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Keep Learning...For Next to Nothing! Seniors, sharpen your pencils and pack up your book bags! The College of Charleston offers undergraduate courses for only $25 to anyone who is sixty years of age or older. You won’t be alone. Every semester approximately 100 seniors enjoy these benefits and enroll in classes at The College of Charleston. So, whether you are interested in pursuing a degree, taking a few art classes, or learning another language there is a variety of courses to suit your interests. Some courses include The History of South Carolina, Creative Drama, and Introduction to Coastal and Marine Geology. Registration takes place between 9:00 a.m. and noon the day after classes begin each fall and spring semester. Classes with reduced fees are also available at Trident Technical College.
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Urban Myth? Contrary to popular belief, the city market in downtown Charleston was not used as a location to auction and sell slaves. The land was donated over 220 years ago by a wealthy family to be used only as a public market for local merchants. It was donated under the stipulation that the property must be given back to the family if the city used it for any other purpose. The Old Slave Mart, the only known extant building used as a slave auction gallery in South Carolina, is located a few blocks from the city market.
• Intellectual Pursuits: Public Seminars, Lectures & Culture. A lecture on contemporary Japanese culture in film or a seminar regarding the history of communications, choir recitals and juried art exhibits... there are many opportunities for learning and enrichment at Greater Charleston’s colleges and universities. Whether you want to see a recital performed by choir at Charleston Southern University’s Horton School of Music or attend a seminar at the College of Charleston, it is all right in your own backyard.
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French Quarter Art Walks. The mood is festive and lively as artists and art patrons, art lovers and fun lovers get together for this event. A fabulous and fun way to view the works of over 500 artists, many local to the area. All galleries of the French Quarter are open after hours, from 5-8, and this year's remaining strolls will be held October 1 and December 3. Everyone's invited! Refreshments offered. Free. www.frenchquarterarts.com
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A Starter’s Guide to Looking at Art: From Ancient through Medieval Art History. This seminar, taught by Dr. Steve Gavel over the course of two six week sessions, offers students the opportunity to discuss and understand the visual arts from ancient times through the late medieval period. Designed to improve students’ visual literacy, the course will provide an analysis of the aesthetic concepts and cultural influences that impacted art during the various time periods. In addition, the course will examine how art objects are collected, displayed, and interpreted in a museum setting. Wednesdays, January 12-February 16, 2011 from 5:30-7:00pm. Click here to register. Gibbes Museum.
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The Art of Jonathan Green. Artist Jonathan Green donated 30 of his art posters to the Avery Research Center with the challenge that we work with members of the community to frame them. We decided to have persons donate through a dedication to members of their family, an organization, a church or just to the arts. The response has been overwhelming. Exhibition on display through December 2010. The Avery Research Center is located at the College of Charleston. avery.cofc.edu
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Immerse Yourself in Plantation History & Have Fun! West Ashley is named for its location along the west side of the Ashley River, and rice plantations of the 1700's were built along this waterway. Three are preserved and open to the public, and all are along Ashley River Road: Magnolia Plantation, Drayton Hall and Middleton Place. Locals join in on special events throughout the year.
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SO WHAT ARE THOSE Buildings at the End of Fort Johnson Road and CAN I VISIT? James Island is best remembered for hosting the first mortar shell shot fired upon Fort Sumter during the Civil War and has remained an integral part of Charleston’s rich history. Today, the College of Charleston owns this 40-acre property which is now home to their Marine Biology graduate program. The Fort Johnson Marine Science Center offers a seminar series on Friday afternoons at 4:00 pm. Recent topics included "Energy in the 21st Century: Issues and Concerns" and "Skeletal Muscle Structure in the Atlantic Blue Crab: Designed for Exercise?" Refreshments are served before each seminar and at a TGIF with the seminar speaker, which occurs at the White House or the Outdoor Classroom after the seminar. spinner.cofc.edu/grice/fjseminars.htm
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North Charleston City Gallery and Gift Shop. The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department offers a public exhibition opportunity for serious visual and fine craft artists in the South Carolina region. The North Charleston City Gallery is located in the common areas of the North Charleston Performing Arts and Charleston Area Convention Center Complex. Exhibits are rotated on a monthly basis and may feature two or more artists in the Gallery space each month. Paintings, prints, note cards and other art objects are offered for sale. www.northcharleston.org
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The Meeting Place Window Exhibits. The Meeting Place, located at 1077 East Montague Avenue in the revitalized Olde North Charleston Business District, hosts window exhibits that provide an informal public exhibition opportunity for visual and fine craft artists. These window exhibits offer 24 hour visibility, allowing residents and visitors to view the artwork at any time. Exhibits are rotated on a bi-monthly basis and may feature two or more artists in the window space each month. November/December: Stacey Rosebrock; January/February: TBD; March: Keller Lee.
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National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. The National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition features up to 15 sculptures by established and emerging artists from across the nation. The 11 month exhibition offers sculptors the opportunity to display their imaginative and thought provoking large-scale sculpture throughout the picturesque Riverfront Park, as well as compete for honorariums and awards. The annual exhibition is organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department and is a component of the North Charleston Arts Festival. National Outdoor Sculpture.
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Where's the Goose Creek? There isn't one. The source of the name "Goose Creek" has been lost to history. Some have theorized that the area was named after the gooseneck turns in the creek that extended off the Cooper River. Others say the name came from the prominence of geese in the waterway. It is possible that the name has Native American origins. No matter the source, since the late 1600s this area of the low country has been known as Goose Creek.
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Build Your Business and Your Future Leadership Dorchester. This program is an intensive county-wide Leadership Development Program designed to give potential emerging leaders the knowledge and skill sets that they will need to successfully provide community leadership in the future. The Leadership program is ideal for business and industry and new leaders in the public sector, nonprofits, government, institutions and the professions. www.gsdcchamber.org
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Sculpture in the South. Sculpture in the South is a non-profit organization that promotes the art of sculpture through education, and is dedicated to the creation of a permanent public sculpture collection that enhances Summerville, South Carolina’s public spaces -- art that everyone can enjoy. Stop by the Greater Summerville Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce at 402 N. Main Street and pick up a free Hands On Guide to Summerville’s Permanent Public Sculpture and take a wonderful leisurely tour of their collection. www.sculptureinthesouth.com
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History Buff ... or Wannabe One? Visitors to Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site are walking into a rare look at a remarkably preserved past. An archaeological treasure, the park rests on the site of Dorchester, a trading town that flourished on the Ashley River inland from Charleston from 1697 through the Revolutionary War. Intact remains of the old town include the brick bell tower of St. George’s Anglican Church, a fort made of the oyster-shell concrete called tabby, and part of a log wharf visible at low tide. When the town was abandoned after the Revolution, the forest and later a community park protected the site, leaving remarkably undisturbed evidence of village life just beneath the surface. Today, visitors to Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site can watch as archaeologists unearth the settlement’s history. Together with abundant historical records from Charleston, the site is helping to paint a clearer picture of colonial life in the American South. www.southcarolinaparks.com
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The Beautiful Pine Forest Inn. Did you know that at one time, a magnificent inn stood among the pines in Summerville, and attracted people of wealth from around the world? The Pine Forest Inn was built in 1889 and at its finest moment in 1902, was visited by President Theodore Roosevelt. He and his party were in the Charleston area to attend the South Carolina Interstate and West Indian Exposition. The Inn had 150 guest rooms, grandiose lobbies, staircases and a dining room that sat 250.
