Welcome to SCARTblog. I’ve been a writer and artist in the South Carolina arts community for many years. For the last 20 years I’ve been writing about SC’s visual art scene for a number of different publications – The New Art Examiner, Carolina Arts, the State Paper and FreeTimes (which I’m still writing for). There has always been more going on than I can cover in print, one of my ongoing frustrations. But I’ve also been frustrated that because I’m also an artist affiliated with galleries and teaching in a college, I’m not able to write about some of the best things that are happening because of conflicts of interest. As a journalist, it’s important to avoid those. As a self-publishing blogger, I don’t have to.

So in the interest of full disclosure (and you’ll be able to find this later as a regular link) here are all of my conflicting affiliations. I’m a professor of art at Columbia College where we have one of the nicest galleries in the area, Goodall Gallery. I’m a graduate of the University of South Carolina Art Department and I’m a member of the Council at McKissick Museum. I’m a practicing visual artist with a studio in EBCO Studios in 5 Points. Wim Roefs at if ART Gallery here in Columbia represents me. I write critical reviews on visual art for the FreeTimes. I’m a member of the Columbia Museum of Art.

That said, I’m going to feel free to write on anything that relates to art. Stop back on Monday when I’ll be posting a review of Carl Blair’s current exhibit, “Flora and Fauna” at ifART Gallery. See you on Monday!

Mary