Bulls Island Cape Romain Refuge is an untamed marine forest, pristine beaches and serene trails. A Charleston ferry ride with the possibly of spotting dolphins. Botany Bay Heritage Preserve in South Carolina awaits discovery. The Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area on Edisto Island provides visitors with a view of South Carolina's untouched coastal wilderness. The preserve spans 4,600 acres a site that is a unique combination of natural beauty and historical significance which annually attracts visitors who love nature and history. A Journey Through Time “I loved these salt rivers more than I loved the sea; I loved the movement of tides more than I loved the fury of surf. Something in me was congruent with this land, something affirmed when I witnessed the startled, piping rush of shrimp or the flash of starlight on the scales of mullet. I could feel myself relax and change whenever I returned to the lowcountry and saw the vast green expanses of marsh, feminine as lace, delicate as calligraphy. The lowcountry had its own special ache and sting.” — Pat Conroy, The Lords of Discipline Botany Bay's landscape exposes its complicated history, which includes, the lives of those who once worked and lived on this land, including the enslaved Africans whose contributions are integral to its history. Formed from the merger of the Bleak Hall and Sea Cloud plantations in the 1930s, the area was once a hub for Sea Island cotton production. Today, visitors can explore remnants of this bygone era, including 19th-century Gothic Revival outbuildings and the foundations of antebellum homes, historical structures and silent witnesses. Botany Bay Hertitage Preserve Photo Gallery The photo gallery reveals the untamed natural beauty of Botany Bay Plantation which spans 4,600 acres on Edisto Island. The maritime forests and tidal creeks lead to one of the most beautiful beaches in the Lowcountry where weathered trees emerge from the sand like natural sculptures. The coastal sanctuary provides diverse wildlife and more than 100 bird species while offering walking trails and serene sunrises that reveal South Carolina's ecological and cultural heritage. Nature's Masterpiece The "boneyard beach" stands out as a major attraction because weathered trees form sculptural shapes against the Atlantic Ocean view. The preserve features maritime forests together with tidal creeks and freshwater ponds and three miles of untouched beachfront. The hauntingly beautiful shoreline provides photographers and beachcombers with a distinctive peaceful environment. The area supports wildlife populations which include deer and alligators and sea turtles and multiple bird species including painted buntings and least terns. The preserve dedicates itself to conservation practices which protect these habitats for future generations. Botany Bay Heritage Preserve Website Plan Your Visit The park operates from sunrise half an hour before opening until sunset half an hour after closing time every day except Tuesdays and scheduled hunting days. The park offers free admission to visitors who need to pick up day-use passes at the entrance kiosk. The park offers self-guided driving tours as well as hiking on the Pockoy Island Trail and beach relaxation opportunities. The site maintains a prohibition on shell collection because it serves to protect the natural environment. The beach causeway provides wheelchair accessibility to visitors. The preserve prohibits visitors from bringing pets and alcohol and drones and metal detectors. The site management requests visitors to refrain from taking any natural or historical objects from the site. Getting There The location of Botany Bay exists on SC Highway 174 within Edisto Island. The entrance becomes accessible after driving two miles down Botany Bay Road. The preserve has clear directional signs which lead visitors to their destination. South Carolina Tourism Website Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Darcy creates cupcakes for her teachers, using limited edition Dolly Parton frosting. This gesture showcases her creativity, love for Dolly Parton, and gratitude. Inspiration from Patz Fowle PHOTO ESSAY BY DAWN HUNTER AND DARCY PHELPS, 9-7-2022 During our most recent Lake City excursion, Darcy and I went to the Onward and Upward exhibition at the Jones-Carter Gallery. The show featured artwork by Patz Fowle (1954-2021) and Mike Fowle. We were taken and awe-struck by the artwork, which led to an impulse buy of Patz Fowle's whimsical and exquisite clay work Every Artist...Has a Story. The piece is comprised of hand sculpted stoneware, porcelain, oxides, underglaze, stains, and luster. The ceramic work contains references to famous works of art by artists like Dali, Picasso, and Munch, and seminal readings of Art History. The tactile surfaces rival the painted surface qualities of The Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald (1512–1516) and inspired Darcy's cookie bake off! “It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.” ― Vincent Van Gogh Who was Patz Fowle? Born 1954 Ringgold, Georgia Died 2021 EDUCATION Parsons School of Design, New York City, New York Adelphi University, Garden City, New York Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia Patz Fowle was renowned for her illustrative, handmade ceramic sculptures, which were glazed with bright low-fire colors. Her works often featured anthropomorphic animals, such as zoo animals taking a taxi or a fish walking to work with a briefcase. She developed unique sculptural techniques, known as the "Patz Process Ceramic Technique," which were recognized by the American Ceramic Society and featured in art textbooks. In collaboration with her husband, Mike Fowle, she created large-scale metal public art sculptures. Jones Carter Gallery Patz Fowle Mike Fowle Patz Fowle's work inspires a cookie bake-off. The best location for this artwork in our house? The kitchen table, of course. Our meal times are now rich with discussions about art, history, and Patz's work. There are so many layers of references in the artwork. What a wonderful gift for our home! The work served as inspiration for Darcy's and Eva's sleepover cookie bake-off this past weekend. The greatest challenge? The icing and cookie cutters could not translate the fine detail of the elephant. All photos by Dawn Hunter, click on the photos to activate a slideshow. “I dream my painting and I paint my dream.” ― Vincent Willem van Gogh Pat Fowle Public Collections American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, California Big Bleu Birdnanna, public art sculpture, commissioned by city of Florence, South Carolina Dr. Ronald E. McNair Life History Center, Lake City, South Carolina McLeod Regional Medical Center/ McLeod Family Medicine Center, Florence, South Carolina Recipe: Sugar Cookies Ingredients: 3 cups sifted flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 2 eggs (well beaten) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup of milk Directions: Mix and sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream shortening, add sugar slowly, and cream until fluffy. Stir in well-beaten eggs and vanilla extract. Add sifted dry ingredients with the milk. Blend well and chill. Roll 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured board. Cut cookies into desired shapes. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes.

Darcy creates cupcakes for her teachers, using limited edition Dolly Parton frosting. This gesture showcases her creativity, love for Dolly Parton, and gratitude. Soft Serve Vanilla Ice Cream PHOTO ESSAY BY DAWN HUNTER AND DARCY PHELPS, NOVEMBER 19, 2022 We are so excited to get a new ice cream maker, and we went for a reasonably priced model created by the brand Tasty. There were a range of colors to choose from, and we were able to select one that suited Darcy's style. She promptly decorated it with a sticker created by one of her favorite YouTubers and a source of her inspiration for Dish with Darcy™, Moriah Elizabeth. We watch her creative YouTube channel every Friday together. "Nobody has everything and everyone has something” - Moriah Elizabeth Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Darcy has been trying to make ice cream in a plastic bag for the past few weeks. The results were less than she desired even after shaking the mixture in salted ice. Since tackling ice cream from scratch and minimal technology had been frustrating, we decided to go for a recommended ice cream mix. The mix we found, Junket Ice Cream mix, was simple to follow and only required a few ingredients that we already had in our kitchen. After a few trial and errors, we finally had a delicious and smooth soft serve ice cream that we could enjoy! tasty.co Moriah Elizabeth Junket Desserts Unique History Ice cream's origins can be traced back to ancient China. Its appearance can be traced to Italy through Marco Polo and then to France with Catherine de Medici. Eventually, it made its way to the US through Thomas Jefferson. European ice creams appeared in Italy during the 1600s and eventually became popular throughout Europe by the mid-century. This is recorded in letters, journals, and records from Paris, Florence, Naples, and Spain. "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" - Howard Johnson History continued: Ice cream reached America with European settlers and was served by the first lady of colonial Maryland as early as 1744. George Washington bought a mechanical ice cream maker for Mount Vernon in 1784. Thomas Jefferson, who developed a taste for French-style ice cream while in Paris, served it at the executive mansion at least six times and wrote ten recipes, including one for vanilla ice cream with egg yolks. By the late 19th century, ice cream had become a popular treat in America. In 1874, the ice cream soda was invented, and by 1881, the sundae made its debut. The waffle cone stole the show at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, while Popsicles were patented in 1923. Both Dairy Queen and Carvel claim to have created soft-serve ice cream in the mid-1930s, and frozen yogurt hit the scene in the 1970s. Junket Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe 3 Junket® Rennet Tablets 2 tablespoons cold water 3 cups whole milk 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1 cup sugar 4 tsp vanilla Dissolve Junket® Rennet Tablets in cold water by crushing. Set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in saucepan. Heat while stirring to lukewarm (110º F). Remove from stove. Add dissolved tablets. Stir a few seconds and pour immediately into freezer can. Let set at room temperature until firm and cool. When mixture is set, place container into the ice cream freezer and follow manufacturer’s instructions. Begin churning until it is frozen.

