LEPRINCE FINE ART
LePrince Fine Art, located at 184 and 183 King St., doubles as a studio for owner and artist Kevin LePrince. LePrince paints there six days a week and encourages guests to watch and ask questions about the process. The walls are filled with bodies of work from a select few nationally recognized, emerging artists from across North America. While the general look of the artists represented could be described as contemporary impressionism, each artist has a unique style defined by brushstrokes, palette choices and compositions. “I’m trying to encourage artists to push their creativity,” LePrince says. “I do this by giving them more wall space. That way, they’re not restricted, and they can get outside of their comfort zones, push the envelope a little.”
Between both galleries, there is 3,600 square feet of open gallery space, high ceilings and hardwood floors. The gallery has been designed to highlight the art—a collector can relax and enjoy a painting from a distance. Unable to visit in person? Visit the LePrince website for constant updates or to browse before coming in.
LePrince Fine Art
843-442-1664
leprince.com
MEREDITH POSTON
Meredith Poston was born in Louisville, Kentucky, into a family who appreciated the fine and performing arts. From an early age Poston wanted to be a fine artist and was strongly encouraged by her family. She focused on human and animal subjects, and she copied the work of her father, who was a medical illustrator.
Throughout her adolescence Poston’s passion for art grew. She participated in art classes and camps throughout high school. She attended Western Carolina University, majoring in fine art and communications, where she developed her abstract style. After graduation Poston left the North Carolina mountains for the Charleston coastline, settling on James Island in 2009.
Poston paints abstract expressionist remembrances and reflections. She finds solace in loose, sporadic brushstrokes, with a combination of soft elements juxtaposed with stark separations of contrasting color. Her work is an expression of nature as she sees it—colorful, sometimes gentle, but often startlingly real. Poston paints in her home studio when not working as a freelance writer.
Meredith Poston
843-593-5215
mposton.com
MILLER GALLERY
You might expect that an art gallery on East Bay Street, in the heart of Charleston’s historical district, would be all about tradition. But not Miller Gallery, an energized gallery of contemporary art founded by Maryland native Sarah Miller. Miller, who graduated from the College of Charleston’s School of the Arts, is fulfilling her dream of bringing contemporary ideas and creations to a city steeped in history. Her roster lists 12 local and international artists, each at a different point in his or her career.
Miller offers advice on how to purchase contemporary works of art and how to place them in traditional settings. First and foremost, she encourages readers to buy what they love and not to be afraid to mix old art with new in any space!
The Miller Gallery hosts regular exhibits. Mark your calendar for Kate Hooray Osmond’s solo show, which opens November 3, 2017. Osmond’s oil paintings are compelling, abstract depictions of coastal and urban landscapes and are influenced by her early work in aerial photography.
Miller Gallery
843-764-9281
millergallerychs.com
ATELIER GALLERY
Atelier Gallery was founded in early 2008 by Gabrielle Egan. The gallery is known for its innovative original artwork, which appeals to local and national collectors alike.
Atelier Gallery’s focus is to support and promote a variety of artists, while merging the classics with the moderns. Traditional portraits and landscapes are displayed alongside contemporary canvases and sculptures. Watercolors, oils and every medium in between can be found on the walls of this sumptuous gallery.
The 60 artists represented by the gallery have been handpicked by the founder for their unique, innovative approach and dedication to their craft.
Many of the gallery’s artists are from the Southeast, and the Lowcountry has inspired their aesthetic. Others hail from places such as California, New York, Santa Fe, Maine and beyond. Offering an expansive collection of such varied works allows Atelier’s art to resonate with admirers and collectors of all generations.
Atelier Gallery
843-722-5668
theateliergalleries.com
BEN HAM IMAGES
Ben Ham has been making the connection between his camera and the South Carolina coast for most of his life. Using methods some would call old-fashioned— a large-format wooden camera, a cloth over his head and large sheets of film—Ham captures the essence of the Lowcountry in his richly detailed black-and-white images. But he doesn’t stop there. His love of travel and beautiful places has taken him to the American West as well as to Italy and France.
