Art Institute the place to get 'Hurt' this weekend

Rebekah Jacob MODERN and the Art Institute of Charleston present a night with artist Donna Hurt in celebration of the recently installed colored photography exhibition "Nobody Home." The reception will take place Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the new gallery at the Art Institute of Charleston, 24 North Market St.

" 'Nobody Home' portrays the damage to the New Orleans community after hurricane Katrina, and in a broad sense, addresses community development in the shadow of tragedy, says Jacob, who is curator of the exhibit. "Six weeks after Katrina, Hurt returned to New Orleans, and the car ride from the airport to the city transported her into another world of lifeless gray debris. Being witness to the monotony of decay, rot and mud overwhelmed her senses. Out of necessity, her eyes began to seek out any color in the bleakness. She instinctively sought out toys, collectibles and pop-culture icons to find relief for feelings of nostalgia for the spirit of pre-Katrina New Orleans. The artifacts she chose to record were more digestible than people's clothes covered in mud, or entire rooms turned upside down encased in mold, or family albums with erased faces. Even after all the destruction in the below-sea level city, there seemed to be a humorous light side rising to the surface for a breath of fresh air."

In the artist's words, "Humor is a powerful tool that I often use in my work. It allows an entry way into complex or multilayered subjects."

Within the scope of the artwork's message of community development and support, a portion of the sales and private donations will benefit the Thomas Parsell Foundation, recently established at the Art Institute of Charleston in memory of the late Charleston restaurant entrepreneur who died in an automobile accident earlier this year.

Hurt is a faculty member at the Art Institute of Charleston, and institute President Richard Jerue says the following of the exhibit: "This is a wonderful and visually amusing story Donna Hurt tells in the midst of a devastating situation."

Donna Hurt is represented by Rebekah Jacob MODERN. Jacob can be reached at 697-5471 or by visiting www.rebekahjacobmodern.com.

'ML2CP'

The Corrigan Gallery is showing "ML2CP: Color photographs by John Moore and Sandy Logan." The work is a collection of photographic works by structural engineer John Moore and architect Sandy Logan.

Gallery owner Lese Corrigan poses the question: "Is there a natural extension of these two photographers' day jobs in their two dimensional creations?"

Both artists have served on the city of Charleston's Board of Architectural Review supporting and defending a balance of new and old in Charleston. They are well versed in the delicate balance of nature and man's imposition on it.

Corrigan describes Moore's photographs as capturing "the eloquent scripting of time on metal with close, detailed photographs that allow the history of the metal to shine through. He shows nature at its most colorful and nature's encroachment on the man-made world."

She also says, "Logan seeks the bigger social commentary in the color, pattern and ruin of what man has left behind, junked, stacked and neglected."

There will be a reception for "ML2CP" on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. at 62 Queen St. For more information, call the Corrigan Gallery at 722-9868.

'Shades of Gray'

Artist Greg Horwitch of Ann Long Fine Art Gallery has spent the last 10 years in Italy, and his newest body of work, "The View in Shades of Gray," consists of drawings he did while in Florence.

"He uses Sumi-e ink, brushes and reed and quill pens: simple, time-honored materials from both the European and East Asian traditions of ink drawing. The subjects vary from urban to lakeside to farmland, but the overriding theme is light. The Italian chiaroscuro means literally 'light-dark.' Light, of course, renders the world visible to the human eye; darkness renders it captive to the imagination," says gallery owner Ann Long.

"I'm especially inspired by the crepuscular light before sunrise and after sunset: a light sufficient to feed our curiosity but not to satisfy it. Visual cues are diminished, and perception is increasingly dependent on the workings of the mind. It's literally the 'Twilight Zone,' the gray area between day and night fraught with uncertainty and rich with possibility," says Horwitch.

There will be an opening reception for "The View in Shades of Gray" Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the gallery, 177 King St. For more information, call 577-0447.

'As God Speaks'

"I continue to stand in awe of the majesty and power of our environment. It is there that I find peace, time and the inclination to listen as God speaks," says Deborah Meyer, featured artist at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery. Meyer's show "As God Speaks" consists of skyscapes, linking back to the Old Testament passage Psalm 19:1, which states: "The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Meyer seeks to recapture God's work in her paintings and says, "The work of my hands will never be adequate to capture the exquisite majesty I see from God's hands, but it surely is fun to try."

There will be an opening reception tonight from 5 to 8 at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery, 6 North Atlantic Wharf off East

Bay Street. For more information, call 722-2425.

'On Time'

Lynne Hardwick and Bonnie Stabler of the Lowcountry Artists Gallery have put together an array of new art pieces that deal with time — past, present, day and night.

Hardwick's collection of works is titled "Time Travelers" and deals with symbols of ancient civilizations.

"Amazingly, with no mass communication, these ancient symbols and their meanings cross continental divides," Hardwick says.

Of particular interest to her are the Anasazi, Celtic, Mayan and Chinese cultures and symbols.

"These sites of antiquity still survive through the passage of time, natural elements, conflicts and human handling. Although my pieces reflect the mysteries of ancient symbols, artifacts and lost civilizations, they are presented in a contemporary art form."

Stabler's interpretation on time is as different as "night and day," the theme of her new urban paintings showcased in "On Time."

Continuing with her urban theme that proved popular last December, Stabler revisits storefronts and city streets, offering day and night versions of each subject for comparison. "Requests for more of my 'shabby chic' urban scenes of Charleston are being answered with this new nocturne series," Stabler explains. "I love Charleston at night with the street lights, stoplights, car lights and people walking about. There is energy and a sense of mystery that prevails. The night both reveals and hides; some details are concealed while other details often unnoticed are illuminated."