This 'Dish with Darcy' showcases a super quick and easy white bean dip recipe that is a guaranteed crowd pleaser! Darcy's Inspiration, Love & Lemons' White Bean Dip! Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and in this week's "Dish with Darcy" feature, Darcy showcases Love and Lemons' delightful white bean dip. With their keen eye for detail and a dash of creativity, they carefully penned a palette inspiring recipe. Darcy sourced the freshest ingredients, and prepared her kitchen for a fun and rewarding cooking session. For Darcy, the kitchen is a place of joy and experimentation, not just precision. She followed Love & Lemons' outline and started with cannellini beans, olive oil, and lemon, which are the heart of this dip. This mixture takes mere moments to blend in a food processor, resulting in a dip that’s both creamy and bursting with flavor. The zesty lemon enlivens the earthy beans, while olive oil lends a luxurious smoothness. Whether you're dipping carrot sticks, spreading it on a sandwich, or enjoying a spoonful right from the fridge, this recipe is a keeper. For an extra layer of flavor, Darcy added the suggested fresh herbs like basil and rosemary. If you're feeling adventurous, try mixing in tarragon, parsley, thyme, mint, dill, or chives. And for a rich, mellow garlic undertone, roast a head of garlic as described, then blend the soft, golden cloves into your dip. This aromatic addition transforms the dip into a deeply flavorful treat that’s perfect for any occasion. "Chefs don't make mistakes; they make new dishes." - Elizabeth Brigg Ingredients 1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 1 small garlic clove 1/2 teaspoon sea salt freshly ground black pepper 2 to 4 tablespoons water, if needed 2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves Instructions Directions: Place the cannellini beans, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, salt, and pepper into a food processor. Pulse these ingredients until they are just mixed. While the processor is still running, gradually pour in the water and continue to process until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency. If you like, add fresh herbs of your choice at the end and give it one last blend to incorporate. “When I create any dish, literally the first thing I think of is, what is the purpose behind this dish? Why am I putting this ingredient in it?” - Esther Choi And that concludes this segment of "Dish with Darcy!" Here, culinary exploration turns into an exhilarating escapade. Whether it’s mastering the art of a silky white bean dip that promises to elevate your snack time or delving into comforting classics with a gourmet twist, Darcy ensures that every cooking session is filled with joy and discovery. Her rich, creamy, and zesty white bean dip is guaranteed to dazzle your taste buds and become a new favorite. Stay tuned for more delicious adventures on "Dish with Darcy!

Darcy creates pumpkin pie inspired by her favorite artist, Yayoi Kusama. Darcy's Kusama Pumpkin Pie In celebration of her favorite artist, Darcy made drawings of and decorated pumpkins. She capped off the activity with homemade pumpkin pie, an unexpected treat in July. Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is known in the art world as the 'Princess of Polka Dots.' She has dazzled museum visitors with her infinity rooms that have featured some of her objects, like her pumpkin sculptures. Featured in this section is a Yayoi Kusama 'My Love for the Eternal Pumpkin' sculpture when it was on view at the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C. The photo essay below contains a mix of images from Kusama exhibits, Darcy's creative process, and her pumpkin pies! Who is Yayoi Kusama? Yayoi Kusama was born on March 22, 1929, in Japan. She is a famous artist known for her sculptures and infinity mirror rooms. Kusama is very talented and makes all kinds of art like paintings, performances, videos, poems, and stories. Her art is very creative and includes ideas about feminism, minimalism, surrealism, pop art, and abstract expressionism. A lot of her work is about her own life and feelings, and she often includes psychological and sexual themes. Kusama is one of the most important artists alive today and the best-selling female artist in the world. Kusama grew up in Matsumoto and studied traditional Japanese painting, called nihonga, at Kyoto City University of Arts for a year. She was inspired by American Abstract Expressionism and moved to New York City in 1958. There, she became a big part of the 1960s avant-garde scene and the pop-art movement. In the late 1960s, she became well-known for organizing events where people, often naked, were covered in bright polka dots during the hippie counterculture. Her work became less famous in the 1970s but had a big comeback in the 1980s. Kusama has kept making and showing her art in top museums worldwide, staying influential from the 1950s until now. “A polka-dot has the form of the sun, which is a symbol of the energy of the whole world and our living life, and also the form of the moon, which is calm.” - Yayoi Kusama Unique Twist By finding inspiration in Yayoi Kusama's art, Darcy was able to create a unique activity for herself. By creating her own 'eternal pumpkins,' she was able to develop a deeper understanding of Kusama's artwork. While Yayoi may not bake a pie after the creation of each pumpkin, Darcy took her pumpkin inspiration a step further and made one of her favorite desserts that is a year-round favorite. Pumpkin pie in July? For us, it is a typical summer treat! “Polka dots can't stay alone. When we obliterate nature and our bodies with polka dots, we become part of the unity of our environments.” - Yayoi Kusama Silver Jubilee Pumpkin Pie Recipe Pumpkin Pie Ingredients: 1/2 recipe Standard Pastry (page 362) 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup thin cream 1 1/2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin Instructions: Line a 9-inch pie pan with pastry. Mix sugar, spices, and salt. Add slightly beaten eggs, milk, cream, and pumpkin. Mix well. Pour into unbaked pastry shell, and bake in a moderately hot oven (425°F) for 40 to 45 minutes, until an inserted knife comes out clean. Yield: 1 9-inch pie. Note: If desired, 2 cups of undiluted evaporated milk may replace the milk and cream. Pumpkin pie may be covered with whipped cream flavored with sherry, maple syrup, or honey.

We invite your input! Dawn and Darcy are eager to hear your thoughts. Your contributions about forthcoming events, art showcases & intriguing outdoor spots are appreciated but essential to the expansion & evolution of our project. Join us as we explore South Carolina's cultural & natural landscape. Contact Let us, Dawn and Darcy, know what you think. Also, please submit information you have regarding upcoming events, art exhibitions, or interesting outdoor places to explore. We aim to keep our project going and growing! Let's Chat Phone 770-815-9008 Email dmhunter@email.sc.edu Social Media First Name Last Name Email Message Send Thanks for submitting!

