Art studio's director resigns

After serving as executive director of Redux Contemporary Art Center for nearly three years, Seth Curcio has resigned his position effective Sept. 5.

He submitted his letter of resignation to the board of directors on June 2.

While reluctant to lose such an effective leader, the board supported his decision to leave and will begin a search for a new executive director effective immediately. Curcio has agreed to remain in an unpaid part-time curatorial position through January 2009, stating that an opportunity to dedicate more time to other creative endeavors was his main reason for the resignation.

During his leadership, Curcio increased the studio's operating budget more than 35 percent. He also introduced new programming, including a full education program with more than 40 annual classes, workshops and an outreach program that serves the after-school programs at the Cannon Street YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and the Girl Scouts of America. He has also implemented several successful lectures, film screenings, and panel series to unite Charleston's artistic community and to provide a base to support contemporary artistic discourse.

Most recently, he curated the exhibition 'The Constructed Image,' which introduced the work of five up-and-coming national artists, garnered national press and elevated the quality of contemporary art exhibited by Redux.

During his tenure, Curcio increased membership of the organization 110 percent, boosted individual, business and corporate contributions, and built the staff at Redux from one to three employees.

This summer, the studio will add a director of development.

Curcio said that when his term ends in September he will immediately begin expansion of the online contemporary art publication, DailyServing.com, which he founded in 2006.

His first main project will be a book lead by himself and a small team of writers, due out sometime in 2009. In addition, Curcio said that he is eager to return to his own studio practice and continue working on an ongoing series of paintings and photographs.

Susan Meyer at Redux

But Curcio hasn't left yet, and Redux, 136 St. Philip St., will host an opening reception for the work of artist-in-residence Susan Meyer 6-9 p.m. Saturday.

A sculptor and installation artist, Meyer is Redux's fifth annual artist-in-residence. She has been here in Charleston since June 4 working on this installation, entitled 'Together.'

' 'Together' is an installation that is conceptually grounded in the idea of the utopian environment and past social experiments that have led to the success or failure of these social structures,' said Curcio. 'Meyer is particularly interested in the intersection of these environments with art, commerce and modernity.'

'The installations typically take form as stalactite structures that are tiered with several layers. Upon each layer are H-O scale figures (model train's tiniest size) in the form of small crafted people that live and work on the structure. Some of the structures are linked by long bridges so that the inhabitants may hypothetically cross their environment in search of their needs.

'Composed of acrylic shapes that make reference to organic landscapes and architectural models such as Buckminster Fuller's geodesic domes, and to futuristic, sci-fi imagery the sculptural elements combine to create a fantastical environment. The occupants may seem somewhat at odds with their environment, as the installation suggests model utopian world/worlds that may, or may not, be working out.'

In addition to the preparation of 'Together,' Meyer is also conducting a research project based on the ideals and development principles of the Mount Pleasant neighborhood I'On, and will work closely with students of the College of Charleston conducting critiques, gallery talks and working with student assistants.

The artist will be on site for the duration of the residency to engage with the public, explain her process and concepts, and answer questions.

For more information, call 722-0697 or visit www.reduxstudios.org. and www.susanmeyerinstallation.com.

Brett, Hoth at Art Institute

The Art Institute of Charleston's gallery is currently showcasing an interesting collection of Sandra Brett's paintings and Kevin Hoth's photographs.

Whether exploring abstract color fields or recognizable landscapes, Brett's work always displays a gestural, atmospheric quality dealing with the effects of light in space. The works featured in this exhibit are abstract paintings, loosely based on her legacy as a child of Holocaust survivors. Last summer, Brett visited Auschwitz-Birkenau with her mother, a survivor of Auschwitz and the Lodz ghetto, and her father, a survivor of camps in Lithuania. There she imagined sparks and ashes emanating from the working crematoria ovens over 60 years ago and the nonjudgmental birch trees in the distances. This image vividly mirrored the contrasts she experienced throughout the trip, most notably, the death of six million Jews juxtaposed with the survival of her parents.

'Hope, survival, and nature direct this series of paintings as much as the atrocities that continue to plague our world,' Brett says.

Hoth is a multimedia artist, photographer, graphic designer and teacher. 'These 'hot-off-the-digital-sensor' images are the result of recent forays into the urban landscape with some photographer friends,' he says. 'They are an interstitial break in my personal, conceptual work that generally covers the intersection of man/animal, natural/synthetic, or orderly/chaotic.'

This series is evidence of a return to the simple pleasure of photography converging with layers of life experience and training, stamped with post-productive tonal approval.

'What I am learning is that no matter the subject, light covers all things and makes them beautiful. And that is worth noting,' Hoth says.

This exhibit will be on display until Aug. 2.

For more information, visit the gallery and school at 24 North Market St., or call 727-3500.

Arts; Art studio's director resigns; Curcio to continue on at the gallery in a consulting capacity