Ham painstakingly develops and prints his images at his production facility on Hilton Head Island. His limited-edition prints, framed in Italian olive wood, have found their way to individual, corporate and U.S. government collections.
In his book, Vanishing Light, Ham reveals 69 stunning American landscapes and tells us what inspired him to capture them.
Visit Ham’s Charleston gallery at 416 King St. or his new gallery in historic Old Town Bluffton, scheduled to open late summer or early fall.
Ben Ham Images
843-410-1495 (Charleston)
843-842-4163 (Hilton Head)
benhamimages.com
CHERYL NEWBY GALLERY
There aren’t many galleries where you can browse both antique and contemporary art in a single visit. At the Cheryl Newby Gallery in Pawleys Island, however, you can. Owner Cheryl Newby maintains an extensive selection of contemporary paintings and sculpture alongside a selective inventory of antique maps and prints.
A quick look around the antique side will turn up works by the likes of John James Audubon, George Edwards, Mark Catesby and John Gould. If those don’t satisfy, Newby will gladly find something more to your taste or hunt down prints by a particular artist, should you have one in mind.
When it comes to contemporary artists, the gallery, founded in 1983, represents 13 painters from throughout the country, including William McCullough (S.C.), the late Ray Ellis (Mass), Paula Holtzclaw (N.C.), Martha dePoo (Fla.), the late Quita Brodhead (Pa.) and Mike Williams (S.C.). Three nationally known sculptors—Sandy Scott (Wyo.), Gwen Marcus (N.Y.) and Catherine K. Ferrell (Fla.)—also have work in the gallery, as does fine ceramics artist Glenda Taylor (Fla.) and portrait painter James Crowley (S.C.).
Cheryl Newby Gallery
843-979-0149
cherylnewbygallery.com
REINERT FINE ART
Owned by contemporary impressionist painter Rick Reinert and his wife, Ann, Reinert Fine Art & Sculpture Garden Gallery showcases more than 45 classical painters as well as both figurative and abstract sculptors.
Reinert Fine Art recently expanded its presence on King Street by opening Reinert Contemporary Fine Art at 202 King St. This third location features acclaimed Charlestonbased abstract artist Eva Carter and abstract impressionist painter Susan Colwell. Reinert’s largest contemporary works are also offered at the beautiful new space in addition to a collection of artisan jewelry.
Each location offers a robust collection of works from all artists, including a second-floor gallery in the 179 King St. location called The Small Works.
The Reinert Fine Art galleries are open seven days a week, with art events the first Friday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in both Charleston locations.
Visit all three galleries: 179 and 202 King St. in Charleston and 1153 Main St. in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.
Reinert Fine Art
843-694-2445
reinertfineart.com
DEBRA PAYSINGER
Debra Paysinger taught high school science and math for 10 years, but the arrival of her third child sent her into early retirement. Fortunately, a plethora of needlepoint projects allowed her to express herself artistically despite the constraints of parenthood. When all the kids learned to drive, Paysinger found herself with time to paint, and the last needlepoint project went into a drawer––unfinished.
Paysinger’s master’s degree in biology informs her subject matter. She paints birds, lures, sea life and rabbits—or “raddits,” as she endearingly refers to them. (She owns the trademark for the term “the raddit.”)
Each raddit is identified within the painting by a number, usually written across the body. Similarly, Paysinger assigns a not-to-be-repeated human name to every bird she paints. These names are found on the back of each canvas.
You can find Paysinger’s art in Studio 151 Fine Arts Gallery on Church Street in Charleston and Ellen Taylor Interiors + Design in the Vista in Columbia, South Carolina.
