Busy week for local art lovers

Another hot summer week, and many art receptions ahead of you. Here's your creative events roster for the week.

Goodbye, Karin Olah

Oh, it's a mixture of happy and sad when artists outgrow their nests.

Textile artist Karin Olah has been a staple of the Charleston art community for as long as I can remember. Her artwork and personality have captured the hearts of many.

There will be a farewell solo show for Olah on Aug. 5 with the regular First Friday Art Walk. But SCOOP studios Contemporary Art Gallery will be hosting a "Bon Voyage Preview" event 5-8 p.m. Saturday at the gallery, 57 1/2 Broad St.

The artist, who is moving to Boulder, Colo., will be in attendance and there will be treats from Sugar Bakeshop.

"Unwound and Bound" will be on view through Aug. 27, and includes 20 new original works of art, combining Olah's two series: floral and abstract.

"I am finding connections between winding vines and thread on a spool. I am letting the organic shapes learned from my first series (floral) transform into abstract studies," explains Olah.

Gallery owner Colleen Deihl says that Olah's textiles work in a manner that mimics the flow of paint from a brush.

Intricately cut, placed and pasted textiles are combined with gouache, acrylic and graphite to create collage paintings that are deep in color and texture, Deihl says.

For information, go to the gallery's website, www.scoopcontemporary.com or the artist's website, www.karinolah.com.

Duckworth exhibit

This Friday, artist and poet Helen Duckworth will have an opening reception showcasing her latest body of work called "Dreams and Reflections."

The organizer of the show, Josh James of Beyond the Gallery, is very excited to help Duckworth unveil what she's been working on. Her combination of visual art and poetry bring a nice balance, and the reception will begin with a poetry reading by the artist.

"This grouping of pictures attempts to tap beneath the surface of things: a face, a relationship, a quiet moment of reflection. The process of thought is suspended, the faces come into focus, hitherto unknown. The touch of a hand, an arm gently enfolding. These gestures are an invitation to come in, to share what we already know, this familiar feeling underneath the veil of thought. It is like the first time our mother held us in her arms," says Duckworth.

Friday night's reception, which is free and open to the public, will be 6-9 p.m. at The Real Estate Studio, 214 King St.

Light snacks and refreshments will be served. For information, visit www.beyondthegalleryonline.com or call James at 991-2042.

Joe Barber

Joe Barber has been taking pictures since he was 6 years old. Check out his first solo show, on display at Rick Rhodes Photography and Imaging, 1842 Belgrade Ave. in West Ashley.

"Completely self-taught and colorblind, Barber relies on the composition of the photograph to tell a story and has spent hours at his favorite locations waiting for the perfect lighting conditions," says fellow photographer and gallery owner Rick Rhodes.

"Barber has an amazing eye for landscapes and frequently documents Lowcountry scenes near and around Charleston, South Carolina."

For information, call 766-7425 or visit www.rickrhodesphotography.com.

Ebb Tide Art Gallery

The Ebb Tide Art Gallery has relocated to Mount Pleasant and will have its grand-opening reception 5-8 p.m. Friday.

Enjoy contemporary Lowcountry art by Debra Howard, Dee Rhodes, Judy Cox, Joseph Bradley and John Townsend.

The new space is in the Shops of Mount Pleasant near Locklear's restaurant on Coleman Boulevard.

For information, call 881-0593.