Letter From the Chair: Honoring Marty Epp-Carter |  | |
Dear Marty,
As you approach your well-deserved retirement, I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for all that you have done for our community and for me. You have made an enormous impact on so many lives here, both as a teacher and as a friend.
Your expertise in printmaking has inspired countless students to explore their creative potential, and your leadership of the feminist club has empowered many young people to think and act to support equality for all. You have always been a passionate and dedicated educator, and your commitment to your students and your craft has been evident in everything you do.
But your impact extends far beyond the classroom. You have been a compassionate and empathetic friend to so many people, always willing to lend an ear and offer support. Your kindness and generosity have touched the lives of countless individuals, and that legacy will continue to be felt for many years to come.
In graduate school, I found my studio had “Marty” written in sharpie (all caps) on tape labeling many items. I asked my advisor “who is Marty and doesn’t he want his stuff?” You had just graduated and then I came following in your footsteps. After graduating, I was looking for a studio, and found one in Greenville, only to learn that you had started it and I was again following in your footsteps. I taught at Anderson, after you were done there, and then in Greenville finally caught up with you, and had the pleasure of working with you at the Governor’s School. You have been a wonderful friend, and you’ve literally given me a pair of your shoes which I loved. While I will miss seeing you every day, I am so happy for you and your next steps. I’m also happy to move into the printshop, continuing to follow in your footsteps. Maybe we should brainstorm together what we are going to do after retirement…
On behalf of the entire community, I want to thank you for your many years of service, and wish you all the best in your retirement. You have truly made a difference in the lives of so many people, and we will miss you dearly.
Warmly,
David Gerhard
| Liwa Hamidi at Artfields, Jr. | Visual Arts senior Liwa Hamidi won first place in the high school division of Artfields, Jr.! Hundreds of South Carolina students across all grade levels submitted work, with a select few chosen to be part of a yearly exhibition at Artfields in Lake City, SC. Congratulations to Liwa! | Artist Talk: Contemporary Print Collective | The Visual Arts Department welcomed Steven Chapp, Jared Stanley, Susan Staggs, and Joel Wilkinson along with our very own Marty Epp-Carter and David Gerhard for an artist talk. They spoke about their exhibition, "Unmasked," hosted in Lipscomb Gallery. | "Unmasked" features a collection of self-portraits created using various printmaking processes by different members of the Contemporary Print Collective, a group of South Carolina-based artists founded with the goal to to create, exhibit, collaborate, and educate through printmaking and within the contemporary dialectic of art. | Each artist had the opportunity to break down the thought and creation processes behind their featured print. They also answered questions from the students about life as a working printmaker and how to find community as an artist. A special thanks to Ben Gilliam, Lipscomb Gallery Director, for coordinating this exhibition! | Alumni Highlight: Jacolby Satterwhite | Photo by Xavier Scott Marshall | 2004 Visual Arts alum Jacolby Satterwhite was commissioned by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to create an installation for their iconic Great Hall. The work will debut on October 2, 2023, and incorporate 3D scans of around 100 objects from the museum's collection along with audio and performance elements. Jacolby is the second contemporary artist ever commissioned to create work for the space. | Faculty Appreciation: Carlyn Tucker | Paintings by Margo Morris (bottom) and Midori Brown (top) | The spring semester is always a busy time for the Visual Arts Department and few are busier than Carlyn Tucker. This year, our students have represented the program at many prestigious outside exhibitions like the Annual Upstate High School Art