The churches of Charleston
are unique in their variety, grandeur, and architecture. We give you an in-depth view.~> Read more
Art
A Painter’s Way Through Poetry
“YOU GO WHERE your life takes you,” mused artist Kat Hastie in a conversation we recently had about an upcoming show where visual art and poetry meet. “Contemporary Charleston 2010: Influence” runs at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park from May 20 through July 3 with an exhibit that matches 10 poets with 10... Read »
First Baptist Church
ROBERT MILLS, architect of First Baptist Church, described it as, “the best specimen of correct taste in architecture of the modern buildings in this city. It is purely Greek in its style, simply grand in its proportions, and beautiful in its detail.” He was mistaken only in its being purely Greek in style, but... Read »
The Little Festival with a Big Punch
AS SPRING BLEEDS into summer, don’t forget the other frolic that kicks off in tandem with Spoleto USA. While the “big” one toots its horn about being an international festival, Piccolo Spoleto boasts the continuous discovery of homegrown talent—artists, writers, and performers from Charleston and around the southeast. Ellen Dresler Moryl launched Piccolo Spoleto... Read »
What Was Whistler Thinking?
THAT’S THE QUESTION I kept asking myself as I gazed into the intimate world of James McNeill Whistler’s etchings at the Gibbes (until May 16, 2010). When you look at oil paintings you are generally aware of standing in front of them looking at them. But with etchings, especially good ones, you somehow step... Read »
Huguenot Church
GOTHIC WAS ONE of the latest styles introduced in antebellum Charleston, and decorative details of the Gothic style pervade the Huguenot Church at 136 Church Street. The highlights include pointed windows, pier buttresses (the extending supports on the outside of the church) with pinnacles, and simulated vaulting. Even the cast iron fence has Gothic... Read »
St. Philip’s Protestant Episcopal Church
THE CURRENT BUILDING at 146 Church Street is the third St. Philip’s Church. It is from an 1836 design by Joseph Hyde which partly replicates the second St. Philip’s that was constructed c. 1721–1733, but which burned in 1835. The exterior of the building closely follows the c. 1721 design, although the interior was... Read »
The Churches of Charleston
WHILE CHARLESTON’S historical homes and buildings continue to enchant residents and dazzle tourists, the city’s churches merit special attention and study. You can easily gaze at their designs and details for hours at a time and not see everything. Which is why repeat visits for repeated gazing always yield new treasures. But how is... Read »
Observing Art… With Kids!
ON A RECENT TRIP to the Big Apple with my eleven- and seven-year-olds, I was faced with the realization that viewing art with children is never as satisfying as you dream it will be. Something like, “the best laid plans go to waste” came to mind. I’m not saying the experience was not beneficial... Read »
Elihu Hall Bay House
76 Meeting Street • 1785 THE ALLEY ON ONE SIDE of this house, and a wide yard on the other, served as protective fire breaks. Single houses like this were often built of wood for coolness. The Duke de la Rochefoucault-Liancourt, commenting on the frequent preference for wood, and on the asymmetrical piazza, wrote... Read »
Landscapes for Music
THIS IS JUST ONE of the stunning photos by Michael Kahn (it’s huge) at Martin Gallery on Broad Street. And the serenity of his work could hardly have been better complemented than by a recent performance in the gallery by Chamber Music Charleston. I had heard four of the five musicians before, so I... Read »