Debra Paysinger
dtpart@sc.rr.com
debrapaysinger.com
TARA VIS GALLERY
Tara Vis Gallery, a contemporary art gallery on King Street in Charleston’s historic district, features the best in local and international photography. Owner Tim Whitfield, a photographer who has traveled extensively, was looking for a place to exhibit his work when he had the idea to open a gallery. The result is Tara Vis Gallery, a space that showcases talented photographers from Charleston and around the world.
From October 1 through October 28 Tara Vis Gallery will sponsor The Spirit of Analog Photography. This exhibition will celebrate the genre of film photography. By contrasting photography in its early, “pure” form (using light-sensitive film) with modern techniques that blend digital and film technology, some of Charleston’s finest film photographers tell the story of film-based photography. Whitfield is planning a special opening on Sunday, October 1 at 4 p.m.
Tara Vis Gallery welcomes visitors Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. No appointment is required.
Tara Vis Gallery
843-577-0253
taravisgallery.com
MITCHELL HILL GALLERY
It was six years ago that the impressively high-ceilinged Mitchell Hill Gallery came to Upper King Street. Filled with paintings, sculptures, custom furniture and photographs, the gallery offers the city a refreshing departure from the formal, traditional spaces so often seen in Charleston.
Since its opening, Mitchell Hill has accumulated the works of countless artists, with a total of 30 currently displayed there— particularly regional creators of both art and decor. This year, the gallery launched its own gilded metal lighting collection, which is artfully displayed throughout the space, illuminating the 5,000-square-foot art and design showroom.
Upstairs, Mitchell Hill offers full-scale interior design services. The gallery always pulls from its enormous inventory when building a project. “Often, we’ll use a piece of art as a leaping-off point. The two worlds really do collide,” co-owner Michael Mitchell says. “Our clients tend to be sophisticated art collectors, so the art is part of the process.”
Mitchell Hill hosts monthly receptions and offers an online shopping experience at shop mitchellhill.com.
Mitchell Hill Gallery
843-564-0034
mitchellhillinc.com
ELLA WALTON RICHARDSON FINE ART
Located on Charleston’s historic downtown Broad Street, Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art is home to a talented array of artists whose styles range from realistic and impressionist to abstract. The gallery is particularly honored to feature the work of famed sculptor Glenna Goodacre, one of the most respected female artists of figurative sculpture in the world.
Glenna Goodacre’s sculptures are recognizable for their expression, texture, design and movement. Her early work as a painter provided a foundation for her first bronzes, created in 1969. She has since created over 600 different works, of which the best known is the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, installed in 1993 in Washington, D.C.
Another of her well-known works is After the Ride, a larger-than-life bronze statue of former President Ronald Reagan, cast in 1998.
Along with Goodacre, the gallery represents 30 American, Russian and Dutch artists, and regional painters and sculptors who work in a variety of styles and mediums.
Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art
843-722-3660
ellarichardson.com
STUDIO 151 FINE ARTS
Located near the corner of Church and Market streets, Studio 151 is filled from floor to ceiling with pieces from over a dozen local artists, all of whom use their art to respond to what’s around them here in the South. From Bob Graham, a Civil War painter, to Daryl Knox, who’s inspired by Lowcountry marshes and creeks, a passion for this unique corner of the country is evident throughout the gallery.
Studio 151 also features watercolors, oils, monotypes, photography and mixed media from Colleen Wiessmann, Lu Bentley, Sandy Scott, Amelia Rose Smith, Ron Chamberlain, Detta Zimmerman, Rosie Phillips, Jennifer Koach, Amelia Whaley, Dixie Dugan, Nancy Davidson, Debra Paysinger, Christie Crosby, and jewelers Lissa Block, Jean Norman and Shelby Parbel.
Styles and subjects can range from collage works to abstracts and traditional realism, and the gallery’s jewelry artists ensure you can always leave with a wearable souvenir. Artists are inhouse daily to greet and discuss their works, and the gallery is open every day of the week.
