The Gibbes Museum of Art has some exciting events happening in May. See below for the inaugural Art Charleston events, ongoing exhibitions and related programming and other events.
Art Charleston
Amy P. Coy Forum, May 9, 2022, 6:00 – 8 :00 pm
Stephanie J. Woods is the 2021 winner of the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art and will present at the 2022 Amy P. Coy Forum on Monday, May 9. A multimedia artist from Charlotte, NC, Woods’ work fuses a relationship between photography and fiber. Awarded each year by Society 1858, the Gibbes young collector’s auxiliary group, the prize and forum recognize an artist whose work demonstrates the highest level of artistic achievement in any media, while contributing to a new understanding of Southern art. To register, visit here.
Price: Members: $40 | Non-members: $50
Art of Design: Lewis Miller, May 10, 2022, 12 noon – 2:00 pm
Featuring internationally renowned experts in the world of design, the Gibbes is pleased to announce that Lewis Miller, New York floral designer and author of Flower Flash and Styling Nature: A Masterful Approach to Floral Arrangements, will be the Art of Design guest speaker. Known nationally for his pop-up urban, flower installations, Miller has been called the Banksy of floral design. Clients include Tiffany & Co., Ferragamo, Harry Winston and the New York Public Library. Miller’s floral inspirations provide hope and gladness especially during the height of the pandemic. He continues to strive in transforming the ordinary into something magical. To be added to the waitlist, as the event is currently sold out, visit here.
Soirée, May 11, 2022, 6:30 – 10:30 pm
Charleston’s world-class chefs will explore their artistry through inspiration from the creative freedom expressed in the design and aesthetic of this formal, intimate, fine dining experience. The evening will begin with special behind-the-scenes tours and cocktails in the Campbell Rotunda, followed by an elegant four-course dinner under the magical Lenhardt Garden allée of oaks. Music will fill the evening air and lead to dancing under the stars. To register, visit here.
Price: $1,000
Gibbes on the Street, May 12, 2022, 8:00 – 10:00 pm
Meeting Street will again be filled with the aromas, sights and sounds unique to the Gibbes on the Street party. Join more than twenty of Charleston’s extraordinary chefs for an evening of live music, open bar, and dancing to celebrate the creative freedom we all enjoy under a beautiful Charleston night sky. To register, visit here.
Price: Members: $175 | Non-members: $200
Programming
The New South and Modern Photography, May 9, 2022, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
What defines the “New South,” a term that means something different depending on who you ask? And how are the concerns, appetites and lifestyles of the “New South” reflected in the work of its emerging photographers? Inspired by the trailblazing color photography of William Eggleston, join Mark Long, co-curator of the landmark 2018 Halsey Institute exhibition Southbound: Photographs of and about the New South, as we consider contemporary photographic works and perspectives of photographers included in Southbound. To register for this virtual event, visit here.
Price: Members: $20 | Non-members: $30 | Students and Faculty: $10 with a valid ID
Other events
Society 1858’s Art Auction, May 9 – 13, 2022
Society 1858’s annual online art auction will take place May 9 – 13. A selection of donated works of art will hang prominently on the first floor of the Gibbes featuring QR codes to provide immediate access to online bidding. This year, bidders can expect to see two-dimensional objects such as paintings, original prints, drawings and photographs. Like previous auctions, proceeds will provide critical support for the Gibbes’ vital programs. Stay tuned for updates and sneak peaks of what’s up for auction in the coming weeks.
Photographing Charleston Walking Tour, May 9, 2022, 9:00 – 11:00 am
Inspired by William Eggleston, explore highlights of Charleston’s historic district and discover the best locations to capture stunning photographs on your phone or camera. This fun tour is led by Joyce Weir of Charleston History Tours, a professional photographer and certified City of Charleston tour guide. To register or join a waitlist, email Chase Quinn at cquinn@gibbesmuseum.org.
