Celebrate the Arts with BCAC on February 24th

On Thursday, February 24^th, Black Creek Arts Council will host the first Darlington County Arts Awards at the Black Creek Arts Center in Hartsville. Eight awards will be given to Darlington County residents. Nominations were taken from the community. BCAC’s Board of Directors, along with input from other arts organizations’ boards will name the award recipients from the nominations. The event will begin at 5:30 with a reception showcasing art exhibits throughout the Arts Center. The awards presentation will begin at 6:00.

Among the awards to be given out are the Performing Artist of the Year, Visual Artist of the Year, Darlington County’s Rising Young Artist and the Patz Fowle Award for Arts in Education. “Our county has so many talented artists that giving them this stage to celebrate together was really a no-brainer for the Arts Council,” said BCAC President Carolyn Atkinson.

“This event is about more than honoring artists. It’s about showcasing our community,” said the event’s chairperson, Bruce Douglas. “While many of the awards are for artists, we are also honoring businesses, volunteers and arts supporters,” he said.

Among the awards to be given out that are not specifically designated for artists are the Frankie Bush Award for Leadership, the Willard Jacobs Award for Volunteerism, the McCall-Wiggins Award for Community Support and the Rolfe Godshalk Award for Arts in Business.

“Our community has a long history of supporting the Arts. We have individuals like Frankie Bush and Willard Jacobs who helped develop our Arts Council into what it is today. Our Arts organizations have always benefited from the support from individuals like Reaves McCall and Betty Wiggins and corporations like Sonoco. More recently, the Arts have been energized by support from small businesses like Saffron, the Midnight Rooster, Burry Bookstore, Flossie Mae’s and Lulu’s, to name a few,” said Douglas.

As is usually the case, support for the Arts comes when there is a thriving community of artists. “Few communities have as many active Arts organizations as Darlington County,” said BCAC Marketing Director Jordan Heydt.

Another sign of our area being a vibrant arts community is that many of the young artists from our county are choosing to attend college locally. “The performing arts department at Coker is reaping the benefits of our talent base of young artists,” said Douglas. “Marlin Ketter, Jon Moree, Dustin Moree, Patrick Doughty and soon-to-be Cobras Amelia Little and Teal Davis are all remarkable performers with bright futures ahead.”

Admission to the first annual Darlington County Arts Awards is free and everyone is invited to attend. Come support our community’s artists, volunteers and arts supporters on February 24^th at the Black Creek Arts Center on College Avenue in downtown Hartsville.

For more information, contact Jordan Heydt at 843.332.6234.

BCAC Home Page

New Year's Eve Uncorked

On December 31st, Black Creek Arts Council is hosting a New Year's Eve Celebration. The evening will begin at 10pm and continue until midnight. Ticket donations are $25 a person and include hors d'oeuvres, a glass of champagne at midnight, as well as the entertainment by a magnificent DJ, Gary Mills, from Columbia. A donation cash bar will also be available.

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With the display of the end of the Carolina Bowl Game and the Times Square Ball Drop at midnight, our New Year's Eve Party will be fun for everyone. Come dance, celebrate, and have a wonderful time. Start 2011 off with a bang and help us ring in the New Year at our New Year's Eve Party. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

Holiday Gallery Rental Special

From now until December 22, Black Creek Arts Council is reducing the rental rates for the gallery. The gallery is the perfect venue for hosting Holiday Parties. During this time, the gallery will rent for only $200 and includes access to the kitchen.

Black Creek Arts Council is located at 116 W. College Ave. in Hartsville. Interested parties should call the Arts Center at 843.332.6234 for more information.

2010 Events at BCAC

Check out all the recent events sponsored and produced by Black Creek Arts Council of Darlington County.

Events:

Camp Creative & Explore Art Summer Art Camps

Long Lash Cabaret

Black Creek, Blue Jeans, & BBQ

Author Luncheons with Burry Bookstore

ROTFL: Improv Comedy Night

Every Child Is An Artist Field Trip Program

Doug Varone & Dancers

Viscera Dance Theatre

An Evening of Wine & Jazz

The Brougue Film Casting Calls

4th Annual Christmas Shoppe (November 18th-20th)

Above: Patz Fowle works on a mural at the Hartsville Library. The mural was funded by Black Creek through its Subgrant Program.

