SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION
FEBRUARY 15-17, 2013
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
Festival overview.................6-8 DockDogs ................................10 Local artists ....................... 12-15
Schedule & map............... 16-17 Featured painter .............. 18-21
A SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF THE POST AND COURIER
(Painter Jay Kemp, work above)
Featured sculptor ............22-24 Birds of Prey ..................... 26-30 Restaurants & food .........32-33 POSTANDCOURIER.COM
2 ! SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013
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Inside
18 -21 F E AT U R E D PA I N T E R Jay Kemp’s work is highly sought after by art connoisseurs for its perfection of detail, exquisite coloration and unique style that juxtaposes illusion and emotion with super realism. An avid outdoorsman, Kemp paints subjects he knows best and enjoys most — wildlife, nature and the outdoors.
22-24 FE ATU R E D SCU LP TO R Pete Zaluzec strives to distill the essence of his subjects and capture its gestures, personality and character. His work has been selected nine times for the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s “Birds in Art” and he has a piece in their permanent collection.
6 - 8 F E S T I VA L OV E R V I E W
16 E X P O S C H E D U L E
The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition marks its 31st year with some venue changes, an expansion of the popular DockDogs competition, a new live performance event and more.
Hour-by-hour rundown of events and locations, plus VIP functions.
10 D O G G O N E G O O D T I M E
17 E X P O M A P SEWE venues, bus stops and more.
A second tank has been added to the DockDogs competition, making it the only event east of the Mississippi to use two. Read on for tips on registering your powerful pooch in the contest or just watching the events.
The Center for Birds of Prey demonstrations always draw a crowd. Find out some of the milestones the center hit in the past year.
12 -15 M E E T T H E M A K E R S
32 -33 C H E W O N T H I S
Get to know some of the Lowcountry painters, sculptors and craftsmen and women featured in the expo’s Local Artists Exhibit.
Check out the various food events going on as part of SEWE, along with some interesting wildlife-themed offering at restaurants around town.
26 -30 B I R D S O F P R E Y
Tickets: Feb. 15-17
GENERAL ADMISSION Fri d ay o r S at u r d ay : $20 S u n d ay : $10 T H R E E - DAY PA S S $40 V I P PAC K AG E S : Fr o m $15 0 t o $5,0 0 0 4 ! SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013
Ti c ke t s ava i l a b l e at a ny Ch a rl e s t o n a r e a V i s i t o r Ce nt e r (d ow nt ow n , N o r t h Ch a rl e s t o n , M o u nt Pl e a s a nt o r K i awa h) o r d u ri n g t h e s h ow at M a ri o n S q u a r e , B ri t t l e b a n k Pa rk a n d o t h e r S E W E ve n u e s . SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
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Shorty, a 5-year-old Chilean flamingo from the Columbus Zoo, was a star at last year’s preview gala.
FILE/MARIE RODRIGUEZ
wildlife, habitat and environmental missions. “The festival has such a variety of cultured aspects, and that’s partially what we’d like to help recognize,” said John Powell, SEWE’s second-year executive director. “This is certainly one of the largest and most important wildlife events in the United States.” In its 31st year, the festival remains a treat for serious collectors, yes, but other demographics, as well. In a broader sense, SEWE functions as a tent, and beneath it are nestled several smaller festivals — or smaller SEWEs, if you will.
Expect a grand scale as SEWE has not granted this much space to the art of decoys in nearly 20 years. The auction and sale are Southeastern Wildlife Exposition set for Friday, and the exhibit lasts throughout the weekend. “These objects have enjoyed increasing value. Many of these are quite rare and unique because of the artist, quality manufactured and the region,” Powell said. While the decoy exhibit and related programming speaks to a segmented clientele, other events cater to a more general audience, such as the annual showcase of 120 painters, carvers and sculptors in Charleston Place’s grand ballroom. Art for everyone But there are newer offerings such as 99 This year’s expo offers a return of old faBottles of Art on the Wall, to be held in the vorites like the Decoy Auction & Exhibit by Edmunds Room of Charleston Place. 1) SEWE’s impressive stock of North BY ROB YOUNG Guyette, Schmidt & Deeter, which features The festival asked SEWE artists to design Special to The Post and Courier American decoys being exhibited and sold work from famous practitioners like Elmer 99 original wine labels illustrative of varifor thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, Crowell. His decoys reveal carved wings ous techniques and settings. Then, in a nod Occasionally, the Southeastern Wildlife of dollars. and glass eyes, as he frequently used a rasp to the event’s title, 99 tickets will be sold for Exposition still finds itself fighting rough2) The volume and variance of the festival’s to help create “feathers” on the heads and $100 apiece, as each ensures the purchase of edged preconceptions: That the event is original wildlife and sporting art collecbreasts of his decoys. a bottle. “Everyone who buys one or who enters is guaranteed to win,” Powell said. dedicated to camouflage-clad, tricked-out tions, the exhibit halls inside Charleston Other notable artists include the Ward Come Saturday evening, a drawing will astruck drivers. Place Hotel teeming with offerings. Brothers of Maryland, who focus on decoraIt’s an outdated stereotype that quickly can sign tickets to bottles, and one lucky ticket3) A programmatic focus on conservation tive pieces, and Ken Anger, who has perbe put to rest, particularly once one considers: and sustainability, granting awareness to holder will take home the special 100th fected rasp techniques.
At SEWE, art is just the start
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FILE/THE POST AND COURIER
Center for Birds of Prey staff member Audrey Poplin handles an owl during a demonstration at last year’s SEWE. bottle: a magnum size also decorated with an original canvas piece. For those who can’t wait, each bottle also will feature a “Buy it Now” price. “It provides nice affordable opportunities for the beginner,” Powell said. The Quick Draw/Speed Sculpt on Friday represents a similar opportunity. Each artist will have an hour to create a piece from start to finish, as a live auction will follow. “It’s fun to walk around and talk to artists to see what they’ve already done, but to watch them create is a different experience,” Powell said.
