SREBNIK GALLERY
Before artist Katriel Srebnik came to Charleston, he owned studio galleries in New York, Boston and Paris in addition to a retail gallery and art school in Santa Fe, which allowed him to study both old and new masters firsthand. Since then, his work has earned over 30 national awards and has been featured in galleries, museums and art magazines in the United States and London. Now that Srebnik has settled in the Lowcountry, his newest venture is Srebnik Gallery at 195 1/2 King St. in downtown Charleston.
Srebnik often paints during gallery hours and events and displays his initial idea sketches and works-in-progress alongside finished paintings, so visitors can follow the evolution of a piece.
From classically inspired artwork to contemporary impressionism and abstraction, the gallery features portraits, figures, period costumes, ballet dancers, interiors, Charleston and Paris scenes, gardens, landscapes, horse and carriages, boats and still-life paintings by Srebnik as well as guest artists. Srebnik Gallery accepts commissions on all subjects and can match the colors, style and scale of a home or office.
Srebnik Gallery
843-580-8488
sregallery.com
BEN HAM IMAGES
Ben Ham has been making the connection between his camera and the South Carolina coast for most of his life. A photographer since childhood, Ham now depicts the Lowcountry’s distinct landscape in his large-format photography. Though living in Hilton Head, South Carolina, has lent the photographer plenty of scenes to immortalize on film, he also loves traveling to the top of the Rockies, to southwestern deserts and through Pacific vineyards, all the while using a wooden field camera to capture his stunning images. Located on King Street, Ham’s new, expanded gallery comprises over 2,000 square feet of space where visitors can absorb the artist’s enormous, detail-rich works. Ham’s gallery on Hilton Head Island is twice the size and is also the site of his fully equipped studio, complete with a darkroom and frame shop. In 2009, he published Vanishing Light, a 144- page book filled with nearly 70 images printed on heavy LumiSilk paper. The photographs are complemented by stories about each adventure, written by Ham. Apart from the book, Ham only sells framed, limited-edition fine art pieces.
Ben Ham Images
843-410-1495
benhamimages.com
LEPRINCE FINE ART
LePrince Fine Art, located at 184 King St., doubles as a studio for owner and artist Kevin LePrince. The gallery is open seven days a week and one can usually find LePrince, an impressionist artist, painting most days. Guests are encouraged to watch and ask questions about the process.
The walls are filled with bodies of work from a select few emerging and mid-career artists from around the globe, including Mark Bailey, Tibor Nagy, Angie Renfro, Ignat Ignatov, Vicki Robinson and LePrince. While contemporary impressionism is a term commonly used to describe the overall theme of the gallery, each artist has a distinct style defined by brushstroke technique, palette and compositional choice.
With 1600 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 website for constant updates or to browse before coming in.
LePrince Fine Art
843-442-1664
leprince.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
REINERT FINE ART & SCULPTURE GARDEN GALLERY
Owned by contemporary impressionist painter Rick Reinert and his wife Ann, Reinert Fine Art & Sculpture Garden Gallery showcases more than 40 fine 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 Street. This third location features acclaimed Charleston- based 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 is open seven days a week, with art events the first Friday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at both spaces. On the third Thursday of each month, the 179 King Street location offers the perfect trio— jazz, wine and fine art—at Jazz in the Courtyard.
Visit the galleries at 179 King Street or 202 King Street in Charleston, or at 1153 Main Street in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.
Reinert Fine Art & Sculpture Garden Gallery
843-694-2445
reinertfineart.com
COURTYARD ART GALLERY
Located at 149 1/2 East Bay St., Courtyard Art Gallery has been a regular stop for art lovers in Charleston for over three decades. The elegant yet relaxed gallery invites guests to enjoy their time in choosing the right piece of artwork from 19 local, award-winning artists. Whether one is searching for a large centerpiece work or for a smaller gift, Courtyard has an extraordinary collection of works to choose from.
What sets Courtyard apart from many other Charleston galleries is the variety of media and the styles of the artists represented. The gallery features works that highlight the life and beauty of the Lowcountry and beyond, with paintings in all mediums as well as paper sculptures, designer jewelry, stained glass, turned wood and more. Inspiration lies around every corner at Courtyard Gallery, where every wall offers yet another opportunity for art buyers to fall in love with something truly unique and add it to their collection.
Courtyard Art Gallery
843-723-9172
courtyardartgallery.com
TARA VIS GALLERY
Tara Vis Gallery continues its mission to find and capture the most unique and innovative worldwide photography with this year’s visit to Vava’u, one of the many island groups of Tonga, to swim with beautiful humpback whales. Another adventure involved surfing at Jaws for the 2016 Pe’ahi Challenge, all with Tim Whitfield, owner of Tara Vis Gallery, Brian Bielmann, surf photographer extraordinaire, and Ben Reed, surf and wildlife photographer/videographer. “The raw power of being on the ocean during these types of conditions, whether on a jet ski or boat, is such an overwhelming feeling,” Whitfield says. “To be able to witness the passion and ability of those that choose to follow the path of attempting to ride and conquer these giants, just for a moment in time, is something that is unbelievable to me. It’s not a photo, it’s a lifestyle.” Surf photography and the spectacular underwater spectacle of the whales in Vava’u will be the major theme this winter at Tara Vis, beginning in mid-January. The gallery will also introduce and exhibit a different local artist from Charleston every month. Visit Tara Vis Gallery at 218-C King St.
