Mary Whyte: Working South AND Places for the Spirit: Traditional African American Gardens of the South

Event Details

The Gibbes Museum of Art will have two special exhibitions on view from May 4 through September 9, 2012, Mary Whyte: Working South and Places for the Spirit: Traditional African American Gardens of the South. In the Main Gallery, renowned watercolorist Mary Whyte captures the essence of vanishing blue-collar professions from across ten southern states in Working South. The Rotunda Gallery will feature the work of fine art photographer Vaughn Sills and her stunning collection of photographs documenting African American folk gardens and their creators in the exhibition Places for the Spirit.

Mary Whyte: Working South features 50 watercolor portraits, sketches, and drawings that focus on vanishing rural and industrial workforces that were once ubiquitous throughout the region but are now declining due to changes in our economy, environment, technology, and fashion. From the textile mill worker and tobacco farmer to the sponge diver and elevator operator, Whyte documents the range of southerners whose everyday labors have gone unheralded while keeping the South in business. By rendering these workers amid scenes of their rough-hewn lives, Whyte shares stories of the grace, strength, and dignity exemplified in these images of fading southern ways of life and livelihood. The exhibition is accompanied by a full-color publication that includes an introduction by the artist.

Related Programming (unless otherwise noted, all programs are at the Gibbes):
Society 1858 Art Walk Gathering at Coleman Fine Art - Welcome by Mary Whyte
Coleman Fine Art is located at 79 Church Street Friday, May 4, 6pm Free

Gallery Talk for Art Educators
Tuesday, May 15, 4-5pm
Free but educators must register in advance by contacting [email protected],
843-722-2706 x41

Watercolor Portrait Painting Workshop with Mary Whyte Saturday, May 19, 9am - 4 pm
Class held at Lance Hall, Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting Street
$180 Museum Members, $200 Non-Members (includes lunch)
Space is limited, register by contacting [email protected], 843-722-2706 x41

Exhibition Tour Led by Mary Whyte
Friday, June 1, 2:30pm
Free with museum admission

Illuminating the Spirit: A Conversation with Artists Mary Whyte and Jonathan Green
Presented by the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, Moderated by Angela Mack
Book Signing to Follow
Monday, June 4, 11am
$12 in advance, $14 at the door (if available)Limited seating, tickets will be sold exclusively through Piccolo Spoleto. The Piccolo Spoleto Festival is a project of the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs.

Exhibition Tour Led by Mary Whyte
Friday, June 8, 2:30pm
Free with museum admission

Working South Sunday with Complimentary Admission Museum visitors can enjoy the exhibition free of charge Sunday, July 8, 1 – 5pm

Places for the Spirit: Traditional African American Gardens of the South
The landscapes that Sills documents have a unique historical significance due to the design elements and spiritual meanings that have been traced to the yards and gardens of American slaves and further back to their African heritage. The gardens are places to socialize and be creative, but they also have mystical purposes: bottles and plant pots are put on the tree branches or intentionally placed in the garden to capture evil spirits; pipes are placed vertically in the ground to allow the spirits of ancestors to communicate with the living. These seemingly whimsical arrangements are actually subtle and symbolic reminders of the divine in everyday life and the cycles of the natural world. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog titled Places for the Spirit: Traditional African American Gardens.

A fine art and documentary photographer, Vaughn Sills’ work has been exhibited widely in museums and galleries. She has recently been awarded grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the New England Foundation for the Arts, and the Polaroid Foundation. She is a professor of photography at Simmons College in Boston, MA.

Related Programming:

Charleston Chamber Opera presents
Songs for the Spirit—Opera and the African American Experience
Sunday, May 6, 3pm
$15 Members, $25 Non-Members
Tickets available at www.gibbesmuseum.org/events or 843-722-2706 x22

Exhibition Tour Led by Vaughn Sills
Friday, May 25, 2:30pm
Free with museum admission

Curator-Led Tour
Conducted by Sara Arnold, Gibbes Curator of Collections
Thursdays, June 14 and August 16, 2:30pm
Free with museum admission