If you go
that combined stone and metal and thought it would be a great combination of materials WHAT: Southeastern Wildlife Exposition for wildlife art,” he said. WHEN: Friday-Sunday He finds most of the rocks out West on WHERE: Various venues on the Charleston photography trips but keeps a couple of peninsula empty 5-gallon buckets in his pickup to colPRICE: General admission tickets are $20 lect interesting stones wherever they may Friday and Saturday, $10 Sunday, $40 for turn up. a three-day pass; VIP packages are $150“These are some of my favorite works in all $5,000 of SEWE,” Powell said. MORE INFO: 723-1748 or www.sewe.com Zaluzec also makes Gampi prints, heavily processed photographs that involve color, balance and contrast adjustments. able; his work could be mistaken for a pho“Although the finished artwork is dramatitograph. In fact, his style is best described as cally different, the basic thought process beFeatured artists photo-realism or super-realism, dozens of hind the Gampi and structural work is simiAs usual, SEWE will pay homage to a pair visual points referenced in a single painting. lar,” Zaluzec said. “I start by doing field work of artists. Jay Kemp of Gainesville, Ga., has Still, he uses a conceptual or abstract apand taking reference photographs. From been chosen as the featured painter, and proach to arrive at the finished product. those, I choose a pose or composition I like Pete Zaluzec of Lake Villa, Ill., is the fea“I don’t give much thought to the identity and expand on it in my chosen medium.” tured sculptor. of the object that I’m painting,” Kemp said. Other programming Kemp first visited the festival as a 21-year- “An elk might be an oval shape, or a tree Naturally, SEWE’s annual itinerary would old art student at North Georgia College might be a vertical cylinder. I’m very much & State University. He was energized by in tuned with getting the foundation or ba- not be complete without several other stopovers. Among this year’s attractions: the opportunity to see one of his earliest sic design right before I layer anything else ! DockDogs: The uber-popular competiheroes: Belgian painter and naturalist Carl on top.” tion is back these year with two — two! — Brenders. “I found out he was going to be Zaluzec renders some of his best work in tanks, as dogs of all kinds will vie in waterin Charleston, and I jumped in my Toyota three-dimensional fashion, composing his jumping contests at Brittlebank Park. The to see him,” Kemp remembers. “When I got pieces from river stones and bronze casts. 40-by-20-foot tanks will be placed side by there, I started thinking, ‘How could I get in He takes pictures of his subjects — for inside, making SEWE the only event to host that show?’ stance, bison, blacktail deer, bull moose, “But by the time I was 26 or 27, I got in. It gazelles and grizzlies — and chooses stones two-tank DockDog competitions this side jump-started my career. It helped me earn of the Mississippi. to help make up the animals’ bodies. Then several offers and a national contract.” he pours bronze around the stones to give This year, Kemp’s “Riversong” serves as the the art shape and form, the casting expertise ! SeaWorld and Busch Gardens animal SEWE poster. The painting depicts an asambassador Julie Scardina: A frequent courtesy of his friend and 2012 SEWE Feasured egret, one outstretched wing greeting tured Sculptor Don Rambadt. guest on NBC’s “Today” show as well as his audience. It’s a detailed piece that took “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” ScardiZaluzec arrived at the idea after work2½ months start to finish. na will share her love for animals and wilding with birds for some time. He sought to Another piece titled “Woodland Forest Re- change his stylistic approach and visited sev- life conservation during her SEWE debut. pose” is a considerable work, the 4-by-3-foot eral museums to view modern pieces to see With more than two decades of experience vertical painting showing an elk bedding in animal care, Scardina has worked with how various artists used different mediums. down. The texture and minutiae are notice“I came across some contemporary works the 8,000-pound killer whale Shamu, along 8 ! SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013
FILE/MARIE RODRIGUEZ
The exposition’s preview gala usually draws big spenders to Charleston Place.
with otters, sea lions, walruses, elephants, kangaroos and various birds of prey. Her presentations include two shows on Friday and two on Saturday. ! Living With Wolves: For six years, husband and wife Jim and Jamie Dutcher lived with a pack of wolves in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. The couple settled in a tented camp as they studied the behaviors and social inclinations of the Sawtooth Pack. The Dutchers’ research enabled the documentation of behaviors previously unrecorded, leading to the release of Emmy Award-winning films and publication of the National Geographic book “The Hidden Life of Wolves.” At SEWE, the couple will discuss their experiences during presentations on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. ! Chef demos: Come watch Charleston chefs show off their wares in Marion Square with favorite recipes incorporating locally grown and produced ingredients. This year, the lineup includes Michelle Weaver of Charleston Grill, Marc Collins of Circa 1886, John Ondo of Lana, Nate Whiting of Tristan, Fred Neuville of Fat Hen and David Pell of Coast Bar & Grill, among others. ! Animals up close: Busch Wildlife Sanctuary grants guests a change to see alligators, bobcats, foxes, birds of prey and snakes at the Charleston Music Hall. Brittlebank Park hosts pony and camel rides, a petting zoo and the Edisto Island Serpentarium tent, while the Center for Birds of Prey returns with free flight demonstrations in Marion Square. Kids love this stuff. “You have to get them interested now,” Powell said. “And really, that’s what much of SEWE is about — honoring nature and helping introduce it to newer audiences.”
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Misty Costello of Gibson, Ga., watches as her retriever leaps into the air during the 2010 Dock Dogs competition at SEWE.
Featured Attraction
DockDogs Have a doggone good time at Brittlebank Park
BY HARRIS COHEN Special to The Post and Courier
FILE/GRACE BEAHM/THE POST AND COURIER
10 ! SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013
One of the most popular events at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, DockDogs returns this year bigger than ever. The world’s premier canine aquatics competition is bringing a second tank, which will make SEWE the only event east of the Mississippi to use dual 30,000-gallon tanks for this high-flying event. What began as a “filler” event in ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games has morphed into 230 worldwide events per year, including in the U.K., Australia and Japan, with plans to expand to Russia and Germany. The “Late Show w ith David Letterman” helped raise visibility with its periodic dogjumping features. While copied, DockDogs is widely recognized as the official sanctioning body. Just as a rodeo comprises separate events, DockDogs now consists of three separate competitions with all breeds of dogs open to participate in three skill levels: pro, semi-pro and amateur. The entry fee is $30 per team per event. DockDogs began with Big Air, the long jump for dogs. Each human handler and dog team competes head-to-head against each other. Still the most popular event, each team has 90 seconds for the run down the dock and into the water. All jumps are electronically measured using a proprietary digital video stop-action technology developed by the ESPN television network. After being used as a training tool for the Big Air competition, DockDogs officially launched Extreme Vertical in 2005. For this high-jump event, the dogs run and jump to remove a “bumper” suspended over the water 8 feet from the edge of the dock. The bumper is raised 2 inches each round until the highest jumping dog wins. The third event focuses not on jumping ability but speed. The dogs must swim to the end of the 40-foot pool and remove an object. The fastest time wins. As with human sports that combine events into one competition, the Iron Dog Challenge combines the best results from each of the events for those that participate in all three contests. The DockDogs organization keeps world records, and Guinness World Records is the process of recognizing the events. The current best length for Big Air
If you go WHAT: DockDogs WHEN: Big Air Waves at 10 and 11 a.m. and 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m. Friday; Big Air Waves at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. and Extreme Vertical at 4 p.m. Saturday; Big Air Waves at 10 a.m. and noon, Speed Retrieve (all in one finals) at 2 p.m. and Big Air Finals at 4 p.m. Sunday WHERE: Brittlebank Park, Lockwood Drive PRICE: Included under general admission tickets; $20 Friday and Saturday, $10 Sunday, $40 for a three-day pass MORE INFO: 330-241-4975, www.dock dogs.com; 723-1748, www.sewe.com is 31 feet, while 8 feet, 4 inches marks the record height for Extreme Vertical. Two prior SEWE participants are logged in the DockDogs list of top accomplishments. DockDogs is not all about fun and competition, though. The organizations supports such charities as the Bay Area Animal Rescue Klub, (BAARK), which “rehabilitates cocker spaniels and helps to find them a loving home”; Team 21, which raises money and awareness for children with Down syndrome; and Chase Away K9 Cancer, which funds cancer studies and awareness efforts. DockDogs CEO Grant Reeves said, “DockDogs is a great way to bond and have a blast with your dog, any dog, no matter what your dog’s breed, size or abilities, from the smallest Pomeranian to the largest Great Dane, we welcome you. We look forward to seeing you on the dock at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition.” Given DockDogs’ growing popularity and as wave slots are limited, participants are being advised to register early. On-site registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and begins at 9 a.m. for each day’s events. SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
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Lowcountry woodturner Ashley Harwood gives fallen trees a second life as artful bowls, ornaments and even earrings.
