Alicia Leeke interprets the Lowcountry in new exhibit

The Courtyard Art Gallery is featuring works by South Carolina artist Alicia Leeke in a show called "Parallel 32, 47, 79, 56."

The artist explains the show's title a bit further: "For years, artists have known that mathematical shapes can be found in nature including the basics of drawing perspective and the geometry found by studying flowers and seashells," notes Leeke, "but what this show seeks to explore is the geography of a painting."

Reaching back to memories of childhood family vacations, much of this show is inspired by the South Carolina coast.

"This new body of work focuses on the impact color and abstraction have on landscape painting," she explains. Using the term she coined for a new era of art, called "Fabaism," these are Leeke's personal interpretations of the Lowcountry.

Leeke also describes her work as heavily influenced by French Salon painters and how they captured history, social conscience and architecture by painting the people and environments surrounding them.

"Complementing each painting is a robust combination of dry brush painting techniques to create texture," she explains.

Her gentle distortions of linear perspective are a fundamental element to the overall design of her creations and are a necessary ingredient in the composition of her pieces.

"Parallel 32, 47, 79, 56" will be on display at the Courtyard Gallery, 149 1/2 East Bay Street, until the end of the month. For more information, call the artist at 429-5456 or visit www.alicialeeke.com.

WALK for peace

On Monday, the entire world is suppose to put down weapons. It is the official United Nations International Day of Peace and Cease Fire.

And Charlestonians have banded together to celebrate in honor of peace with the Charleston Peace One Day Festival taking place from 1-6 p.m. Sunday at Brittle Bank Park, followed by a show at the Music Farm later that evening.

The WALK Gallery (Window Art Local Knowledge) will be placing works of art in their regular established vacant storefronts in honor of the event.

WALK Gallery will be presenting "Peace: What a Day of Peace Means," an art show representing artists perspectives on peace. The works will be on display until the beginning of November at the old Millennium Music building on the corner of King and Calhoun Streets.

The artists participating in the show are Tina Christophillis, Matthew Foreman, Jessica Jarva, Mary Edna Fraser, Tyler Ann Blanton, Jeff Fitzharris, Angela Chvarak, Laura Olsen, Joanna Jackson, Erica Velt, Kimberly Held, Chris Tertzagian, Rebecca Weekes, Tiffany Lippincott, Kip Bulwinkle, Stephanie Drawdy, Karole Turner Campbell, Matthew Bowers, Jonell Pulliam, and others, including children's artwork.

Check out www.walkgallery.org for more information on the participating artists.