Third Annual Palette to Palate to be held May 15-17 2009

The Village at Sandhill has partnered with The Cultural Council and Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce to hold the Third Annual Palette to Palate Event Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17, 2009.

This three-day art event will take place at Town Center Commons and will include live entertainment, art demonstrations, and the annual Taste of the Village event.

Palette to Palate Event Hours:
Friday, May 15: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 16: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday, May 17: Noon to 6 p.m.

Schedule of events:

Art: On view and for sale from over 25 of the area’s best known and admired artisans including work by local artist Alicia Leeke.

Music: Friday, May 15: Island Close By – 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 16: Fatback & The Grove Band – 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 17: Coolie G & Lion Soul – 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Taste of the Village: Friday, May 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., sample specialties from Village at Sandhill restaurants and beverage places. Just purchase sampling tickets for $1 each at the on-site ticket booths.

Village at Sandhill is located at Clemson Road and Two Notch Road in Northeast Richland County and is owned and managed by Kahn Development Company.

“Celebrate the Faces of Sandhills” Art Gala

The 5th Annual Sandhills Art Gala and sale will be held April 24, 2009 from 6:30 – 10 pm and features the work of over 50 South Carolina artists.

According to Gala Coorinator Powers Strickland, this year’s event is being extended with a sneak preview prior to the Gala Opening on Friday night, which is complete with a silent auction, cocktails and hors d' oeuvres. In the past the event was only held one night, but has become so popular by art buyers that is it being extended with an “Encore” of select works on Sunday, April 26th from 3-5 pm.

Highlights from this year’s exhibit include jewelry by Cindy Saad, mixed media works by Sam Compton, sculpture by Greg Fitzpatrick, photography by Howard Hunt, and paintings by Michael Storey, Leslie Pierce, Marcello Novo, Page Morris, Claude Buckley, Rob Shaw and many others.

The mission of Sandhills School is to provide a successful learning environment for students who learn differently and who benefit from evidence-based, multi sensory instruction. Sandhills School is a resource to the community for information about language-based learning differences and ADD/ADHD.

Pictured are two of Columbia, S.C. artist Alicia Leeke's miniature paintings "Ladies with Hats" and "The Messenger" which will be available for purchase during the exhibition.

To purchase tickets or additional information, please call (803) 695-1400.

Congaree Art Festival Features Art Demonstrations and Sale Saturday, April 25, 2009

The South Carolina State Museum will host their fifth annual Congaree Art Festival in conjunction with Columbia, South Carolina’s Artista Vista celebration Saturday April 25, 2009.

Attendees can observe demonstrations plus purchase paintings, pottery, mosaic compositions and more. Collage and mask-making workshops are also being offered as part of the State Museum’s celebration of art.

“Thursday Afternoon,” a recent painting created Columbia, South Carolina artist by Alicia Leeke, will be just one of many pieces of art exhibited during the event.

“Approximately 25 artists will be selected for this event, which will provide access to artists for the public, and a venue for artists across the state to meet, exhibit, demonstrate and sell their work,” said Paul Matheny, art curator for the State Museum.

The exhibition will take place from 10 am – 4 pm on Saturday at the State Museum which is located at 301 Gervais Street.

Resident Artists Present New Works at Gallery At Nonnah's During Artista Vista 2009

Columbia's biggest art walk is being held this Thursday, April 24 from 5-9 p.m. in the Congaree Vista area and is an event you won't want to miss.

Approximately 14 businesses will open their doors to showcase hot new artwork by artists from across the state for this one night event. Of special interest this year is the S.C. Philharmonic which has partnered with Whit-Ash Rug Gallery and will be showcasing new painted violins during the event; and new works created by the resident artists at the Gallery at Nonnah's.

Nonnah's is a popular spot during Artista Vista because there are so many artists on-hand to discuss their work in person. Not only that, but Nonnah's serves a great late-night dinner menu which wouldn't be complete without their famous Bananas Foster.

The Gallery At Nonnah's will feature mixed media, watercolors, acrylics, photos, abstracts, landscapes and still life by artists Edie Biddel, Ingrid Carson, Jan Fleetwood, Bonnie Goldberg, Alicia Leeke, Betty Mandel, Marcia Murry and Michel McNinch. Works are on display throughout the year for viewing and works change constantly.

Nonnah's is located at 930 Gervais Street in the Vista in Columbia, South Carolina.

