The Asheville, North Carolina, skyline. Courtesy ExploreAsheville.
The southeastern coastal city of Charleston, South Carolina, as well as its companion state North Carolina, are thriving art scenes, reflecting the rich culture and flavors of both the East Coast and the South.
Charlotte, North Carolina, is a wonderland of art and culture, with neighborhoods full of galleries and museums like the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the Mint Museum Uptown, and the New Gallery of Modern Art, among many others. And while the event was postponed this year, Charlotte’s weekend of art, food and music, Festival in the Park, will be back in 2021, running September 24 to 26.
In capital city Raleigh, you’ll find gems like the North Carolina Museum of Art, which houses an expanding collection of American and European art, as well as the Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh, holding numerous exhibitions throughout the year featuring the work of modern artists. Asheville also brings its fair share of excitement with the Asheville Art Museum and the popular River Arts District in downtown.
The Battery seawall in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Courtesy ExploreCharleston.
Moving down to South Carolina, you’ll hit the city of Charleston, the heart of the Lowcountry, a geographic and cultural region along the state’s coastline. Abundant with historic buildings and homes in colorful pastel palettes, quaint eateries exuding Southern hospitality and the ever-present smell of the sea, there’s a definite charm to Charleston. And the city’s downtown area is teeming with districts where collectors can explore the fine arts, including Gallery Row, Lower King, Upper King and the French Quarter. Glimpse galleries like Reinert Fine Art, with two locations on King Street, as well as Principle Gallery on Meeting Street. Happening every February is the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, a three-day celebration bringing together the best in contemporary wildlife art and increasing awareness of the importance of wildlife conservation.
The historic Rainbow Row in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Courtesy ExploreCharleston.
Many other talented artists and exuberant galleries are scattered throughout the Carolinas region. Among them are landscape and avian artist Richard A. Johnson, the North Carolina Gallery of Fine Art in Wilmington, North Carolina, and watercolor artist Nadine Charlsen, who calls Asheville home.
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Nadine Charlsen
NorthLight Studios
357 Depot Street, Asheville, NC 28801
(917) 656-1313
nadine@nadinepaints.com
www.nadinepaints.com
“I have always been inspired to paint the world around me,” says Asheville, North Carolina-based artist Nadine Charlsen. “I love traveling and photographing the scenes that excite me to re-create them as watercolor paintings. The energy of cities, the serenity of open spaces gives me a different drama that I create with the light and shadows of the moment.” The artist’s watercolors create an impression of a complicated subject through stylized realism, and she always leaves areas to the viewers’ imaginations, allowing them tell their own stories.
Nadine Charlsen, Reflections in the RAD, watercolor, 23 x 30"
Her work is shown at NorthLight Studios at 357 Depot Street and 310 Art at 191 Lyman Street in the River Arts District. She also has work in Sotheby’s Real Estate Office, as well as Café 64 in Asheville. Charlsen is also the president of the River Arts District Artists, where she is currently involved in the revitalization of the district with a multimillion-dollar infrastructure project, new wayfinding signage and a banner project to advertise the organization’s artists.
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North Carolina Gallery of Fine Art
(910) 800-0951
info@ncgfa.com
www.ncgfa.com
John Rutledge Short Jr., one of the top art conservators of the South who’s been in the art world for more than 47 years, and John Clell Hamm, who has been collecting 19th-century fine art for the past decade, are a dream team. In 2017, the two began discussions of opening the North Carolina Gallery of Fine Art, spurred on by the discovery of a work of art that otherwise would have been lost to history forever. And that’s primarily where the story begins.
John Ruthledge Short Jr., right, with journalist and author Sidney Blumenthal.
John Clell Hamm and Virginia Williams of The Frank and Virginia Williams Collection unveiling The Face of Lincoln bronze at the 2019 Lincoln Forum Symposium in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
That work of art? A terra-cotta sculpture of The Face of Lincoln by noted sculptor Robert Merrell Gage created in 1956 and crafted to reflect the actual dimensions of our virtuous 16th president’s face. The piece was modeled after an original plaster mask of Abraham Lincoln created by Leonard Volk in 1860, shortly before Lincoln’s presidential nomination.