BRAD FERGUSON
Local Artists Exhibit
Meet the makers BY OLIVIA POOL Special to The Post and Courier
T
he annual Southeastern Wildlife Expo always brings excitement to the Lowcountry with the numerous events and awe-inspiring showcases of incredible animals and artwork from all over the country. But what’s truly exciting this year is the fact that about a quarter of the more than 100 artists featured at SEWE have local ties and will be honored in the Local Artists Exhibit at The Mills House Hotel, 115 Meeting St. 12 ! SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013
Meet the local artists:
Anita Blewer
Anita Blewer spent more than 20 years raising children and working with horses before she decided to start taking painting classes from local artists. A gifted natural, it wasn’t long before painting became a career for her. She says she enjoys capturing the beauty of the Lowcountry marshes and woodlands of Charleston, Beaufort, Hunting Island and “Old Florida.” Blewer’s work won first place in the 2001 Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Artists’
Exhibition; she has a piece in the Museum and Gallery of Collage in Serfines, France; some of her works are part of the mayor of North Charleston’s collection; and she’s won numerous awards. She loves that her biggest fans remain her family. debostic. wix.com/abfineart
Anne Bradford
Anne Bradford has had an interesting life, living in all kinds of inspirational places. Although born in England, she was raised in Canada and the United States. She spent 12 years working as a graphic/ multimedia designer and fine artist in New York before she moved to San Diego, then just north of San Francisco, and now to Charleston. She continues her work as a fine art painter, often focusing on the Charleston landscape as well as wildlife paintings. www.annebradfordgallery.com
Pat Branning
“The South is a place where tea is sweet and accents are sweeter, macaroni and
cheese is a vegetable, front porches are wide and words are long. Buttermilk pie is a staple. Y’all is the only proper noun. Chicken is fried and biscuits come with cream gravy. Everything is darlin’ and someone’s heart is always being blessed,” says Pat Branning, author of the book “Shrimp, Collards, and Grits.” Even though the book has more than 200 Lowcountry recipes, this is not your average cookbook. The coffee table-style book also features 150 fine art paintings by famous Southern artists such as Ray Ellis, Nancy Ricker Rhett, John Carroll Doyle and Joe Bowler, among others. www.shrimp collardsgrits.com
Capers Cauthen
Local woodworker Capers Cauthen uses reclaimed wood from historic homes throughout Charleston County to create new pieces of furniture. He truly loves the fact that his business, Landrum Tables LLC, is based on using pieces of wood that others see as trash and turning them into beautiful
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works of art. He says he is deeply inspired by “his father, Henry F. Cauthen, the former director of the Preservation Society, who taught him everything he knows about furniture, antiques and design.” Examples of Cauthen’s work can be found all around town, including at Charleston City Gallery, Two Boroughs Larder, Bull Street Gourmet, Indigo and Cotton, FIG and The Grocery. www. landrumtables.com
Kathy Clark
Lowcountry artist Christina Hewson is showing this bear piece at the 2013 Southeastern Wildlife Exposition.
Born and raised in Charleston “during a period of time when families were large and incomes modest,” Kathy Clark’s fondest childhood memories include crabbing and fishing off the local dock with her family. The Lowcountry is a huge part of who she is, and her love of it is evident in her landscape paintings of the place she’s always called home. Her art career began later in life after her children were grown. After her mother died, she stumbled on some of her sketches and drawings, and she felt as if her mother were sending her a message to express herself artistically to bring her out of her grieving period. www.kathyclark fineart.com
Anna Cox
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Pat Forsberg
Award-winning artist Pat Forsberg studied at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla., as well as with wellknown artist Elizabeth Bronson for multiple years. She has won numerous awards, including the Charleston Artist Guild’s 2008 People’s Choice Award sponsored by First Federal Bank of Charleston. Forsberg currently lives and paints in Charleston. www.patforsberg.com
When an interior designer decides to become a painter, you can wager that the painting most likely will be one that is created to look amazing in a home. Anna Cox has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in interior design and a master’s in urban and regional planning. She also has had significant schooling in fine art including classes at the Corcoran School of Art & Design in Washington with Ellen Zelano, even traveling to Italy for further study with Zelano. Cox is now an accomplished landscape painter with her works appearing regularly at the Gibbes’ Kiawah Art and House Tour. “When I paint, I like to visualize the painting complementing an actual interior space — likely due to my experience as an interior designer. It feels great when the artwork has found its home.” www.annacoxstudio.com
Not yet familiar with the fish camps of the region’s Sea Islands? Author and photographer Janet Garrity has created a published book about these fish camps. They are “a very old, generational tradition that is part of being raised on the river,” she says. Her book, “Goin’ Down the River, Fish Camps of the Sea Islands,” captures the special character of these fascinating places through her photos and stories. Originally from Ithaca, N.Y., Garrity moved to Beaufort in 2008. Even though her professional career was in marketing and sales, her love for photography since age 8 has been her lifelong passion. www.garrity.com
Elizabeth Curry
Ashley Harwood
Elizabeth Curry grew up the daughter of a longtime area fisherman and has been throwing reels, casting nets and dropping crab traps “from here to Murrells Inlet” her entire life. The artist says her inspiration to work with wooden historical windows came to her on a backroads drive on Wadamalaw Island, when she “passed a stack of old shotgun shack windows set out for trash. Later that day ... my mind turned back to those windows. I went back and loaded up every window.” She now re-creates the view of the marshland using dried floral arrangements, local grasses, washed up shells, fallen butterflies and dragonflies. www.charlestonviews.net
Anne Bradford spent 12 years working as a graphic/multimedia designer and fine artist in New York before eventually moving to Charleston.
she started her studies of art. She began at Carnegie Mellon University, following that up with a degree in art at Washington & Jefferson College and teaching art as an adjunct professor. She also has a degree in communications from Penn State and has authored two books. Dobbin is a member of the American Impressionist Society as well as the Oil Painters of America, and her work has been featured in American Art Collector Magazine. Her work is included in the collections of former President George W. Bush and at Washington & Jefferson College, as well as in corporate and private collections throughout the U.S., Europe and Australia. She describes her work as “impressionistic palette knife paintings (that) exhibit lush textures, at times almost sculptural, combined with detailed brushwork to emphasize the focal point.” www.adobbin.net
Alice Ann Dobbin
It’s been said that Alice Ann Dobbin’s work “touches the soul.” At a young age,
Janet Garrity
Woodturner Ashley Harwood gives fallen trees a second life as artful bowls, ornaments and even earrings. She discovered her craft at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina after enrolling in a workshop with her father. She considered a career in glass blowing while earning an art degree from Carnegie Mellon University but liked the salvage aspect of working with wood. Her work has caught the attention of collectors including Paul Richelson, chief curator at the Mobile Museum of Art in Alabama. www.ashley harwood.net
Christina Louise Hewson
Artist Christina Hewson was born and raised in Awendaw. Since she was homeschooled through high school, she says she had plenty of time to explore personal interests such as swimming, drawing, piano, SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
math and science. It was this time in her life that helped her develop an interest in wildlife, the human body and music. When she went to the College of Charleston, she fell in love with drawing. “I love to capture the souls of living creatures in as pure and simple a style as possible. My sincere hope is that you enjoy my art and that my art will in some way benefit animals of all species. Although I am currently absorbed in the study of dogs, I plan to make time in the future to study the human body and large cats.” www.christinahewson.com
Kellie Jacobs
“I am fascinated with the light at the end of the day. When the evening sun is low and warm touching the tops of the sand dunes and grasses of the marsh is the time of day I love best,” says pastel artist Kellie Jacobs. She uses atmosphere and light to create mood and expression in her work, which is in collections locally as well as internationally. kelliejacobsart.com
Diane Odachowski
Diane Odachowski attributes her creativity to her grandfather, who was a famous fashion designer in New York. She has spent many years studying at the likes of the Du Cret School of Art, the Art Institutes of Atlanta, Cincinnati and Buffalo, and also the New Jersey School of Visual Arts. When she moved to Charleston in 1996, she and her husband used their imaginations to restore two period homes in the Historic District for which they were awarded a Carolopolis Award for Restoration. Odachowski has worked in watercolor and pastels but now considers herself primarily an oil painter who specializes in landscape, architecture, still-life and figures. She is a juried member of the Charleston Artist Guild and the Charleston Plein Air Painters, and has won numerous awards for her paintings.
