FINE ART THRIVES IN THE COASTAL LOWCOUNTRY

An ever-popular Pawleys Island gallery passes the torch to a new owner

by CHRISTINA ANDREWS

Vivacious , stylish and remarkably talented , kaitee floyd is now one of the youngest gallery owners on the Hammock Coast with her newly minted gallery, Floyd Fine Arts. Though young in years, Floyd put in more than seven seasons as director at the Cheryl Newby Gallery before purchasing and transitioning the business to her name.

Evolving from gallery director to owner was a natural process for Floyd.

Already in place were well-established relationships with the 20-plus artists the gallery represents, plus Floyd, as director, had learned the ropes of running all aspects of the business from her highly successful predecessor. When the time came to retire, Cheryl Newby was thrilled to pass the torch to Floyd, trusting her implicitly. And Floyd has carried on as Newby envisioned, maintaining the high standards in art procurement for which the gallery is renowned.

Floyd is a native of the coastal Lowcountry, having grown up in Murrells Inlet. Throughout her childhood, Floyd watched her entrepreneurial father run his own company, Starwood Landscaping, and from those observations determined she “wanted to be the boss.” In early adulthood, Floyd’s interests ran to business and art, so when the time came for college, the interdisciplinary studies program at nearby Coastal Carolina University was a perfect fit. Floyd was able to major in arts management while also taking hands-on art courses. Her passion for art and business melded into what would end up being her life’s calling.

Shortly following graduation in 2013, Floyd began knocking on the doors of every art gallery in the region, looking for work. Though there were no employment opportunities at the time, Floyd made an enthusiastic connection with Cheryl Newby. Newby had just made a hire but was unsure how it would transpire and asked Floyd to connect again in a month. As luck would have it, the gallery assistant position became available, and the rest is history!

Floyd quickly established that she was capable of managing all aspects of the gallery, allowing a reprieve for Newby, who after 37 years was happy to relinquish some of her responsibilities. Shortly thereafter, Floyd took over as gallery director. Once 2021 rolled in, Newby felt the time was right to retire, and she had decided that either Floyd should purchase the business or she would permanently close its doors. As luck would have it, the timing was right for both Floyd and Newby, and thus began the transition in ownership.

Today, Floyd Fine Arts proudly continues to represent Newby’s varied roster of talent while bringing worthy new artists into the fold. The gallery’s offerings range from sculpture and ceramics to paintings, pastels and limited-edition prints. Paintings represent the largest share of Floyd’s collection and vary in terms of medium, such as watercolor, oil, acrylic and tempera.

Remarkable in its diversity are the styles represented in the gallery, from landscape and nature to classical still life to genre art, minimalist and abstract pieces. The connection between all is their accessibility. Especially popular are the still lifes of Ellen Buselli, traditional landscapes of Paula Holtzclaw, and the evocative cypress swamp and fish paintings of Mike Williams. Lisa Gleim’s award-winning pastels feature subjects of wildlife, birds, landscapes and boats, and are especially colorful and full of light.

The gallery also enjoys beautiful ceramic pieces by Elizabeth Borowsky and Glenda Taylor. Borowsky’s clean, white porcelain engenders a coastal feel in its intricate abstractness, while Glenda Taylor’s functional pieces include loving representations of nautical life, namely turtles, octopuses and the like. Her works gently pay homage to art nouveau.

Also of note are the gallery’s six prominent sculptors, some of whom have permanent installations at Brookgreen Gardens, which contains the largest and most comprehensive collection of American figurative sculpture in the United States. Works in the gallery range from classical figurative to wildlife and coastal birds to bronze and plaster bas relief and low relief. Sculptures are available in a diversity of patinas, some of which are uniquely colorful. Popular sculptor Sandy Scott, whose authentic and powerful animal bronzes are a regular feature at the gallery, will be spotlighted in a special exhibit this coming October

In addition to the gallery’s ever-changing offerings by its foundational artists, Floyd weaves in special exhibits, often collaborating with outside entities such as Brookgreen Gardens and the AWA (American Women Artists). Those who regularly visit the gallery look forward to Floyd’s themed quarterly exhibitions and occasional pop-up shows.

The Floyd Fine Arts gallery is especially inviting. Works are displayed spaciously for maximum effect, with contemplation seating sprinkled throughout the three rooms. Guests can relax on the gallery’s shady front porch, looking out onto a beautiful pond, and the gallery is child-friendly. For those who venture regularly to the coastal Lowcountry to vacation, Floyd Fine Arts is a popular stop. Floyd notes that guests often plan trips around visiting the gallery, especially when they have a hankering to add a new piece to their collection. *

Christina Andrews is a freelance writer from the Napa Valley who specializes in personal and business bios, food and wine, visual arts, music, hospitality, the event industry, community interest stories, obituaries and political satire.

Floyd Fine Arts

11096 OCEAN HIGHWAY

PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC 29585 843.979.0149

FLOYDFINEARTS.COM