There will be a reception for "On Time" tonight from 6 to 8 at the Lowcountry Artist Gallery. Call 577-9295 or visit www.LowcountryArtists.com for more information.

Dog & Horse

Dog & Horse, Fine Art and Portraiture, & Sculpture Garden (formerly Dog Art Dealer/Horse Art Dealer), has now moved to 106-B Church St. The gallery represents national and international artists known for their talent in both equine and canine art. They also will have a sculpture garden.

"Our success with clients looking for paintings and sculptures of dogs or sporting art has now evolved into a market for horse lovers," says gallery owner Jaynie Milligan Spector. "We are pleased to include a selection of equine art that depicts horses in their many roles in life, from the countryside to the ring. Dog & Horse has added a number of internationally known artists and continues to feature a stable of top quality artists who do portraits of animals, as well as men, women and children."

Join them in celebrating the company's new location with a reception Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. For more information, call 577-5500.

Contemporary Dutch

Featuring a distinguished collection of oil paintings and bronze sculpture by Holland's most talented living master artists, Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art's newest exhibit, "Contemporary Dutch Masters," will showcase stunning representational painting techniques founded by Northern European artists nearly four centuries ago.

"Masterfully incorporating stylistic themes conceived by such artists as de Hooch, Rembrandt and Vermeer during the Golden Age of Dutch Art, featured artists Simon Balyon, Hennie de Korte, Frits Goosen, Rene Jansen, Frans van der Wal and Niek van der Plas will present their newest evocations of the Dutch countryside and the quiet radiance of its many harbors and waterways," says gallery director Angel Powell. In addition, internationally known sculptor Marianne Houtkamp also will be represented. Her bronze figures are known for their strength and tenderness.

"Contemporary Dutch Masters" will be on view until the end of December at Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art. There will be a reception Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the gallery's new location, 58 Broad St. For more information, call 722-3660 or www.ellarichardson.com.

Stobart paints Charleston

John Stobart seeks to capture the beauty and nuances of an era long gone, a different world once hosted by our ancestors, who thrived because of the ship-borne commerce that made Charleston the thriving port it is today. His latest painting "CHARLESTON c.1820 Ship Superb alongside the Exchange," reminds the viewer of a time when many waterfront cities came to life because of their ports, with their cobblestone streets and busy wharfs.

Stobart's latest works will be unveiled Friday at the Kensington-Stobart Gallery, 165 King St., 5-8 p.m. For more information, call 937-8560.

'People, Places, Things'

The Edward Dare Gallery is showing "People, Places, and Things," the newest body of work of oil painter Rich Nelson. Whether it is in the texture of an orange, the plump yet delicate hands of a child or a fleeting moment captured in a landscape painted en plein air, there is a definite sense of the artist's hands at work, says gallery owner Julie Sweat.

"In his pieces you can almost taste the fruit, smell the salt air and feel the subjects breathe," says Sweat.

Combining his use of purposeful, strong and visible brushstrokes, Nelson's latest is an extraordinary offering of paintings of simply people, places and things.

There will be an opening reception for Nelson at the Edward Dare Gallery, 31 Broad St., Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. For more information, call 853-5002.

Gibbes gala

Saturday, the Gibbes Museum of Art will host the 2007 Gibbes Gala and Auction titled "Ready. Jet-Set. Go!" at the Daniel Island Club. The flight-themed event will benefit education and outreach programs at the Gibbes. The live auction will consist of trips, adventure equipment, luggage and jewelry for the consummate traveler. The fete will begin at 7 p.m. with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres followed by a sumptuous four-course dinner and dancing to the tunes of Vintage Velvet. Attire is black-tie optional, and attendees are requested to wear their jet-set best.

To enjoy this evening of dining, dancing and adventure, call Sarah Bradley at 722-2706, ext. 25, e-mail sales@gibbesmuseum.org or visit the Gibbes' Web site at www.gibbesmuseum.org/events.

Tickets are $200 and upgrade options in the VIP Sky Lounge are available.

Glass jeweler

The Mary Martin Gallery will showcase award-winning Charleston glass artist Kate Rothra Fleming and her newest collection of handmade jewelry pieces with a reception Friday from 5 to 8 p.m.

Fleming creates all her own glass beads and designs. Her works have appeared in 1000 Glass Beads and 500 Beaded Objects, both of which are available at Barnes & Nobles. She is also an exhibiting member of the established American Craft Council, showing her work in Baltimore, San Francisco, Charlotte and Sarasota, Fla. Fleming is represented by the Pismo Contemporary Fine Art Glass Gallery in Denver and in private collections nationwide.

Fleming won an award for her jewelry at the competitive and prestigious Denver Cherry Creek Arts Festival. Other awards this year include one at Artisphere in Greenville, the Exhibitors Choice Award at Piccolo Spoleto, and a Patron Award from Winter Park, an international juried event with more than $65,000 in prizes. In 2006, three of Fleming's beads were chosen to be included in "Trajectories," an exhibition showcasing new directions in glass bead-making. Her three beads have been touring the country this year via the International Society of Glass Bead Makers and the Bead Museum of Arizona.

The Mary Martin Gallery is located at 39 Broad St. at the corner of State Street. For more information, call 723-0303 or visit www.marymartinart.com or www.katerothrafleming.com.