Local surgeon crafting new career

It was a rainy November afternoon when my husband, Franklin, and I found our "Paris Cat."

On a final stroll near the Seine, before leaving for the airport, we spotted in a shop window a charcoal rendering of a Siamese cat with soft, blue chalk eyes.

Deciding it was the perfect souvenir, we went inside, where we learned the shop owner, who spoke a little English, was the artist who had created the painting and had signed his name, Alex Ossi, at the bottom.

Amazingly, he took a personal check for $100, which in 1974 was much more than what we normally would spend on memorabilia.

Over the past 36 years, whenever we look at the image, we are reminded of our visits to Paris.

Not unlike the Frenchman who was passionate about providing high-quality objects for his customers, Sullivan's Island resident Harriet Steinert has opened a gallery to offer vacationers and residents the opportunity to buy handmade crafts that are equal parts passion and practicality.

"I also want to spread an appreciation for the expense, effort and talent that go into handmade crafts," Steinert says as she shows a visitor around the small space she has rented in Treasures, a tiny aqua house at 2216 Middle St. on Sullivan's Island, where other souvenir items also are sold under Everett White's management.

The official launch of H. Steinert's 3C Gallery: Contempo Craft Concepts will be 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and July 11.

Love affair with crafts

A former surgeon who remains in the medical field, Steinert explains, "My husband, Steve, and I began our love affair with American crafts when we were in graduate school at Emory and took a drive into the North Georgia mountains, where we came upon a place called the Mark of the Potter, a craft gallery that had just opened in an old mill. This was the first time we were exposed to handmade pottery. Although we agonized about the $35 price, we ended up buying a bowl which we still proudly display in our house, nearly 40 years later."

In February, the Steinerts attended the annual exhibition of the American Craft Council in Baltimore, where Steinert purchased diverse items for her proposed venture.

Friends of Steinert, 62, are not surprised that this versatile medical doctor has begun to veer away from her longtime career.

"Harriet is an inspiration to us all," says friend and author Dottie Frank. "Beyond her accomplishments in the world of medicine lies a renaissance woman of spectacular vision and style."

The state's first female to be admitted to the American College of Surgeons, Steinert was fearless in overcoming obstacles to becoming a surgeon in the 1970s.

After completing her internship in surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina, Steinert applied to do her surgical residency there. According to Steinert, the then-chair of surgery said he would not accept women "because it's too tough for them." Undeterred, Steinert attended the University of Maryland, where she completed her surgical residency before returning to Charleston to practice in 1981.

In 1993, Steinert discovered she was allergic to surgical latex gloves. Undaunted, she worked in medical administration for insurance companies and in emergency rooms of smaller hospitals.

Since August, she has engaged in contract work in the medical field for government agencies.

The objects in Steinert's diverse collection have been juried by nationally recognized artists who are members of the American Craft Council, and thus represent the talents of superior artisans. For example, for wooden auto enthusiasts, vintage models include a Model A with a rumble seat and a copy of the original MG roadster.

The Penrose Jewelry collection makes earrings, necklaces and bracelets for women and girls using the 2,000 year-old method of furnace-blown glass, with each bead fire-polished to 1,350 degrees.

In "The Opera Collection," silver handbags are made from stainless steel by Bo's Art in Los Angeles. Each of the handbags is named after a famous opera.

Of attaining her long-held dream, Steinert says, "My eventual goal is to enhance my collection and enlarge my gallery into a major fine crafts destination. I want people to be introduced to gifts that provide pleasure for a lifetime."

Reach Dottie Ashley at dottieashley@gmail.com.