The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston School of the Arts presents bluesphere: Earth Art Expo with events at College venues opening Friday, October 22. The citywide project began September 17 with the opening of Ice Storm by Carson Fox at Redux Contemporary Art Center and concludes with the Gibbes Museum of Art’s exhibition, J. Henry Fair: Industrial Scars, opening December 16. bluesphere includes seven visual art exhibitions, a film screening, studio classes, a workshop and lectures. Most events are free and open to the public.
View a comprehensive schedule of events.
On Friday, October 22, both “Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait—Digitial Images by Chris Jordan” and Bryant Holsenbeck’s “Bottle Cap Mandala” will open on the College of Charleston campus. “Running the Numbers” is located at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, located at 161 Calhoun Street, and a lecture and reception will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. The artist will give a second lecture sponsored by Burke Community Education at Burke High School’s Auditorium at 4pm on the following Saturday, Oct. 23. Burke High is located at 244 President Street.
Chris Jordan creates photographic digital images of jarring statistics related to American consumption. Each image averages 5ft. x 7ft. and gives visual life to incomprehensible statistics like 320,000 light bulbs, equal to the number of kilowatt hours of electricity wasted in the United States every minute from inefficient residential electricity usage; and 28,000 42-gallon barrels, the amount of oil consumed in the United States every two minutes. The exhibition, which runs from Oct. 22 to Dec. 10, is sponsored by SC Green and is dedicated to the memory of Charleston community member Edwin Gardner, a lifelong proponent and practitioner of living an artful, healthy, and sustainable life on our planet.
Bryant Holsenbeck’s Bottle Cap Mandala will be installed with students and community volunteers from Monday, Oct. 18 through Thursday, Oct. 22 to set up a three-dimensional mandala, a geometric design symbolizing the universe, usually circular, on the floor of the Sanders Rotunda in the Marlene and Nathan Addlestone Library, made from recyclable materials such as mayonnaise jar lids, bread loaf ties, soda bottle caps, and Altoids tins. The installation opens with a reception Friday, October 22 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Addlestone Library. Holsenbeck will give an artist’s lecture at 11am on Saturday, Oct. 23 in the Library. The installation will remain on view from Oct. 22 to Nov. 19 and is sponsored by College of Charleston’s Friends of the Library.
Holsenbeck states: “For over a decade now, I have been documenting the ‘stuff’ of our society that we use once and throw away. Americans create more garbage, per capita, than any other culture, yet we are blind to our waste. I believe this is a function of our wealth, and the vastness of our country. We have the room to hide our waste, and the money to make more. I collect many things, among them, bottle caps, credit cards, pencils, and chop sticks. I use these everyday items to make work, which transforms the objects and surprises us. I am an environmentalist, receiving great joy from the natural world. This makes me aware of how we take what we have for granted.”
College of Charleston’s Friends of the Library’s Speaker Series for 2010-2011 is entitled “Going Green: Fad or Forever?” These panel discussions are free and open to the public and will be held in the College of Charleston’s Addlestone Library. Two of the four planned sessions occur during the dates of bluesphere: “Fueling the Debate: The Future of Energy” will be held on Wednesday, November 3 at 6:00 p.m. and “Culture Shock: Local Impact on a Global Problem” on Thursday, November 18 at 6:00 p.m.
“Going Green” will explore the practices, people, science and politics influencing the global green movement. In an effort to promote discourse and education throughout the Charleston community about sustainability, the Friends of the Library will present keynote speakers and panel discussions on emerging trends related to the green movement and whether this phenomenon is a fad or an enduring way of life. The first panel in the speaker series, “Fueling the Debate: The Future of Energy,” will discuss recent advancements in alternative energy and promote community involvement in sustainable living. Brian Sheehan, Director of Sustainability for the City of Charleston, will moderate. The panel will include local business owners Chris Fisher of Fisher Recycling; Barry Patterson of Barry Patterson & Associates; Eve Blossom of Lulan; Jamee Haley of Lowcountry Local First, and Ian Sanchez of Lowcountry Environmental Education Programs (LEEP).
The second panel discussion, “Culture Shock: Local Impact on a Global Problem,” will reveal subtle contributions Charlestonians can make towards reducing our city’s carbon emissions. Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, Development Director for Clemson University Restoration Institute will moderate that panel. The panel is comprised of Mitchell Colgan Chairman of the College of Charleston’s Geology and Environmental Geosciences Department; Nick Rigas, Director of the Renewable Energy focus area of the Clemson University Restoration Institute and Vice President of EcoEnergy; Jim Rogers, Chairman, President, and CEO of Duke Energy; Tradd Cotter of Mushroom Mountain and Brian Fisher, Assistant Professor with College of Charleston’s Department of Political Science & Environmental Studies.
bluesphere is sponsored in part by the College of Charleston School of the Arts, City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, SC Green, Art Institute of Charleston, Coastal Conservation League, Tbonz Restaurant Group and Dolphin Architects & Builders.
The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art is administered by the School of the Arts at the College of Charleston and exists to advocate, exhibit and interpret visual art, with an emphasis on contemporary art. The Halsey Institute is committed to providing a direct experience with works of art in all media within an environment that fosters creativity, individuality, innovation and education. In addition to producing exhibitions, lectures, film series, publications, and a comprehensive website, the Halsey Institute serves as an extension of the undergraduate curricula at the College and as a cultural resource for the region.