Curtis Phillips
Born in Columbia, Curtis Phillips began his artistic endeavors early on, studying art, piano, printmaking and portraiture. He also has spent time growing and learning in many different places. He moved to Los Angeles to further his career but felt disconnected with the city and moved back to South Carolina to teach art. He then felt he needed something else and moved to New York, where he stayed and trained for quite some time. “I learned more in my stay in New York City than at any other time in my career. That experience had a profound impact on my work,” he says. Now back in Charleston, he works as a professional artist. His artwork can be found in public and private collections throughout the country. www.phillipsart. net
Vicki Robinson
Vicki Robinson is an oil painter who resides in Mount Pleasant. SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
Ben Ross
Hunter and fisherman Ben Ross grew up experiencing, and falling in love with, the great outdoors of South Carolina. As he got older and many of his friends were getting married, he wanted to wear something more interesting than your basic black bow tie. Never one to conform, he ended up creating his own bow tie — one that combined his love of the outdoors and being well dressed. It was made out of turkey feathers. On his own wedding day, Ross gave all his groomsmen their own Brackish Bow Ties. They were such a hit that Ross now has a business making and selling them. No two are the same. www.brackishbowties.com
Sheryl Stalnaker
Award-winning oil painter Sheryl Stalnaker’s work long has been part of Piccolo Spoleto and SEWE, as well as the Telfair Museum of Art Fair in Savannah. She also exhibits regularly in galleries in the Carolinas and Georgia. Her palette knife paintings focus on beautiful light and intersection perspectives in her composiHunter and fisherman Ben Ross makes these bowties with turkey feathers. tions. One of her pieces was chosen as the official poster image for the 2011 Charleston Farmers Market as well as the 2011 Old Village Home, Garden & Art Tour. www.sherylstalnaker.com
Peter Van Voris
Peter Van Voris, a resident of Daniel Island, creates tables from wine barrels.
Lisa Willits
Painter Lisa Willits has a bachelor’s and master’s in biology and was employed in the biomedical research field. As a hobby in the mid-’90s, she started taking photography, drawing and painting classes at the Gibbes Museum School. She recounts that after years of storing the paintings from these classes under the bed in her guest room, friends and family encouraged her to get her art “out there” for others to see. Willits now works as a fulltime professional painter and has since 2005. As an avid lover of the outdoors, she says that skies, water and trees are her favorite things to paint, and she loves to paint plein air. Willits is an exhibiting member of the Charleston Artist Guild, an associate member of Oil Painters of America and formerly the coordinator of Charleston Outdoor Painters. www. lisawillits.com
Matt Wilson
“Influenced by natural elements, my art is a reflection of the environment in which I live. Using organic and recycled materials — bone, driftwood, scrap metal, etc., my sculptures depict continuous life cycles that consciously and unconsciously permeate our awareness,” says artist Matt Wilson. He says he hopes that his sculptures will help others to appreciate the simple things from which he derives inspiration.
“Cloud Rhythms,” by local oil painter Sheryl Stalnaker. SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013 ! 15
2013 schedule
2013 schedule Friday, February 15 Friday, February 15
Venue change this year With Gaillard Auditorium undergoing a massive renovation project, SEWE has shifted some of the events and features normally found there into other venues. Knifemakers, jewelers, artisans and other exhibitors formerly housed at the Gaillard Auditorium have found a new home at the Francis Marion Hotel next to Marion Square. The Charleston Music Hall, meanwhile, will host live presentations by Julie Scardina (above), SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Animal Ambassador, and Jim and Jamie Dutcher of “Living With Wolves.” Scardina, a frequent guest on NBC’s “Today” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” will make her SEWE debut with a special talk and live-animal presentation. The Dutcher spent six years living with a pack of wolves at the edge of Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, and are returning to SEWE for an encore presentation. Seating for live shows is first-come, first-served.
Decoys to view and buy A decoy exhibit at the Aiken-Rhett House Museum will showcase the private collection of Alan and Elaine Haid, including several of the rarest decoy examples of this unique craft. SEWE also will host a number of respected dealers of antique and working decoys, making it the largest amount of space dedicated to the art of the decoy during SEWE in nearly 20 years. An investment-quality decoy auction held Feb. 15 by Guyette, Schmidt & Deeter will offer nearly 200 decoys, ranging from $200 to over $10,000.
9 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . DockDogs registration opens Brittlebank Park Hours 9 a.m . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Private Viewing 10 a.m. . . . . . . . . . .Charleston ALL EXHIBITS PlaceOPEN 10 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . DockDogs competition starts 9 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .DockDogs registration opens BrittlebankPark Park (all day) Brittlebank 10:30 a.m. . . . . . . . Julie Scardina/Animal 10 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . . .ALL EXHIBITS OPEN Amb. Charleston Music Hall Multiple Locations 11 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . Birds of Prey Marion Square 10 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . . .Cooking Classes 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . .Charleston Cast Net Brittlebank Park Cooks! 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . Chef Demos Marion Square 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . . Birds of Prey Flight Demo Noon . . . . . . . . . . . .Marion Chef Demos SquareMarion Park Square Noon . . . . . . . . . . . . Retrievers Brittlebank Park 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . .Fly Fishing Demonstration 12:30 p.m. . . . . . . .Brittlebank Julie Scardina/Animal Amb. Park Charleston Music Hall 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . .Julie Scardina with 1 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . .Busch Chef Demos Square WildlifeMarion Sanctuary 2 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . .Charleston Chef Demos Marion Square Music Hall 2 p.m. . Decoy Auction Chas. Marriott noon . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Retriever Demonstration 2 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . .Brittlebank Living with Wolves Park Charleston Hall 3 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Birds of PreyMusic Flight Demo 3 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . .Marion Birds of Prey Marion Square Park Square 3 p.m. . ChefScardina Demos Marion 3 p.m. . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Julie with Square 3 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . .Busch QuickWildlife Draw/Speed Sculpt Sanctuary CharlestonMusic PlaceHall Charleston 3:30 p.m. . . . . . . . . Fly Fishing Brittlebank Park 3 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Quick Draw/Speed Sculpt 4 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Charleston . Busch Wildlife PlaceSanctuary Charleston Music Hall 3:30 p.m. . . . . . . . . . .Cast Net Demonstration 4 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . .Brittlebank RetrieversPark Brittlebank Park 5 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Live auction for Quick 4 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Retriever Demonstration Draw/Speed Brittlebank ParkSculpt Charleston Place Stroll 5 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .SEWE King Street 6:30 p.m. . . . . . . . .King SEWE King Street Stroll Street King Street
Saturday, February 16 Saturday, February 16
9 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .DockDogs registration opens 9 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . .Brittlebank DockDogsPark registration opens BrittlebankBreakfast Park 9 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bluegrass 10 a.m. . . . . . . . . . .Francis ALL EXHIBITS OPEN Marion Hotel a.m. . DockDogs competition starts 10 10 a.m. . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..ALL EXHIBITS OPEN Brittlebank Park (all day) Multiple Locations . Julie Scardina/Animal Amb. 10 10:30 a.m. .a.m. . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. ..Cooking Classes Charleston Music Hall Charleston Cooks! a.m.. . Chef Demos Marion Square 10 11 a.m. . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..DockDogs competition 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . .Brittlebank SaltwaterPark Inshore 101 BrittlebankCharleston Park 10:30 a.m. . . . . . . . . .Announce Angler
