Opening of the Contemporary Carolina Collection
The largest collection of contemporary artwork in the state—more than 800 works by 54 artists— made its public debut on Friday night when the doors of the Medical University of South Carolina’s new Ashley River Tower opened to the public. An ambitious undertaking that was spearheaded and curated by Mark Sloan, director of the College of Charleston’s Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, the collection is a veritable treasure trove of native art that includes quilts, baskets, sculptures, paintings, photographs, and pottery. The work is on permanent display throughout the state-of-the-art facility for the enjoyment of patients and hospital staff alike.
MUSC president Dr. Ray Greenberg welcomed the large crowd of donors, hospital staff, and artists assembled in the tower’s glass atrium and invited everyone to explore the artwork at their leisure. As guests began to disperse with maps in hand, Debbie Maguire (head of O.R. nursing) whisked me up to the fourth floor for a behind-the-scenes tour of the highly specialized operating rooms. Debbie beamed with pride as she explained the intricacies of each machine, and I did my best to act as though I understood the difference between the various thoracic surgery instruments. The gleaming rooms were filled with an impressive array of equipment, and while I hope to never need the resources available at MUSC, it’s good to know they exist. As we wound down our tour, I caught sight of Bev Seinshimer on the other side of the surgery corridor doors. A former open heart surgery nurse herself, Bev reminisced how different the O.R. looked during her nursing days, and she lauded MUSC for their commitment to world-class healthcare.
I made my way back to the ground floor after winding through the third and second floors with Madeleine McGee, Susan and Van Campbell, Barbara Williams, Jeff Kopish, Kit Bennett, Mary Silsby, and a host of other familiar faces. Back in the atrium, I discovered a contingent of S.C. Arts Commission folks including Ken May and Harriet Green and many of the artists themselves: Eva Carter, Lese Corrigan, Jack Alterman, Susan Romaine, and Anthony Green were all on hand to talk with guests about the pieces selected for the hospital’s collection. Local arts patrons Laura and Hewitt, Julie and Bill Medich, Harriet and Dick Smartt, Jane and Bob Lurie, and Ray’s wife Leah Greenberg (who has the most enviable collection of party shoes) rounded out the scene. The affair was a Who’s Who of the Charleston arts community!
All the best,
Ida