About Face Group Presents Art Salon During Turner to Cézanne Gala

On April 18, 2009, attendees of the Columbia Museum of Art’s Soiree du Soleil can purchase local art from members of the About Face Art group who have created a special atlier as part of the evening's festivities.

The “Art Salon” is being held in conjunction with the Museum’s exhibit “Turner to Cézanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales.” During the evening, Gala attendees will step back in time and meet with French Impressionist artists dressed in period costumes, visit their studios and be able to purchase works from the area's best artists for this one-night only event.

Throughout the evening, guests will delight in French baguettes, berets, Beaujolais and music, plus Champagne with a drop of Absinthe. The exhibit, which is on view for the first-time in the United States, showcases the personal collection of Gwendoline and Margaret Davies who began collecting art after receiving heir inheritance from their late grandfather David Davies

The two sisters collected French works from 1850–1914 as well as a smaller number of English works. The extraordinary collection they amassed was later bequeathed to National Museum Wales and includes the most important names in the Realist, Impressionist, and Post-Impressionist movements.

The exhibit provides a fresh insight into the story of European art from J.M.W. Turner to Paul Cézanne and celebrates the legacy of two pioneers of modern art. The collection is exceptionally strong in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works and includes masterpieces by, among others, Cézanne, Corot, van Gogh, Monet, Daumier, Manet, Millet, Pissarro, Renoir, Turner and Whistler.

Turner to Cézanne features 53 stunning works of art, seen together in the United States for the first time. Some highlights of the exhibition are Renoir’s famous La Parisienne, which was included in the first show of Impressionism in 1874, a Monet Water Lilies, and van Gogh’s panoramic Rain–Auvers, painted during the last week of the artist’s life.

Exhibition Credit: The exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts and National Museum Wales. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. National Museum Wales: National Museum Wales, located in Cardiff, runs seven national museums in Wales and celebrated its centenary year in 2007. The art collections encompass both the fine and applied arts, from antiquity to the present. The museum is renowned for its internationally acclaimed Impressionist collections, bequeathed to the museum by the Davies sisters.

The paintings above, Meracages and Wisteria, by artist Alicia Leeke will be just two of over 100 paintings available for purchase during the event.

Get Ready to Bid on Painted Violins April 23-24, 2009

The South Carolina Philharmonic’s Painted Violins fundraiser makes a grand return April 23-24, 2009 and features 23 artists and new creations during Artista Vista.

This year’s event will feature traditional painted violins, plus the new addition of the Full Symphony which includes a painted cello plus other creations assembled from pieces of violins, guitars, drums, bows, a cow bell and other clever materials used to create these musically-inspired works of art.

The artwork will be on display at Whit-Ash Rug Gallery (919 Gervais Street) during Columbia’s Artista Vista Arts Celebration and auctioned off to raise money for the SC Philharmonic. Bids are accepted from 6 to 9 p.m. on April 23-24. Additionally, bids will also be accepted for posters and limited-edition coffee table books that feature the art from the past three years of Painted Violins.

Painted Violins is once again presented by lead sponsor PHT Services, Ltd. and chaired by area artist Lani Mustard Stringer.
The event’s main sponsor is PHT Services, ltd., with additional support from the Congaree Vista Guild, Musician Supply, Mustard Graphics Studio, Snelling Personnel Services, Star Music, photographer Les Stringer, TPM and Whit-Ash Rug Gallery.

(Image coutesy of Artist Alicia Leeke and will be auctioned off during the 2009 Painted Violins event.)

To view images of the 2009 Painted Violins please visit http://scphilharmonic.com/calendar.aspx?event_id=21 and come to Artista Vista to bid April 23-24th.

McKissick Museum Spring for Art Exhibit on View through May 9, 2009

McKissick Museum is hosting the 2009 “Spring For Art” show and sale featuring works by 50 of Columbia’s best local artists with strong South Carolina ties through May 9, 2009.

“Spring for Art!” is an invitational exhibition and sale of works by artists on themes reflecting South Carolina with a portion of proceeds directly benefiting the museum.

“Many of the works have already been purchased including a pair of landscapes by Alicia Leeke and Michael Story, a miniature by Stephen Chesley and works by Eileen Blythe,” said by local businessman, Mike Doran of Fontenay Fine Art, Rugs and Antiques.

McKissick Museum is now in its third decade of collecting, research, exhibitions and public programs. The Museum was established: to serve as a general University museum and to engage in education, research, and collections development as well as campus and public service.

Hours of operation are: Monday - Friday, 8:30
am - 5 pm and Saturday, 11 am - 3 pm.