Black Creek Arts Council's Signature Event is Black Creek, Blue Jeans & BBQ, held each year in Burry Park and on Cargill Way in Downtown Hartsville.

In 2010, the Black Creek Arts Center also hosted 12 openings in 12 months. They were:

January - Ina Crim Ingram
February - Nine Exhibits at BCAC, featuring:
Boy Scouts of the Pee Dee, Marcos Sola, Henna Koponen,
Danny Wagner, Emily Dornburg, Adrian Rhodes,
Ann Lane, Sarah Jaillette, Phoebe Smothers, Barbara Watson
Mary Lou Bailey & Harolette King
March - Heidi Bond
April - The Green Exhibit, featuring:
Mike Fowle, Munsey Millaway & Erica Bailey
May - Jim Darlington
June - 521 All-Stars Baseball Photography Exhibit from The State Museum
July - The Carolinas III: Community Photography Contest & Exhibit
August - The Artisans of the South Carolina Cotton & Tobacco Trails
September - Louise Daley & Jo Jeffers
October - The Pink Exhibit in conjunction with the American Cancer Society
November - Anne Hightower Patterson
December - John Herth (opens on December 2nd at 5:30)


Coin join us for any of these events. All are affordable; most are free. Stay up to date with us through our website (http://www.blackcreekarts.org/) or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/blackcreek) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/blackcreekarts).

Donate Now

An Open Letter From Frankie Bush

An Evening of Wine and Jazz

Please join us for a cocktail evening of Wine and Jazz on November 13th from 8-10pm at the Black Creek Arts Council. The evening will be filled with some wonderful jazz performances by the group 'After Dark' featuring Al Haynes on the piano, Randy Oswalt on the drums, and Tracy Price with vocals.
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Ticket donations are $25 a person and include two glasses of wine, dessert, and coffee at the end of the evening. A donation cash bar will also be available.

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For more information or to purchase tickets please call the Arts Center at 843.332.6234

Anne Hightower-Patterson Opening

Please join us on November 4th from 5:30-7 for an opening reception featuring the artwork of Anne Hightower-Patterson.

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Anne is a wonderful watercolor painter who is a native of South Carolina who has been painting for over four decades. She earned her BFA in studio are from the University of South Carolina and a Masters in Education. After working 29 years in public in the public school system, Anne retired and now paints full time in her studio and teaches classes and workshops in Columbia and throughout the Southeast. She is married to Ron White and resides in Saluda County near Lake Murray. She is a popular speaker and instructor for art groups and guilds.

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For more information please call 843.332.6234

The Christmas Shoppe 2010

Thursday, November 18th will mark the beginning of Black Creek Arts Council's Fourth Annual Christmas Shoppe. The event, which features 16 artists, will last through November 20th and will be held at the Black Creek Arts Center on College Avenue.

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The Christmas Shoppe kicks off on Thursday evening from 5-9pm with some refreshments and holiday cheer. On Firday, the Shoppe will be open from 3-7pm and on Saturday from 10am-2pm. Admission is free on all three days.

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The artists selling in the Christmas Shoppe are : Suzanne Muldrow (photography), Mike Gann and Laurie Brown (glass art), Beth Wicker (handmade metal jewelery), Rob Shaw (oil paintings), Patrick Showalter (handmade soap), Doug DeNeve (photography), Isadoris Blair (oil paintings), Barbara Messmer (jewelery), Munsey Millaway (birdhouses), Pat Saad (oil paintings and jewelery), Diana Keller (jewelery), Casey Gainey (stationary), Jill and Brent Snyder (photography), and Shelly Heizelman (drawings).

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For more information please call 843.332.6234

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The mission of Black Creek Arts Council is to promote and foster the Arts in Darlington County. BCAC's offices are housed in a state of the art 10,000 square foot facility at 116 West College Avenue. BCAC offers a variety of programs including art classes of all styles, after-school activities, pre-school ages programs, private music lessons, and various types of gallery exhibits. BCAC also offers assistance with arts management, funding, education, and program coordination to arts and cultural organizations in Darlington County.