Exhibit, the Converse Emerging Young Artists Juried Exhibition, and Artfields, Jr. | This is possible because of the guidance, work, and time Ms. Tucker gives to our students in the form of hours of help with exhibition applications, preparing and framing work for display, transporting the work to exhibition sites, and more. We couldn't be more thankful for the work and expertise she provides both in the classroom and beyond! | Florence District 1 Visit | The Visual Arts Department partnered with the Office of Outreach to host a professional development day for arts teachers from Florence District 1. | Elaine Quave, Zach Inks, and Paul Yanko participated in a Q&A with the visiting educators, exchanging valuable information and ideas on creating effective arts classrooms and programs. After, the visitors got to tour our on-campus studio spaces. | Paul Yanko at the George Gallery | Paul Yanko is part of “Resurface,” a group exhibit at the George Gallery in Charleston featuring work from 16 artists. The show celebrates the idea of seeing art in person rather than in a digital format. Read more about the show here. | This month, the Visual Arts Department welcomed three guest artists to speak to our students: photographer and cinematographer Leonidas Jaramillo, curator Sarah Tignor, and sculptor and ceramicist Del Harrow. | Leonidas Jaramillo is an accomplished cinematographer, producer, and photographer. He has worked on projects like Paramount+'s, “Stark Trek: Picard,” Netflix’s “Nightbooks,” music videos for artists like Rihanna, Janelle Monae, and Michelle Branch, and commercials for brands like Gucci and Vineyard Wines. | Sarah Tignor is the Chief Operating Officer for the Johnson Collection. Located in Spartanburg, the Johnson Collection offers an extensive survey of artistic activity in the American South from the late eighteenth century to the present day. Tignor spoke to students about that path she took to her current career as well has her experiences managing the collection. | Del Harrow is an Associate Professor at Colorado State University where he teaches Sculpture, Digital Fabrication, and Ceramics. His artwork explores processes that combine traditional pottery techniques of mold-making and hand-building with digital processes and computer-aided design. | Alumni Highlight: Sofia Spinelli | 2022 alum Sofia Spinelli's senior film concentration project from her time at the Governor's School, "Frog in my Throat," was accepted into several film festivals! | Sofia's film will be featured at the Boston International Kids Film Festival, the Canberra International Mental Health Film Festival, The MoStopMo Film Festival, and the National Film Festival for Talented Youth. | Class Highlight: Game Art | Zach Inks' Game Art students are hard at work creating a game that incorporates the sights and sounds of the Governor's School. Throughout this month, students have taken 3-D scans of recognizable objects and spaces from campus to feature in the game. | Students from the Drama, Music, and Creative Writing Departments have also lent their talents to the project, with the Drama students doing voiceover work, Music students working the musical scores, and a creative writer helping with the narrative. | David Gerhard's Graphic Design class is aiding with production, designing for the user interface of the game. | |  |
Visual Arts at the Annual Upstate High School Art Exhibit | |
The Visual Arts Department had a FANTASTIC showing at the 33rd Annual Upstate High School Art Exhibition at Greenville Tech, with 11 students receiving awards in their category! Congratulations to the following students:
Animation category:
🔸1st Place - Anna Chen
🔸2nd Place - Ky Sims
🔸3rd Place - Samantha Greenman
Ceramics category:
🔸1st Place - Jessica Hamilton
Design & Color category:
🔸3rd Place - Taylor Frazier
Graphic Design category:
🔸1st Place - Midori Brown
🔸2nd Place - Logan Stephens
Metals category:
🔸1st Place - Christy Hudson
🔸2nd Place - Grace Farnsworth
Painting category:
🔸1st Place - Margo Morris
Printmaking category:
🔸2nd Place - Anne Hughes
A huge thanks to Carlyn Tucker for her hard work and time organizing our participation in this show and to Marty Epp-Carter for transporting the students to the award ceremony!