Explore the world of Mary Robinson, a mixed-media artist inspired by nature, repurposing, and community. Based in Columbia, SC, she's an educator, director, and artist-in-residence at Breck Create, CO, using art to celebrate sustainability and unity. To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Celebrating Creation and Conservation: The Mixed-Media Journey of Mary Robinson "Printmaking is often a very collaborative process, so through many years of teaching printmaking I believe that I have also become more communally oriented" Hailing from Columbia, South Carolina, Mary Robinson is an artist of many disciplines, embodying the essence of creative re-imagination in her unique and thoughtful works. A mixed-media artist who relishes in finding the extraordinary in the mundane, she is currently the director of the Printmaking Program at the University of South Carolina School of Visual Art and Design, where she also teaches. Robinson's distinct approach to her craft involves printmaking in diverse media, creating objects from repurposed fabric, and making handmade paper. In her studio, she weaves together disparate elements to uncover new interplays of color and form. Robinson's works are intrinsically inspired by the natural world; from the intricate patterns made by acorn woodpeckers she observed in Inverness, California, to the pulse and rhythm of life, Robinson endeavors to convey the potent energy that unites all living things. This interconnection with nature is an underpinning philosophy in her artistry, beautifully highlighting a delicate balance between creation and conservation. Robinson's artistic journey has been one of exploration and education. She graduated with a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Colorado-Boulder, proceeded by an MA in Art History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and then an MFA in Printmaking from Indiana University-Bloomington. Robinson's passion for printmaking was sparked while assisting Master Printer Andy Rubin at UW's Tandem Press. Above, Pieced: Brown Small, collaged artwork by Mary Robinson. Image courtesy of Mary Robinson. Presently, Robinson is engaging with the community of Breckenridge, Colorado, as an artist-in-residence at Breck Create, a creative hub that's in partnership with the Saddle Rock Society. The residency offers artists from all over the globe a space to focus on their artistic process, interact with the local community, and foster a spirit of creativity and togetherness. During her residency, Robinson has led several impactful activities, ranging from teaching a Kids Camp to making filament from repurposed plastic sleds using a Precious Plastics extruder machine. A mixed-media artist in every sense, she has been involved in creating a braided rag rug, running a workshop on beading with repurposed materials, and making beads from repurposed paper and fabric. Furthering her ethos of recycling and repurposing, she gratefully uses fabric and yarn donated by the community for her projects at Breck Create. She hashtags her social media posts with #maryrobinsonstudion #repurpose, #breckcreate, #gratitude, #community, #cherishedscraps, #materialappreciation, and #artistresidency, reaffirming her commitment to community, creativity, and the appreciation of materials, however humble they might be. Above, Svalbard Seed Vault Exhibition Handbound books on display at Tromsø bibliotek, Tromsø, Norway. Image courtesy of the Global Seed Vault in Svalbad, Norway. Q & A with Mary Robinson Dawn Hunter: Mary, you've built your career around repurposing materials in your artwork. Can you share a story about a particular piece where the material's past life brought a unique depth or perspective to your creation? Mary Robinson: The series of works titled Pieced are made from my collection of fabric scraps, and I know where each little scrap comes from. For example, in Pieced: Brown Small, there are pieces of clothing belonging to my mother, my husband, my friend and myself. There are also leftovers from a quilt I made for my newborn nephew. There are pieces given to me at a workshop I took with Gee’s Bend Quilters Mary Ann Pettway and China Pettway. And there is fabric onto which I screen printed patterns in a natural dye workshop I took with Donna Brown who founded the Janice Ford Memorial Dye Garden in Denver. When I look at these scraps stitched together I can’t help but see the interconnection of a larger community—those mentioned above but also the unknown workers who manufactured the various fabrics. (continued below) Inspiration, patterns created by Acorn Woodpeckers. Inspiration manifests in Mary Robinson's work. Ovals carved into matrices which were used to create her relief monoprint series, Chorus. Dawn Hunter: Your inspiration often comes from the rhythms and patterns of nature. Is there a specific instance in nature that inspired you recently, and how did it manifest in your work? Mary Robinson: In 2017 I had a 3-week residency in Inverness, California at the Lucid Art Foundation. Every day from dawn to dusk I saw and heard acorn woodpeckers persistently creating hundreds of holes for storing the nuts they gathered. I had previously used a pattern of ovals to represent humans, linking the ephemerality of human lives to musical notes. Inspired by the woodpeckers and taking advantage of the reproducibility in printmaking, I carved many small ovals on multiple matrices and printed them in a variety of ways at the residency. I continue to use this pattern regularly, and it can be seen in the previously mentioned work, Pieced: Brown Small; in the printed, hand-bound books I created for the permanent collection at the Global Seed Vault in Svalbad, Norway; in many of the Regeneration works; and in the Chorus series of large woodcut prints. Mary Robinson, Regeneration 4 Handmade paper, thread, collagraph, relief print, gouache and glue on mulberry paper, 13”x 10.5”, 2021. Courtesy of the artist. Mary Robinson, Chorus 3, Relief monoprint on Shiramine paper, 46”x 38”, 2021. Courtesy of the artist. Dawn Hunter: As an artist, you've led various workshops and taught at a Kids Camp during your residency at Breck Create. How do you feel teaching influences your own work, and what do you hope your students take away from these experiences? Mary Robinson: I have really enjoyed teaching a broad range of students over the years in terms of age, experience and cultural background. I believe that the flexibility and openness I have brought to teaching has made me more relaxed and open as an artist and human over the years. I sometimes see a fear of failing in students that I used to experience. Helping students to embrace process and flexibility has helped me get past rigidity and tightness in my own work. Printmaking is often a very collaborative process, so through many years of teaching printmaking I believe that I have also become more communally oriented. This summer I have been inspired by the wild and beautiful imaginations of 4- to 12-year-olds I have been working with. (One 8-year-old made a portrait of “Mr. Toast” and wove a sweater for him without worrying about whether or not this made sense.) Dawn Hunter: You've spoken about your gratitude for the ongoing donations of fabric and yarn for your project at Breck Create. Could you describe how community involvement enhances your artistic process and impacts the resulting artwork? Mary Robinson: Involving interested participants in a community art project can make members feel more connected and invested in their community. This summer’s Invitation project at Breck Create has stimulated dialogue about art, home, community, environmental sustainability, and material waste. For me, the donated materials become creative prompts that trigger new ideas. The challenge of not buying anything new for the project has propelled me to use materials in ways different than what I’m used to. It has been exciting to see both kids and adults transform simple triangles of magazine paper into beautiful paper beads, and to see their perceptions of the material change. Mary Robinson, Regeneration 3 Relief print, screen print, digital print, gouache and glue on mulberry paper, 14”x 10.5”, 2021. Courtesy of the artist. Dawn Hunter: Having studied both Studio Art and Art History, how do you feel your understanding of historical contexts and movements has shaped your own artistic voice, particularly your focus on sustainability and repurposing materials? Mary Robinson: First of all, I credit a part-time instructor from my freshman year of college, in large part, for my pursuing a life and career in art. She drove from Denver to Boulder twice a week to teach our small art appreciation class, taking us to the studios and homes of artists. Before that, I didn’t really know that you could choose art as a career and, more importantly, as a way of life. The artists we visited seemed to live holistic, creative lifestyles in beautiful, unique homes. I remember feeling on a deep level at age 18: “I want to live like this.” Over the years I have been influenced by many artists whose work doesn’t necessarily look like mine: the pulsating marks in Van Gogh’s paintings; the sense of fleetingness in Stan Brakhage’s films and Francesca Woodman’s photographs; the dedication in Frank Auerbach’s paintings of the artist trying to capture something about his small group of subjects again and again for decades; Richard Long’s use of walking as a medium; and the rough, earthy sculpture of Magdalena Abakanowicz. Studying art history has given me a sense of connection with humanity across time and geography. Many of my art professors at the University of Colorado encouraged us to think about the content in our work and promoted social awareness. One of my painting professors gave us the assignment of addressing a social issue in a painting. I remember painting a man from behind looking out over a city covered in trash. A few years later when writing my art history master's thesis about the work of Betye Saar, I was impressed by Saar's appreciation of material, her habit of recycling, and her recognition of the power of objects, for example when she incorporated her Aunt Hattie's belongings in Record for Hattie. About her materials Saar states: "The objects that I use, because they're old (or used, at least ), bring their own story; they bring their past with them. I have no idea what that history is. If the object is from my home or my family, I can guess. But I like the idea of not knowing, even though the story's still there. Mary Robinson, Regeneration 2, Screen print, relief print, gouache and glue on mulberry paper, 9.5”x 13”, 2021. Courtesy of the artist. Artist and USC professor, Mary Robinson in her studio. Mary Robinson | Studio