The Pink Exhibit

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast Cancer being the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Each year in the US, breast cancer is diagnosed in more than 207,000 women and it takes 40,000 lives. In order to raise awareness and support this important cause, Black Creek is teaming up with the American Cancer Society.

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Black Creek Arts Council along with the American Cancer Society will be hosting The Pink Exhibit. Artists from around South Carolina have generously donated artwork to be auctioned off. Suzanne Muldrow, Frankie Bush, Patz Fowle, Heidi Bond, Carolyn Atkinson, Danny Wagner and Henna Koponen are just a few of the artists who are donating their work. Along with these artists, Black Creek hosted a "Celebrity Artist" class with Patz Fowle where a few local Hartsvillians got together to create a piece for the show. Click here to see photos from the class. Each piece of art will contain the color pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.

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On October 7 from 5-7pm, Black Creek and the American Cancer Society will host a silent auction for all the artwork on display. Proceeds will be donated in support of Breast Cancer Awareness and Research.
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For more information call 843.332.6234. Click here to go back to our home page.

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Black Creek Arts Council

116 W. College Ave

Hartsville, SC 29550

Art Opening on September 2nd

On Thursday, September 2^nd from 5:30-7:00, Black Creek Arts Council will be hosting its 9^th art opening of 2010 and 15^th opening in the last fifteen months. In the Jean & James Fort Gallery will be pottery by Jo Jeffers and portraits by Louise Dailey.

Jeffers and Dailey, mother and daughter, mark the second family exhibit over the fifteen month span. Last September, Mary Ellen, Dale and Seth Johnson were featured at the Arts Center.

In the Upstairs Gallery, the artwork of Lance Rhodes aka Sketchboii Lance will adorn the walls. Rhodes is a 2008 graduate of Hartsville High School and a current student at Coastal Carolina University. Rhodes work features the likenesses of hip hop stars, as well as contemporary designs.

The Black Creek Arts Center is located at 116 West College Avenue in Hartsville. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend. Prudential Segars Realty is sponsoring the opening reception. Please visit their website at www.prudentialsegarsrealty.com. The exhibit will remain on display until September 30^th.

For more information call 843.332.6234

The Christmas Shoppe 2010: Call to Artists

The Christmas Shoppe is back again and Black Creek is now accepting applications.

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The shoppe will be on November 18, 19 and 20 here at Black Creek. This event will feature artists from around the area who will be selling their work. In in past, the Christmas Shoppe has consisted of jewelers, potters, photographers, glass artists, and a soap maker.

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If you are an artists interested in appling to be in this year's Christmas Shoppe email Jordan Heydt at bartscounc@aol.com with the following information:

Name

Address

Phone number(s)

A Brief Description of Your Work

At least 3 jpeg images of items similar to what you plan to sell

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Booth Spaces will be $100. The applicants will be juried. Applications must be recieved no later than 5pm on September 15th. Notification of selection will be made by September 30th. Payment will be due by October 15th.

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Please click here for a completed list of Christmas Shoppe rules.

Pee Dee Artwork on Display at BCAC in August

On August 5th, a collection of artwork by Pee Dee artists will debut at the Black Creek Arts Center. The exhibit will be made up of works by the Artisans of the South Carolina Cotton Trail (ASCCT) and the Artisans of the South Carolina Tobacco Trail (ASCTT). An opening reception will be helf from 5:30 to 7:00pm on that Thursday.

Above: The 2010 ASCCT Image of the Year

(by Frankie Bush)

ASCCT was formed in 2008 under the leadership of Black Creek Arts Council director Bruce Douglas and Cheraw jewelry-maker and owner of Three Cats & a Dog Studio Beth Wicker. The group is made up of nearly 40 artists from Chesterfield, Darlington, Lee, Marlboro, and Florence counties.

ASCTT was formed in 2010 and currently has 13 members. ASCTT serves artists that live in the counties along the South Carolina Tobacco Trail (Horry, Williamsburg, Marion, Dillon, Georgetown, Florence and Darlington). Douglas worked with ASCTT founding president, Barbara Streeter of Pop's Glass in Conway, to launch the regional organization earlier this year.

