brethren. This particular piece is rather like a procession, beginning as a murmur, growing huge as it approaches, then vanishing into the distance. P�rt imbues the music with importance and meaning by using his own signature technique called �tintinnabulation,� which takes its name from the ringing of the bells. strings-laura-sutton-floyd

English folk song follows, performed by soprano Laura Sutton Floyd and violinist Melissa Barrett. In this unusual pairing, the composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams, uses voice and violin to present eight poems in highly descriptive and narrative fashion. Entitled �Along the Field,� the poetry is by A. E. Housman and evokes the mood of pastoral England.

The program ends as it began, with a string quartet. Antonin Dvorak, the eminent Czech composer, wrote his �American� quartet in 1893, while away from home and teaching in this country. Some hear in the beautiful slow movement an African American spiritual, in the chattering trio a Native American bird call, in the relentless finale a clattering train. Others say these flavors are just as much Czech as they are American. In any case, listeners the world over love and identify with Dvorak�s music.

Joining Laura Sutton Floyd and Melissa Barrett in this concert are Tristan Lehnert, violin; Yvonne Johnson, viola; and Angela Maleh, cello. For additional information call 843.681.9969 or visit www.cmhh.org. Program notes and recorded excerpts online.

�

Stroll Into Spring

Art

The Guild of Beaufort Galleries Hosts Annual Spring Art Walk

Once again Beaufort sails into Spring with the Guild's annual Art Walk.� Closely nestled in the downtown, eleven galleries will host a gala evening event on Saturday, March 27th from 5:00 until 7:30.� Each gallery will serve wine and refreshments designed to please the palate, as well as art to please the palette!��Chosen as one of�the 100�Best Art Towns in America, it's no wonder that the Spring Art Walk draws visitors from across the country.

Beginning with the Four Winds Gallery at 709 Bay Street,�the work of Casa Bacot will be featured.� Her vibrant watercolors reflect the instinctive yet highly trained color palette of the artist.� Well known and collected throughout Virginia and the eastern seaboard, Bacot�is adept and skilled in�two disparate styles between which she alternates as she explores�themes and vision.� Each is represented in the selections for Saturday's Art Walk.��Her nearly�abstract expressionism of paintings in these series is closely reminiscent�of Matisse in�composition and superb color creations.

Next door, the I. Pinckney Simons Gallery is presenting a beautiful collection of original handmade Gullah Dolls by its new artist, Barbara Geesey.� Gullah dolls date back to stroll-barbara-geesey-i.pinckney the earliest time in�the Carolina�Lowcountry when�they were considered a special gift made for a loved one.� Each doll is unique, reflecting the rich spiritual and emotional quality of the African American influence.� The dolls are handmade with beautiful rich colored fabrics of silk and cotton adorning their slender bodies.� Every doll in the collection has an authentic African name translated into English.

Bay St. Gallery will be introducing the work of Ashley Hefner, son of talented artist Lana Hefner. His oil paintings c stroll-nancy-pollock-baystreet oncentrate on the rhythm of every day life and the natural beauty of the Lowcountry. Also featured are�"Shore Birds", mosaic sculpture by Nancy Pollock whose work has been included in this year�s Mosaic Arts International juried show in Chicago.

Across the street, The Gallery will bring Savannah-based painter David Ryden to the gallery for his first solo exhibit of his animal paintings from around the world.� Wielding palette knife and oils, David infuses texture and depth into his surfaces, bringing his subjects to life.� His paintings are simple, direct, colorful, playful and always inspiring.��Self taught, David enjoys the freedom to try anything and is always searching for that new and exciting subject matter.� His main goal as an artist is to make the viewer �feel enthused and excited�.� One cannot help but smile when seeing his work.� He allows us to travel the world through his visuals, taking us to places most will never be able to experience.� Highly sought after and well collected, David�s show is one not to be missed.

On the same side of Bay Street is The Craftseller, at 818 Bay Street. The Craftseller is well known as a contemporary gallery of American crafts, overflowing with color and creativity.�The finely hand-woven wearable works of art by Carrol Kay are being highlighted.��Also featured are�the work of over 200 American craft artists. These artists, from 32 different states, work in many mediums such as glass, wood, clay, and jewelry. Our jewelry shoppers will delight at our wall of unique, handcrafted earrings and designer jewelry, all made in the USA.� Always on hand to greet visitors is a whimsical copper frog by Donald Gehlkin, wearing the very latest earrings and accessories from The Craftseller.

Indigo Gallery's featured artist, Sandra Baggette, says, "When a friend presented me with so many flowers, I could not wait to start a large painting to include them all. Fresh flowers change color,shape and direction constantly as they open. This subtle action is the challenge I enjoy when I am painting flowers".

Rhett Gallery exhibits the work of four generations of family artists:�James, Nancy, William Jr., and William Rhett III. Featured this month is the wildlife art of Bill Rhett, whose "Wild Turkeys" is�his latest�work.�� An example of a true Carolina�setting, it draws the viewer into a county road draped with oak limbs and Spanish Moss.� Emerging only at second glance are two gobblers about to tenatively cross into the sunlight.� Rhett Gallery also houses an extensive collection of antique prints, maps, nautical charts, original Audubons and Civil War art and antifacts.

