Only in the South would a tag sale warrant a preview party complete with steamed oysters and a rollicking concert by the legendary Tams. That was the case Friday night when the Junior League opened the doors of the Gaillard Auditorium’s Exhibition Hall for a sneak peak at its annual weekend-long Whale of a Sale. Items were snapped up at a brisk pace (fie on the gentleman who spotted the Star Wars trilogy box set seconds before me), but the most popular spot was a table that held a bowl of unidentified morsels. People were jockeying for a spot near the table, and I watched a gal replenish the bowl twice before I asked Elaina England to enlighten me regarding the nature of the rapidly disappearing ambrosia. She happily shared the recipe between giggles: crushed Saltine crackers glazed with butter, covered with Toll House morsels, and baked in the oven. Goodness!
On Saturday morning, scores of artists, collectors, and people who strolled into Washington Park by happenstance were treated to beautiful weather and a lively Plein Air demonstration hosted by the Charleston Fine Arts Dealers Association (CFADA) as part of its eighth Fine Art Annual, a weekend long series of events intended to celebrate the world-class artists who live and paint in Charleston. Proceeds benefit Charleston County high school art programs, and several outstanding student artists submitted work to a juried competition, which also took place on Saturday morning. Most of the professional artists drew inspiration from the park itself for subject matter, and observers were eager to watch the paintings spring to life. The artists merrily answered questions about technique and color selection, and many intrepid observers remained for all three hours, the duration of the event. Later that evening, the Plein Air canvases were offered for auction at the CFADA gala, held at the Harbour Club.
The gala was flush with familiar faces from the morning’s activity, and everyone was eager to view the paintings in their final form. Although the subject matter overlapped, each canvas was dramatically different. It did not take long for the silent auction bids to escalate, which fostered an excellent environment for people watching. Much like the night before, dessert reigned supreme; three tiers of confections spilled forth from a large round table and contributed to a party-wide spike in insulin- very Marie Antoinette! Todd Smith, executive director of the Gibbes Museum of Art, and I played guess-the-bon-bon for several moments while chatting about the museum’s gala taking place this Friday at the Hibernian.
Check back Thursday for a preview of the weekend ahead, including the aforementioned Gibbes gala.
Caritas.
Ida
