Connecting the Dots

I was recently dispatched to Charleston, South Carolina, to attend the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, an annual art, conservation and sporting event that literally takes over the city’s parks, hotels and riverfronts, and that American Art Collector sponsors every year. More than 40,000 art and wildlife enthusiasts flocked to Charleston for the February weekend, filling the charming streets with energy, and the city’s pockets with upward of $35 million.

SEWE was fantastic. The main art exhibition was held in the Charleston Place, an opulent hotel in the heart of historic downtown, where hundreds of juried artists showcased their landscape, waterfowl and wildlife works in a spacious ballroom setting. Among the many highlights was connecting with two young, emerging artists who couldn’t have been more excited to see their work in print in American Art Collector’s pre-show coverage.

But SEWE wasn’t alone on my agenda. I was also in town to drink in the local art scene and visit as many of the 50-plus galleries that have crowned Charleston one of the most vibrant art hubs in the country, as time allowed. The sheer amount of representational art—and the quality!—far exceeded my pretty lofty expectations. But what really impressed me was the energy that seemed to thrum beneath the cobblestoned streets that led to one gallery after another. And how every gallery representative shared “a rising tide lifts all boats” mentality.

Charleston is unique—most of the top art galleries are densely clustered within a few square walkable blocks and this proximity accounts for a lot. The artwork, and the excitement, is concentrated, convenient for locals and tourists, and a boon for the galleries. Still, I think Charleston can serve as a model—certainly an inspiration—for what art communities are striving to create all over the country, many of which share a lot in common with Charleston—passionate gallery owners, organizations and artists; a robust tourist industry, natural beauty, historic charm and/or urban appeal. Maybe strength isn’t only in numbers, but also the strength of the bond between them.

I hope you can feel the renewed sense of enthusiasm and inspiration I took home from my days in Charleston in the April issue. Not only did I feel the pulse of a truly flourishing art scene, but I got to see many of the artworks inside this issue in person! At Principle Gallery, I got a preview of Christine Lashley’s paintings featured on Page 52. At Robert Lange Studios, besides oohing and aahing at all the amazing realism on the exposed brick walls, I was able to poke around Nathan Durfees’ resident studio. I also encountered work by artists like Jeanne Rosier-Smith at Dare Gallery, whose paintings appear on Page 56 in a preview of a show at Susan Powell Fine Art in Connecticut. Many of the artists whose work I saw in Charleston, also show their work at other galleries far enough away to not be in direct competition. They form an even greater nationwide community, connecting representational galleries north to south and coast to coast like creative constellations in the night sky. Let’s keep connecting the dots!

Sarah Gianelli
Managing Editor
sgianelli@americanartcollector.com