"Dive into Ella Marushchenko's world, where art meets science in detailed scientific illustrations influencing academia and inspiring students. Her work and candid social media presence serve as a testament that personal goals are within reach." Scientific Inspiration, an interview with Sasha and Ella Marushchenko of Ella Maru Studio, Charleston, SC. Ella Marushchenko and her scientific illustrations inspire me. When Darcy and I set out to make South Carolina Sunshine a serious endeavor, we reached out to the Ella Maru Studio to see if they would be willing to be interviewed for a feature in our SC People section. They replied "yes" within twenty minutes of receiving our email. I was thrilled by their generosity. I have followed Ella Marushchenko's career as a scientific illustrator, often incorporating images of the Ella Maru Studio into my Color and Composition syllabus. UofSC students are in awe of the visualizations of chemistry, nano, and biological concepts coupled with the compelling artistic expression of the subjects. They are inspired by Ella's career path, particularly drawn to her social media accounts, where she is authentic about who she is and sometimes shares challenges that she overcame in her youth. Which, for them, is relatable and makes them realize that their goals are obtainable. Sasha and Ella Marushchenko in KUDU Coffee and Craft Beer, Charleston, SC. Photo by Dawn Hunter South Carolina Sunshine is honored to feature Sasha and Ella Marushchenko, the co-founders and owners of Ella Maru Studio located in Charleston, SC. The business specializes in Scientific design and animation. Artistic Background Ella was born and raised in Ufa, Russia. Art has always been part of her life. Her grandmother was an artist, and her mother, who also has artistic talent, always supported her creativity. She received excellent training while she assisted the famous Russian painter, the late Sergey Krasnov, and his assistant Vera Asanbaeva for eight years. While training with Krasnov and Asanbaeva she learned the importance of observation and honed this skill. Above, painting by Sergey Krasnov. After completing her apprenticeship, she earned her Master's degree in art from Bashkir State Pedagogical University, Ufa, Russia. She eventually moved to the Czech Republic and began to explore many different art forms like ceramics, textiles, and watercolor, but she focused primarily on interior and fashion design. She fully expected to pursue a profession in interior design upon arriving in the United States however, she met Dr. Sergiy Minko, who insisted that she create an illustration for an article he planned to publish in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Advanced Functional Materials. Her image was selected for the cover of the journal. Above, artwork by Vera Asanbaeva. Ella Maru Studio Other scientists recognized her ability to summarize their content with the well-designed components (texture, lighting, and color) of her images, and she received more requests for work. Sasha and Ella Marushchenko founded Ella Maru Studio to meet the demand. Sasha, who holds a Ph.D. in chemistry, organized a business plan so that Ella's creativity and scientific illustrations could flourish. In the beginning, it was just the two of them, but Ella Maru Studio has grown and now employs eight people. Their team is a combination of Ph.D. scientists and professionally trained artists from the top universities throughout the United States. In each commission they implement Ph.D. level scientific insight with top art design talent to create engaging scientific images and animations. Her illustrations have been selected as cover art for numerous scientific journals, which include: Nature, Nature Physics, Nature Materials, NatureNanotechnology, Cell, Nanoletters, Angewandte Chemie, and JACS. Sasha and Ella have teamed up for other endeavors outside of Ella Maru Studio in the Charleston area. An example is the conservation of eagles and other wildlife in the low country. Recently, an eagle's nest was threatened by new construction. Sasha is passionate about eagle conservation, so during the peaceful, organized protests against disrupting the eagle's home, they created a painting to put at the site for public display. Through their creativity for conservation, anyone who passed by could be educated regarding dynamics in the region that are threatening to wildlife and endangered species. Ella also continues to develop and is devoted to her personal artistic practice. Occasionally, she accepts special commissions, like the painting featured below. It was a work created for Ella's friend. The painting took three months, and it depicts in rich colors and fine detail the Russian fairytale Lukomorye. Ella's Lukomorye painting is as fascinating and as full of wonderment as her scientific illustrations. We don't know about you, but South Carolina Sunshine is looking forward to the next cover produced by Ella Maru Studio! Ella Marushchenko with her painting about the Russian fairytale "Lukomorye." Follow the link below and visit the Maru Studio website. There you will find lots of examples of her scientific illustration and animated work. Ella Maru Studio

Explore Diana Farfán's whimsical ceramic sculpture, who often offers social commentary in her art. Learn about her impactful community role in our interview. To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Artist Spotlight: Diana Farfán "My advocacy is something that I learned to use as I felt the need to implement strategies that elevate my Latino community and educate others about us." Featured in this section is a portrait of Diana Farfán in her studio taken by Will Cooks. A native of Bogotá, Colombia, our artist spotlight Diana Farfán's lifelong affinity for ceramic sculpture was sparked by pre-Hispanic figures and colonial architecture. After finishing her BFA at Universidad Nacional de Colombia in 1999, Diana expanded her horizons, gaining new perspectives at universities in Alaska and Taiwan. In 2010, she added an MFA from the University of South Carolina to her academic credentials. Now settled in the heart of Greenville, South Carolina, Diana expertly juggles multiple roles. She's not just a sculptor but also an instructor and a passionate advocate for Latino artists. From orchestrating art exhibitions to drafting strategic plans, she's got a lot on her plate but manages it all with aplomb. Known statewide for her community involvement, she's a Liberty Fellowship alumna and Aspen Global Leadership Network member. Diana's work, noted for its whimsical, thought-provoking figures, has received multiple accolades, including the Best in Show at the South Carolina State Museum's 30th Anniversary Juried Exhibition in 2018 and the First Place Award at the 2015 Pickens County Museum Artists Exhibition. Her installations, such as "The Dream Life of Broken Toys" and "The Toy Republic," revealed biting social and political commentary through seemingly innocent toys and puppets. Linthead by Diana Farfán Q & A with Diana Farfán Dawn Hunter: Diana, your work often features dolls, puppets, and toys with deep, meaningful narratives hidden beneath their playful exteriors. What initially inspired you to choose these forms as a medium for your social and political commentary? Diana Farfán: Since I can remember, anthropo-zoomorphic forms have come out of my mind and hands easily. At an early age, I perceived that I could create my stories and that my body was always available for anatomical references. I enjoyed making fabric and paper puppets that embodied my characters and staging short plays to parody family and friend situations. Bogota, where I grew up, experienced many social conflicts due to the civil war and the anti-narco battle in Colombia, so it was usual to hear hostile descriptions of violent events broadcast on the news. I remember playing with my toys, dramatizing scenes from those disturbances while giving a sense of the national and world chaos in those years with my playful characters. Years later, after finishing my BFA, I worked as an art teacher in public schools in Bogotá, Colombia, and I came across the reality of many children who came from families displaced from the countryside to the city, fleeing from social conflicts derived from those wars I used to hear from the radio. This experience redirected my gaze toward the issue of manipulation when observing these young lives in vulnerable conditions. In 2002, I began to develop a visual proposal based on marionettes, puppets, and ceramic dolls that served me well to exemplify the theme of reverie, innocence, and control. Consecutively my work was expanding in a more human-nature sense. In a capitalist and consumerist system, in which everyone is manipulated but also manipulative, we play the game of action and reaction, give and take, pull and push, victim and victimized. We are part of a social fabric with invisible strings that connect us. When our purposes are positive and collective, we are constructive and grow. When our goals are ambitious and selfish, sadly, we become destructive and obstructive. Although my social and political commentaries hold desperation and sadness, I intentionally leave traces to find light and hope in my sculptures. 