4/19/07

Visual extravaganza planned for first Striped Bass Festival Art Show
By Eric Goold

CATHY GILBERT/Manning Times

Manning resident Robert Quelette will display one of his paintings in the 2007 Striped Bass Festival Art Show.

Organizers of the first ever Striped Bass Festival Art Show for adult artists are looking forward to giving Clarendon County residents a chance to show off their visual art.

“The event is spearheaded by the Lake Marion Digital Camera Club,” said Chris Moore, a photographer for The Sumter Daily Item and also the founding member of Palmetto Shutterbugs, a statewide photography club with seven different chapters.

“Our group (LMDCC) got started in the fall of last year,” said Moore. “The art show was an idea that we just kind of threw out there when we initially met. We wanted something we could use as an outreach to the community.”

After members of the LMDCC discussed the idea they joined forces with the Lake Marion Art Guild, led by Ann Darby of Summerton, as well as the Palmetto Shutterbugs. The three groups contacted the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce and the Striped Bass Festival Art Show was born.

The art show will take place on “Big Saturday,” April 28, from 9:30 a.m. throughout the day. It will be located at the old Manning Times offices at 4 South Brooks Street.

All artists in the county are encouraged to present their work. Each artist is allowed to show two entries and there are no entry fees.

“This is our first show,” said Mary Wilson, a member of the LMDCC who is serving as chair for the art show. “We decided that we wanted to have an art show that was open to the community for anyone to show any type of visual art. We’re a photography club but we’re not limiting the show to photographs.”

Wilson anticipated that there will be all sorts of visual art styles on display including paintings, watercolors, drawings, ceramics, pottery and mosaics.

“I’ve heard from quite a few artists around the county who have expressed interest in showing their work,” said Wilson. “We’re going to have a really good turnout.”

The target audience for the show is residents of Clarendon County who create and appreciate art.

“Our primary goal is to give Clarendon County residents a venue to present their artwork,” said Moore. “We’ve seen from the photography club and from the Art Guild that there’s a large gamut of visual artists out there, artists in photography, watercolors, oils, pastels, mosaics. There’s talk of some pottery and ceramics. We’ve also got one individual that will be showing jewelry.

“We want to give all the artists in Clarendon County a chance to show off their artwork,” he said.
The show will also contain entries from all over the Palmetto State.

“We’ve opened it up to other artists in the state,” said Moore. “With the reach we’ve got, we’re hoping to pull in some different photographers and visual artists that have worked with us in the past.”

The purpose of the show is to entertain, so pieces will not be for sale.

“It will mainly be for display,” said Wilson. “We’ll have information about the artists so if patrons want to get hold of them and discuss it, they’ll be able to, but selling will not be part of the art show.”

The art show provides a good opportunity for artists who might be a little hesitant about displaying their work.

“I would encourage artists in Clarendon County and the surrounding areas to take part in the show,” said Moore. “Not only because it’s free, but because it’s an opportunity to show your work. Don’t be afraid to show your work. Every artist has a unique perspective and interpretation. It’s not a competition. It’s just a showing of the different art styles that we have in our area and a collection of the different perspectives we all have.”

Anyone interested in entering artwork for the Striped Bass Festival Art Show can contact Wilson at 460-4251.