Local artist, Mary Jane Martin, is the featured painter at Art & Soul. Her new series of paintings is called �Return to the Scene of the Crime � Revisiting Pattern, Color and Texture�.� According to Mary Jane, it is �a new year, a new goal, a new way of looking at my surroundings.� Where I am, where I go, where I have been and what is happening in my world is what calls me to paint.� Observation of my surroundings is the first step.� (According to) Carl Jung,�'The creative mind plays with the objects it sees.'� I am constantly looking for objects to play with�figures, landscapes, still life, flowers, etc.� How I express the wonder of them is my play�using design and composition to pull in my audience.� What I paint is important, but not as important as the process of painting.�

Just across the street�is the Beaufort Art Association Gallery, housed in the historic Elliott House.�The gallery represents more than 75 member artists, offering a wide selection of original works of art in ceramics, jewelry, photography, woodwork, prints and paintings.

LyBensons Gallery & Studio is at 711 Charles Street. The gallery features the exhibits, The Gullah/African Link and Out of Africa, featuring rare Shona Verdite sculptures by various artists from Zimbabwe, Africa, and original photographs by Gullah photographer and gallery owner Rev. Kennneth F. Hodges. Verdite, also known as "Africa's Green Gold," is a semiprecious stone over 3.5 million years old found only in Southern Africa. stroll-ashley-hefner-baystreet

Further down the block, at the Charles Street Gallery, two artists are featured.� Robert Steinmetz is exhibiting jewel-toned architectural watercolors.� From his Italian travels, he covers�a broad range of subjects - architectural close-ups,�streetscapes of narrow alleyways,�public sculpture and candid figure studies of local residents.�Steinmetz began painting full-time in 1990, shortly after retiring from a 27-year career as a practicing architect in Connecticut.�In 2009 he was one of only nine artists in the United States elected to�"Signature Member" status in the country's oldest art organization, the American Watercolor Society.�His paintings are detailed and precise, in strong contrast to the more traditional use of the watercolor medium.� Native photographer Paul Keyserling snaps the shutter in a signature way that captures the odd angles of telephone lines and Piggly Wiggly signs, the distractions and drainings of this coastal environment, and the scathing, scarring beauty of life in the sun. His lensmanship stems from a career of SC Educational Television and film making. "All the while, still photography has been an ongoing distraction which drains exponentially more assets than it generates," Paul commented, but he wasn't counting the calming process of looking into the depths of his photographs to decipher the pristinely wordless stories he has captured.

For more information or questions, please call Nancy Rhett, (843) 521-1234.

Shopping Locally & Artfully

Art

A Springtime primer from the Arts Council for everyone who's ever wanted to collect art

Collecting art in the Lowcountry is like casting a net for shrimp� there are favored spots, but no shortage of water; the process uses both hands and teeth, grip and grit; and the catch is historically, reliably authentic. But it still takes courage to pull on the metaphorical rubber boots of being an art collector and feel like it's do-able financially and socially: the fun opening receptions require some thought about wardrobe (seasonal scarves, wine-stain resistant fabrics), and then there's the whole issue of where it will fit, and how to hang it, and will this piece of eye-catching art be a good investment, worth the money? This Spring in Beaufort County is a good time to cast a net for new art and find out. shopping-stephenkishel

�I bought my first oil painting when I was sixteen," explained�Reggie Przybysz, the owner of Art & Soul Gallery in the Old Bay Marketplace on Bay Street in Beaufort.�"I still love that painting and I will always treasure it. Our furnishings at home tend to be fairly neutral on purpose, so that the artwork can be the focus. Over the years we have added more original paintings, a number of pottery pieces both functional and decorative, sculptural and mixed media pieces. Most have been purchased, but a few have been created by my husband Greg and myself. But there's still room, so I'm�always on the lookout for those pieces that feed my soul."

Reggie's gallery is part of Spring ArtWalk, a moment for collectors and admirers throughout downtown Beaufort on March 27th. Visit the county-wide calendar at beaufortcountyarts.com to find more events, such as the Artstravaganza at The Gallery on March 20th,�also on Bay Street,�or the large format photography show at Mira Scott's Picture This Gallery in Hilton Head that begins April 1.

"My advice for collectors is very simple and an approach shared by many: Buy what you love. Look around at a variety of artwork. It will become obvious what sort of work appeals to you," Reggie said. "If you love what you buy, it will give you much enjoyment over the years and you'll always find a place for it. If you try to predict which pieces will greatly increase in value, you may be disappointed because there are no guarantees of future value."