Juried artists in these two groups work in the following media: ceramics, glass, metal, mixed media, painting, photography, and sculpture. Both organizations strive to bring together artists, artisans and retailers for the benefit of marketing, tourism, education, and shared resources.

The exhibit will remain on display until August 20th. The Black Creek Arts Center is located at 116 W. College Ave. in Hartsville.

Above: 2010 ASCTT Image of the Year

(by Lon Calhoun)

ROTFL at BCAC on July 16th

Looking for something fun to do on a Friday night? On July 16th, look no further than the Black Creek Arts Center on College Avenue in Hartsville.

Patrick Doughty, Brooke Mogy, Amelia Little, Jon & Dustin Moree, and the Emili Price will be leading an improv night at the Arts Center. The doors will open at 6:30 and the show will kick off at 7pm with a Whose Line Is It Anyway-style performance by Darlington County's young thespians.

Admission is free.

"These young people are so talented. We're (BCAC) very excited to have them performing at the Arts Center," said BCAC Executive Director Bruce Douglas. "Tracy Price has worked with these young people in the past. I look for this to be yet another successful community-produced performance Tracy is involved in."

ROTFL (Rolling On The Floor Laughing) will take place in the Jean & James Fort Gallery at the Black Creek Arts Center on Friday, July 16th from 6:30 - 8:30pm. For more information, contact Jordan Heydt at 843.332.6234.

The Carolinas III: Opens July 8th at the Arts Center & Library

On Thursday, July 8th, the third annual community photography contest and exhibit know as The Carolinas will open at the Black Creek Arts Center and Hartsville Memorial Library. The opening reception and gallery crawl will begin at 5pm. Admission is free and everyone is invited to attend.

Nearly 150 photos make up The Carolinas III. A Best of Show winner will be named, as well as winners and honorable mentions in four other categories. Like last year, photos will be judged as Small and Large Photos. Photographers under 18 have their own category. New to the contest this year is the Darlington County Travelers category.

The announcement of the juried winners will be made at 5:45 and all visitors will be able to vote for the People's Choice Award at both display locations.

The Black Creek Arts Center is located at 116 West College Avenue in Hartsville. The Hartsville Memorial Library is located at 147 West College Avenue. For more information, contact Jordan Heydt at 843.332.6234 or bartscounc@aol.com.

BCAC and HML would like to thank Sonoco for its sponsorship of the Opening Reception and Gallery Crawl for The Carolinas III.

The Black Creek Arts Center
The Hartsville Memorial Library

BCAC Home

Baseball Photography Exhibit Coming to BCAC

Opening Set for June 10th

5:30 - 7:00 at BCAC

Based on the 1998 book The 521 All-Stars: A Championship Story of Baseball and Community, this exhibit depicts the game in its purest form: scrap metal base lines, rotten wood bleachers, teams made up of brothers, fathers and sons, and most importantly, fellowship within the community.

Until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947, major league baseball was the pastime for white players and fans. Segregated and separated, black players were forced to form leagues of their own.

In 1996, author Frye Gaillard was driving north on Route 521 in Sumter County when he discovered a homemade ballpark and stopped to take pictures of the players. He and his partner, photographer Byron Baldwin, spent the next season and a half watching and studying the Gamecock baseball league of Rembert, S.C. The teams are comprised only of African-Americans.

The Black Creek Arts Center is located at 116 West College Avenue in Hartsville. For more information, visit blackcreekarts.org or call 843.332.6234.

The Carolinas III: Community Photo Contest & Exhibit

Don't miss The Carolinas III: Community Photography Contest & Exhibit. Black Creek Arts Council and Hartsville Memorial Library will be hosting the 3rd annual gallery crawl that opens the exhibit on July 8th. Turn in is June 22nd through July 2nd at the Arts Center. Click the link below for more info:

The Carolinas III

The Black Creek Arts Center is located at 116 West College Avenue in Hartsville.

Return to BCAC Home Page

Jim Darlington's Exhibit - May 2010

The work of Jim Darlington will be on display in the Jean & James Fort Gallery for the month of May 2010.