Studio 151 Fine Arts
843-579-9725
studio151finearts.com
ART CENTRAL FINE ART GALLERY
Organized as a cooperative that features the work of its local, award-winning artist owners, Art Central Fine Art Gallery has enjoyed a successful 19-year run in historic downtown Summerville, South Carolina. Inside, patrons and visitors can expect to find a unique selection of art and handcrafted gifts, just in time for the holidays. These include designer jewelry, pottery, photography, sweetgrass baskets, prints, tiles, note cards, walking sticks and more.
Members whose work is featured on this page include Delaine Walters, The Almond Branch Tree—Homage to Van Gogh; Renee Bruce, Early Morning on the River; Jan Dalton, The Sea Is Mine; Debbie Grogen’s Twilight Marsh; and Faith Cuda’s Poppies.
Every third Thursday the gallery opens its doors after hours to host an artist reception from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The event is well attended thanks to the gallery’s location along the pedestrian-only cobblestone street known to locals as “Short Central Avenue,” which is lined with shops and restaurants.
Art Central Fine Art Gallery
843-871-0297
artcgalleryltd.com
CAROLE CARBERRY
Artist Carole Carberry was born in Montana into a family that shared a natural artistic ability and a love for drawing. Specialized courses in fine art pencil and dry-brush egg tempera methods honed Carberry’s drawing skills and initiated a lifelong adventure with watercolor.
Her watercolors have been included twice in the prestigious traveling Show of the South curated by the Carolina Watermedia Society, where she is a Member in Excellence. Carberry’s acrylic on canvas Siesta Splendor was included in the Society’s annual SCWS show in 2014. That painting was a breakthrough for Carberry as it was the first of many acrylic works.
Long-necked birds are her favorite subject matter. “It is the graceful arch of a swan’s neck, the colorful beaks of herons and the ethereal quality of feathers that I find beautiful and attempt to share in my work,” she says.
Dividing each year between South Carolina and Montana, Carberry is in her fifth term on the board of the Sumter Artists Guild and is co-chair for two summer art festivals in Polson, Montana.
CAROLE CARBERRY
803-968-4678
artcgalleryltd.com
KATHY CLARK
The Charleston Lowcountry and its history have played an important role in Kathy Clark’s life and art. She often focuses on landscapes that reflect enduring feelings for the place she calls home.
“Having spent my entire life living on the islands of Charleston has definitely influenced my appreciation for history and the ever-changing tidal creeks, marshes, rivers and ocean,” Clark says. “For me, translating these visions on paper or canvas has been one of the most satisfying ways of expressing myself.”
Clark’s artistic abilities have developed from a number of sources, including studies with the Gibbes Museum of Art. More recent studies have explored palette knife painting with James Pratt, an artist from New Zealand, and figure drawing with Karen Vecchioni.
Clark’s work is a combination of impressionism with a touch of realism. She does not follow any defined approach. It is derived from a confluence of varied sources of inspiration. She connects with the subject and brings out the beauty of its meaning.
Kathy Clark
843-509-6818
kathyclarkfineart.com
BETSY JONES MCDONALD
Charleston artist Betsy Jones McDonald began her artistic training as a teen with watercolorist Geri Davis of Columbus, Georgia. She went on to study fine art at Columbus State University, and her eye for design was later put to work as a design manager in her years working in visual merchandising.
After moving to Columbia, South Carolina, McDonald began doing murals, which is when she realized her true love lay in large-format painting. She’s pursued oil-on-canvas ever since and paints using only primary colors, custom-mixing all her own hues. McDonald also co-owned Island Art Gallery on Pawleys Island for four years, where she continues to regularly teach color-theory workshops.
These days, McDonald’s art is inspired by the marsh surrounding her Daniel Island studio. “I love the colors of the marsh and the way they change with the seasons and the tides,” she says. “Every time you look at the marsh, you see something different, and I’m fascinated by that.”
You can find her paintings exhibited at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet and Island Art Gallery.
