HARVIN COLUMN: Wildlife art abounds in Lowcountry this week
This is the week for great wildlife art, and in more than one place.
First, Audubon South Carolina announced the winners of the 2011 Audubon South Carolina Nature Photography Contest, co-sponsored by the Carolinas' Nature Photographers Association.
The contest invites photographers to capture the beauty of the natural world at one of South Carolina's two Audubon Sanctuaries: Francis Beidler Forest in Harleyville and Silver Bluff in Jackson, as well as any other natural habitat in South Carolina.
Catherine Miller of Charleston won first place for "Tender Moments." It's a touching photo of a doe and fawn. Hers was one of 60 entries.
It will be on display, along with other winning photos, at the Summerville Visitors Center, 402 N. Main St., starting Friday and running for at least two weeks. The exhibit is free during center hours, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays.
The winners will be posted on www.sc.audubon.org by Friday.
30 years of SEWE
Not to be missed is the 30th annual Southeastern Wildlife Exposition that runs Friday through Feb. 19.
If you've never been, you've got to go at least once. It hosts artists from all over the country who specialize in wildlife art and there are some spectacular sculptures each year.
It also hosts retriever demonstrations, Jack Hanna with his animals, chef demonstrations and other interesting events.
New this year is an exhibit of local artists called "Birds of the Wetlands." No doubt there will be plenty of herons and egrets in the collection.
It's a great way to support local artists and see just how good they are when stacked up against other artists. My guess is you will come back to purchase their work if you live here.
(Hint: Make your dinner reservations soon if you expect to eat anywhere downtown next weekend.)
For more information on tickets and schedules, you can catch Charleston Scene on Thursday or go to www.sewe.com to see all the information.
Classical side
On the classical side of things, there are several important events to pay attention to this week.
Violinist Amos Lawrence will be featured in a concert for the David and Karen Stahl Memorial Scholarship. He's the former assistant concertmaster who worked with David Stahl, and is returning to perform in the benefit concert at 4 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Circular Congregational Church at 150 Meeting St.
The scholarship, established in memory of the longtime Charleston Symphony Orchestra conductor and his wife, is awarded annually by the Charleston Symphony Orchestra League to a high school senior who plans to major in music.
The performance will include Beethoven's "Sonata No. 3 in E flat," Johannes Brahms' "Sonata No. 3 in D minor" and Maurice Ravel's "Tzigane" among other pieces.
Lawrence lived in Charleston for 19 years while performing with the CSO. He is also known for having played more than 25 performances of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" in Piccolo Spoleto.
Tickets are $20 and will be available at the door. For more information, go to www.csolinc.org.
Comparisons
If you are in the mood to hear the same classical pieces played in various venues, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra String Quartet and CSO Brass Quintet are performing at several different locales Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The programs are the same for each, but the sound is likely to vibrate differently at each venue.
The program is "Romantic Music for Strings and Brass." It features masters of the romantic era at their finest: Puccini, Dvorak, Schubert, Borodin and more. The schedule is as follows:
--Thursday: Charleston Library Society, 164 King St. 7 p.m. $25.
--Friday: Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church, 302 Hibben St. 7:30 p.m. $15 adults, $10 students.
--Saturday: Providence Baptist Church, 294 Seven Farms Drive, Daniel Island. 7 p.m. $15 adults, $10 students.
For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.charlestonsymphony.org.
Really 'Anything Goes'
If you want some light-hearted fun, Ashley Ridge High School will present the musical "Anything Goes" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, at the school, 9800 Delamar Highway, Summerville.
The show is set in the Roaring '20s and stars a cast of rascals who take advantage of the era's "anything goes" theme.
From tap dancing to stock brokers, and marriage to gangsters, everything we love about the '20s is featured in this Cole Porter hit musical.
The two-hour show features song and dance performances from Ashley Ridge students. Tickets are $7 at the door.
