Fine craft artists and artisans from across South Carolina were invited to participate in the 12th Annual SouthCarolina Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Competition & Exhibition, the state’s only juried fine craft competition and exhibition.  Organized annually by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, the show was presented May 3-11 as a component of the 2013North Charleston Arts Festival. 

Following an extensive pre-jury process, 47 applicants were asked to participate and 120 entries were submitted in the categories of clay, fiber, metal, wood, and 3D mixed media.  Cash awards totaling $6,500 were made at the sole discretion of the juror, Karen Derksen, Director of Winthrop University Galleries and lecturer for the Department of Fine Arts and the Department of Design at Winthrop.After making her selections, Ms. Derksen stated, “Jurying a show is one of the most gratifying undertakings of my position and also one of the most challenging. I enjoy the opportunity to view the inspiring work being created in our state and as expected the entries in this year’s Palmetto Hands exhibition demonstrate what accomplished artists and creative, high quality work is being produced in South Carolina.” She continued, “It is always exciting to see what is developing in fine craft, as it captures traditions and evolves into a modern contemporary context. Overall, I was impressed with the quality of the submissions. My heartfelt congratulations go to all included artists, and especially to the award winners.”

After awarding ribbons, Ms. Derksen also selected pieces from the show to assemble a South Carolina Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Traveling Exhibition, which will tour the state through the South Carolina State Museum’s 2013/2014 Traveling Exhibitions Program.  “One of my goals was to select a show that would express the diversity of the mediums and styles that I was observing,” Dersken said. “My purpose when selecting an exhibition is to be intentional about the relationship of one artwork to another and create an overall totality that tells a story.” The Traveling Exhibitions Program gives galleries, museums, and art centers across South Carolina the opportunity to request the exhibit to tour their facilities, thus providing additional exposure for the selected artists.

In addition to awards given by the juror, three pieces were selected for City of North Charleston Purchase Awards. These pieces will be added to the City of North Charleston’s Permanent Public Art Collection, which is on display within North Charleston City Hall throughout most of the year.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2013 SC Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Competition & Exhibition:

Best of Show
Baseball Shoe High Top (Mixed Media) by Dennis Vernon (Okatie, SC)

Outstanding Merit
A Smoked Salmon (Clay) by Patz Fowle (Hartsville, SC)
From Tuscaloosa to Timbuktu (Mixed Media) by Kim Keats (Okatie, SC)

City of North Charleston Purchase Awards
Upright Fish with Octopus (Clay) by John Davis (North Charleston, SC)
The Elegance of Grace (Mixed Media) by Georgette Willis Sanders (McClellanville, SC)
Hands Off! (Clay) by Pamela Steele (Gilbert, SC)

Honorable Mentions
A Price Greater Than Rubies (Mixed Media) by Dina Barron (Summerville, SC)
Within (Clay) by Fiorenzo Berardozzi (Charleston, SC)
Botanicals (Illustrations From My Garden) (Mixed Media) by Cynthia Colbert (Lexington, SC)
Beetle with Bumps (Clay) by John Davis (North Charleston, SC)
Hourglass Dulcimer (Wood) by Dean Eades (Seneca, SC)
Petals (Clay) by Sheri Farbstein (Hilton Head, SC)
Anonymous (Fiber) by Susan Lenz (Columbia, SC)
Red Coral (Clay) by Deborah Mather (Murrel’s Inlet, SC)
Original Tartan Design #1 (Large) (Fiber) by Beth Melton (Rock Hill, SC)
Glory (Mixed Media) by Georgette Willis Sanders (McClellanville, SC)
Enlightened Fish (Mixed Media) by Matt Wilson (North Charleston, SC)
The Potato Help (Mixed Media) by Michael Woodle (Conway, SC)

SC Palmetto Hands Traveling Exhibition Selections
Jughead (Clay) by Deborah Appleby (North Charleston, SC)
A Price Greater Than Rubies (Mixed Media) by Dina Barron (Summerville, SC)
Beachcombers (Mixed Media) by Margaret Bass (Eastover, SC)
Koi Pond (Mixed Media) by Margaret Bass (Eastover, SC)
Every Child Deserves a Home (Fiber) by Ellen Byrd (Mt. Pleasant, SC)
A Place of Her Own (Fiber) by Ellen Byrd (Mt. Pleasant, SC)
Doll House (Fiber) by Ellen Byrd (Mt. Pleasant, SC)
My Garden of Earthly Delights (Mixed Media) by Cynthia Colbert (Lexington, SC)
Beetle with Bumps (Clay) by John Davis (North Charleston, SC)
Serving Platter (Clay) by John Davis (North Charleston, SC)
Petals (Clay) by Sheri Farbstein (Hilton Head, SC)
Patz’s Picasso Pot (Clay) by Patz Fowle (Hartsville, SC)
Play – Circle No. 2 (Clay) by Miyako Fujiwara (Charleston, SC)
Play – Circle No. 7 (Clay) by Miyako Fujiwara (Charleston, SC)
Phillip Simmons Heart Gate (Fiber) by Arianne King Comer (North Charleston, SC)
My Life as a Tree Totem (Mixed Media) by Kim Keats (Okatie, SC)
Anonymous (Fiber) by Susan Lenz (Columbia, SC)
Red Coral (Clay) by Deborah Mather (Murrel’s Inlet, SC)
Tuned (Clay) by Deborah Mather (Murrel’s Inlet, SC)
Original Tartan Design #1 (Large) (Fiber) by Beth Melton (Rock Hill, SC)
Baseball Shoe High Top (Mixed Media) by Dennis Vernon (Okatie, SC)
The Potato Help (Mixed Media) by Michael Woodle (Conway, SC)

For more information about the South Carolina Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Competition & Exhibition and other exhibition opportunities, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at 843-740-5854, email culturalarts@northcharleston.org, or visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com. Organizations interested in hosting the traveling exhibition should contact Jeff Powley, South Carolina State Museum Outreach Manager, at 803-737-4159 or jeff.powley@scmuseum.org.