Tuesday, July 15 at 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Center for Visual Arts - Greenville 1278 Pendleton, Greenville, SC 29611
Picturing Life in West Greenville
Exhibit Duration: June 13 – August 30
Opening Reception: Friday, June 13, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Artist and Curator Panel Discussion: Tuesday, July 15, 7 - 8 p.m.
Clemson University’s Art Department was recently awarded a $5,000 grant by the South Carolina Arts Commission allowing the Center for Visual Arts at Clemson University to bring the internationally and nationally recognized editor, founder and curator of Fraction Magazine, David Bram to curate the ‘Sense of Place’ exhibition that will be on display, June 13 – August 30 in its satellite facility, the Center for Visual Arts-Greenville. Opening reception is scheduled for Friday, July 13 at 6 p.m. and the Artist and Curator Panel Discussion is Tuesday, July 15 at 7 p.m. Bram invited four photographers to visit the Village of West Greenville to observe, learn and interpret what they discover through an artistic trained eye using the lens of a camera accompanied by audio recorded stories given by the neighbors in the community. This neighborhood was recently rebranded to honor its mill village history.
“It is my sincerest hope that the results of this project will be a collection of works where the creative community as well as the larger neighborhood will share and connect with each other” expresses current program coordinator for the CVA-Greenville, Gene Ellenberg. “The exhibit is designed to spark conversations and genuine interactions to empower the neighbors in the community by giving them a platform to tell their stories as well as acknowledge their history.”
All professional art photographers invited to participate in this exhibit are located in the southeast and have relevant experience creating a collection of works using environmental portraiture or storytelling. This type of experience will help convey and bring together a significant exhibit meant to honor its residents and surrounding community. The artists selected to participate in the implementation of this exhibit are Dawn Roe residing in Asheville, NC and Winter Park, FL; Dustin Chambers residing in Atlanta, GA; Kathleen Robbins residing in Columbia, SC; and Leon Alesi residing in Asheville, NC and Austin, TX.
The Sense of Place exhibit will be featured as special content in the July issue of Fraction Magazine gaining the Village of West Greenville and the CVA-Greenville exposure to an international audience. Fraction Magazine is a monthly publication with an online venue dedicated to fine art, contemporary photography that has published over 250 photographer’s portfolios. Fraction editor, Bram, was recently named as one of the 101 Photo Industry Professionals You Should Follow on Twitter according to the website Feature Shoot.
Several organizations and individuals are helping the Center for Visual Arts—Greenville to fulfill its requirement of matching the Arts Commission grant with local dollars and in-kind donations. Those who are supporting the grant project are Peter Helwing, Richard and Gwen Heusel, the Friends of the Center for Visual Arts and Clemson University as well as significant financial support and vision given to the CVA-Greenville by The Community Foundation of Greenville. Local residents can see how the Arts Commission grant and local funds are benefiting the Center for Visual Arts—Greenville by visiting the location in The Village of West Greenville at 1278 Pendleton St, Greenville, SC 29611 and by visiting clemson.edu/cva/cva-greenville.
The Sense of Place exhibition can be viewed from Friday, June 13 until Saturday, Aug. 30 in the Center for Visual Arts-Greenville satellite facility located in the Village of West Greenville. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Opening reception is scheduled for Friday, July 13 at 6 p.m. and the Artist and Curator Panel Discussion is Tuesday, July 15 at 7 p.m. The exhibit, panel, and reception is free and open to the public.
About the Curator
David Bram has reviewed more than 800 portfolios from over 20 national events including the prominent: PhotoLucida based in Portland, OR; Fotofest based in Houston, TX; PhotoNOLA based in New Orleans, LA; Atlanta Celebrates Photography based in Atlanta, GA; Review LA based in Los Angeles, CA; and Review Santa Fe based in Santa Fe, NM. He was a juror for Review Santa Fe in 2010, Santa Fe, NM and also served as a juror for the past four years to select the top 50 emerging art photographers for PhotoLucida’s Critical Mass. In addition, he served as reviewer for the internationally recognized Fotofest Moscow in August 2011 and a curator at the Lishui Photography Festival in China in November 2011. In September 2010, Bram was the recipient of Photography’s Rising Star Award given by Griffin Museum Winchester, MA.
About The Center for Visual Arts
The Center for Visual Arts (CVA) at Clemson University is where students, visitors and scholars explore contemporary perspectives in art and culture through research, outreach programming and studio practice. With a mission to engage and render visible the creative process, the CVA is a dynamic intellectual and physical environment where art is created, exhibited and interpreted. It educates through academic research and practice with art at its core, drawing upon varied disciplines to examine critically cultural issues and artistic concerns.
The Center for Visual Arts-Greenville is a satellite of the Center for Visual Arts at Clemson University, which serves as the umbrella for all visual art activities at the university. Though there is not a physical building for this center, the majority of the activities for the Center of Visual Arts are generated out of Lee Hall on the Clemson University campus. For more information, visit clemson.edu/cva.
About South Carolina Arts Commission
The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission works to increase public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, SC, the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources. For more information, visit SouthCarolinaArts.com.
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