In 1972 at the age of 24, Short opened his own art gallery with his father’s help and was soon called to look at some damaged paintings at a local Hillsborough antique shop. “After examining the works, the dealer wanted me to see something special that he had in his office. I soon found myself with a bronze death mask of Abraham Lincoln in my two hands,” he says. “It’s a lost Lincoln. No one knew it existed, it’s just amazing. Sometimes I can’t believe it myself. I have over the years done a lot in restoration work...All of that pales in comparison, this is something that touched my heart.” Short did not purchase the bronze, because it was expensive for the young art dealer. In 1993, at an art auction in California, he purchased Gage's uncast terra-cotta The Face of Lincoln, which this bronze is modeled after.
Another view of the bronze casting process.
A view of the casting process showing the bronze color beginning to take on a darker, richer color.
Now, Short and Hamm are sharing The Face of Lincoln with the public on a grand scale. Editions of the sculpture—in which several bronzes have already been cast and currently reside in the permanent collections of the Lincoln Memorial Shrine in Redlands, California; the Mulvane Art Museum in Topeka, Kansas; and the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina—are now available for collectors and institutions to purchase. The bronzes will be custom made, taking approximately three to four months from the time someone orders one to the moment they have it in their hands, Hamm explains. They plan to create a total of 1,865 bronzes, he says, commemorating the year of Lincoln’s death. 
The Face of Lincoln on a pedestal in front of the presidential flag at Carolina Bronze Sculpture in Seagrove, North Carolina.
The 1956 terra-cotta sculpture The Face of Lincoln by Robert Merrell Gage.
“This is a very unique opportunity, and it was all initially geared around the sculpture itself and our profound [feeling] that it needs to be shared with collectors,” says Hamm. Short and Hamm will deal directly with collectors and curators interested in acquiring one of the bronzes. As for the North Carolina Gallery of Fine Art itself, the operation is small right now, but Short and Hamm plan to expand the gallery in the near future.
“What’s really cool is that [this project] is very sincere, passionate and authentic,” says Hamm. “We’re just two ordinary people who found something very extraordinary.”
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Principle Gallery Charleston
125 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 727-4500
art@principlecharleston.com
www.principlegallery.com
Principle Gallery Charleston, Advent of Winter, oil on panel, 43 x 60", by Jeremy Mann.
A glimpse of the gallery space at Principle Gallery Charleston in South Carolina.
Principle Gallery Charleston, Roman Cafe, oil on board, 18 x 17", by Geoffrey Johnson.
“The current art market in Charleston has been thriving as of late despite recent events in the world. With people spending more time in their homes, they’ve been desiring vibrancy in their life and the high-end artwork that Principle Gallery Charleston provides has been just the visual stimulation they’ve needed.” — Irene Pasquino, sales associate, Principle Gallery Charleston
Principle Gallery Charleston has been dedicated to representing among the highest quality of contemporary and classical realism art. Focusing on paintings in oil and bronze sculpture, the gallery proudly represents emerging, midcareer and established American and international artists with a distinct personal approach to their work. Principle Gallery Charleston gains great exposure for its artists through solo exhibitions and selective group shows. The gallery invites collectors to explore its light-filled space for monthly shows featuring fresh and exciting works from the many multi-faceted and diverse artists it represents. A two-person exhibition with noted artists Russell T. Gordon and Karen Larson Turner takes place Friday, November 6, with an open house event from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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Reinert Fine Art & Sculpture Garden Gallery
179 & 181 King Street, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 694-2445
www.reinertfineart.com
Reinert Fine Art & Sculpture Garden Gallery, Dappled Light, Lower King, oil, 18 x 14", by Rick Reinert.
Reinert Fine Art & Sculpture Garden Gallery, Grace at the Met, oil, 36 x 48", by Heather Arenas.
