Buy art, save the beach

Annual 'Surfrider Art Show Benefit' takes place Friday

'With the current state of the world's oceans, we need to do all we can to minimize the impact we have on our local beaches so we can enjoy them for years to come," says Krista Demattio, one of the organizers of the annual "Surfrider Art Show Benefit," taking place Friday night at the Daily Dose Cafe on Folly Road.

Surfrider is a nonprofit national group dedicated to the conservation of our oceans and beaches. The organization's national programs include water-quality testing, beach-access issues and educational programs.

On a local level, the Charleston Surfrider Chapter has initiated the recycling programs at Sullivan's Island and at the Washout and the pier on Folly Beach.

Every two weeks, a group of dedicated volunteers are responsible for a beach cleanup and the up-keep of these recycling bins.

"The Charleston Surfrider Chapter also is the driving force behind the dog boxes on Folly Beach. Animal waste is the one of the largest polluters of our coastal waters. Surfrider has installed dispensers with plastic bags on most of the public walkovers on Folly Beach and has created signs encouraging dog owners to pick up their dog's waste. Chapter volunteers also maintain these dispensers," says Demattio.

The local chapter is in the process of developing Surfrider's national education program, "Respect the Beach," by making kits for local schools and providing educational materials. This education program aims to teach students about the coastal environment, especially those whose schools are unable to take field trips to the beach.

The Charleston Surfrider Foundation Chapter's annual fundraiser will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Daily Dose Cafe, at 1622 Highland Ave., just past the Folly Road Money Man Pawn Shop.

The fundraiser will consist of a silent auction of local surf- inspired art, including oils, photography and jewelry, as well as a raffle with several surfboards up for grabs. All proceeds from the event go towards the Charleston Chapter Surfrider organization.

The event is free and will include organic fresh food from the Daily Dose, a cash bar (serving wine and beer), and live music.

You can learn more about the Surfrider Foundation and its programs at www.surfrider.org.

'Eckman Brainstorm'

Eve Eckman, daughter of local artist Erin Eckman, was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor.

After several surgeries and therapy, she is recovering. However, the treatments have been extremely expensive and the Eckman family is hosting a pair of art shows to help raise money and assist in the payment of these medical expenses.

A reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight, upstairs at 39 Rue de Jean, 39 John St. downtown. Erin Eckman, Phillip Hyman, Fletcher Crossman, Tom Durham, James Christopher Hill, Lisa Shimko, Sherry Browne and others will have works for sale, and the proceeds will go to the Eckman Family Fund. There will be live music by Leah Suarez as well as wine and hors d'oeuvres. A $5 donation is suggested at the door.

On Oct. 11, the second art benefit show will take place at Voodoo Lounge in West Ashley. Works by local artists Eckman, Hyman, Dorothy Netherland, Julio Cotto, John Pundt and others will be on sale with proceeds going to the same fund.

Voodoo will also donate the proceeds from any "Brainstorm" cocktail purchased. A $5 donation is suggested at the door. DJ D-Rock will be hosting some favorite local DJs.

For more information on these events, call 817-3035 or visit www.erineckman.com.

Fall craft show

The 24th annual Fall Craft Show, sponsored by East Cooper Crafter's Guild, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at The Omar Shrine Center in Mount Pleasant next to Fort Sumter Tours at Patriots Point.

The guild also will hold a raffle with handmade items donated by crafters. All proceeds from the raffle go to the Shriners Children's Hospital in Greenville. Donations will be accepted for the holidays by East Cooper Community Outreach. A door-prize drawing will be held Sunday, compliments of the Country Bumpkin in The Common.

Parking and admission are free. For more information, call 884-1302 or 559-3704.

Peter Scala

Peter Scala, surrealist artist, will have a solo exhibition titled, "My Mind Projected on a Flat Surface" from 5 to 8 p.m. tonight at the Hatfield 2 Fine Art gallery, 38 Queen Street.

Scala will open his studio to local art students this month with an event funded with a recently awarded grant from the Lowcountry Quarterly Arts Grant Program.

Students from the Charleston County Schools and home-school program are invited to visit his studio, where they will be given some insight into egg tempera techniques. The point is to give local art students in Charleston and North Charleston an opportunity to visit a working artist in his studio. Teachers can talk with Peter Scala to arrange studio visits by calling him at 225-3313.

For more information on the open studio, contact Scala at scala207@yahoo.com, or visit his Web site www.peterscala.com.

The solo exhibit at the Hatfield 2 Gallery will include more than 20 oil and egg tempera paintings, featuring six completed during the grant period.

For more information on the exhibit, call the gallery at 577-7710 or visit www.hatfield2fineart.com.

