At The Gibbes Museum

'Grass Roots: African Origins of an American Art," an exhibition organized by the Museum of African Art in New York in cooperation with the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture at the College of Charleston and the McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina, will open Friday at the Gibbes Museum.

"Through the story of the beautiful coiled basket, 'Grass Roots' revisits the history of the Southeastern United States and demonstrates the enduring contribution of African people and culture to American life," says Marla Loftus, director of communications at the Gibbes. "Featuring over 200 objects, including baskets made in Africa and the American South, African sculptures, and paintings from the Charleston Renaissance period, the exhibition traces the history of the coiled basket on two continents and shows how a simple farm tool once used for processing rice has become a work of art, and an important symbol of African-American identity."

"Grass Roots" traces the parallel histories of coiled basketry in Africa and the United States, starting from the domestication of rice in West Africa, through the trans-Atlantic slave trade, to the migration of African rice culture to America. The exhibition addresses the history of the Carolina rice plantation and highlights the technological innovations brought to American agriculture by people from Africa. The exhibition tells the compelling story of the survival of African-American basketry over 300 years, and features baskets made by contemporary American and African basketmakers, as well as historic examples, some dating to the early 19th century, from Lowcountry rice plantations and African villages.

"It is thrilling to be able to tell this story through the coiled basketry traditions that forever link the two continents," said Elsie McCabe, president of the Museum for African Art. "This exhibition is about baskets in both places, but because of new scholarship brought to bear on the subject, it is really about much more. It explores many rich cultural patterns both lost and maintained. It shows how people have built and rebuilt their heritage over centuries of oppression and opportunity. It reveals how a simple but always beautifully crafted tool has come to be appreciated as an object of art."

While the need for agricultural forms has declined, coiled baskets continue to be made as objects of beauty. The exhibition focuses on Mount Pleasant, where basketmakers have taken control of their craft as independent entrepreneurs.

"The local community of basketmakers, many of whom have made baskets that are in the exhibition, is proud to be involved with this project," said Thomasena Stokes-Marshall, project director for the annual Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival held in Mount Pleasant.

"Grass Roots: African Origins of an American Art" includes five short films that feature basketmakers demonstrating their techniques and telling their stories, as well as a beautifully illustrated catalog.

View the exhibition at the Gibbes, at 135 Meeting St., or get more information online at www.gibbesmuseum.org.

Arts Commission fellowship

The deadline to apply for a 2008-2009 Fellowship Award from the S.C. Arts Commission is Oct. 1. Artists may apply for an award in visual arts, craft, dance performance and dance choreography. Applications and guidelines are available at www.southcarolinaarts.com.

The Arts Commission, through its Individual Artists Fellowship Program, encourages the pursuit of artistic excellence and provides financial support to South Carolina artists of merit. Up to six fellowship awards of $5,000 each are awarded annually based on a rotating discipline cycle.

Since 1976, the Arts Commission has awarded 194 fellowship awards to actors, craftsmen, poets, screenwriters, musicians and other artists in recognition of exemplary artistic talent. Fellowship awards have no restriction on use of funds.

"The fellowship program allows artists the freedom to choose how they will use the award," said John Benjamin Gilliam, a 2007-2008 craft fellow from Greenville.

Gilliam used his grant to attend a workshop in Ireland this summer. "Without the award, I wouldn't have had the resources to make the trip," he said.

The Individual Artist Fellowship Program is one of the agency's most competitive grant programs. Fellows and alternates are recommended by out-of-state review panelists, who make selections based solely on a review of work samples.

These recommendations are approved by the Arts Commission Board. For more information, visit www.southcarolinaarts.com or call 803-734-8696.

Redux looks for executive director

The Redux Contemporary Art Center, a 501(c) 3 organization established in 2002, is dedicated to the production, presentation and education of the contemporary visual arts. The center is looking for a new executive director.

The position is immediately available. The successful candidate will have a working knowledge of contemporary visual art practices and nonprofit experience.

Applicants must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and will work effectively with the Redux board of directors, staff, volunteers and community leaders. She or he must speak and write persuasively about the mission, programs and contribute to the income needs of Redux and its related projects, and will have superb planning, organizational and supervisory skills. A strong organization vision is encouraged with an emphasis on long-term strategic planning.

A B.A., B.S. or BFA is required, and an M.A., MFA, or three to five years of relevant working experience with contemporary visual arts background is preferred.

Compensation, including benefits, is competitive and will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

All interested applicants should apply by Oct. 1 of this year by sending a current resume and cover letter to the attention of the Board of Directors, Redux Studios, 136 St. Philip St., Charleston, SC, 29403, or e-mail to info@reduxstudios.org.