Click the link below to learn more about the exhibit:

Jim Darlington at BCAC

Return to BCAC Home Page

Black Creek, Blue Jeans & BBQ 2010

Black Creek, Blue Jeans & BBQ will take place on April 30th and May 1st on Cargill Way and Burry Park in Downtown Hartsville. For a complete listing of each day's events, click the links below:

Friday Night

Saturday

Black Creek, Blue Jeans & BBQ is the Pee Dee's premier BBQ Festival. The event is made possible through support from the sponsors listed below:

Gold Sponsors

Darlington News & Press
BRAVO! Event & Party Rentals
Sign Zone & Graphics
Sonoco

Silver Sponsors

Hartsville Lumber & Barn
Piggly Wiggly

Platinum Sponsors

Burry Bookstore
Hilex
Total Image Hair Salon
Trust Company of South Carolina
CareSouth Carolina Health Services
WFXB-TV

Anything Butt Contest Sponsors

Driggers & Moyd Law Firm
Ed & Judy Haenni

Supporter of the Pork

Bi-Lo
Chick-A-Ray Poultry
First Citizens Bank
Harrington Auto Brokerage
Hill & Jordan, LLC
Lane Trucking Company
Moore, Beauston & Woodham, LLP
Mutual Savings & Loan
Oak Manor Inn
Ovis Hill Farms
SPC Credit Union
Sweeney, Wingate & Barrow Attorneys
Therapeautic Massage
Tidewater Transit Company

I Love My Blue Jeans Contest Sponsors

Alexander's of Hartsville
Hartsville Army-Navy Store
Blush-A Merle Norman Studio
Flossie Mae's
Lulu's Boutique
Minnie's Giftique

Waiters' Race Sponsor

Coldwell Banker's Gandy-Tiller & Associates Real Estate

Go Green with BCAC

Black Creek Arts Council is aiming to raise $10,000 between St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) and Earth Day (April 22nd). The money raised will support the Council's Arts Education Programming for young people.

Click here to Donate Now

For more information about The Green Campaign, click here.


Black Creek Arts Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible. The mission of BCAC is to promote and foster the Arts in Darlington County.

Black Creek, Blue Jeans & BBQ

The 2nd Annual Black Creek, Blue Jeans & BBQ will be held April 30th and May 1st in downtown Hartsville. Click the link below for more information:

Black Creek, Blue Jeans & BBQ

Canvas of the People Coming to Darlington County

SCAC Seeking Strategic Planning Input

Planning for healthier economic times, the S.C. Arts Commission invites the public to share their priorities for the arts at the Black Creek Arts Center in Hartsville on March 22nd. The meetings are a part of the 2010 Canvas of the People (www.SouthCarolinaArts.com/canvas2010), a statewide planning process that will inform the 2011-2020 Long-Range Plan for the Arts in South Carolina.

“We want to hear what people value about the arts and how they think the arts can support the economic, educational and creative well-being of their communities,” said Ken May, acting executive director. “We will use that input to help develop the next long-range plan for the arts, which the statewide arts community can use as a road map for the future.”

Forums are taking place in seven locations and are free and open to everyone. Each runs from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. Registration is not required.

Prior to the stop in Darlington County, Canvas of the People meetings will have been held at the Columbia Museum of Art, the Technical College of the Lowcountry in Beaufort, and at the Governor's School for the Arts in Greenville. Following the meeting at Black Creek, the tour will stop at the Aiken Center for the Arts (March 25th), North Charleston City Hall (March 29th) and the Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg (April 8th).

For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com/canvas2010 or contact Milly Hough, (803) 734-8698, mhough@arts.sc.gov.

The mission of Black Creek Arts Council is to promote and foster the Arts in Darlington County. BCAC’s offices are housed in a state of the art 10,000 square foot facility at 116 West College Avenue in Hartsville, SC. BCAC offers a variety of programs including art classes of all styles, after-school activities, pre-school aged programs, private music lessons, and various types of gallery exhibits. BCAC also offers assistance with arts management, funding, education, and program coordination to arts and cultural organizations in Darlington County.

The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission works to increase public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.