By By KEVIN SCOTT CUTLER
Lifestyles & Features Editor
The 45th annual Beaufort County Arts Council Fine Arts Show opened to rave reviews Thursday morning.
The event runs through Saturday in the Washington Civic Center. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and there is no admission charge.
“From what I have seen, and I say this every year, it’s the best one we’ve ever had,” said Helen Sommerkamp, BCAC treasurer. “Sales are up, interest is up. Maybe people are just becoming more talented every year.”
Both local residents and out-of-town visitors have been spotted in the crowd milling about the exhibition, noted Joey Toler, BCAC’s executive director.
“Sales are very good — I’m actually very pleasantly surprised by the sales,” Toler said. “In this economy you never know, but if this is any indication, things must be getting better. Sales of art are going up — people are valuing things differently these days.”
Wednesday’s preview reception for Arts Council members drew around 400 people, more than in past years, according to Toler. And by the first couple hours of the show on Thursday, an estimated 100 people had passed through the Civic Center doors.
“This is a very strong show,” Toler said. “It isn’t so frivolous; there’s a lot of serious art in there today. I like the fact that it’s a very strong show, a very driven show. We have a lot of new artists who have never exhibited with us before.”
Pam Toll, the juror for this year’s show, shares Toler’s enthusiasm for the exhibition.
“Struck by the exuberance of entries collected, I was engaged by the wealth of watercolor paintings — drawn first to paintings that exhibited remarkable technical handling of the medium,” she said in a juror’s statement. “Paintings selected are characterized by something swift and sure in the hand of the artist.”
Toll went on to praise the works selected from the show’s other categories, which include oils and acrylics, graphics/open mixed and three-dimensional. She will offer a critique of the show today beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Civic Center. That program is free and open to the public.
Of the 356 pieces submitted for consideration, 55 were juried in, according to Toler.
“I’m really pleased with the show and I’m pleased with the juror’s selections,” he said. “And people are taking about the work, they’re chatty about it, actually standing and talking about these pieces.”
The award selections will remain on exhibit in the Civic Center Gallery through Dec. 18; hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, unless the facility is closed for a private function. Call 252-946-2504 for more information.
*A complete list of award winners in the BCAC Fine Arts Show was included in Thursday’s Washington Daily News.