11:30 a.m.. . . . . . . . Birds of Prey Marion Square Noon . . . . . . . . . . . . Chef Demos Marion Square Noon . . . . . . . . . . . . Retrievers Brittlebank Park 12:30 p.m. . . . . . . . Julie Scardina/Animal Amb. Charleston Music Hall 1 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Chef Demos Marion Square 1:30 p.m.. . . . . . . . . Kids Cast Brittlebank Park . .2. p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Photo Contest Winners Chef Demos Marion Square Brittlebank 2 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Living withPark Wolves 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . .Saltwater Inshore 101 Charleston Music Hall Brittlebank Park 3 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Birds of Prey Marion Square 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . .Julie Scardina 3 p.m. Fly Fishing Brittlebank Park with Busch Wildlife Sanctuary 4 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Busch Wildlife Sanctuary Charleston Music Hall Charleston Music Hall 11:30 a.m.. of Prey Flight Demos 4 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . .Birds Retrievers Brittlebank Park Marion Square Park 12 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . Retriever Demonstration Brittlebank Park 1:30 p.m.. Cast Net Demos/Rodeo 9 a.m.. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .Kids DockDogs registration opens Brittlebank Park Brittlebank Park 310 p.m. Fly EXHIBITS Fishing Demonstration a.m.. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .ALL OPEN Brittlebank Park 10 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . DockDogs competition starts 3 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Birds of Prey Flight Demos Brittlebank Park (all day) MarionWildlife SquareSanctuary Park 11 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Busch 3 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julie Scardina Charleston Music Hall with Busch Wildlife Sanctuary 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . Retrievers Brittlebank Park Charleston Music Hall 1 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Chef Demos Marion Square 41p.m. Demonstration p.m.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .Retriever Birds of Prey Marion Square Brittlebank 1 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Living withPark Wolves Charleston Music Hall 2 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Chef Demos Marion Square 2 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Fly Fishing Brittlebank Park 93a.m.. registration p.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . .DockDogs Busch Wildlife Sanctuaryopens Brittlebank Park Charleston Music Hall 10 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . . .ALL OPENSquare 3 p.m. Chef EXHIBITS Demos Marion Multiple Locations 3 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . Retrievers Brittlebank Park 10 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . . .DockDogs Competition 4 p.m. DockDogs Finals Brittlebank Park Brittlebank Park 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . .Busch Wildlife Sanctuary Show Charleston Music Hall 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . .Retriever Demonstration Brittlebank Park Feb. 14. . . . . . . . . . . Private viewing 1 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Birds of Prey Flight Demos Noon, Charleston Place Marion Square Park Preview Afternoon 2 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fly Fishing Demonstration 1-5 p.m., multiple locations Brittlebank Park Preview Gala and Auction Wildlife Sanctuary Show 3 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Busch 7 p.m., Charleston Place Charleston Music Hall Feb. 15. . . . . . . . . . . Private viewing 3 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Retriever Demonstration 9-10 a.m., Charleston Place Brittlebank Park Feb. 16. . . . . . . . . . . Bluegrass Breakfast 4 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .DockDogs Finals Place 9-11 a.m., Charleston Brittlebank Park SEWE Soiree (ticket required) 7 p.m., Charleston Visitor Center
Sunday, February 17
Sunday, February 17
VIP Events
— SEWE
16 ! SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013
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ville
Berkeley County 26 61
Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge U.S. Hwy. 17
Cainhoy
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Charleston
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SEWE venues
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6 City Market 7 S.C. Aquarium
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CHARLESTON PLACE: French Original artwork by 120 artists, VIP Gala and Quarter lounge, store & tickets
REINERT LEPRINCE FINE ART GALLERY
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Featured Painter
Jay Kemp
“Close Encounter” by SEWE featured artist Jay Kemp.
Southern painter Jay Kemp’s naturalist style has earned critical acclaim and attention in the art world over the years. Kemp started his career in the early 1990s in the northeast Georgia town of Gainesville, not far from where he grew up and attended school at North Georgia College & State University. A dedicated outdoorsman, Kemp captures the fine detail of his subject and aims for a fluid, realistic style. Kemp’s recent masterpiece, “Riversong,” is a vibrant painting that was inspired by observing a preening egret in the sun after a rain shower. After the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition announced Kemp as the featured painter of 2013, it chose to use “Riversong” as the expo’s official poster (below). By Ballard Lesemann Special to The Post and Courier Q: What was it that initially attracted you to painting and visual art? A: I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands, and I became especially interested in painting my senior year of college. Q: How or why were you drawn to painting wildlife? Was that something you enjoyed right away as a painter or did it gradually become a specialty? A: I’ve always been interested in wildlife and nature, even as a small child. I’ve never really considered any other subject. On occasion, I have done a barn or farmhouse, but it’s usually a structure that is showing the effects of Mother Nature and has become a part of the natural landscape. I did not become addicted to art until I started painting things that I was passionate about, like wildlife and nature. That happened when I was a senior in college. Q: What are some of the outdoor activities you’ve enjoyed over the years that tie into your experience as a wildlife painter? A: I’ve always enjoyed fishing, hunting and hiking. There’s nothing like being in the woods at dawn, watching the woods wake up or watching the sun go down. I live on a 38,000-acre lake at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I can see about a mile across the water where I’ve seen lots of wildlife, including bald eagles, osprey, loons, herons and many duck species. We also have lots of whitetail deer, fox and other mammals. My family and I enjoy boating and spend a good bit of time on the water. We have a dock and several boats right in our backyard. Q: Where and with whom did you study and train as a young artist? A: When I was in elementary school, an art teacher came to the school on Fridays. I always enjoyed her visits. She then became a full-time teacher at the high school I went to. Her name was Mrs. Delaperriere. She was a devoted art teacher that loved art and loved her 18 • Southeastern Wildlife Exposition 2013
students. She had a knack for keeping kids interested in art. I played baseball in college for a couple years and did not take any art classes. I then transferred to North Georgia University on an art scholarship, and that’s where I began my career as a wildlife artist. My professors, Winslow Crannell and Tommye Scanlin, where very instrumental in my career and are still dear friends to this day. Crannel told us students the first day of class that one out of a hundred of us might make a living as an artist, and I agreed with that. After we turned in our first project, he pulled me aside and said, “You can make a living with your art if you will listen to me.” I didn’t really believe it, but I listened and I tried. He gave me the confidence and vision that I needed. I am not sure what would have happened with my career if I had not been influenced by him. I can remember telling Tommye that I was scared that I would get to a certain level with my work and then plateau. She told me that as long as I had that fear and
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Southeastern Wildlife Exposition 2013 • 19
that attitude, that it would not happen to me. They were both full of great advice. They were more than teachers, they were friends. They were also very accomplished artists which helped them be great teachers. Q: When and how did you start developing your own painting style? A: I started out painting with watercolor, and then I added gouache. It became difficult and aggravating to work large and to capture the kind of images I wanted with that medium. It’s a very technical and fragile medium that’s good for certain styles of work. It also requires glass, which is a pain to deal with, especially on large paintings. I now paint in acrylic, and it has changed my career. I can attack the painting and control it Kemp better since acrylic is waterproof and permanent. My style has not changed a whole lot, but my mentality has. My focus has been on composition and design, the intellectual part of my art. Q: Critics and reviewers have commented on the precision and realistic detail in your work. Was that an approach or technique that you’ve fine-tuned along the way as an artist? A: My work is detailed and realistic, and it always has been. I am a naturalist, and this is a normal style for anyone that is interested in the details in nature. I love paintings done
20 ! SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013
with bold brush strokes or a looser style, but I have never been concerned with the surface of the paint. As a matter of fact, I don’t think the detail I put in my paintings has much to do with the success or failure of the painting. It is just a personal preference. If I’m painting the natural world, I do want my paintings to feel alive, as if they could have happened. Q: How does the landscape, scenery and wildlife of North Georgia influence your art? A: The area that I am from affects my work tremendously. Many of my paintings are based on ideas or references that I have seen within a few miles of my home. Q: Who are some of the other North American wildlife artists who’ve influenced and encouraged your work? A: The artists that have influenced my work the most are Robert Bateman, Carl Brenders, John Seerey-Lester and Andrew Wyeth. Q: When did you first get involved with the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition? A: I visited the show when I was in college. I went to see the work of Carl Brenders. It was an inspirational trip, to say the least. I left Charleston wondering if I would ever be able to get in to the show. My first year doing the show was 1996, and it was a great
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experience. I went on to sign with a national publishing company. Q: Is “Riversong” indicative of the other recent works in your repertoire in style and tone? A: “Riversong” is a little different from some of my work. I tried to keep some of the detail soft and the colors soft and pastel to emphasize the misty effect and the mood of the painting.
