Annual art weekend

Charleston fine art dealers' association to hold event

This weekend, the Charleston Fine Art Dealers' Association (CFADA) will celebrate the organization's ninth Fine Art Annual Weekend.

Bringing in thousands of art enthusiasts and collectors from all over the country, the Fine Art Annual gives visitors the opportunity to meet some of the artists who are redefining Charleston's diverse art scene at 16 of the city's most prominent art galleries. Guests will also be able to participate in the Charleston Art Auction, with proceeds benefiting Charleston County high schools' fine art programs.

"Founded in 1999, the Charleston Fine Art Dealers' Association consists of the city's most prominent galleries.

The association is instrumental in promoting Charleston as a fine arts destination for talented artists, passionate art enthusiasts and collectors. As one of the leading arts organization in Charleston, it has also made it a priority to support visual high school art programs throughout Charleston County, raising more than $70,000 for much needed art supplies," explains Vladia Jurcova, CFADA's marketing specialist.

"Since the Charleston Renaissance Movement more than a century ago, Charleston has left its doors open, attracting generations of artists and art collectors to the historic district to pursue their interest and careers in fine art," says CFADA President Ann Long.

The fine art weekend kicks off Friday with artists' receptions at each of the CFADA galleries, featuring newest works by the weekend's featured artists. Each reception begins at 5:30 p.m.

On Saturday morning, artists will congregate in Washington Park, located at the corner of Broad and Meeting streets, for plein-air painting demonstrations. With breakfast and coffee, visitors can roam through the park and the surrounding streets, observe the weekend's featured artists in their artistic modes. Artists will be in the park from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. At 11 a.m., the association will host its Fourth Annual High School Art Competition, recognizing the top three Charleston students who have excelled in the visual arts. Friday night's receptions and the plein-air painting demonstrations are free and open to the public.

This year, CFADA is partnering up with the Charleston Art Auction to showcase about 100 pieces of fine Southern art up for auction, including paintings from the morning's demonstrations. The auction will take place Saturday at the Charleston Renaissance Hotel. Guests can preview the works from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the space re-opening again for previews at 5:30 p.m. The auction itself will begin at 7:15 p.m. The tax-deductible tickets to attend the auction are $40 per person and proceeds will benefit Charleston County high schools' fine art programs. Reservations are required.

To make reservations for the Charleston Art Auction, or for more information, call 722-0128.

For a full schedule, visit www.cfada.com.

Mary Whyte

A radical solo exhibition of new works by Mary Whyte opens this weekend.

The show consists of different versions of Whyte's work from conception to end result.

"This glimpse into Whyte's creative process shows how her ideas manifest on paper after springing from a strong emotion, impulse or image," says gallery Director Lauren Hensarling. Whyte has garnered national acclaim for her watercolor portraits of our Gullah community, rich heritage and culture. She is also a prolific illustrator, teacher and writer and is one of 50 artists to tour the nation in the prestigious museum show, "From Sea to Shining Sea."

A reception for the new exhibit and artist will be held at Coleman Fine Art, 79 Church St., from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday. For more information, call 853-7000 or visit www.colemanfineart.com.

'Visions of Elegance'

California artist Lindsay Goodwin is returning to Charleston for her third exhibit of internationally inspired interior landscapes and portraits, with a gallery full of new paintings from her recent sojourn in Europe. Goodwin has garnered immense praise for her timeless tributes to historic elegance, i.e. works featuring majestic Parisian architecture or Charleston's richly preserved plantations.

Her new show, titled "Visions of Elegance," opens this weekend at Ella Walton Richardson's new location at 58 Broad St. with a reception Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. Goodwin will also be part of the plein-air painting exhibit Saturday morning at Washington Park.

For more information, call 722-3660 or visit www.ellarichardson.com.

'Earth, Sky, Water'

Horton Hayes Fine Art will present a new series of paintings by Mark Kelvin Horton and Shannon Runquist titled "Earth, Sky, Water."

"The images in this show range from realistic to somewhat abstract, but all incorporate basic elements of nature as subject matter. While some pieces in the exhibition are inspired by the artists' recent trip to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, as well as other travels, others draw from subject matter closer to home," says gallery Director Cynthia Hayes.

"Horton, who is well recognized for his landscape paintings, has created simple, serene scenes. Complexity lies in his technique which builds layers of atmosphere, texture and tone in clouds, ocean and lush wetlands. Runquist has contributed an array of vibrant paintings to this show, depicting lush fruits, verdant vegetables and objects collected along the seashore. Many of these still-life works are rendered in her signature clustered style of composition. The message here is in abundance and the life-giving qualities of the Earth," explains Hayes.

An opening reception attended by the artists will be held Friday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 30 State St. For more information, visit www.hortonhayes.com or call 958-0014.

