Welcome to the Aiken Artists' Guild
Over forty years ago, six friends living in the sleepy little town of Aiken, South Carolina, decided to meet on a regular schedule to share their mutual love of Art. They yearned for a venue to display their work, the opportunity to learn more about various media, and to celebrate their energy and sense of wonder! The act of creating, the joy of the process, and the gratification of completion can only be more enhanced by sharing the final product with others.
Today, the Guild has stretched to over 150 members, features regularly scheduled meetings, juried shows, workshops, demonstrations and a scholarship named in memory of an original founder, Bobbie Cheatham. Media represented, but not limited to, is: painting, pencil, pastel, sculpture, fabric art and photography. We welcome visitors and prospective members. We always need volunteers and new talent. Please come and grow with us!
Artist of the Week - Deborah Tidwell Holtzscheiter
With camera by her side, Deborah is always on the lookout for her next painting. When she finds possibilities, she prays about which ones to paint. She is constantly thinking about her paintings and even dreams of them. Integrating a range of themes and styles, her detailed paintings include realism with whimsical tones. Her inspiration comes from everyday events and images in the world around her taken from an unusual perspective. In her sunroom studio, many works progress simultaneously. No matter the subject, she’s just happy to be painting. "A good painting is a like a good book," says Deborah. "You can’t wait to see what happens, but when you finish you’re sorry to see it end."
President's Note
Friday, 14 November 2008 18:21
So good to see you all last night at the meeting. Didn’t Carol Sue have a great demonstration? And she whipped out her painting in an hour… phew!! I was ready to go home and paint! Hard to believe that we’re into the holiday countdown. I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready for it!!! I love it but I really messes with my painting routine. I also want to remind everyone that we are a volunteer organization. I know that the board stays just as busy as everyone else and in addition we make a lot of effort on behalf of the guild. We will always need members to help with activities and I hope when you are given an opportunity to help, that you will make an effort. Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who keep things moving!!! Happy Thanksgiving, Deborah
AAG Gallery at ACA
AAG Gallery at ACA
Dear Members, this is an exhibit you will not want to miss. Please make plans to drop by and support our fellow member. Your reward will be the viewing of this wonderful exhibit.
Sharon Taylor-Padgett
"Key West and the Florida Keys" - November 1 - 29
Opening Reception - Nov. 13, 6-8pm
Artists in Residence - SC State Parks
Tuesday, 18 November 2008 15:12
Several Aiken artists are among the elite group who have served as "Artist in Residence" through the South Carolina State Park Service.
Goodspring Plantation Winners
Friday, 14 November 2008 18:50
Winners of the people’s choice awards:
1st place “Riding Deadwood” by Tom Supensky
2nd place “Aiken in April” by Mary Ann Brock
3rd place “Woods Trail” by Mike Kleiman
For more info on the show, see the Exhibits page
Jim Harrison receives State's highest honor - Order of Palmetto
Friday, 03 October 2008 17:14
By DR. TOM MACK
What do our state's most popular rock band and most celebrated representational artist have in common? They both have won the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest civilian honor.
Hootie and the Blowfish, the band formed by four University of South Carolina undergraduates in 1986, won its prize for service to the state and nation in 1999; Jim Harrison, an internationally acknowledged chronicler of rural America, received his award just this month.
Established in 1971, the Order of the Palmetto is modeled after similar distinctions granted by the governors of other states across the country, such as the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels and North Carolina's Order of the Longleaf Pine.
Harrison's receipt of this honor from Gov. Mark Sanford recognizes his 35-year career as a painter, printmaker and illustrator.
Represented in personal and corporate collections in both this country and abroad, the artist has given freely of his time and work by granting the use of a number of his now-classic images of a vanishing agrarian South as part of the fundraising campaigns of public institutions like USC Aiken and SCETV.
The genesis of Jim Harrison's remarkable career is familiar to the artist's many admirers.
When he was barely a teenager, he landed a summer job as the apprentice to sign painter J.J. Cornforth, who was commissioned by the local Coca-Cola bottling plant to decorate with the soft drink logo the sides of buildings in the area surrounding the crossroads town of Denmark, S.C.
This early introduction to what Harrison has referred to as "the art of lettering" eventually led to his subsequent career as a professional artist.
Harrison continues to maintain a relationship with the Coca-Cola Company. In fact, he has just published the 13th calendar in his Coca-Cola series, featuring 12 images of rural structures embellished with the company trademark and arranged to reflect the changing seasons.
About this partnership, Harrison has commented, "I jokingly have said that I have worked for Coca-Cola for 50 years, possibly longer than any other employee there."
This relationship began with the more than 100 structures he painted with advertising signs in his days as Cornforth's assistant and continues to this day with the creation of calendars, note cards and both limited- and open-edition prints and canvas transfers of images featuring the soft drink brand.
Harrison's original paintings of rural America and coastal scenes have been featured in exhibitions at such prestigious venues as the Hammer Galleries in New York and the Conacher Galleries in San Francisco, but most of his images in more affordable formats are available at his own gallery in downtown Denmark, less than an hour's drive east of Aiken.
Located at the intersection of routes 78 and 321, the gallery is undoubtedly the most significant and most popular landmark in that part of the state.
Housed in an old brick commercial building, incorporating Cornforth's old shop and a contiguous grocery store, the Jim Harrison Gallery makes a great destination for a day trip.
Besides the 2009 Coca-Cola calendar and a first-ever Coastal Pathways calendar, the Jim Harrison Gallery is now featuring a new work entitled "4-H Barn," which depicts a metal-roofed, T-shaped storage building crowning a sun-dappled knoll and emblazoned with the words "4-H Club Member" and a four-leaf clover. Each leaflet is marked with an "H" to represent one of the four focal points of the organization's mission to promote the education of young people in America's rural areas: head, heart, hands and health.
This Harrison rendering of a classic example of our region's agriculture-related architecture was commissioned to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 4-H Clubs in South Carolina.
Part of the proceeds from the sale of this new print will benefit this statewide program, which teaches young people citizenship and leadership skills.
The Jim Harrison Gallery is located on South Main Street in Denmark. For more information on operating hours, call (800) 793-5796 or visit www.jimharrison.com.
Dr. Mack is a Carolina Trustee Professor at the University of South Carolina Aiken.