Tara Vis Gallery
843-577-0253
taravisgallery.com
DEBRA PAYSINGER
Debra Paysinger taught high school science and math for 10 years, but the arrival of her third child was the signal for change. Fortunately, her passion for needlepoint allowed her some artistic expression within the constraints of parenthood. When all the kids learned to drive, however, Paysinger found herself with large chunks of time for painting. The last needlepoint project went into a drawer unfinished, and she was off.
The artist’s master’s degree in biology has informed her subject matter, as she paints birds, lures, sea life and rabbits—or “raddits” as she endearingly refers to them. She even trademarked the term “the raddit” as her own.
Paysinger assigns a not-to-be-repeated human name to every bird she paints. While she has prints available for a few of her subjects, she doesn’t sell reproductions of her birds and raddits. She says, “I think it adds a uniqueness to the whole thing.”
You can find Paysinger’s works in Studio 151 Gallery in Charleston and Ellen Taylor Interiors + Design in Columbia.
Debra Paysinger
dtpart@sc.rr.com
debrapaysinger.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
ELLA WALTON RICHARDSON FINE ART
Mallory Agerton paints realist, often pastoral, landscapes that inspire the mind and renew the spirit. After graduating from the Landscape Atelier Program with master artist Deborah Paris, she received a BFA from the University of Texas and later studied at the Art Students League in New York City.
Last year, her work was included in the Oil Painters of America Western Regional show, the National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Best of America show and at the Hawthorne Gallery in New York City.
As the old masters did, Agerton uses only observation—her own drawings, imagination and memory—to create her paintings. Relying on field studies and never a mere photograph, she’s able to better distill the essence of a scene and evoke a sense of place. She enjoys using both direct and indirect methods of painting with opaque and transparent paint.
Her works can be found locally at Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art at 58 Broad St.
Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art
843-722-3660
ellarichardson.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
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 in-house 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
TOM POTOCKI
Some of Tom Potocki’s earliest memories include helping his father paint large commercial images on walls and billboards. Such experiences led him to a fine arts degree at Pennsylvania’s Carnegie Mellon University and then to New York City. There he became involved in the pop art movement, which impacted his art thereafter. “My art is a visual and emotional response to what I see and experience around me,” he says.
Potocki describes his work as refined graffiti. “The images that develop in my work are derived from a process of applying splashes and layers of color to a surface and letting go of the notion that I have to control every detail,” he says. “The finished pieces should entice the viewer to look beneath the surface of what we think we see around us and discover something new.”
In this way, Potocki invites viewers to use their imaginations, and become a part of the creative process as well as the finished product. Potocki’s work can be seen online and at Mitchell Hill Gallery at 438 King St.
Tom Potocki
843-763-2481
tompotocki.com
ATELIER GALLERY
Established in Asheville, North Carolina, by Gabrielle Egan in 2008, Atelier Gallery found a new home in Charleston four years ago.
Egan, who also owns Peyton William, both downtown and on Kiawah Island, and sells her handcrafted pieces there, curates every inch of space on her gallery’s walls, choosing artists for their individual approaches and innovative techniques.
The gallery is filled with everything from portraits to landscapes to sculptures, with each aesthetic working together to support and promote a variety of artists and merge the classics with the moderns. Whether it’s florals, seascapes, rustic barns or animals, Atelier has something to offer any art collector.
Though artists from across the country fill the space—including Patti Zeigler, Dana Johns, Eric Zener, Kathy Cousart, Gina Strumpf, Alicia Armstrong, Augusta Wilson, Christy Kinard, Tony Gill, Shellie Lewis, Erin Gregory, Spencer Herr, Carylon Killebrew, Judith Williams and Christopher Dotson—the gallery’s overall aesthetic remains firmly in the Lowcountry.
Atelier Gallery
843-722-5668
theateliergalleries.com
BONNIE ANDERSON
After attending the American Academy of Art in Chicago, painter and fine art teacher Bonnie Anderson studied extensively with working artists, both nationally and abroad. In 1975, she founded The Studio Art School and Gallery in Wauconda, Illinois, which she owned and operated for 25 years. The artist also had a home in Scottsdale, Arizona, where for seven years she was active on the curriculum committee for Scottsdale Artist’s school. A member of the prestigious Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art in Chicago, Anderson had the privilege of serving on their board of directors for four terms.
In 2015, Anderson and her husband moved to Charleston, where she continues to paint through the mediums of oil on linen and charcoal drawings. She thinks of her work as classic and timeless and strives for an old-world elegance in her subjects in hopes of capturing a moment in time.
Bonnie Anderson
480-242-3747
artistbba@aol.com
bonnieanderson.fineartstudioonline.com