painting & observations of our world by Sheryl Stalnaker

Lake City, SC, is a small rural town about 100 miles from Charleston.  The town, with a population of 6,500, is not along a major interstate, doesn't have thriving industries, and most people in Charleston don't even know where it is.  Lake City is about to become the center of a great economic and cultural experiment.  They will be hosting the "First of Its Kind, Epic Southern Artfest Competition and Celebration", to quote the event organizers.  The official name is "Artfields."  Artfields is the brainchild of Darla Moore, a Lake City native who was named one of Fortune Magazine's Top 50 Most Powerful Women in American Business.  Moore has a vision to revitalize her home town and Artfields is already a standout in many ways.  Four hundred artists from across the Southeast were selected to exhibit in the show that runs from April 19th to April 28th.  Three artists will share winnings of $100,000 from jurors' selection and public vote.  This amount of prize money is unheard of in most art competitions, which usually have a top prize of $500 or maybe $1000.  There will be food trucks, art lectures from artists such as Jonathan Green, art classes and demonstrations, public murals created by attendees, bands from as far away as New Orleans, special dinners and other events.  The art is diverse, from traditional landscapes and figure paintings to large abstract and museum-style installations.  I delivered my painting this past Friday and got a sneak peak.  There was a lot of energy in the town already, as carpenters hammered to finish new restaurants, workers laid sod in public spaces, and shop owners cleaned windows.  The entire town is the exhibition space, with local venues displaying the artwork including a t-shirt shop, bridal boutique, corner barber, old empty warehouses and restaurants.  The local venues selected the works that would be displayed in their shops, directly involving them in the event.  I met one of the employees, Trilley, at Beach Cruisers, where my painting will hang.  His enthusiasm was contagious.  He claimed that all the prize money was going to "his" artists, he was going to sell all the paintings, and 30,000 people would be coming to Lake City.  I hope this experiment is a huge success and that it becomes an annual event as planned - for all the residents of Lake City, like Trilley, who have embraced the artists and our work, and for the visionaries who have taken a huge leap of faith.  The event starts this Friday.  Stay tuned...

for more info. about Artfields, click here

along Main Street in Lake City, SC

my Artfields painting, Expanse, oil on canvas, 38" x 62"

www.sherylstalnaker.com