I’m constantly manipulating my paintings, by adding, subtracting and rearranging. I try to either have the animal or the landscape dominate, but not both.
Q: How important is the natural scenery surrounding the main subject in a wild— Jay Kemp, featured painter, whose life painting? Do you enhance or adjust “Working Lab” is seen above. anything to specifically fit the focus of the work? A: I’m constantly manipulating my paintA: The best thing about being an artist is ings, by adding, subtracting and rearrangthat I am never bored. I enjoy the challenge, ing. I try to either have the animal or the even though it’s frustrating. I also like the landscape dominate, but not both. I feel that fact that my paintings are able to help raise it’s confusing to have both of them equally money for the environment and nature. My dominant. work also helps educate people about what Occasionally, when I have the landscape we have to protect. dominate, the animal is still the focus. Whichever I decide to make dominant, I Q: What is your personal favorite paintmake the other complimentary of it. I use ing in your collection, and which work references from many different locations seems to be the most popular with your and adventures. fans? Many elements in my paintings come A: I’ve had several images that have sold from my head or intuition. My goal is to out in the print market, so it is hard for me make my paintings look as if they could to know which is the most popular. I favor have happened. my later paintings. I feel that they’ve become a bit more sophisticated, regarding my ideas Q: After years of experience, what are and composition and design. the greatest challenges and frustrations that come up when you start working on a Q: What can attendees expect to see from painting? you at this year’s SEWE? A: Your paper doesn’t have enough pages A: They can expect a wide variety of subfor me to answer this question appropriately. jects, from elk in the Canadian Rockies to There are a multitude of issues with every polar bears and to shore birds in Florida. I painting. The No. 1 problem is coming up have several large paintings this year that I with a good idea and composition. There are have done for the show, two paintings that a thousand ways to mess up a painting, and are 48 inches and three that are 40 inches. I feel like I’ve done them all. Each painting is a constant struggle and I keep working Q: What do you most look forward to and reworking it until I finally have some doing in Charleston this year? peace with it. A: Seeing all of the wonderful artwork, visiting with my artist friends and collectors. Q: What do you enjoy most about being And I always enjoy the city of Charleston. It a painter? is a beautiful city. SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013 ! 21
Featured Sculptor
Pete Zaluzec
Illinois-based wildlife artist Pete Zaluzec leads a multifaceted career in art, conservation and outdoor sporting. His mediums bounce from sketch work, nontraditional prints and oil paintings to stone, bronze and other forms of sculpting. Zaluzec earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Art Institute of Chicago and started working professionally in the 1970s. His earliest works featured numerous detailed wood carvings of birds, winning him multiple awards, including “Best in World” in decorative miniature wood at the Ward World
Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition for an unprecedented three consecutive years. His latest works have included lifelike wood and bronze sculptures of North American wildlife, from bears and bison to birds and small mammals. He lives near Lake Michigan in Lake Villa, Ill., between Chicago and Milwaukee. Selected as the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition’s featured sculptor for 2013, Zaluzec first got involved with SEWE when he came to the expo in 1998. He has attended all but two SEWE events in the years since.
BY BALLARD LESEMANN Special to The Post and Courier Q: When, how and where did you first start working as a professional sculptor? A: I’ve always had an interest in art but didn’t start seriously focusing on sculpture until I was in my 30s. After graduating from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1972, I worked as a social worker and custom woodworker until I settled in at my current company in 1985. At that point, I really had the freedom to explore my artwork on my own terms and began taking bird carving fairly seriously. After years of doing the really tight, realistic carvings, I decided to loosen up a bit and switched to bronze in the late ’90s. Q: What was it about sculpting that drew you in? A: I’ve always been a very hands-on type of person. I think it’s the act of coming up with an idea then figuring out how to actually make it that’s most appealing. Q: Were you an animal lover all of your life or was it a passion that developed over the years? A: When I was a kid, my parents would take me to the Field Museum (of Natural History) and Chicago-area zoos several times a year, so, like most kids, I had an interest in animals from an early age. When I started doing artwork, animals were a natural fit. Q: Did you study sculpting and art in general before your college days? A: Art classes weren’t really available to me in high school, but my mother painted as a hobby, so there were always materials available for me to work with. Q: What experiences at the Art Institute of Chicago left the biggest impact on you as a sculptor? A: Although my degree is in painting, my education there had a big impact on how I approach things, no matter what medium I’m working in. Probably the biggest benefit I gained from my experience there was the daily exposure to all the artwork in the institute’s museum. 22 ! SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013
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SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013 ! 23
The quality of work I saw there is what I set my standards against early on.
your various pieces, from prints to sculptures? Maybe a formal/realism side and a more abstract side? A: I like artwork that has a nice balance between realism and abstraction, and I try to include both in various degrees in my own work. Since the prints are based on photographs, they lean heavily towards realism, but I also include strong compositional elements and adjust the light and dark values to make for a more striking image. My sculptures, on the other hand, are much more interpretive, but I still put a lot of effort into keeping them true to the form of my subject, both anatomically and in character. Yes, you could say there are two different approaches in my work. The prints are generated from photographs, so they do have a more formal realistic quality to them. The sculptures are a bit more interpretive.
Q: When and how did you start developing your own style? A: My stylistic approach isn’t as much about a specific type of clay work or imagery as it is about the character or demeanor of my subject. I became enamored with portraying a very relaxed, low-key attitude in my work when I was doing the bird carvings, and this carried over to my bronzes, and the stone and bronze sculpture I’m currently working on. Q: Does the landscape, scenery and wildlife of Illinois and the Midwest influence your art more than other regions? If so, how? A: It did when I was working primarily with birds, but since I started working more with mammals, I take several trips out West every year to get reference and find inspiration. Q: How do you tend to develop and start to shape an idea for a sculpture? A: For the work I’m doing now, I generally start by searching through my photo reference for a pose I think would work well with the stone. From there, I sketch out my idea and decide which shapes I’m going to define with the river rocks, and which shapes will need to be modeled in wax. Q: What medium do you prefer these days? A: I’m really enjoying the stone/bronze pieces right now because the stone adds an element of unpredictability that I don’t often get in my other mediums. There’s something inherently interesting and beautiful in the stone itself, and I never quite know what cracks or changes in the surface will
24 ! SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013
happen when the bronze is poured around it. I like the fact that it forces me to let go a little and allow the medium itself to have some say in the outcome of the piece. Q: When and how did you start combining bronze and stone into single works? A: About three or four years ago, I started experimenting with the combination of materials as a departure from my traditional bronze work. I’d just started doing mammals, and I found the stones worked really well to define the large mass of the subject while the bronze was better for defining the more subtle shapes and profiles. I think that the combination of the two materials made for an overall more interesting piece of artwork. Q: Are there several personalities that come through in
Q: Do you travel to and attend many expos like this throughout the year? A: I used to, but the last few years I’ve spent more of my time going out West to shoot photos. Q: What is your personal favorite piece in your collection and why? A: Of the work I’ll have at the show this year, the “Beeeaters” is my personal favorite. It’s a grouping of birds, and each one has a little different personality. Q: What can attendees expect to see and hear from you at this year’s SEWE? A: I’m bringing a large collection of the Gampi images and stone/bronze pieces, as well as a few of my more traditional bronze bird sculptures, and I’m looking forward to spending a bit of time explaining the processes involved in my new work.