Owned by contemporary impressionist painter Rick Reinert and his wife, Ann, Reinert Fine Art showcases more than 50 regional and nationally acclaimed classical painters, as well as figurative and abstract sculptors, at its two locations in Charleston, South Carolina. The showrooms at 179 King Street and 181 King Street, located right next door, have more than 4,000 square feet of gallery space as well as an outdoor courtyard and sculpture garden gallery. Original oil paintings, bronze sculpture, handblown glass and artisan jewelry created by a talented group of diverse artists, both local and international, can be enjoyed seven days a week. Each gallery location is thoughtfully curated to appeal to both the connoisseur and casual collector. The owners present a collection of diverse paintings and sculpture that range in style from traditional to impressionistic to abstract.
“Despite COVID limitations and restrictions slowing walk-in traffic, our associates led by gallery director Jason Stone, have been able to maintain solid sales through outreach and support of our great client base.” — Rick Reinert, owner, Reinert Fine Art
Two anticipated events are scheduled with Oil Painters of America and American Impressionist Society. The OPA Eastern Regional Exhibition takes place at the gallery from November 20 through December 19. The AIS Impressions Small Works Showcase will happen next year from April 1 to 30.
In addition to his galleries, Reinert’s summer studio on Ocean Point Road in the beautiful town of East Boothbay, Maine, will be open mid-May through September. Friends and collectors can enjoy watching Reinert paint the many diverse and interesting landscapes the region offers. 
Reinert Fine Art & Sculpture Garden Gallery, Touch of Light, oil, 18 x 24", by Roger Dale Brown.
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Richard A. Johnson
(843) 229-0660
richard@richardajohnsonart.com
www.richardajohnsonart.com
Painting landscapes with sailboats or shorebirds has always been important to Richard A. Johnson. His favorite class at the Ringling School of Art and Design being his landscape course, the artist likes to paint in an impressionistic realism style with a touch of imagination mixed in. Lots of small details are made of many dots and dashes of constantly changing colors. Initially, he worked in oils but did not like painting over wet paint. After the development of acrylic paint, Johnson gradually phased his use of oils out of his practice. 
Richard A. Johnson, Looking North, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 36"
Richard A. Johnson, Looking South, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36"
Richard A. Johnson, Night Heron, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 30"
The artist is currently working on a series of painting landscapes and birds at Huntington Beach State Park, south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with most of the birds in Johnson’s paintings having been photographed there. He’s in the midst of planning a trip to try to take photos of the roseate spoonbill, a beautiful but unusual bird with lots of warm colors that Johnson finds exciting to capture.
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Southeastern Wildlife Exposition
Charleston, SC, (843) 723-1748
www.sewe.com
A view of the Fine Art Gallery at SEWE. Photo by Paul Mulkey Images.
“The experience between the creator and collector has always been at the core of SEWE and our goal is to continue to provide the platform for these relationships in 2021 and into the future.” — John Powell, executive director, SEWE
Celebrating its 39th annual event from February 11 to 14, 2021, Southeastern Wildlife Exposition continues to present some of the finest in wildlife and sporting art. Held in Charleston, South Carolina, and considered to be among the premier wildlife art shows in the east, SEWE features acclaimed wildlife artists from across the nation as well as Canada and South Africa. Boasting all original artwork, the Fine Art Gallery of SEWE encompasses nature inspired art ranging from sporting and North American big game to African and landscapes.
Every year, the show recognizes one accomplished artist who creates the event’s anticipated featured painting. SEWE has named Mark Horton, known for his unique paintings of Lowcountry landscapes, as the 2021 Featured Artist. Artists honored with this distinction over the years have included Brett Smith, Carl Brenders, Luke Frazier, John Banovich, Dustin Van Wechel and Eldridge Hardie.
Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, Lowcountry Patterns, oil on linen, 24 x 18", by Mark Horton.
Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, Game’s Up, oil on linen, 20 x 24", by Peggy Watkins.
“We like to think all of the visiting artists at SEWE are noteworthy. Complete bodies of work along with individual pieces of excellence are what we look forward to each year,” says SEWE marketing director Mary M. Roberts. “In a year when many all of us have spent time reflecting, and finding solace and escape in nature, I believe the artists’ work will reflect their views on where we have been and where we can go.” —
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