Son Strokes/Pun Intended

KTC @ the CAGG

Karole Turner Campbell, or KTC, as many refer to her, is a vivid and energetic force in Charleston's art community. Her bold, bright and passionate paintings often convey a strong message to the viewer -- all of the above attributes much like KTC herself.

KTC says, "Art is one of the purest vehicles of self-expression that we are privileged to experience."

As an artist, her passion is to utilize this mode of expression in order to engage in ongoing communication with her work and then ultimately with the viewer. "I want my art to speak to you, to engage you in a visual dialogue that speaks to and resonates in your heart, your mind, your gut," she says.

In her teens, she attended the prestigious High School of Music and Art in New York City, then went on to earn a B.S. degree in arts education from N.C. A&T University, and was the founding principal of Frederick Douglass Academy II. Her visual arts training and participation was reawakened in 1987 when she took a sabbatical from teaching and enrolled in the Masters of Fine Arts program at the City College of N.Y.

Check out her latest body of work called "Son Strokes/Pun Intended" at The Charleston Artist Guild Gallery (CAGG) this month, with an opening reception 5-8 p.m. Friday.

C of C Center for the Arts opens remainder of $27.2 million building

The College of Charleston School of the Arts has grown from a small fine arts department into a fast-growing, comprehensive art school in less than 20 years. On Saturday, the school will celebrate the opening of the remainder of the Marion and Wayland H. Cato Center for the Arts, a $27.2 million space, specifically designed to house various artistic disciplines.

"The school's original building, the Albert Simons Center for the Arts, was built in 1979 to serve no more than 800 students. Now, more than eight times that number use the facility - an indication of the School of the Arts' continued success in attracting talented and creative students, faculty and staff," says Nandini McCauley of C of C's

School of the Arts.

Last October, many experienced the opening of the College of Charleston's new Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art's space on the ground floor of the Cato Center, which opened with the stunning Aldwyth exhibition last October.

From 1-4 p.m. Saturday, the public is invited into the remaining four floors of the five-story building to enjoy mini-presentations of music, theatre, dance, and the final day of the exhibition by artist Aldwyth. In addition to the other festivities, the artist will give a lecture at 2 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Simons Center for the Arts, adjacent to the new building, which is at Calhoun and St. Philip streets.

Over winter break, various artistic departments moved into the top four floors of the 70,000-square-foot building. "The department of music will be housed on the second floor, which features rehearsal and performance space for ensembles, 19 practice rooms and ample office space for faculty. The department of theater will be on the third floor with large movement, dance and lighting studios as well as faculty offices. The fourth floor will house painting studios for faculty and students with commanding views of the scenic peninsula skyline. The fifth floor will contain a photography suite replete with "gang" darkroom and digital lab facilities. Along with the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, the first floor of the building is also home to the Hill Exhibition Gallery, a new catering kitchen and a state-of-the-art administrative conference room," says McCauley.

Contact McCauley at 953-8228 or mccauleyn@cofc.edu.

Portrait Painter's 'Faces of the Lowcountry'

The North Charleston City Gallery is showing works by North Charleston artist-in-residence Robert Maniscalco. In this exhibit, titled "Faces of the Lowcountry," portrait painter Maniscalco will present works in oil and pastel inspired by Gullah people set in their natural Lowcountry environment. There also will be a few examples of his plein-air work. There will be an opening reception for this show 5-7 p.m. tonight at the North Charleston City Gallery, in the Charleston Area Convention Center, 5001 Coliseum Drive, North Charleston, (enter from International Blvd.). The exhibition will be on display for the month of January. Visit www.northcharleston.org.