The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that works by local artists Kathleen Sullivan Eckel, Addelle Sanders, Amelia Rose Smith, and Becky Taylor will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from June 4-30, 2015. A free reception will be held at the gallery on Thursday, June 4, from 5:00-7:00pm. The exhibiting artists will be present and refreshments will be served. The public is invited to attend.
In Four Women, Four Mediums, Eckel, Sanders, Smith, and Taylor present a variety of works in oil, pastel, watercolor, and fiber. The women were brought together nearly a year and a half ago by Becky Taylor, president of the Mount Pleasant Artist Guild. “Kat and Rose are both members of the Mt. Pleasant Artist Guild and I became familiar with Adelle through the Charleston Artist Guild,” she explains. “I adore their work and invited them all to lunch one day to see if they would be interested in exhibiting together. Although we all create art with different media, I think our work compliments each other’s well.” The artists’ subject matter also differs, ranging from landscapes, to still-life, to figurative works.
The North Charleston City Gallery is situated in the common areas of the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Parking and admission are free during regular Convention Center operating hours, 9:00am – 5:00pm daily. The gallery is staffed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only. Inquiries regarding the artists or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website.
Kathleen Sullivan Eckel grew up along the Buffalo Bayou and Memorial Park in Houston, TX, where her curious nature and love for exploring the great outdoors with all of its varied inhabitants began. During her teens, she worked in an art gallery and switched schools to study art under Houston based artist Henry Gadbois. After getting a bachelor degree in fine art at the University of Texas at Austin, where she specialized in studio art and art education, her odyssey of travel began. Her first stepping stones were within the USA, living in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia. During this time she free-lanced in illustration, designed businesses and interiors, managed an art gallery, and took odd jobs to save up money for a year of travel. She spent the next 18 years traveling in Europe and Africa. She lived first in Cameroon, then Sudan, and finally in Mauritania West Africa. She illustrated and painted on commission, designed clothes and made jewelry, taught art in cultural centers and at the International Schools, and eventually opened her own private art school in Nouakchott. Currently, she spends most of her time between the Austrian Alps, Charleston, SC, and the Texas hill country.
In her early years, Sullivan’s art was mainly in watercolor, acrylic, graphite and conté. While living in Africa, she developed a style of painting huge, realistic, acrylic finger paintings on wood. Through a fluke of fate a few years ago, she met and was able to study under several well- known artists in Charleston, where she was reunited with the art of oil painting. She has been painting in oil ever since. One sees the influence of her previous work in more transparent mediums, as there is a layering, a fine sculpting as depth and image emerge in her paintings. Whether painting the landscape of a mountain range or contours of a face, it is the play of light that continues to fascinate and draw her to a subject. Her style can be described as realistic with a nod towards impressionism. Learn more and see Kat’s work at KSullivanEckel.com.
Addelle Sanders was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She always had a secret passion for the art world; however, it wasn’t until she enrolled in New York University’s Master’s Program that she decided to pursue her dream. In 1988 she began making jewelry and belts from leather and reptile skins as a hobby, but that quickly turned into a business. Eventually she began creating female figurine pins and the response to these creations was so positive that she decided to dedicate her time solely to their design. From there the figurine pins evolved into the magnificent fiber pieces she is known for today. Along with her partner Ron, Addelle co-founded Fiber Art by Rondelle and together the duo used rich palettes of colorful silk threads and metallic cords to weave intricate patterns to create classics like Ladies Night Out, The Student, and their popular Diva series. The success of these works garnered Addelle numerous awards and her work has been featured in several galleries and art festivals, including The Ellis-Chambers Gallery, International Home Gallery, Terri Logan Gallery, Pan-African Film & Fine Art Show, Essence Music Festival, Jazzfest, and The National Black Art Festival. Her work is also featured in the permanent collections of the Schomburg Center in New York. Today, using the cultural influence and natural beauty of South Carolina as her muse, she makes her work available through her new company aptly titled Addelle. Learn more and see Addelle’s work at Addelle.com.
Amelia Rose Smith, a native of Charleston, SC, has painted professionally for over two decades. Pursuing an art degree while on scholarship at Coker College in Hartsville, SC, she developed a passion for watercolor. After graduation she was employed by the SC Department of Natural Resources as an illustrator and worked for other agencies until 1984. After painting for shows on weekends, she became a full-time artist developing her medium and vision. She has studied with numerous acclaimed artists such as Ovanes Berberian, Zoltan Zabo, Charles Movalli, Sondra Freckelton, Alex Powers, Joan Rothermel, Sherrie McGraw, and Rhett Thurman. All of these artists were great inspirations and instilled Rose with a great desire to further develop her skills. Rose resides in Mount Pleasant, her home and studio located on the marsh. Frequent excursions around the creeks and rivers with her husband and sons, John and Peter, provide unending subject matter fora lifetime of painting pursuits. Learn more and see Rose’s work at AmeliaRoseSmith.net.
Becky Taylor and her husband recently retired to Charleston, SC. Originally trained in oils, watercolors have grown to be her passion. She chooses to paint subjects that soothe and renew her spirit as well as those of her viewers. She paints mostly representational art and responds to the moment with pure joy. Flowers, gardens and landscapes are some of her favorite subjects. Her professional memberships include: Cardinal Fellow/Signature Member/WSI; Indiana Artists Club signature member and past board member; Hoosier Salon-awards winner MWS and WSI; and past President and Treasurer of WSI, signature member of the Charleston Artists Guild, The Mount Pleasant Artist Guild; The South Carolina Watercolor Society; and The Southern Watercolor Society. Since coming to Charleston, SC, Becky has won several awards, most recently at the South Carolina Watercolor Society Exhibition. She teaches private and group lessons, holds local workshops, and has been an Artist in Residence at several schools in Indiana and Michigan. Becky’s Fine Art is represented in private and corporate collections throughout the United States and foreign countries. Learn more and see Becky’s work at BeckyTaylorArtist.blogspot.com.