Artisans of the South Carolina Tobacco Trail group forms

HARTSVILLE - For the past several months, a group of artists and arts council personnel have been meeting to create a guild for the artisans that live and create throughout the counties that lie along the South Carolina Tobacco Trail. The group now plans to form the Artisans of the South Carolina Tobacco Trail.

The Tobacco Trail runs through the counties of Horry, Darlington, Dillon, Marion, Williamsburg, Clarendon and Florence.

These meetings have led to the opportunity for artisans to display their work at the Black Creek Arts Center in Darlington County for the month of August 2010. The Artisans of the South Carolina Tobacco Trail will be the featured artists in the Jean & James Fort Gallery. This exhibit and opening reception will mark the public launching of the Artisans of the South Carolina Tobacco Trail.

If you are interested in this opportunity and becoming a founding member of the Artisans of the South Carolina Tobacco Trail, follow the guidelines below.

All potential members are selected through a two-part jury process to ensure their craft is of a good standard. For the first stage, works will be reviewed by e-mailed jpeg photographs. Five images should be emailed to PopsGlass@aol.com on or before March 26. These photos will then be distributed to the jury. Those meeting basic standards will be asked to present their work in person for the final jury stage. This will take place at the South Carolina Tobacco Museum in Mullins on April 9. Notification will be sent by e-mail the following week.

Accepted media for jurying are clay, drawing, fiber glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, natural materials, painting, paper, photography, sculpture, handmade books and wood. Specialty foods made in the area will also be considered for jurying. The following forms of production are prohibited: crafts produced from commercial kits; commercial patterns, molds and forms; any item violating copyrights; plants (except Bonsai), polished rocks, decoupage and similar items; hobby crafts, shell crafts, country crafts, decal crafts, silk or dried floral arrangements, mass-produced items, commercial re-sales. No work made from commercial stencils or prefabricated forms. No copies of masters, advertisements or widely distributed photos. Work produced in a class or workshop is not eligible to be juried or shown.

The mission of the Artisans of the South Carolina Tobacco Trail is to bring together artists, artisans and retailers for the benefits of marketing, tourism, education and shared resources.

The Artisans of the South Carolina Tobacco Trail promotes the tradition of fine visual arts and fine crafts. It serves the professional artists, craftspeople and retailers of the area and work representing the area. It is run by and for its members; volunteers do most of the work. A board of directors is elected from the membership. The guild also serves as a liaison between its membership and other cultural and educational organizations within the state.

The formation of the Artisans of the South Carolina Tobacco Trail was made possible by Black Creek Arts Council of Darlington County through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Info: (843) 248-4527, (843) 332-6234, PopsGlass@aol.com or bartscounc@aol.com