Price: Members: $50 | Non-members: $60
Gibbes Film in Focus: College Town, May 10, 2022, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Gibbes Film in Focus returns this spring with a new suite of hand-picked films. The culture of college and school life has remained a fascination of the film industry for decades, from 1978s Animal House to 2014’s Dear White People. This installment of the Gibbes Film in Focus will explore the melting pot of the collegiate experience and what it really means to get an education through the 1988 film School Daze. Based in part on writer and director Spike Lee’s experience as a Moorehouse student in the Atlanta University Center in the 1970s, this musical comedy-drama is a story about undergraduates in a fraternity and sorority clashing with some of their classmates at a historically Black college during homecoming weekend. For more information about the movie and to register for the event, visit here.
Price: Adults: $10 | Students and Faculty: $5 with a valid ID
The Real Rainbow Row with Harlan Greene, May 11, 2022, 9:00 – 11:00 am
See the homes of some of Charleston’s most noted LGBTQAI+ artists and writers on this guided walking tour led by historian and Lambda Literary Award-winning writer Harlan Greene. To register for this event, visit here.
Price: Members: $50 | Non-members: $60
Sweetgrass Basket Weaving with past Visiting Artist Antwon Ford, May 11, 2022, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Participants in this workshop will be introduced to the history of sweetgrass basket weaving and the connection to West Africa from instructor Antwon Ford. Ford began learning the art of sweetgrass basketry at the age of four and has been hooked ever since. Participants will be able to begin the creation of their own sweetgrass basket as well as a sweetgrass rose to take home with them. The materials used in the workshop will be pine needles, sweetgrass and palm. Upon completion of the workshop, participants will have a newfound appreciation of the art of sweetgrass basket weaving and the Gullah Geechie culture. Materials will be provided by the instructor, Antwon Ford, and class capacity is 25. Participants will receive instruction from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., followed by free flow studio time from 12 – 1 p.m. To register, visit here.
Price: Members: $65 | Non-members: $75
Gardens and Gazebos Walking Tour, May 13, 2022, 9:00 – 11:00 am
Visit lavish gardens and architectural wonders, guided by local horticulturalists and architectural experts.
Price: Members: $50 | Non-members: $60
Ongoing special exhibitions
Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice, Jan. 21 – Aug. 7, 2022
William H. Johnson’s Fighters for Freedom series is a tribute to African American activists, scientists, teachers, performers and international heads of state working to bring peace to the world. On view at the Gibbes from Jan. 21 – Aug. 7, 2022, this exhibition is the first-ever presentation of this series in Johnson’s home state of South Carolina. Fighters for Freedom presents well-known Fighters such as Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Marian Anderson and Mahatma Gandhi, as well as some lesser-known individuals whose equally important determination and sacrifice have been eclipsed over time. Images: bit.ly/3EFvqDq
A New Deal: Artists at Work, Jan. 21 – Aug. 7, 2022
The Federal Art Project was formed under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s ambitious Works Progress Administration (WPA) programs that sent millions of unemployed Americans back to work during the Great Depression, including more than 5,000 artists. The Federal Art Project afforded opportunities to a diverse group of artists, including women, African Americans and recent immigrants, resulting in a collection of artwork intended to uplift the national spirit and encourage creativity in the face of great challenges. The Gibbes is one of a select group of institutions across the country that houses a historic collection of Federal Art Project prints. Images: bit.ly/3rPlDry
William Eggleston: Photographs from the Laura and Jay Crouse Collection, Feb. 25 – Oct. 9, 2022
It is said that William Eggleston’s unique ability to conflate the epic and the everyday has made him one of the most impactful figures in late twentieth century photography. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Eggleston first photographed his local environs in the 1950s in black-and-white but became one of the first fine art photographers to use color to record his observations in a more heightened and accurate way. Today his strikingly vivid, yet enigmatic images of parked cars, billboards, storefronts, diners and other artifacts of the ordinary world are considered groundbreaking. The photographs presented in this edition of the Gibbes’ Charleston Collects exhibition series were selected from the Laura and Jay Crouse Collection and represent many of the pioneering artist’s most notable works. Images: bit.ly/3svNfla
-Submitted by The Gibbes Museum of Art