// hello //
Welcome to Week Two.
For some reason, this week's collection of most excellent artistry leans closer to home. In fact, you can enjoy most of it from home, or wherever you Wifi.
All of the musicians featured here make me genuinely excited about the level of talent we have at our fingertips. The two visual artists are from outside SC, so many thanks to the venues that keep the talent coming our way.
Opportunities for artists are at the bottom, for you or that ambitious creative person in your life.
Please share this with folks who might be interested in any of the items. And subscribe so you don't miss out. I'm always digging for the engaging, challenging and excellent creative work that gets overlooked.
Feel free to reply with your 👍 or 👎 on any aspect of NOTES. Or hit me up on insta @see.thechord. I'll gladly hear your feedback and tips on what's happening out there.
Cheers.
// sights //
Artist Talk at Southeast Center for Photography
Bruce Barnbaum makes the kind of landscape images that would only work in black & white. The textures and organic shapes are almost mesmerizing. See and hear about his work. May 20. Greenville/online.
YOU ARE HERE – Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art
This is one of those that's hard to classify--deliberately so. Jibade-Khalil Huffman is a multidisciplinary, multimedia writer and image maker. His work is all about layers. Images peek through and float above each other. Music and speech overlap. Texts overlay moving and still images.
Huffman exhibits at major galleries around the country, and is based in North Carolina/California. Make plans to see his work while it's in Charleston, and catch the online artist talk 7pm May 25 at halsey.cofc.edu/live.
On view through July 17. Charleston.
Binge some Gunner Willis films
It doesn't matter whether it's one of his comedies, music videos, or dramas; you will probably laugh at least once. You'll also see a director who seems to be on a quest for an elusive balance between lightness and heaviness, like somebody toggling an equalizer back and forth. As a viewer, you never quite get to settle, which I like. Greenville/online.
He's also fantastic to watch as an actor, oftentimes counterbalanced by actor Corey Wavle, a frequent collaborator.
// sounds //
Darby Wilcox all 'round the Upstate
"Holy sh*t. A schedule?! I can’t believe it either." So said acoustic queen Darby in the Facebook post announcing show dates. Hear her equally soulful lyrics and voice tomorrow at Art Bomb gallery, and elsewhere throughout May. Upstate.
Concerts at the Courtroom
A rare, satisfying virtual concert series that actually fills a bit of that live music gap we've been feeling. They're more like concert films, actually. Acoustic, Funk, Rap, R&B, and a little bit Country. Every one of these is solid. Rock Hill/online.
New Music from Contour
"Love Suite" dropped yesterday morning. I listened once, then whipped out the debit card. There are only 8 short tracks, but that's fine; this is one to put on repeat. If you dig Thundercat, or Charles Mingus, or a good lo-fi sound bath, this one's for you. South Carolina.
// opportunities //
Call for Artists: WOVEN / Juneteenth Juried Show
Special emphasis on folk art and craft, including quilters, weavers, musicians and visual artists from the southeast region.
Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant - Deadline May 19
This one's a biggie. Supports emerging and established writers who write about contemporary visual art. Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in three categories—articles, books, and short-form writing.
// sponsored //
Will Crooks Photography
True story: Will took one of my favorite photos of me. Back in the day, he started out doing street photography and snapped me on a sunny Saturday while I made a quick trip through the farmer's market.
Then we met up again as journalists. He took more time and care than any photographer I'd worked with. That was almost a decade ago but, from the looks of his images, that hasn't changed.