| Addy Rose McClure at the James Island Arts and Cultural Center | Visual Arts Junior Addy Rose McClure won 3rd place in the James Island Arts and Cultural Center's 2nd Annual Juried Art Competition for a watercolor painting created at her previous school, the Charleston County School of the Arts. Congratulations, Addy Rose! | David Gerhard at ArtBomb's Spring Show | David Gerhard will have work on display as part of ArtBomb's Spring Show. The show opens with a reception on May 20th. | Zach Inks at the East Coast Game Conference | Photo by the East Coast Gaming Conference | Zach Inks attended the East Coast Gaming Conference in Raleigh, NC, this month. Originally established as an initiative to support and promote the video game industry in North Carolina, the conference has become the largest of its kind on the East Coast, connecting industry professionals with both educators and consumers. | Current & Upcoming Events | |
Guest Artist: Eric Stephenson
May 5 4:30 - 6:00
| Sculptor Eric Stephenson will be visiting the department virtually Friday, May 5, at 4:30 p.m. in E-225. All Visual Artists are encouraged to attend. | |
22nd Annual Visual Arts End of Year Exhibition and Reception
May 8 - 13
| The Visual Arts Department is proud to present its 22nd Annual End of Year Exhibition. This exhibition will feature work from each of our students and each of our visual arts disciplines. A reception for the show will be held on Saturday, May 13 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Refreshments will be offered and we will be giving out end of year awards. The show is open in Lipscomb Gallery weekdays from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Off-campus guests should check in at the visitor's center. | |
Visual Arts Town Hall
May 10
| The last Town Hall meeting of the schoolyear will be held Wednesday, May 10 at 4:30 p.m. in Smith Recital Hall. All Visual Arts juniors and seniors are required to attend. | |
Guest Artist: Jen Bradley
May 12
| Painter and Printmaker Jen Bradley will visit the department Friday, May 12, at 4:30 p.m. in E-225. All Visual Artists are encouraged to attend. | Juries begin May 19, with juniors presenting Friday and Monday, May 22, and seniors presenting Monday, May 22, and Tuesday, May 23. Time slot sign-ups will open Friday, May 5, at 7:00 a.m. No arts classes will be held on jury days. Juries are required for all Visual Arts students and are worth 20% of all Visual Arts studio grades. | |
Clean-Up Day and Junior Campus Departure
May 24
| Department Clean-Up Day is Wednesday, May 24th. All students should report to Lipscomb Gallery at 1:30 p.m. to receive their instructions. Juniors will department from campus after, starting at 4:30 p.m. Please refer to the weekly school bulletin for more information on move-out. | |
Graduation Rehearsal
May 25
| Rehearsal for graduation will take place at 9:30 a.m. at Furman University's McAlister Auditorium. Graduates and Junior Marshals should be at the front circle ready to board the bus to Furman at 9:15 a.m. | |
Celebration of Achievement
May 25
| Celebration of Achievement will be held at McAlister Auditorium on the Furman University campus. This program honoring our graduates is open to their family/friends/fans, along with our faculty and staff. Students will be presented with arts-specific graduation cords and their SCGSAH medallions at this ceremony. | Commencement begins Friday, May 26, at 2:00 p.m. in Furman's McAlister Auditorium. | Call for Volunteers: Auditions Videos | The Visual Arts Department is creating a series of video tutorials aimed at guiding prospective students through the requirements of the residential high school application. We will need volunteers to be featured in these videos. If you're interested, email MB at mary-bryantcharles@scgsah.org by Thursday, May 11. | Waylon Bigsby at the National Conference on Cast Iron Art Practices | Waylon Bigsby led a metal casting demonstration alongside artists from North Carolina at this year’s National Conference on Cast Iron Art Practices in Birmingham, AL. | The conference is a biennial convergence of students, educators, academics, and professionals dedicated to exploring and advancing cast iron as an art medium. Bigsby was also a featured artist in the conference's juried art exhibition. | Sculpture by Waylon Bigsby | Laurens Middle School Visit | 7th and 8th grade students from Laurens Middle School got to tour our facilities this month as part of the Office of Outreach's Field Trips to Campus program. | Visual Arts Outreach Teaching Artist and Field Trip Coordinator Daphne Cuadrado-Andino coordinated with Elaine Quave so that the students could also take part in a workshop in our ceramics studio after their tour. | Ceramics I, Coil-Building Demonstration | Metals I, Bookmark Project | Painting I, Master Studies | Lambo Club, First Executive Meeting | |
- Jury Requirements will be discussed at this month's Town Hall Meeting on May 10. Digital copies of all requirements with links to jury material submission folders will also be provided.
- Clean-Up Day still counts as a full instructional day. Any student who does not participate or departs early will be given an unexcused absence unless proper documentation is submitted.
- Please share any announcements related to awards received, recognitions, selection for fellowships, etc. with Mary-Bryant Charles for our records of student and faculty achievements.
- Students are also stewards for all of our spaces. Please ensure that all studio and workspaces are properly cleaned or reorganized before you leave an area. Any students working on the floor in the critique space should utilize the drop cloths kept in 2D.
- Please remember that sketchbooks are a crucial and graded part of this program. Any damage or defacement should be reported to faculty.
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Evelyn Snider 5/3
Elaine Quave 5/17
Waylon Bigsby 5/19
Margo Morris 5/19
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