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A Eurasion owl swoops in to snag a treat during the Center for Birds of Prey demonstration at last year’s SEWE.
FILE/THE POST AND COURIER
Featured Attraction
New heights
The Center for Birds of Prey has come a long way since first wowing SEWE crowds in the ’90s 26 ! SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013
BY DAVID QUICK dquick@postandcourier.com
If you go
Jim Elliott remembers one moment during a Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in the mid-1990s that made him realize the importance of the mission of the Awendaw-based Center for Birds of Prey. It was back when the center just had a display and brought demonstration birds, which cannot be released into the wild and are used for education reasons, to the event. “I had a broad-winged hawk on my fist and handed the bird off to someone else,” recalls Elliott. “I remember standing back and looking at this huddle of people around us drawn to these beautiful animals. It looked like a Norman Rockwell painting in all its diversity — young and old, big and little. It
WHAT: Birds of Prey Flight Demonstration WHEN: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday WHERE: Marion Square downtown PRICE: Included under general admission tickets; $20 Friday and Saturday, $10 Sunday, $40 for a three-day pass MORE INFO: www.sewe.com was the total cross-section of everybody we hoped to reach. They were there, enthralled and engaged, asking about this bird. “I won’t ever forget that. What it told me was that there is an appeal or resonance with everyone we talk to. Somewhere there’s
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SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013 ! 27
28 ! SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013
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a connection with what we were doing.” Those were the early days of the center, back when it was called the Charleston Raptor Center, back when Elliott, two or three staffers and dozens of volunteers worked out of his 5-acre residence in the middle of Francis Marion National Forest.
Milestones
Much has changed since then. The gift of a 150-acre property, closer to Charleston but still in Awendaw, has allowed the Center for Birds of Prey to soar to new heights. Now, instead of relying entirely on taking the birds to the public for educational reasons, the center invites the public inside its facility for regular demonstrations Thursdays through Sundays. The larger space also has allowed it to pursue initiatives that previously were next to impossible. In the past year, the center marked three milestones. The first was treating its 6,000th bird, which took place in December, since the center’s founding in 1991. Besides the satisfaction of returning those birds to the wild, Elliott said that number has another meaning to him. “The total number of birds is what it is, but it’s also an experience for us,” he said. “The experience we’ve gained from those birds is so valuable for the next 6,000. It tells us a little bit about the universe out there and our impact on it.” Another milestone was adding its 50th
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Center for Birds of Prey Executive Director Jim Elliott holds a newly acquired swallow-tailed kite. The center now houses 50 different species of birds for education and breeding. DAVID QUICK/THE POST AND COURIER
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID QUICK/THE POST AND COURIER
Audrey Poplin, husbandry coordinator and educator at the Center for Birds of Prey, holds a Harris hawk, native to the desert Southwest region of the United States.
species of bird, a short-tailed hawk, to its That level of volunteer support played a educational program, which was a goal set role in luring the center’s current medical for 2015. clinic director, Debbie Mauney, whose husThe importance of have different birds, band works with the red wolf restoration both native and non-native, is to tell a program in Alligator River, N.C. deeper story about each one’s struggle with “I love the volunteer aspect of this, too, habitat loss and other challenges, as well as because of all the different backgrounds draw attention to the center’s mission. of these people who would otherwise “We don’t want to be a roadside zoo, but never meet or hang out,” Mauney said. from an organizational standpoint, we’re “Everybody just seems to come together. It making some headway into being more vis- doesn’t matter what your income level is, ible,” Elliott said of the center drawing visieveryone is here for the birds. And I love tors to hear the message of that atmosphere.” conservation. And besides the obvious “It’s so much a part of what efforts to help injured and we need to be doing. One orphaned birds of prey and of our founding objectives educate the public of the is to reach as many people importance of the birds, the center is involved in research as we can to help. We know efforts, has a successful capthe more informed we are, tive breeding program, and the more environmentally is trained and prepared for responsible we are.” oil spill response along the The third milestone was South Carolina coast. more technical. One of many efforts of the For years, the Center for Making time Center for Birds of Prey is Birds of Prey monitored With all those pots on the bird migration Sept. 15-Nov. a captive breeding program, and a recent hatch- stove, the 24/7/365 center’s 30 every year. Last year, it staff veers off-course only added a radar system sensi- ings was an Asian brown once a year: for SEWE. tive enough to pick up even wood owl chick. “To be honest, it’s a stresssongbirds and give them anful event for both the staff and the birds. For other ability they didn’t have before: countus, it’s a lot of effort to move them. We can’t ing birds at night. leave the birds downtown. We move this 12,000 hours cadre of birds, they work all day, as do the In addition to those milestones, the center staff. Three days in a row,” Elliott said. also reached some other impressive num“But people expect us to be there. They bers and added programming. would miss us. We would be conspicuAssisting its paid staff of 12, three of ously absent if we weren’t there, and the whom are part time, are dozens of volunaudience has grown. We’ve got 40,000 teers who logged a whopping 12,000 volun- people over that weekend, and the majorteer hours in 2012. Elliott said that equates ity of them see us at one point or another, to six full-time staff members. and that’s a good thing.” 30 ! SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013
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FILE/MARIE RODRIGUEZ
Attendees of last year’s SEWE Soiree pick a pig at the Charleston Visitor Center Bus Shed.
Chew on This
Great eats and wild times BY DEIDRE SCHIPANI Special to The Post and Courier
! 2 p.m., Michelle Weaver of Charleston Grill
Fresh on the menu
! 3 p.m., Eric Huff of Burwell’s Stone Fire Grill
Marion Square becomes center stage as more than a dozen of the Lowcountry’s top chefs demonstrate how to make some of their favorite recipes with ingredients that are grown and produced in South Carolina. Presented by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, attendees also will be able to sample products from the producers, processors and vendors that make up the Certified South Carolina program. The chef demonstrations will take place in the Certified S.C. Tent at Marion Square and are covered by general admission tickets ($20 Friday and Saturday, $10 Sunday; $40 for a three-day pass). Here’s the schedule:
Friday
! 11 a.m., John Ondo of Lana ! Noon, Miles Huff of The Culinary Institute of Charleston ! 1 p.m., Fred Neuville of Fat Hen ! 2 p.m., Mark Collins of Circa 1886
Sunday ! 1 p.m., Jill Mathias of Carolina’s ! 2 p.m., David Pell of Coast Bar & Grill
! 11 a.m., Nate Whiting of Tristan
! 3 p.m., Jason Reed of Boone Hall Farms
! Noon, Simon Andrews ofThe Swamp Fox Restaurant
Ducks Unlimited Oyster Roast
! 1 p.m., Steve Lusby of 82 Queen 32 ! SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013
Saturday
Join East Cooper Ducks Unlimited for the 16th annual oyster roast and a Lowcountry cookout.
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In addition to all-you-can-eat oysters and Southern delicacies, enjoy an open bar, music, raffles and live and silent auctions. The event will be 6-11 p.m. Friday at the Charleston Visitor Center, 375 Meeting St. Tickets are $60 in advance, $75 at the door if still available, and include a 2013 membership to Ducks Unlimited. Find out more or order tickets at www. ducks.org/south-carolina or by calling 5137387.
Bluegrass Breakfast
On Saturday, start your day with breakfast, bloody mary’s and live bluegrass at the Francis Marion Hotel, 387 King St. Music will be performed by the Lindsay Holler Band. The event will run 9-11 a.m. and is part of the VIP calendar of events. VIP tickets start at $150 for two patrons. Find out more at www.sewe.com/become vip.php.
Duck Shuck Oyster Roast
The South Carolina Waterfowl Association’s 18th annual event will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Omar Shrine Center, 176 Patriots Point Road, in Mount Pleasant. The event will include live music, a live and silent auction, plus raffles. The attire is casual. Tickets are $50. To order, call 803-4526000 or go to www.scwa.org.