1+1=3 by Diana Farfán Detail of Linthead by Diana Farfán Dawn Hunter: You've truly made a mark on the Latino arts community through your art and your advocacy work. Can you recall a specific moment when you felt your contributions really made a difference? Why does that memory stand out to you? Diana Farfán: In 2012 I joined Palmetto Luna Arts' Board of Directors, an organization based in Columbia, SC, whose mission is to foster an understanding of the Hispanic/Latino culture by promoting artistic creation and providing opportunities for cultural expression for the community in the state. It was my first experience working for a non-profit, and I needed a clear path to advocate for my community, but eventually, things started working well. I learned about cultural agency and how to use art as a tool to open dialogues among diverse groups. For example, we, Latinos, are often stereotyped as loud, colorful, party people who eat tacos, beans, and rice; and wear flower-printed clothes, braided hair, long mustaches, and sombreros. However, we are much more than that. There are 20 countries and 14 territories in Latin America, each with specific idiosyncrasies and a vast diversity of body looks, ideologies, traditions, folklore, heritage, and cultural expressions. To illustrate that, here are two examples. In 2016, 12 Greenville-area Hispano-Latino artists from 8 countries participated in Feeling Latino, an art exhibition held at the Metropolitan Arts Council whose purpose was the celebration of the different nationalities sharing the same language and territory. The opening night was a great hit, and the gallery was utterly packed with Latinos and people from elsewhere exchanging experiences regarding cultures, art, and life. Another successful event was Ecos (Echoes), conceived by The Citadel Oral History Program and orchestrated by PLA. In 2018, a group of nineteen artists from SC was tasked with listening to real stories of immigrants told by their protagonists to create artwork based on their interpretations. The creation process took approximately ten months, and every artist was asked to report the progress of their works before submitting the final pieces. I witnessed how the commotional stories profoundly touched every artist. I was surprised at the chain effect when the artists' relatives, friends, colleagues, etc., got engaged with the processes and felt identified by the works' narratives. The Columbia Arts Museum's Community Gallery was the first space to host Ecos, and once again, the opening reception was a big turnout. It was the first time for several of the attendees to visit a museum that day. It was significant for the artists' families, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc., to feel proud of their heritage and, most importantly, included in such an important art institution. Ecos was planned as a tour exhibition for two years, but until 2021 it was visiting cities in other states, including NC and OH. My advocacy is something that I learned to use as I felt the need to implement strategies that elevate my Latino community and educate others about us. Linthead Installation by Diana Farfán in the Mill District, Columbia, SC Dawn Hunter: Your body of work is quite diverse, ranging from your earlier creations to your recent series "Bread and Circus". How would you describe the evolution of your art and what has influenced this journey? Diana Farfán: My first pieces, during the last years of my undergraduate program, were based on my interpretation of Bogota's citizens and our way of navigating a chaotic society. Aesthetically, my ceramic pieces evoked armatures and shields, as if human bodies were unearthed or hidden and protected by an impenetrable breastplate. They were large-scale with an industrial look and earthy colors, possessing a nostalgic urban presence. Then, while I worked as an art teacher for the public school system in my hometown, my ceramic production was based on my student's lives. I used babies and child-like shapes to make them articulated puppets and marionettes, joined with rusty nuts and bolts, hung from strings with movable armatures, conveying a fragile but resilient look. I wanted these ceramic bodies to communicate control, manipulation, and hope. I felt the need to speak about my home country's social and political situation, Colombia, which also reflected what was happening globally. During my graduate program, I intended to communicate my thoughts more efficiently, playfully, and poetically with casted shadows, soundtracks, built stages, and display devices such as rusty metallic swings, stools, and sandboxes made from found steel machinery or disposed of wooden components. My original puppet style branched into many toys that gained a dramatic and powerful dimension, narrating childhood innocence and the intrinsic and complex possibilities of adulthood in politics, religion, and education. The meaning of toys as objects or channels of entertainment, training, and learning is what I felt compelled to use. More recently, the human anatomy I used in my figures comes back and forth. I create specific anatomical measurements for my characters depending on the story I want to pursue, where the use of the body ranges from the classic cannon to abstract and conceptual representations. My latest ceramic production involves my concerns about the human relationship with animals and the environment and my preoccupation with overpopulation and our unstoppable consumerism. Pursuit of Happiness by Diana Farfán Dawn Hunter: Your artwork is absolutely unique and full of character. I'm curious, what does your creative journey look like? How does an idea in your mind transform into one of your distinctive sculptures? Diana Farfán: Before I start a body of work, an installation, or a singular piece, the content and physicality are the elements I define first. I enjoy exploring techniques, materials, and styles and combining different approaches to create my figures. My daily experiences are the portals to stimulate my mind, create projects, transform clay into shapes, and adjust my figures. I find inspiration in occurring that enables me intellectually and emotionally. The stories of the people around me, news of my home country, international affairs, art, a song, a movie, a conversation, a memory, and many other subjects touch my soul. For instance, my love for animals led me to volunteer for the Greenville Animal Shelter in 2019. Still, I learned quickly about the sad side of inhumane animal treatment in my area, in SC, and beyond, such as unregulated animal breeding for profit and the cruel dog and cock fights. I needed to educate myself and the kids on animal issues to prevent animal injustice in my community. That journey taught me about a particular field called Humane Education, which is an action-oriented field of study that draws connections between human rights, animal protection, and environmental sustainability. I got excited to know that HE is taught as a subject and curriculum in various US states, but unfortunately, not in SC. So, I decided to use my two preferred art mediums, ceramic sculpture, and education, to address my concerns and advocate for the voiceless. My recent body of work -Conversation Starters, Constellations, and Pursuit of Happiness- is oriented to speak out about humans' scary impact on nature, the environment, and all living creatures. I need to externalize my concerns because it burns inside if I don’t do it. Dawn Hunter: You've been recognized with several awards and exhibited at numerous prestigious venues. What would you consider your proudest moment as an artist so far and why? Diana Farfán: To be recognized is something I don't think about. However, when I achieve a goal, an award, or any accomplishment, I take it as an opportunity to grow, educate others on ceramic art, and practice to be humble. Perhaps my proudest moment achieved as an artist was my MFA graduation day because my parents flew from Bogota, Colombia, and my sisters with in-laws came from far to celebrate with me. My family and husband, all my most loyal supporters, felt my graduate degree was a mutual effort. They knew how challenging it was for me to successfully culminate three years of an academic program as an international student when I had to improve my English, develop a cohesive body of work, cultivate relationships, learn how to navigate a new city, and adjust to the American culture, all together at "the speed of light." Diana Farfán's Website dianafarfan.com Share this interview! Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Artist: Diana Farán| LOCATION: Greenville, SC Title: The Last Kiss. 2023 Competition Year. The Last Kiss by Diana Farfán

Conversation: Exploring Art, Life, and Education with Sara Schneckloth, Nakisa Abdollahbeigi, and Stephanie Allen – Insights into their Artistic Journey, Experiences at the University of South Carolina, Teaching Perspectives, and Post-Graduation Pathways. Welcome to CONVERSATION, interviews with Sara Schneckloth, Nakisa Abdollahbeigi and Stephanie Allen. SARA SCHNECKLOTH is passionate about teaching. Her excellence in the classroom was recognized this past spring when she was awarded USC's prestigious Michael J. Mungo Teaching Award - for the second time during the past ten years! The first was for her undergraduate teaching and the second was for her Graduate teaching. Professor Sara Schneckloth has been teaching at UofSC since 2007. She has a reputation among the student population as a great motivator who is prone to incorporating the unexpected and innovation in the art classroom experience. Students find her classes exciting, rigorous, and rewarding. South Carolina Sunshine has interviewed Sara and two of her recently graduated students: undergraduate Stephanie Allen and MFA graduate Nakisa Abdollahbeigi. Image above, by artist and UofSC professor, Sara Schneckloth from her Topographies series: Earth pigments, graphite, colored pencil, wax on Yupo, 2021. Dawn Hunter: Teaching is a great passion of yours. How did you become interested in teaching? Sara Schneckloth: It is indeed a driving passion! I had the pleasure of teaching for the first time in Cape Town, South Africa at the Community Arts Project from 2000-2002, where I discovered how grounding and satisfying it is to be in a studio classroom with people who are focused, engaged, and motivated – it has grown and expanded ever since, whether at the University of Wisconsin as a grad student and instructor, and here at Carolina since 2007. Dawn Hunter: You have won two Mungo teaching awards, one for undergraduate teaching and one for graduate teaching, what are your perceptions of similarities and differences among those student populations? Sara Schneckloth: Our students all