June art walk gets 'Diverse'

There's nothing like having an Art Walk in the middle of Spoleto! Charlestonians overwhelmed? Not at all. It's a special Charleston-bred skill to somehow be able to attend everything.

Kevin E. Taylor's 'Diverse Chorus' at Scoop, 57 1/2 Broad St., 577-3292, www.scoopcontemporary.com

Charleston native Kevin E. Taylor moved to San Francisco a few years ago to spread his artistic wings. Having received national and international acclaim for his paintings, Taylor occasionally comes back to town to visit friends and family.

This time, he comes to town to do a little work as the guest curator of a show titled "Diverse Chorus," taking place at SCOOP Studios 6-9 p.m. Friday.

Colleen Deihl, co-owner of the gallery explains, 'The 'Diverse Chorus' first was assembled in 2008 at Neurotitan in Berlin, when Kevin was asked to curate an exhibition in the historical gallery. SCOOP is excited to host the first U.S. presentation of this ever-expanding collective featuring 28 American artists. The medians between the participating artists are diverse and offer a variety of styles and processes."

This group offers some fresh faces and works never seen before in Chucktown. Besides Taylor, the roster includes Adam Friedman, Alexis Mackenzie, Ben Venom, Brett Amory, Chris Crites, Claire Droney, Danielle de Picciotto, Ian Johnson, Jon Casey Clary, JRF, Justin van Hoy, Justin Waugh, Kevin Scott Hailey, Lafe Eaves, Mark Warren Jacques, Marty Cacic, Michael Hsiung, Mike Maxwell, Olivia Song Park, Ryan Hendon, Ryan Shaffer, Ryan Travis Christian, Scott Greenwalt, Steve MacDonald, Steve Pomberg, Tara Foley, and Tim Cohen.

'The Spoleto Dancing and Toasting Frogs' at Hamlet Gallery, 7 Broad St., 722-1944, www.hamletgallery.com

Established local artists Charles Smith and his son, Zan, are presenting a new collection of human-size copper frog sculptures titled "The Spoleto Dancing and Toasting Frogs" at the Hamlet Fine Art Gallery 5-8 p.m. during Friday's "Spoleto Stroll" on Broad Street.

Charles Smith began making the frog sculptures in 1974. His son, Zan, having learned metal sculpture while growing up, is following in his father's frogsmithing footsteps. They each have studios in the Lowcountry. You can see the 7-foot-tall, "perfectly asymmetrical Spoleto Dancing Frogs" in the gallery's courtyard.

Gibbes Partners with Spoleto on Exhibit of Spoleto, Italy, 135 Meeting St., 722-2706, www.gibbesmuseum.org

The Gibbes Museum of Art is showing the exhibition "JoAnn Verburg: Interruptions in the Rotunda Galleries," through Aug. 22. Organized in conjunction with Pace/MacGill Gallery, N.Y., the exhibition features recent portraits and large single and multipanel architectural prints made in Spoleto, Italy. With such an obvious connection, the show is offered in partnership with the Spoleto Festival taking place.

"JoAnn Verburg photographs the narrow streets and passageways of the historic center of Spoleto, Italy, an ancient Umbrian city where she and her husband, poet Jim Moore, live part time. The images depict angled building facades, receding courtyards and transitory corridors that emphasize the subjectivity of perception and observation through calculated shifts in her camera's focus and perspective. In contrast, Verburg's tightly cropped close-ups of Spoleto's residents are timeless yet grounded compositions," explains Marla Loftus, communications director of the Gibbes.

"This exhibition allows us to showcase a world-renowned photographer while reinforcing the connection between the festival in Charleston and the city of Spoleto. JoAnn Verburg's body of work features the residents and architecture of Spoleto with an emphasis on the intersection between past and present -- a concern as relevant for Charleston as it is for the city of Spoleto" said Gibbes Executive Director Angela D. Mack.

Magical Realism and Lowcountry Art at Mary Martin Art, 39 Broad St., 723-0303, www.marymartinart.com

The Mary Martin Gallery will have an opening reception featuring a variety of international artists 5-8 p.m. Friday during the Art Walk.

French painter Michael Jackson is inspired by the Lowcountry, and many of his paintings feature detailed egrets and swordfish. His works are detailed renditions of natural elements.

Costa Rican artist Juan Kelly and Mexican-American Santiago Perez create their own fantastical worlds with their paintings. Kelly is known in the Americas for his magical realism, where lions may be eating ice cream cones and offering watermelon to a gentle cow. Perez has created a complete world of clever characters reminiscent of children's storybooks in his magical works.

GO to RLS, 2 Queen St., 805-8052, www.robertlangestudios.com

Robert Lange has spent the past five weeks in Nepal on a 150-mile hike through the Himalayas. Inspired by the idea of surrendering as an artist, he created a series of paintings that portray people in possible but not plausible situations. The exhibit will be on display 5-8 p.m. Friday.

Gallery director Megan Lange explains that the first eight paintings were fueled by the anticipation of this trip, and upon his return the final four pieces are a reaction to the experience. Along with the new works, Lange has created a short film highlighting moments captured while exploring Nepal.

In describing this body of work and the trip, Lange states, "The goal of this journey was to reclaim the use of my imagination. Along the way, I was graced to find an entire culture radiating contentment. The people of Nepal, regardless of age, still possess their childhood abandonment, and each person is willing to connect and share their happiness."

"In the past year, Lange's realism has teetered on the edge of surrealism, most notably in his 'Measure Creatures Great and Small' show last July, where he shrank massive animals to palm size morsels. The work for this show is no different in its playfulness; the paintings have a sense of, as Lange calls it, 'magical reality,' " says Megan Lange.

For the opening night, Lange will be giving away 500 10-by-10-inch prints of one of the pieces in the show. He says, "Whether it be overwhelming sadness or joy, adventure or calm, I hope the paintings capture those moments when our humanity sings and I want every person to leave the show with a reminder of that feeling."

Young Potter and Accomplished Painter show at Ellis-Nicholson, 1 1/2 Broad St., 722-5353

The Ellis-Nicholson Gallery will have an opening reception 5-8 p.m. Friday for "Reflections of the Lowcountry," a collection of works by painter Brian Scanlon and potter Christian Royal.

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"Their work, though in different mediums, align in their choice of palette, which suggests the blues, greens and sunset hues of the scenic Lowcountry marshland vistas," says Jeannette Nicholson, co-owner of the gallery.

Scanlon paints his interpretative response to the landscape in a combination of plein-air and studio methods. Royal, an 18-year-old potter who has Down syndrome, works from his home studio. Some of his current work produces distinctive glaze colors aptly titled Lowcountry Reminiscence.

Music for the reception will be by the Coastal Chamber Musicians. Siblings Leslie, Austin and Shannon Fitzhenry, longtime friends of Royal, are excited to provide string trio music for their friend.