Lowcountry Bistro
The flavors of the wild are on the menu at Lowcountry Bistro, 49 South Market St. No guide is required, just an appetite for buffalo, alligator, duck and quail. Check out the section of their website, www.lowcountrybistro.com, where executive chef Steven Lusby and chef Matt Paul “got game.” Find out more at 302-0290.
82 Queen
Let your appetite take flight at 82 Queen, where duck wings, elk burgers, boar sausage and lamb ribs walk on the wild side with creative sides, ragouts and reductions that speak to where the wild things are. During SEWE, executive chef Steven Lusby plans daily specials. 82 Queen is at 82 Queen St. Call 723-7591 or go to www.82queen.com.
Charleston Cooks!
Sharpen your skills at Charleston Cooks! The retail shop at 194 East Bay St. will hold two classes that will feature the perfect recipes for your SEWE adventure. The classes will be offered at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The cost is $60. Go to www.mavericksouthernkitchens. com for more.
Red’s Ice House
Red’s Ice House, 98 Church St., on Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant will kick off the weekend in fine outdoor style. Check out their website, www.redsice house.com, for up-to-date details. SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
SEWE 2013 CORPORATE PARTNERS Boeing Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau SCANA Wells Fargo Charleston Place Hotel S.C. Department of Agriculture Yaschick Development AT&T Apex Broadcasting Bennett Hospitality BP America CHART Group Clear Channel Radio Charleston Chevrolet Dixon Hughes Goodman Ducks Unlimited Embassy Suites Charleston Fine Art Connoisseur Francis Marion Hotel Garden & Gun jetBlue The Local Palate MeadWestvaco The Mills House Hotel Palmetto Bluff The Post and Courier Santee Cooper S.C. Waterfowl Association All Occasions Brigadoon Lodge Buffalo Trace Carolina Custom Rifle CSX Dewberry Foundation Farm Bureau Insurance Griffon & Howe Live 5 WCSC Nick’s Bar-B-Q Our State N.C. SC Department of Natural Resources Sonoco Recycling Southwest Art
SOUTHEASTERN WILDLIFE EXPOSITION 2013 ! 33
2013 sched SEWE insider tips Friday, February 15
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Photo Brittle 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . .Saltw 9 a.m . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Private Viewing Hours Brittle Charleston Place 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . .Julie 9 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .DockDogs registration opens with Brittlebank Park Charl 10 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . . .ALL EXHIBITS OPEN 11:30 a.m.. . . . . . . . . .Birds Multiple Locations Mario 10 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . . .Cooking Classes GRACE BEAHM/THE POST AND COURIER . . .for . . .Birds . . . . .of . Retri A yellow-billed kiteCharleston cruises theCooks! skies of Marion Square 12 at ap.m. Center Prey demonstration during SEWE. Brittle 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . . . . . . Birds of Prey Flight Demo 1:30 p.m.. . . . . . . . . . .Kids Marion Square Park Intimidated much going on at for the buck. With five days of special Brittle 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . by . . .so . .Fly Fishing Demonstration so many venues? Relax. Here are a few events and perks such as 3 p.m. . . art . . . previews, . . . . . . . . Fly F Brittlebank Parkto tips, offered by event staff, on how parties that range from black tie to Brittle 11 a.m.. . . .most . . . . .of. .the .Julie Scardina with blue jeans, and hospitality suites with make .the Southeastern 3 p.m. . . . . . the . . . .SEWE . . . .Birds Wildlife Exposition: Busch Wildlife Sanctuary snacks and adult beverages, VIP program allows guests to enjoy theMario Charleston Music Hallevent to the fullest. A new event last ! Make your arrangements in ad3 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julie noon . . . You . . . .can . . . .avoid . . .Retriever Demonstration vance. lines at the event year that’s held over, VIPs may enjoy a by purchasing tickets at any Charleston Southern breakfast at the Francis Mar-with Brittlebank Park area Visitor Center (downtown, Mount ion Hotel on Saturday, complete with Charl 3 p.m. . . . . .North . . . . .Charleston . . .Birds oforPrey Flight Demo Pleasant, Kiawah). bloody marys, mimosas 4 p.m. . .and . . . bluegrass . . . . . . . .Retri Marion Square Park music. During the event, tickets are available Brittle in Marion Park and 3 p.m. . . . . .Square, . . . . . . .Brittlebank .Julie Scardina with
other venues. Be sure to get a SEWE ! Bring your friends. SEWE is a social BuschaWildlife Sanctuary brochure, which includes venue map, event and is even more fun when you Charleston Music Hallcome with a group. Organize a group shuttle stops and parking options, event. .schedule highlights. to share a VIP package or make plans to 3 p.m. . . . . . . . .and . . .Quick Draw/Speed Sculpt meet up with others to .enjoy 9 a.m.. . . . . .a. day . . . .at . .Dock Charleston Place ! SEWE is not just for outdoorsmen. the expo. On Friday, enjoy expo activi-Brittle 3:30 p.m.SEWE . . . .does . . . . .feature .Cast Net While fine Demonstration sporting ties during the day, then do the SEWE 106:30-8:30 a.m. . . .p.m. . . . .Select . . . . .ALL E arms, fly-fishing gear, decoys, King Street Stroll Brittlebankguides Park and outdoor outfitters galore, the expo shops will extend their hours, serve li- Multi 4 p.m. . . . . . .demonstrations . . . . . . .Retriever Demonstration also offers by some bations and host 10SEWE a.m. artists . . . . . at . . .work. . . . .Dock Brittlebank Lowcountry chefs and lectures, Park films and presentations on art and conserva! Park once and then walk/ride the Brittle 5 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .SEWE King Street Stroll tion. The expo also features a range of shuttle between 11venues. a.m.. . Plenty . . . . . . of . . . . .Busch King Street jewelry, souvenirs and gifts. parking is available downtown, and Charl a free shuttle runs throughout the 11 a.m.. . . . . . . . .hold. . . .Retri ! Sunday is a great day to attend. Friweekend for SEWE ticket/badge day is the public opening and Saturday ers. A handicap-accessible bus also is Brittle always draws the biggest attendance, available. Use the schedule 1 p.m. . . . . and . . . .map . . . . on .Birds 9 a.m.. . . . . . out-of-towners . . . . . . . .DockDogs registration opens but many head home Pages 16-17 or the festival brochure to Mario on Sunday, so parking is usuallyPark easier plan your weekend. Brittlebank to come by and crowds are lighter. All 2 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fly Fi 9 a.m.. . . . . . . .and . . . exhibits .Bluegrass Breakfast of the. .venues are still in ! SEWE is dog friendly. Leashed pets Brittle Francis Marion Hotel are welcome at all outdoor venues and full swing. In fact, the DockDogs finals 3 p.m. . . .your . . . . dog . . . . . .Busch are expected to draw a big crowd SunThink 10 a.m. . . . . . . . . . . . .ALL EXHIBITS OPENin Charleston Place. day afternoon. can jump? If so, sign up for the Dock- Charl Multiple Locations Dogs competitions, where pooches 3 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Retri 10 a.m. . . . is. .family . . . . . .friendly .Cooking ! SEWE withClasses a variety of all shapes and sizes will leap for top of hands-on activities that are fun and honors. Advance registration throughBrittle Charleston Cooks! educational. A bonus is that children 10 dockdogs.com4isp.m. highly . . recommend. . . . . . . . . . .Dock 10 a.m. . . . . .are . . .admitted . . . .DockDogs and under free. competition ed, as day-of spots fill quickly. One Brittle Brittlebank Park note: Pets are not allowed on SEWE ! VIP packages offer the most bang shuttle buses. 10:30 a.m. . . . . . . . . .Announce Charleston Angler
Sunday, Februar
Saturday, February 16
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