May 2, 2015, the Town of Ridgeway, SC will host the 9th Annual Arts on the Ridge Art Show & Sale. This year’s theme is “Opening Doors to Art & History”.
The 2015 winner of the logo contest for the event is local artist Harold Branham. "Mr. Branham has donated his original artwork for the logo to the AOR to be auctioned off as a fundraiser," announced AOR Chairperson, Phyllis Nichols Gutierrez. The auction will take place at the Arts on the Ridge event.
This year’s art show and sale will again feature both visual and performing art from students all over the area. The Fairfield Central HS Drum Line will kick off the event with a dynamic program on Saturday at 10am.
There will be visual art on display at the Century House at 170 South Dogwood Avenue in Ridgeway from several Fairfield and Richland County Schools. The student art will be judged with prizes awarded by both a panel of judges and a people’s choice award. Voting for the people’s choice award can be done on Friday evening from 6 to 8 pm and on Saturday morning until noon. To celebrate the basis of the themes of Opening Doors to the Arts there are always a number of very creatively painted doors on display that are decorated by the various schools in both Fairfield and Richland Counties.
Friends and family come to see the work on display. “To see that feeling of accomplishment radiate from the faces of these kids is what makes all this work worthwhile,” explained, Gutierrez. “The positive attitudes they derive from their feelings of self-confidence are as valuable as any prize we could give them.”
It is not only students who participate in the Art Show. It is open to the public with no charge for entering art in the competition. The art is also for sale. It is on display at the historic Century House for the entire show beginning on Friday evening from 6 to 8 pm and continuing through Saturday from 10am until the show closes at 4 pm.
There will be artists using acrylics, oils, watercolor, fabric & textiles, metals, photography, pottery, woven baskets and lots more.
“It is the highlight of the show for me to see the incredible degree of talent that exists in our local community,” shared Virginia Lacy, President of the Fairfield County Arts Council, which is one of the sponsors of the event. “Each year seems more amazing than the last.”
The Fairfield County Arts Council will present the 2015 Friend of the Arts Award at this year’s show at 2 pm on Saturday.
Would be artists, and accomplished artists can enjoy an acrylic painting demonstration by professional artist Campbell Frost from 11:15 until 12:15 at the Century House.
“This is a full volunteer event”, explained Ridgeway Major Charlene Herring. “And it is certainly a prime example of what makes our town so special. The motto Where History Still Lives & The Arts Are Alive is a good illustration of the wonderful ambiance that folks feel when they visit the Town of Ridgeway. “
In addition to the visual art there will be live music presented on Friday evening by local musician, Jim Hayes, at the Olde Town Hall Restaurant & Pub. And on Saturday, starting at 10 am, Randy Bright will perform. At 11 am visitors can enjoy Susan Taylor, and at noon Richard Gibbons and at 1 pm Dean Cook.
This year’s theme for the event is “Opening Doors to Art & History” which opens up a whole new area for presentations. On Saturday, starting at 10am family members and citizens will share history and stories about homes and churches in The Manors and Chapels Roundtable presentation, at 11am the Go Forth Communicators present “History of Ridgeway” and at 1:30 pm at Ruff Furniture the Cultural Communicators will present a program with “Freedom” as the topic.
The Ridgeway Museum located on the upper floor of the Century House will be open from 10am to 4pm and the Old Ruff Store Museum in Downtown Ridgeway will be open from noon to 4pm.
All day long, from 10am until 4pm, you can bring stories and pictures of your historic house and meet with Wade Fairey of Roots & Recall. Wade Dorsey with the SC Archives will also be available to share the history of the area as well as talk about Sherman’s March through Fairfield County. Additionally, representatives from the Fairfield County Genealogical Society will also be on-hand.
“Friday evening we will celebrate First Friday in Ridgeway,” explained Tina Johnson, Merchant’s Association President and owner of Over The Top in Ridgeway. “Not only can folks vote for the people’s choice awards at the Century House but participating merchants in Ridgeway are celebrating with wine and live music, artwork on display at their locations and lots more fun activities.”
Artwork from Charleston artist Emily Stein is on display at the Olde Town Hall Restaurant & Pub. There is art work from local artists at the Fairfield County Arts Council Gallery at Over The Top, at The Cotton Yard Market, Ruff Furniture store, Palmer Street Market, and Royal Greens located at 200 E Church Street.
In addition to the art show and sale, the event also features vendors set up in the Cotton Yard and around the area on Saturday from 10am to 4 pm. Boxed lunches will be available from both Laura’s Tea Room and The Olde Town Hall Restaurant & Pub. Sweets will be available at Emma & Lillie’s Cottage Goods and Laura’s Tea Room.
The committee to repair the historic Ruff Chapel in Ridgeway will be hosting an all day Book Sale at the chapel location next to the Ridgeway post office on Palmer Street in Ridgeway as part of the AOR event. “It’s a great opportunity to help us put a new roof on the Ruff Chapel and save a nice piece of the history of this area,” commented Ridgeway resident, Mrs. Jon Ward, who is chairing the event.
This year’s Arts on the Ridge sponsors include the Town of Ridgeway, Pig on the Ridge Committee, Royal Greens, First Citizen’s Bank, Fairfield County Arts Council, Thistle Hill Farm and Big Oak’s Farm.
For additional information please contact Chairperson, Phyllis Nichols Gutierrez at 803-337-8675. Additional information is also available at ridgewaysc.org.
Posted on May 1st, 2015.
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