'Incantations in Thread'

The Corrigan Gallery is presenting a solo show of new works by Karin Olah titled "Incantations in Thread" with an opening reception from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at 62 Queen St.

Olah's textile artwork has been used for the local Farmers Market posters. She was also selected as one of the top 10 emerging artists in the city as part of the "Under the Radar" project by Halsey Institute and Charleston Magazine in 2006. Her artwork was recently acquired by the Medical University of South Carolina for the hospital's new contemporary collection.

"Olah creates images using the materials, aesthetics and symbols of quiltmakers. She uses fabric, mimicking the flow of paint from a brush," explains gallery owner Lese Corrigan.

Speaking of her creative process, Olah says, "The way that I under-paint, layer, add texture and work from lean to fat is like that of an oil painter. The way that I finish a collage painting with thread feels like drawing. I have a fabulous assortment of fabrics, collected over the last 15 years."

Liu and Liang at the Sylvan

In celebration of CFADA's Ninth Fine Art Annual weekend, the Sylvan Gallery is presenting the gallery's new show, "A Couple — Impressionists Liu and Liang," an exhibition of new paintings by husband and wife, Huihan Liu and Weizhen Liang.

Impressionist painter, Huihan Liu, was born in Guangzhou, China, in 1952. He came to the United States 20 years ago and now lives near San Francisco with his wife and son. Surviving the Cultural Revolution created by Mao, Liu eventually was accepted into the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art, where he earned both his undergraduate and masters degrees in fine art.

"His wide range of subject matter includes figures, objects and landscapes in a soft impressionistic style with a soft warming palette. His works transport the viewer to locations that hint of the 'Old World' yet are refreshingly rooted in the here and now," says gallery owner Joe Sylvan.

Artist Weizhen Liang is also Chinese. She received her B.A. degree in Chinese literature from Ji Nan University of Guang Zhou in China, and from an early age studied with her aunt, who was a fine arts professor. "Liang's soft color palette and ephemeral brushstrokes combine to create paintings of luscious beauty and peace while providing insight into the momentary still of the subject matter," says Sylvan.

Join the Sylvan Gallery for a reception Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. p.m. at the gallery on King Street. For more information, call 722-2172 or visit www.thesylvangallery.com.

Westwood/Quade

The Mary Martin Gallery will host a double show this weekend, featuring the works of national artists Barbara Westwood and Don Quade.

Quade's abstract works are a combination of painting and mixed-media collage "that deal with different dichotomies such as chaos versus order, creation versus destruction and nature versus culture. He believes that these opposite and competing elements are found throughout all aspects of life and have become a major source of inspiration for his works. The end results are both visually stunning and conceptually intriguing," explains Tara Miller, of the gallery.

To complement Quade's abstract designs, jeweler Barbara Westwood will show new pieces from her personal collection, including pieces from her new "Charleston Gates" series.

Each piece in the "Charleston Gates" series is based on a specific wrought-iron gate found in the city of Charleston.

Visit with these national artists at the opening reception Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. at 39 Broad St. For more information, call 723-0303 or visit www.marymartinart.com.

'The Local Scene'

The Waterfront Gallery is showing "The Local Scene," a collection of pastel and watercolor works by Vicki Gates.

Gates finds there is a constant change of light over the land whether it is from sunrise to sunset or from season to season. Gates says, "The marshes and dunes are reinvented right before your eyes every moment of every day. Today everyone lives such busy lives, we miss the beauty in everyday things. When people view my work, I want them to see something they may have seen a hundred times before but now see it in a new way."

Gates is a signature member of the Pastel Society of American and a member of the S.C. Watercolor Society. Her work has twice been selected as "some of the best in the nation" by Pastel Journal.

"The Local Scene" begins Friday at the Waterfront Gallery, 215 East Bay St. with an opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. For more information, call 722-1155.

'Art on the Beach'

Creative Spark Center for the Arts' annual fundraiser, Art on the Beach, is essentially a tour of art and homes on Sullivan's Island to benefit the school's scholarship fund. This fundraiser gives 100 children and adults the opportunity to attend Creative Spark programs and classes for free.

Featured local artists include Vicki Stone and Sharon Bohn of Notable Photos, Michaela Kuhn's Botanical Pottery, Sterling Pickett's unique jewelry and Rayne Manigault's sweetgrass baskets.

The $40 tickets include a raffle ticket and a coupon for $10 toward the purchase of art on the tour. Patron tickets are $150 and include a coupon for $100 toward the purchase of art, an invitation to the "Meet the Artists" reception and raffle tickets. There will be heavy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. Art on the Beach will be held on Sullivan's Island 1-5 p.m. Sunday with a reception and raffle to follow at Station 22 Restaurant.

Tickets may be purchased by calling Creative Spark at 881-3780 or at the Sandpiper Gallery on Sullivan's Island the day of the event. Visit www.creativespark.org.