The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department is proud to announce the appointment of mixed media artist Alexandra Roberts as Artist-in-Residence for 2014/15. The City’s Artist-in-Residence serves as a key resource for the department’s outreach programs, especially in the area of art instruction. The selected artist shares his/her unique skills, talents, and experiences by providing services to senior groups, public schools, group homes, and various other groups within the city limits of North Charleston. Alexandra will be available for visual art residencies of 12-15 hours at a minimum of two hour increments at North Charleston schools and is also available to host workshops for community groups of all ages.

Born in Virginia, Alexandra Roberts moved to South Carolina as a young child.  Visual art has always been a major part of her life; participating in various art clubs and advanced art programs throughout her early education.  As a high school junior, she was accepted into the prestigious Governors School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, SC.  Alexandra graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) with a BFA in Fine Arts in 2006 and immediately went on to pursue the career she is most passionate about, community arts, by obtaining an MA in Community Arts in 2007.  Through MICA’s Community Arts Partnership (CAP) program she had the opportunity to teach art and promote community involvement to young people in the Better Waverly Community located in Baltimore, MD.

Currently, Alexandra is a freelance artist and art instructor with the Casey Community Center in Goose Creek.  She is also a teaching artist with the City of North Charleston’s After School Arts Enrichment Program and served as the 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival’s resident artist to create a sculpture with students at the Persephone Moultrie Community Center.  Alexandra enjoys sharing her passion for art with students of all ages and her classes consist of working with a variety of materials, such as various papers, paint, ink, and much more.  Alexandra’s art is an exploration of media culminating in a symphony of color and texture, with much of her work inspired by personal experiences, observations in society, and her work as a community artist. Being an artist is an ever evolving process and recently she has been creating art on wood, as well as working with various textiles.

The North Charleston City Gallery will host an exhibition of Alexandra’s work throughout January 2015.  The gallery is located within the Charleston Area Convention Center at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. School liaisons, arts teachers, and the general public are invited to meet the artist at a free gallery reception on Thursday, January 8, 2015, from 5:00-7:00pm.

Art teachers and school liaisons may initiate the request for FREE services by the Artist-in-Residence by contacting the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5851. Community groups are also welcome to submit requests, which will be considered on a first come first served basis. All project requests should be placed at least two weeks in advance, with residences completed by the end of May 2015.

More information about the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department’s Artist-in-Residence program, as well as the department’s other programs, exhibits, and events, can be found on the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website at www.northcharleston.org.