FOCUS: North Charleston to open new Park Circle art gallery Aug. 1

Meeting & Line Street by Sarah Harris, provided.

Staff reports  |  The city of North Charleston will open a new free art gallery at Park Circle to present works scheduled in the North Charleston City Art Gallery, which has been shuttered indefinitely because of the closure of the Charleston Area Convention Center’s Performing Arts Center and Coliseum.

The new gallery, formerly known as the Olde Village Community Building, will open Aug. 1 at 4820 Jenkins Avenue.  Hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.  In addition to the monthly exhibitions, the new space will feature a gift shop that offers a variety of items by local artists, art workshops and recurring meetings when it’s safe.

Park Circle Gallery’s inaugural exhibitions include photographs by Nicole Robinson of Charleston and paintings by Sarah Harris of Hanahan. The concurrent solo exhibitions will be on view August 1-29, 2020.

Abstraction: Tidal Obsession: Photographs by Nicole Robinson

Photographer Nicole Robinson presents a series of long exposure tidal landscapes. Robinson is drawn to simple subjects with interesting light, texture and motion. She uses long exposures in combination with hand panning across her subjects to create a natural abstract image

High Tide by Nicole Robinson, provided

“There has to be more that you derive from an image than just documentation of being in a certain place or time. If the image provokes thought or questions or stirs desire; there is where I find success of my art,” Robinson said in a press release.

Nicole Robinson is a self-taught photographer who has lived in the Carolinas for more than 25 years. Her work is in many private collections throughout the United States. A construction worker by trade, she considers herself a photographer at heart and draws inspiration from the beauty of the natural world. More: NicoleRobinsonPhotography.com.

Abandoned Paradise: Paintings by Sarah Harris

Abandoned Paradise showcases a series of oil paintings that explore the subject of abandoned and rundown buildings in downtown Charleston. 

“The abandoned buildings in our city have an unusual and mysterious beauty,” she said “Behind the decrepit walls there is an untold story.” 

Using photographs as a reference, she begins each composition with loose, expressive washes of diluted paint and builds up layers to develop more details. She then adds thick impasto painting with a palette knife to mimic the texture and decay of these neglected buildings. 

“I want the exterior to pop out of the canvas as though it is three-dimensional. During this process I explore and experiment with oil paint and push it beyond limit,” she said. By incorporating a variety of techniques and textures in her paintings, Harris draws attention to some of the possibilities of oil paint as a medium.

Sarah Harris earned a bachelor’s degree in studio art from the College of Charleston in 2013, with additional studies in graphic imagery at Trident Technical College in 2014. She has exhibited her work in a number of solo and group shows at venues and events throughout the Lowcountry, including the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art and the North Charleston Arts Fest. More:  SarahMichelleArt.com.