Julyan Davis

New paintings by Julyan Davis will be on display at the Carolina Galleries beginning with a reception Friday from 5 to 8 p.m.

Davis is known for his paintings of Western North Carolina, the Maine coast and the Lowcountry of Georgia and South Carolina. He works on both plein air and studio pieces, and paints portraits and still lifes.

After years of practicing traditional realism, his work has more recently begun to explore aspects of modernism, resulting in paintings that combine traditional techniques such as glazing with an emphasis on the abstract qualities of his subject.

Call 720-8622 or visit www.carolinagalleries.com

Madeline Dukes

The latest body of work by Madeline Dukes will be featured in a solo show at the Edward Dare Gallery beginning Friday night.

This body of work, titled "A Natural Energy," "explores the relationship between energy, atmosphere and nature. Sweeping brush strokes, deductive scraping and palette knife work are integrated to depict potential and kinetic energy observed between the subject matter and its surroundings," says Julie Sweat, gallery owner.

This show will feature Dukes' depiction of the natural environment of the rural and coastal areas in the South Carolina Lowcountry. There will be an opening reception for Dukes from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at 31 Broad Street. Call 853-5002 or visit www.edwarddare.com for information.

Werthwein exhibit

Strongly influenced by the Caribbean where she has lived and traveled extensively, Linda Carole Werthwein's subject matter and use of color is a direct result of her island experiences.

Her subjects intertwine the heritage of Africa, the Caribbean and Charleston.

"Reflections of a love of dance, oceanic environments, wild horses and character studies of the African-based people interfuse a play of pure color, line, shape and texture," says Stephanie Hamlet, gallery owner.

Werthwein works primarily with water media, some mixed media and oils that capture the essence of a subject. Visit the Hamlet Fine Art Gallery, 7 Broad Street, for Werthwein's opening reception Friday night from 5 to 8 p.m. Call 722-1944 for information.

'Corner of the Eye'

The Waterfront Gallery will host an opening reception Friday evening for the gallery's new show, "Out of the Corner of the Eye," featuring urban and rural Charleston landscapes by J. Michael Kennedy, Amelia Rose Smith and Karen A. Vournakis.

" 'Out of the Corner of the Eye' deals with seeing the world peripherally. There are many dramatic views in the world that draws the artist's attention, but the little detailed scenes around one, such as a shadow of a palm tree on an old wall on Legare Street, or a lotus blossom floating in a Charleston garden pool are fascinating. These small scenes outside the direct line of vision are what intrigue us as artists. The view of the world that many people don't notice is the subject," says Smith.

Visit the gallery from 5 to 8 p.m. at 215 East Bay Street, or call 722-1155.

Lynda English

Lynda English, one of the recent additions to the Lowcountry Artists group, will be featured in the parallel shows "Charleston, Past and Present" from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday.

The first show is of buildings, homes and public places of Charleston's past as well as of the present-day city.

English also has a series of figurative paintings of two women depicting them as they would have dressed and looked 150 years ago and how they look today.

Visit the gallery at 148 East Bay Street or call 577-9295.

Philip Simmons

On Wednesday at the general meeting of the Charleston Artist Guild, Philip Simmons will address the members and receive an honorary membership to the guild.

At 95, Simmons continues to sketch designs for his customers. The title of Simmon's presentation is "Past, Present and Future."

An award-winning video tape, which aired on WCIV-TV Channel 4 in June 1994 titled "Keeper of the Gate: The Life and Works of Philip Simmons, Master Blacksmith," will also be shown. This lecture will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Charleston Area Senior Center, 259 Meeting St., downtown Charleston.

For information, call the Charleston Artists' Guild gallery at 722-2425.

Ted Ellis' 'Stories'

The Sylvan Gallery announces the opening of "Our Stories," a show of new works by Ted Ellis, with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at 171 King Street.

A self-taught artist, Ellis captures moments that tell of his life and that of those around him.

"Our Stories" are recorded memories done in paint. Ellis paints stories and memories of his childhood in New Orleans with a style reminiscent of both realism and impressionism.

"These are stories of the South, the deep South. With New Orleans as inspiration and a childhood teaming with the rich African-American cultural heritage, Ellis has many stories to tell," says Joe Sylvan, gallery owner.

Wells Gallery

Visit the Wells Gallery, 17 State Street, Friday evening for a show of new works in a variety of mediums including oils, watercolors, photography and hand-blown glass.

Artists highlighted will include Marty Whaley Adams, David Goldhagen, Claire Farrell, Russell Gordon, Gary Gowans, Whitney Kreb, Kevin LePrince, Rick McClure, Sue Stewart, and Kim Weiland.

These works will be on display through Oct. 19. Call 853-3233 or visit www.wellsgallery.com for information.