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
WILLIAM TURNER
Oil painter and Charleston native William Turner began showing an interest in art by drawing at the age of 5. A graduate of The Citadel, he counts among his many accomplishments walking onto the military college’s football team and once winning a fight by decision over the future Golden Gloves State Champion. Turner is now nurturing his early love of art by pursuing a career as a professional artist. When La Carreta commissioned him to paint a large mural of Frida Kahlo on the front of its James Island restaurant, it solidified his decision to pursue art as a business. Turner experimented with watercolor as a child and transitioned to oil by the time he was 10. He continues to favor the medium and looks to the beauty of Charleston for inspiration. The Charleston Battery remains his most popular piece.
A member of the Charleston Artist Guild, Turner accepts commissions and includes among his offerings personalized gifts, prints and framed originals.
William Turner
843-345-6325
thewilliamturnergallery.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.
Debra Paysinger
dtpart@sc.rr.com
debrapaysinger.com
MITCHELL HILL GALLERY
Filled with paintings, sculptures, custom furniture and photographs, Mitchell Hill Gallery offers the city a refreshing departure from the formal, traditional spaces so often seen in Charleston.
Original works from over 35 artists from across the United States are currently on display in its mixed-use space. Daily arrivals and departures foster an ever-changing environment you will want to stop by often.
The first-floor gallery space offers a sneak peek into the interior design aesthetic of owners and designers Michael Mitchell and Tyler Hill. 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,” co-owner Michael Mitchell says.
Custom furniture made in the Southeast breaks up the 5,000-square-foot space, featured in creative vignettes that are outfitted with unique accessories, pillows and artwork.
Located at 438 King St., Mitchell Hill Gallery is open seven days a week. Visit the website to explore interior design projects as well as a roster of artists and the Mitchell Hill collections.
Mitchell Hill Gallery
843-564-0034
mitchellhillinc.com
ELLA W. RICHARDSON FINE ART
Located on Charleston’s historic downtown Broad Street, Ella W. Richardson Fine Art is home to a talented array of artists whose styles range from realistic to impressionist to abstract. The gallery currently features the work of Lindsay Goodwin—a passionate devotee of capturing spontaneous romanticism.
The California native paints using the alla prima technique—a method in which the paint has to be wet from start to finish to cut and blend brushstrokes into the previous ones.
Goodwin frequently travels to France to study and gather new references. “Glinting light and shadows are what attract me most to a subject, and the beautiful interiors of France provide that in abundance for me,” she says. “I draw so much strength and determination just being there among so much history and charm.”
Along with Goodwin, the gallery represents 30 American, Russian and Dutch artists, and regional painters and sculptors who work in a variety of styles and mediums.
Ella W. Richardson Fine Art
843-722-3660
ellarichardson.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 explains what inspired him to capture them.
Visit Ben Ham’s Charleston gallery at 416 King St. or his new gallery in historic Old Town Bluffton at 210 Bluffton Road.
Ben Ham Images
843-410-1495 (Charleston)
843-815-6200 (Bluffton)
benhamimages.com
CHERYL NEWBY GALLERY
There aren’t many galleries where you can browse both antique and contemporary art in a single visit. However, at Cheryl Newby Gallery in Pawleys Island, you can.
Owner Cheryl Newby maintains an extensive selection of contemporary paintings and sculpture alongside a selective inventory of antique maps and prints. This year, the gallery celebrates its 35th year in business.
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 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 showcases more than 50 regional and nationally acclaimed classical painters, as well as both figurative and abstract sculptors.
Each of their three locations is thoughtfully curated to appeal to both the connoisseur and casual collector. Reinert Fine Art is pleased to present a collection of paintings and sculptures that range in style from traditional to contemporary.
Reinert Fine Art has two locations in Charleston. The location at 179 King St. boasts an outside courtyard and sculpture garden gallery, offering fine art in bronze, while 202 King St. features fine contemporary works and artisan jewelry. A third gallery, located at 1153 Main St. in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, offers many of the same highly acclaimed artists, including master painters within The American Impressionist Society and Oil Painters of America, in addition to regional artists.
Reinert Fine Art
843-694-2445
reinertfineart.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, Chris Hall, 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
REVEALED ART GALLEY
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
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 during 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 her own custom-mixed hues. McDonald also co-owned Island Art Gallery in 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, Island Art Gallery in Pawleys Island, Perspective Gallery in Mount Pleasant and at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery.
Betsy Jones McDonald
207-320-5884
betsyjonesmcdonald.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
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 calendars for Fire & Grace opening on February 23, which will feature progressive painter Jo Hay and select works by celebrated artists Hunt Slonem and Shepard Fairey.
Miller Gallery
843-764-9281
millergallerychs.com
PERSPECTIVE GALLERY
Featuring works from more than 45 local artists, Perspective Gallery serves as a space for members of the Mount Pleasant Artists Guild to display and market their work. It is the Lowcountry’s largest source for unique paintings and photographs created by members of the local community.
At Perspective Gallery you won’t just find static art on display. Often you can watch artists working on their latest piece. “Watching artists work right in front of you gives a wonderful feeling of participation,” says artist Michael Kennedy. “It creates a unique bond when you take a painting or photograph home.”
In addition to workshops throughout the year, the gallery hosts special events several times a year as well as workshop opportunities for private functions.
Located at 1055 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. in the heart of Mount Pleasant, Perspective Gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m and is staffed by the artists each day. Visit the website to take a virtual tour and view the workshop schedule.
Perspective Gallery
843-800-5025
mpagperspectivegallery.com
KATHERINE CURTIS HESTER
A Charleston native, Katherine Curtis Hester spent her childhood on a wildlife refuge that was overseen by her father— biologist and artist Tom Curtis. The environment offered unique experiences with nature that are reflected in her art.
Illumination drives the subjects she paints—the colors of fleeting light on the Lowcountry landscape found during sunsets, early mornings and around storm fronts. Her figurative work aims to capture the play between illuminated shapes and their surroundings, such as ballerinas as they dance in and out of stagelight. Regardless of the subject, she says that striving for absolute command of color takes the lead in every piece.
Hester is represented by Spencer Art Gallery at 55 Broad St. in Charleston.
Katherine Curtis Hester
843-729-9275
katherinecurtishester.com
TOM CURTIS
A native of coastal North Carolina, Tom Curtis moved to the Lowcountry as a fishery biologist in 1969. This occupation and a lifetime of outdoor vocations created a strong love of nature and helped hone his observational skills.
He uses these skills to create a sense of serenity, wonder and appreciation of nature through his oil and pastel paintings. “I am especially interested in the mood and rich colors produced by the play of light across the landscape,” he says.
Curtis currently serves as president of the Berkeley County Artist Guild. His works are on exhibit at Spencer Art Gallery at 55 Broad St. in Charleston and Over the Mantel Gallery in Columbia.
Tom Curtis
843-509-3123
tomcurtisfineart.com