Betsy Jones McDonald
207-320-5884
betsymcdonaldart.com
KELLIE JACOBS
Kellie Jacobs has spent her life watching the seasons change among the marshes and beaches of the South Carolina coast. After graduating from the College of Charleston, Jacobs decided to pursue a professional career as a painter.
Working primarily in pastel, she paints landscapes using atmosphere and light to create mood and expression in her art. “I am fascinated with the light at the end of the day,” she says. “When the evening sun is low and warm, touching the tops of the sand dunes and grasses of the marsh—that is the time of day I love best.”
Jacobs’ juxtaposition of bright colors and soft textures appeals to both domestic and international collectors. Traveling to foreign locations has also enhanced her ability to manipulate her chosen medium of pastel to produce desirable and collectible artwork.
Many of her works hang in prestigious corporate and private collections, both nationally and abroad. Her art is also on view in Charleston galleries, including the Lowcountry Artists Gallery at 148 East Bay St.
Kellie Jacobs
843-906-6746
kelliejacobsart.com
REVEALED ART GALLERY
Revealed Art Gallery is a new contemporary art space located in the French Quarter, just steps from Charleston’s iconic Dock Street Theatre. Founders Jaclyn Quilal-lan and Scott Parsons enjoy the contrast their contemporary art gallery brings to its historical surroundings. In addition to providing a dynamic gallery space for painters, sculptors and photographers to showcase contemporary work, the long-time friends and art enthusiasts would like to foster connections within the community, as well.
Through workshops, classes, events, private rentals, brand collaborations and more, Quilal-lan and Parsons are exploring opportunities for Revealed Art Gallery to become a local hub of culture and creativity.
The gallery is open Monday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Visitors are welcome, and appointments are accepted. A member of the Charleston Gallery Association, Revealed Art Gallery is participating in upcoming Art Walks, during which hours extend to 8 p.m.
Revealed Art Gallery
843-872-5606
revealedgallery.com
CHARLESTON ARTIST GUILD
The Charleston Artist Guild (CAG) was founded well over a half-century ago by a small group of local artists—including Anne Worsham Richardson, Alfred Heber Hutty and Elizabeth O’Neill Verner—who sought a way not only to display their own works, but to network with other artists in the city and to become more involved with the community. Today, over 70 artists are featured in the extensive gallery, now at 160 East Bay St., all of whom contribute to the organization’s outreach programs. A nonprofit organization, CAG is constantly busy fulfilling the wishes of its founders. To that end, the Guild works with Arts for Alzheimer’s, provides awards for its high school scholarship program, and also works with Extraordinary Arts and Pattison’s Academy.
Every September new exhibiting members are juried into the gallery. September is also when CAG’s monthly meetings with art demonstrations—always open to the public—resume. The Guild now has nearly 700 members, many of whom will be featured at CAG’s annual Members’ Exhibition at the Charleston Visitor Center in February 2018.
Charleston Artist Guild
843-722-2425
charlestonartistguild.com
PATRICIA FYLSTRA
Mount Pleasant artist Patricia Fylstra started painting full time 10 years ago. She spent her early adult life as a pharmacist, with a degree from Purdue University, and later pursued a master’s degree in business administration from the University of South Carolina; however, a life-changing event persuaded the Pittsburgh native to pursue her lifelong interest in art.
A Lowcountry resident for over 25 years, Fylstra is inspired to paint flowers from the beautiful gardens and blooms found throughout Charleston. “There’s something about how the light changes color on the petals and each flower has its own unique carriage that is so engaging,” she says.
The artist is also inspired by the still life paintings of the great masters in museums around the world as well as living artists such as Michael Klein, Daniel Keys and Nancy Hoerter. However, Fylstra’s greatest influence has been artist Emmy Bronson, with whom she has studied for over a decade.
Currently, you can find her works at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery located at 160 East Bay St. or on her website.
Patricia Fylstra
843-729-7336
patriciafylstra.com