HomeNewsKatherine Hester named city’s Artist-in-Residence

Katherine Hester named city’s Artist-in-Residence

The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is proud to announce the appointment of Katherine Hester as Artist-in-Residence (AIR) for FY2019/20. The City’s AIR serves as a key resource for the department’s outreach programs, especially in the area of art instruction. Katherine will share her unique skills, talents, and experiences by providing residencies and workshops to public schools, seniors, and various community groups in North Charleston through June 2020.

Katherine Hester is a local artist working in oil and mixed media. She paints outdoors, onsite when painting landscapes in order to capture the changing light of the Lowcountry. Katherine also enjoys creating portraits, working in mixed media in order to put a modern twist to the classic genre.

Katherine is a native of the Lowcountry and a graduate of the College of Charleston. She holds a Master’s in Education and worked as a studio art, art history, and science teacher before leaving the classroom in order to pursue her painting career full time. Katherine has been represented by galleries in Charleston and exhibited her work throughout the region. She has won numerous awards and participates in the annual Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition each spring.

As North Charleston’s Artist-in-Residence, Katherine will offer instruction in painting and drawing. Her art curriculum often includes concepts of science. “Whether it is something as simple as using oil pastels with watercolor paints in order to instill the concept of solubility, to purposefully calculating the ebb and flow of the tide to teach principles of gravity and painting realistic waves, the essence of teaching is instilling curiosity,” she explains. In addition to teaching, Katherine will also be working with the Cultural Arts Department on public art projects throughout the City as part of her residency.

The North Charleston City Gallery will host an exhibition of Katherine’s work throughout December 2019 and January 2020. The gallery is located within the Charleston Area Convention Center at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. School liaisons, arts teachers, and the general public are invited to meet the artist at a free gallery reception on Thursday, December 5, 2019, from 5:00-7:00pm.

   

Art teachers and school liaisons may initiate the request for FREE services by the AIR by contacting the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5851. Community groups are also welcome to submit requests, which will be considered on a first come first served basis. All project requests should be placed at least two weeks in advance, with residences completed by the end of June 2020.

More information about the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department’s AIR program, as well as the department’s other programs, exhibits, and events, can be found on the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website.