bring different levels of experience into the classroom, and I believe it’s important to meet people at whatever level they are starting. In any level of drawing course, we engage with the questions, techniques, and processes that can help bridge the gap between what they aspire to create and a growing bank of skills and resources they have at their disposal. Like many of us teaching studio art courses to undergraduates, SVAD classes attract both art majors and students from across the university who are keen to bring artmaking into their lives – it’s these interdisciplinary conversations that can really take an undergraduate project in exciting directions, as students look to combine their other academic interests and cares with drawing. SVAD graduate students bring a host of life experiences with them as they engage in three years of creative and academic study and studio work, and I am perpetually inspired by the strides these artists and scholars take in bringing their creative visions to light while in the MFA program and beyond. Above: Sara Schneckloth working at her summer studio in New Mexico. Photo by Megan Clark. Dawn Hunter: When you pursued your MFA at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, at the time, did you envision teaching becoming such a big part of your life and studio practice? Sara Schneckloth: I did, if only because of recognizing early on the excitement and joy I feel when working with a group of inspiring and motivated students – that dynamic energy, the flow of ideas, the deep immersion in creative process – all of it elevates my overall approach to making artwork. There is a cyclical flow between what happens in my studio and what happens in the classroom – each feeds and inspires the other and I honestly and simply love working with people as they bring a vision to light. Dawn Hunter: Describe your teaching style. Sara Schneckloth: My approach to teaching combines rigorous attention to a range of traditional and contemporary drawing methodologies, encouragement of self-discovery, and active engagement in peer critique. I believe that every student brings a unique set of personal experiences to the university environment, and that one of my roles is to support undergraduate and graduate students in investigating and translating those diverse experiences into meaningful works of art, through drawing, writing, and speaking, becoming artists who move fluidly between ideas and images. From teaching to mentoring and advising, I work with graduate students to build solid technical skills in visual artmaking, confidence with materials and processes, and a critical and incisive language for talking about their work and the work of others. Students move forward with a better understanding of themselves as thoughtful practitioners they learn to ask questions of their artwork, each other, and of the enterprise of art making as it manifests across disciplines. In my career at UofSC, I am dedicated to training a generation of artists, scholars, and future educators who embody principles of open exploration and expression of ideas, and care for the aesthetic dimensions of being in the world. Dawn Hunter to Nakisa Abdollahbeigi: How or why did you decide to work with Sara Schneckloth as your mentor? Nakisa Abdollahbeigi: Professor Schneckloth is a very kind and supportive person—also highly professional and experienced in studio art with main focus on Drawing. Since Drawing is my primary major, I have decided to work with Professor Schneckloth as my thesis mentor. Dawn Hunter to Stephanie Allen: How or why did you decide to work with Sara Schneckloth as your mentor? Stephanie Allen: I've worked closely with Sara since I was a sophomore. Even before I had asked her to be my thesis director, she had mentored me more than any other professor I had worked with. She understands my goals as an artist, knows my range of skills and where to push me. Choosing her just made sense. She was always willing to go above and beyond to support me and I am so indescribably grateful for how she's helped shape my undergraduate experience. Above, image from Nakisa Abdollahbeigi's MFA thesis exhibition, Carry On. Dawn Hunter to Sara Schneckloth: How does teaching a class or working one-on-one with a student in a classroom setting manifest differently from mentoring a long-term project? Sara Schneckloth: When working with any student on a project, long- or short-term, my hope is that they allow their thinking and processes to be fluid and evolve. That evolution can take on many forms, whether in how they approach the act of seeing, the drawing techniques and materials they use, or how they invent new conceptual challenges and questions for themselves. Being able to work with a student over an extended period of time is so rewarding, as often the project will go through a period of radical reinvention, as the person goes deeper into what is really motivating them to make the work. It’s that blend of discovery and excitement that can propel a project to even greater success, with momentum to keep making more work going forward. One of many mural walls created by Marius Valdes at the Richland County Public Library, Columbia, South Carolina. Dawn Hunter to Nakisa Abdollahbeigi: What qualities did Sara bring to the relationship that helped you progress your thesis in the right direction? Nakisa Abdollahbeigi: One of the most important qualities I admire in Professor Schneckloth is her organized and detail-oriented personality. As my thesis mentor, she played a key role in helping me coordinate committee meetings routinely and provided excellent mentorship for developing the idea, implementation, and management of my thesis project. She also evaluated my performance in the program and provided thoughtful feedback on each step of my project to help me complete it with the best quality. Dawn Hunter to Stephanie Allen: What qualities did Sara bring to the relationship that helped you progress your thesis in the right direction? Stephanie Allen: Sara has a knack for finding the most interesting and unconventional mediums and surfaces. I knew she would be a great resource to have when working on a project that required unusual materials. I wasn't sure what the pieces would be made of or how they would be hung, and she provided resources that allowed the project to look professional while staying within budget. She has a great eye for abstraction. This show features some of my very first exclusively abstract pieces that would not have been conceptualized without her guidance on materials, abstraction, and the intuitive mark. Sara has worked with similar interview-based projects before— she knew where to look for weak spots in interviewing ethics and how to create successful visual narratives. While I technically have a drawing concentration, Sara has a very expansive definition of what a "drawing" is. I knew that this perspective would give me the creative freedom to work however I needed to and would allow me to take an untraditional approach to drawing. Above, Strive, a mixed media drawing by Stephanie Allen. Below, Stephanie Allen's BFA thesis exhibition titled, In My Skin, Her Skin. Both photos by Stephanie Allen. Image above, by artist and UofSC professor, Sara Schneckloth from her Topographies series: Earth pigments, graphite, colored pencil, wax on Yupo, 2021. Dawn Hunter to Stephanie Allen: Your thesis exhibition is a personal and biographical (of you and others) show. What did you want the viewers to learn, understand or experience from the show? Stephanie Allen: The ways in which the spoken word and the creation of art can lead to a larger understanding of self was deeply considered in the creation of this project: by understanding other queer stories, I could more clearly engage with my own. This exhibition is an artistic investigation of queer femininity and body image. As our bodies and identities are so deeply intertwined, this project explores the way in which the body and presentation create and structure perceptions of queerness, gender, and beauty. Each portrait represents a queer woman or non-binary person that I interviewed, directly rendering their appearance and abstractly interpreting their relationship with their body and queer identity. This project aims to visually record the feeling of being seen and one’s developing knowledge of their identity. Specifically, by realistically showing a variety of different body types that all relate to queerness and femininity in some way, we may expand our presupposed notions about the body enforcing identity. Additionally, despite these varying appearances of the body, the throughlines of body insecurity, navigating queer expression, and learning self-love unify these differences to reinforce the idea that the person is so much more than the body. Understanding that the body is art and art is the person is a key component of my work. In extending our definition of art to include the body, we can shift out of a sense of moralizing critique to one of understanding, appreciation, and respect for both the self and others. Dawn Hunter to Nakisa Abdollahbeigi: Your thesis exhibition, Carry On, was a personal/autobiographical show. What did you want the viewers to learn, understand or experience from the show? Nakisa Abdollahbeigi: One of the most important aspects of my thesis exhibitio n was to help the viewers feel and communicate with the emotional challenges immigrants face during and after immigration. Most importantly, I aimed to show them how feelings of living far away from loved ones, like parents, siblings, best childhood friends, and family members can have personal and emotional impacts on an immigrant’s life. Another aspect was to show how the sense of disconnection from the original culture, language, memorable moments, and nostalgic places in life can affect an immigrant’s personal identity. Lastly, my goal was to reflect on challenges that immigrants experience after moving to a new country such as adapting to a different culture and learning a new language. Above, image from Nakisa Abdollahbeigi's MFA thesis exhibition, Carry On. Below, Nakisa (center) with guests at her exhibition opening. Above, image from Nakisa Abdollahbeigi's MFA thesis exhibition, Carry On. Below, Nakisa (center) with guests at her exhibition opening. Dawn Hunter to Stephanie Allen: The work is created in layers, and each piece is a complete experience on its own, but the entire show works as an installation. Was that intentional, or did it synchronize in the installation process? Was that intentional when creating the works for the show? How did the choices in the installation evolve? Stephanie Allen: These pieces are what I have come to describe as "floating collages." The question of materials was something that long haunted me in the beginning stages of this project. More specifically, the question of how to hang said materials was one of the biggest early challenges that I faced. I was set on the pieces being larger than life and knew that the show had to function in layers. I wanted to have a layer that realistically described the body, and another layer to describe the person's relationship with their body femininity, and queer identity. This made it difficult for traditional materials (canvas, board, frames, etc.) to practically function. Acetate was light but durable, and had the transparent quality that I wanted. Ultimately, the installation came together because it had to. Once I had created the pieces, they needed to go up however would work. Based on the advice of Sara Schneckloth and my second reader, Brent Dedas, I used magnets and metal plates to hang the drawings. I wanted the pieces to invade the viewers' space, have intricate cast shadows, and have distinctly separate layers (i.e. I didn't want them stacked flatly on top of each other). The choices I made for installation then followed these requirements that I had established for myself. Above, BFA Thesis exhibition, In My Skin, Her Skin, by Stephanie Allen. Photo by Dawn Hunter Below, closing reception for In My Skin, Her Skin. Photo by Rachel Kaiser. Dawn Hunter to Stephanie Allen: You selected unconventional drawing materials for the works, and the figures are larger than life in scale. Why did you decide to use unconventional materials, and what was the process that led to the large-scale figures? Stephanie Allen: A big part of the show was subverting the expectation that the body dictates identity and expression. It was the perceived difference between these two things —body and identity— that I wanted to focus on. Because the two exist in different spheres, I wanted the visual representations of each aspect of the subject to have separate spaces on the piece. Yet, because they are combined to create one person, they had to exist within a singular composition. I didn't want to create separate pieces (one about the body of the subject and one about the identity of the subject) because that would strip the body of personhood and the person of body. Our identities and bodies are deeply and personally intertwined, so the notion of a floating collage seemed like an interesting challenge that fit my thematic goals. I wanted the pieces to command attention— these drawings are about real people and their stories, so they deserve to be on a scale that appropriately describes the complexity of queer identity. Dawn Hunter to Nakisa Abdollahbeigi: There was an installation piece in the show, Memories in My Carry On. However, one could argue that the entire show is an installation with sub or "mini" structures within it - like, Family Album or the diptych Family Tree. Was that intentional when designing the show? How did the choices in the installation evolve? Nakisa Abdollahbeigi: The central idea for my exhibition was developed based upon the concept of immigration and its challenges. The components of the show were designed to reflect on different aspects of this main concept with the goal to show how personal, cultural, and emotional challenges play a critical role in an immigrant’s life. The most challenging part for setting up the exhibition was the installation of the "Memories in My Carry On" as the central component. This theme was designed by wrapping a suitcase – as a symbol of immigration – in red straps inside a wooden box and visually connecting it with photos of family, moments, and nostalgic places printed on fabric. To develop the idea for this theme, I played around with the sub-components and changed their order and composition several times. The empty space between photo installations on the wall and the suitcase on the floor was filled with red-strap loops hanging from the ceiling. This latter component was designed to create an obstacle and make it difficult for the viewers to walk in the space between components with the goal to symbolize challenges that immigrants experience during and after their transition to a new life. Above, Stephanie Allen's mixed media drawing titled Skin. Photo by Dawn Hunter. Dawn Hunter to Stephanie Allen: How did your work evolve and change while at UofSC? Stephanie Allen: The biggest change that came to my work was increasing degrees of abstraction. I was almost afraid of working abstractly when I first came to Carolina I felt that I had to "prove" my ability to work realistically before delving into the abstract. This then resulted in an interesting combination of realism and abstraction: I love creating weird abstract shapes and images that functioned realistically within their compositions without being directly representational. This project was in some ways far more representational than I have worked in a long time but is simultaneously one of the most abstract series I've done. I honestly see myself continuing to spiral into more abstract territories. My work has consistently focused on feminine and queer identity while at Carolina, and I am interested in expanding and diversifying this thematic base that I've established. Dawn Hunter to Nakisa Abdollahbeigi: How did your work evolve and change while at UofSC? Nakisa Abdollahbeigi: Studying art at UofSC was my first experience with an American educational institute after my immigration to the United States. At the beginning, I found it very different from my experience with an educational institute in my home country, Iran. I gradually adapted myself to the new environment and learned many new things about the art, culture, and language by taking different courses and working on studio art projects for my classes and the MFA thesis. The SVAD program has given me the chance to interact with amazing students and work with inspirational professors and artists who showed me how to think and work creatively and supported me along the way. In my program, I became familiar with a wide range of materials and learned many new techniques for creating art and these skills will be critical for my collaboration with other artists and exploring new things in my future career. Above, Nakisa Abdollahbeigi at the opening of her MFA thesis exhibition, Carry On. Below, detail of an installation piece. Dawn Hunter to Nakisa Abdollahbeigi: What are your future plans? Nakisa Abdollahbeigi: Personally, I enjoy working in academic environments and continuously exploring and learning from other people’s work. I also highly value teaching and am enthusiastic about having the chance to share my experience with students. As an immigrant artist with Iranian background, my plan is to continue working on projects that can help raise awareness about and promote appreciation for cross-cultural values and differences. I believe this is one possible way artists can contribute to building bridges between people from different personal, social, and cultural backgrounds. Dawn Hunter to Stephanie Allen: What are your future plans? Stephanie Allen: I majored in English and studio art while at UofSC and truly enjoyed both subjects. Right now, my career is aligning more closely with my English degree. This summer I am attending NYU's Summer Publishing Institute and I plan to pursue a career in publishing from there. However, as I'm always looking for ways to combine my passions, I am certainly keeping an eye out for publishers of illustrated books and art-based magazines. I plan on continuing my artistic practice regardless of my career path and hope to ultimately find my way back to grad school. Dawn Hunter to Sara Schneckloth: You have initiated a lot of opportunities for teaching, outreach, and community engagement. Do you have plans to develop other teaching initiatives? - like in NM, is that a program/residency you aim to grow? Sara Schneckloth: The studio work I do in the summer in New Mexico is a central part of my overall creative research, and working out here in this remote and rural location is a point of ongoing inspiration and challenge. It’s exciting for me to be able to share the kind of work I do out here with others, and I am interested in growing that in the years ahead, but slowly and with care. I just hosted a small in-person gathering for six artists keen to integrate natural materials into their practices we gathered local clay and ground it into pigments, hiked though the San Juan Basin badlands gathering visual inspiration, and created drawings to connect mark to landscape. The act of uniting material to place is one that can be revelatory, and I hope to create more opportunities to do that with others in the years to come. Dawn Hunter to Sara Schneckloth: What surprises you the most about teaching? or, What event did you experience in education that gave you the biggest surprise? Sara Schneckloth: I think I’m most surprised by how new it always feels every semester, with the rush of jumping in to a full stream of potential, and being a part of such personal exploration, development, and growth. I am grateful for being a part of hundreds of people’s creative processes over the past twenty plus years of teaching, and look forward to many more. Sara Schneckloth, final thoughts on teaching: I would say my teaching style closely mirrors how I work in the studio – I’m driven by an ethic of play and experimentation, curiosity, and a willingness to hold things lightly throughout the process, even/especially when things don’t unfold as planned. By engaging in a blend of close observation, traditional drawing approaches, and experimenting with diverse materials and processes, my hope is for students to make discoveries about their own investment in creating images and artworks, and find satisfaction in process and image alike. Learn more about Sara by visiting her website link below. saraschneckloth.com