Enjoyment is the key to collecting art, which is why the Arts Council of Beaufort County tools for collectors and artists: a county-wide calendar online 24/7, the conversational and informative ARTsbiz series,�the civilized President's circle series, and�the spacious gallery @ ARTworks,

ARTsbiz is a series of informative workshops about the business of art: this April, the artists that fill the galleries and festivals are encouraged to attend sessions @ ARTworks on Social Media & Marketing and Disaster Preparedness & Business Continuity (where the first twenty artists will receive a free Studio Protector, courtesy of the SC Arts Commission, and no it's not a prophylactic tarp.) On Tuesday, April 27th, though, there's a session for artists and collectors with�Martha Ahrens, renowned curator, exhibit designer, collector, and the recipient of the�arts council's 2009 Town of Hilton Head Mayor�s Award for the Arts. She will speak about�the many unexpected benefits of art-collection for Beaufort County's creative class,�including how to start and build a collection in the Lowcountry and the history of why artists should collect too.

shopping-uri-terrybrennan The President's Circle is a chance�to see private art collections in Lowcountry homes. Silkscreens in their foyers, masterpieces in the master bedrooms, sculpture on the patio, as well as guest artists, refreshments, and stories of the hunt. Only 20 tickets are available (that's where grip and grit comes in) at only $20 each (that accessibility is where the arts council comes in.) Coming up: April 29th hosted by Eileen Doherty, and May 13 hosted by Fran and Dennis Nolan. Mark your calendar, watch for upcoming articles about these gracious host-collectors, and if you get to attend, meet the person who puts the "President" into the Circle, Deanna Bowdish, president of the board of the arts council.

At the spacious gallery @ ARTworks however, no reservations are required� business hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 to 6, and Saturdays from 11 to 3pm. March is Youth Art Month, surprisingly good but not for sale, and April offers big, colorful multimedia 3D pieces. Stephen Kishel's show, "Modern Art: Morning, Noon, & Night" opens with a free reception with the artist on Friday April 2nd, 6-8pm. He's getting quite collectible, his most recent commission was four large polished stainless steel figurative works titled �Family Time Gathering,� installed at the Bravern in Bellevue, Washington between Neiman Marcus and The Microsoft Towers in November 2009. Hm!

Then, on Saturday, April 3, Deanna Bowdish has planned another enjoyable acquisition moment and party: Art on a Big Scale, live @ ARTworks with North Myrtle Beach artist Terry Brennan, who�creates bigger-than-life blue crabs and fast fish that are composed of bits, color, chunks and depths. Guests are encouraged to bring in recyclable items-- from bottle caps to aerosol cans to plates-- �for artist Brennan to use as he creates upcycled art like Angelfish Assemblages and Wahoo Wall-Hangings right there on the spot.�At this $25 per ticket ($50 per family) fundraiser for the arts council, guests will also enjoy kids activities, music, a creative atmosphere, and refreshments� and a chance in the prize drawing is included in each entry ticket.

"Deanna convinced me that everyone can afford an original piece of art,��explained�Brian Stevens, a Pigeon Point resident who originally collected antique furniture and silver. �I had a roommate who was an interior designer who was all over me to go beyond antiques. Then my neighbor Ava got on the bandwagon and introduced me to Deanna, who lives two blocks away." His collection is now one of the best neighborhood beautifications stories ever.

From its office in ARTworks in Beaufort Town Center, the Arts Council of Beaufort County promotes and nurtures the arts 365 days a year, and works as an independent, non-profit service organization that is not a function of the Beaufort County government. http://www.beaufortcountyarts.com, 843-379-2787.

SoBA Announces Awards

Art

soba-ted-jourdan-bluffton

The Society of Bluffton Artists (SoBA) announced the winners of its annual competition at an opening reception February 21. �The Show at the SoBA Gallery on Boundary Street in Old Town Bluffton, runs through March 27, 2010. The winners are:

Best of Show-- Barbara Benedict Jones , �BEYOND THE GARDEN�, Oil

1^st place�Howard Ramey, �VEGETABLE SELLER�, Photography

2^nd place�Cora J. Rupp, �TABLE IN THE GARDEN�, Oil

3^rd place, --- J. Saylor McElynn, �SAILOR�S DELIGHT�, Oil

Honorable Mention� Richard Coyne��SUMMER LOW TIDE�, Oil

Honorable Mention �Dorothy Steelman, �GO WITH THE FLOW� Watercolor

Honorable Mention �Frank Pinto��THE FRENCH BAKERY at PINELAND STATION�, �Acrylic

Visitors to the exhibit this year will have an opportunity to win an original encaustic entitled �Sunrise� by Diane Dean and a giclee reproduction of Ted Jordan�s drawing �Mourning in Red.� soba-barbarabenedictjones

soba-dianedean-bluffton This year�s judge, Linda Warner Constantino, is a long-time area artist and a professor of illustration at SCAD. �Linda said, �This year�s show has such a wide range of mediums and an abundance of individual expressions, it made it a difficult for her to pick the winning pieces.�� This impressive collection of work from local artists also includes

the work of over 90 artists and the public is invited to vote for their favorite artwork.

The gallery is located on Boundary Street in old Bluffton and is open Mon. through Sat. from 10-5.� Call 843-757-6586 or visit the SoBA web site at www.sobagalleries.com for more information about the organization and participating artists.

More Articles...

<< Start < Prev 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 Next > End >>

Page 159 of 203