Dawn Hunter's travel drawings from Atlanta capture moments at the High Museum and Midtown’s Politan Row. From studies of Kim Chong Hak’s vibrant canvases to portraits of everyday encounters, my sketchbook practice transforms observation into lasting form. To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Travel Drawings: Midtown, Atlanta by Dawn Hunter “I love the seasons—spring, summer, autumn, winter. I love them for what they are and for the idea they evoke, that of permanent change. They embody life, renewal, energy." by Kim Chong Hak I brought my sketchbook with me on my recent trip to Atlanta in order to practice life drawing. I engaged in the process at various locations including the High Museum of Art, the Politan Row at Colony Square and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Travel drawing functions as an artistic practice which helps me both create art and grasp the meaning of my experiences. Drawing serves as my method to observe the world while I slow down and convert brief experiences into enduring artistic creations no matter where I am. High Museum of Art At the High Museum of Art, I sketched two works by South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak—Autumn (2023) and Pandemonium (2018).These large-scale acrylic paintings are part of the Kim Chong Hak Foundation’s collection and were included in Kim Chong Hak: Painter of Seoraksan, the artist’s first U.S. museum exhibition (April 11–November 2, 2025). Kim’s work, is vibrant and features floral and mountain imagery. It resonates deeply with me.His ability to sustain a sense of childlike wonder while rendering nature with expressive intensity creates a dialogue between immediacy and permanence. My sketches of his work became a study not only in line and form but also in the way perception shifts when responding to another artist’s vision. Title: detail of Pandemonium, 2018, by Kim Chong Hak, Acrylic on canvas Courtesy of the artist and the Kim Chong Hak Foundation Title: sketch of Kim Chong Hak's detail of Pandemonium by Dawn Hunter, color pencil, marker and pen on paper, 11" x 17" Drawing in the City Outside the museum, I turned to the city itself. At Politan Row at Colony Square, a food hall and bar in Midtown near the High Museum, I immersed myself in drawing the people who were around me. The space is elegant and casual, and it is a setting that attracts visitors out for the evening, decompressing from work and even wedding parties. The crowded environment lent itself to caricature-like drawings that captured gesture and expression. Among these sketches, one subject stood out: Kree, a young pregnant nursing student on a staycation with her boyfriend. I was struck by her presence, which was restful, grounded, and contemplative amid the busy scene. My portrait of her became a more sustained drawing, balancing spontaneity with careful observation. Title: sketch of guests at Politan Row at Colony Square, Midtown, Atlanta by Dawn Hunter, marker and pen on paper, 11" x 14" Politan Row Community The caricature drawings made at Politan Row in Atlanta showcase the dynamic nature of people who gather in this active social environment. I use quick layered lines to create expressive drawings that focus on capturing gestures and personality traits instead of exact details. The drawings showcase both the natural observation process and the active communal environment through their range of detailed work from basic impressions to fully realized portraits. The collection of drawings presents a dynamic visual documentation of people who interact with each other while showing their unique characteristics. Title: Portrait of Brandon by Dawn Hunter, pen and ink on paper, 11" x 14" Title: Portrait of Kree by Dawn Hunter, pen and ink on paper, 11" x 14" Title: sketch of guests at Politan Row at Colony Square, Midtown, Atlanta by Dawn Hunter, marker and pen on paper, 11" x 14" Title: sketch of guests at Politan Row at Colony Square, Midtown, Atlanta by Dawn Hunter, marker and pen on paper, 11" x 14" Title: sketch of Kim Chong Hak's detail of Autumn by Dawn Hunter, color pencil, marker and pen on paper, 11" x 17" Off the Wall and into the World My drawings of the Atlanta Botanical Garden present an energetic and interactive interpretation of nature which draws inspiration from Kim Chong Hak's dense and rhythmic compositions of his paintings on display at the High Museum. In my sketches I aim to depict the garden's thick vegetation with lines and colors to represent the vibrant plant life. The drawings follow Kim Chong Hak's expressive and action oriented painting and drawing style by emphasizing tempo, movement and abundance of a densely packed landscape. Title: Atlanta Botanical Garden 1, by Dawn Hunter, marker and pen on paper, 11" x 17" Title: Japanese Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden, by Dawn Hunter, marker and pen on paper, 11" x 17" Process and Purpose My sketchbook practice is rooted in perceptual drawing. The practice of this type of focused observation activates both emotional and intellectual mental operations. Through direct observation of life I establish a dynamic relationship with the artistic elements of line, shape, value, texture, space, color and form. The process provides more than visual study. Through drawing people can focus their minds while developing their spatial reasoning abilities and their skills in working with proportions and gestures. The steady observation of my hand movement across the page creates a meditative state which helps me reduce my anxiety and stress while creating a connection with my environment. Through travel drawing I transform the present moment into lasting marks which transcend the current instant as I draw both Kim Chong Hak's whimsically rich paintings, the people in a crowded food hall or the rich landscape of the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Title: Atlanta Botanical Garden 2, by Dawn Hunter, marker and pen on paper, 11" x 17"

Experience the intricate, story-rich quilts of Tina Williams Brewer at Columbia Museum of Art's "Stories of Grace." Brewer's hand-stitched creations explore themes from African diasporic history to spiritual connections, capturing the resilience and grace of African American culture. Tina Williams Brewer Stories of Grace, June 10 -September 3 , 2023 Tina Williams Brewer, a West Virginia native, has a career spanning more than four decades, during which she has skillfully intertwined personal experiences, historical narratives, and vibrant textiles to create her signature story quilts. Her dynamic, hand-stitched pieces are often richly inspired by her extensive travels, including significant time on St. Helena Island in South Carolina. These inspirations infuse her work with diverse themes reflecting African diasporic history, spiritual connection, shared lineage, and migratory patterns. "My intention is to give dignity to human suffering, finding rhythms that are both mind-stirring and soul-soothing." - Tina Williams Brewer A remarkable collection of her work, the "Stories of Grace" exhibition, can be appreciated at the Columbia Museum of Art through September 3, 2023. The museum's doors are open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM until 5 PM, extending their hours to 8 PM every Thursday. Born in 1949 in Huntington, West Virginia, Brewer now resides and creates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Columbus College of Art and Design, honing her unique artistic voice over 40 years. Her story quilts weave together symbolism, textiles, and an exploration of African-American history and spirituality, reflecting themes of generational healing and cultural resilience. Her work narrates stories, channeling ancestral wisdom. It expresses the profound joy of communal gathering, spiritual strength, the sting of racial prejudice, and the steps toward progress. Her art captures the tenacity of African American families and the light that elevates them. She aspires to bring honor to human suffering, finding rhythms that are thought provoking and comforting. Tina Williams Brewer, continued: Primarily hand-quilted, Brewer's artwork incorporates collage mixed-media, such as photo transfers, printmaking, and hand-beading. Each piece is adorned with symbols from African cultures and vibrant patterns that echo cultural and personal narratives, creating intricate, layered compositions that map out her heritage, the African diaspora, and the interconnection of past, present, and future. Her creations have found homes in both domestic and international exhibits, including the United States Embassy in Ghana and the American Craft Museum in New York City. Brewer has enjoyed recognition from the American Arts in Embassy Program for over two decades and has received the prestigious Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Governor's Awards for the Arts. Her pieces are also part of the permanent collections at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, and The African American Museum of Dallas. Brewer's recent showcases include the 1-54 Contemporary Art Fair in NYC, selected by Omar Berrada, EXPO Chicago's Curated Selection by Eric Shiner, Christies, Rockefeller Plaza, NYC, "Knotted Ties" at DeBuck Gallery NYC, and "Threaded Memories" at the Untitled Art Fair, Miami Beach, 2021, selected by Natasha Becker, Curator, DeYoung Museum, San Francisco, CA. About the Columbia Museum of Art Situated in the vibrant downtown district of Columbia, South Carolina, the Columbia Museum of Art stands as a cultural beacon for the city. Boasting an extensive permanent collection along with intriguing temporary exhibitions, the museum establishes itself as a central hub for community engagement. With a dedication to lifelong learning, it offers comprehensive educational programs tailored for all age groups, from children to adults. Each exhibition is enriched by supplementary programming, emphasizing the museum's commitment to crafting an inclusive and enriching experience for every visitor. Museum hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10AM - 5PM Extended hours every Thursday until 8PM More