The Gibbes Museum of Art today shared its programming schedule for the month of October. This month, the museum welcomes guests to explore a dynamic array of events and exhibitions, including a highly anticipated lecture by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee, a thought-provoking literary discussion and a panel featuring past winners of the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art.
See below for more details on this month’s programming at the Gibbes:
Events and Programming
Literary Gibbes: Your Brain on Art, Saturday, Oct. 5, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
A discussion of the novel Your Brain on Art, which highlights the impact of the arts on the brain and body, by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross. This discussion is inspired by the museum’s permanent collection and ongoing Art of Healing programs.
To register, click here.
Price: Free | Registration Required
Southern Art: Looking Towards the Future, Friday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
In conjunction with the exhibition opening of Celebrating the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art, director of curatorial affairs, Sara Arnold, will host a panel discussion with past winners Stephen Marc, Raheleh Filsoofi and John Westmark. The artists will share their perspectives on the future of Southern art while reflecting on the successes and challenges they’ve encountered in their careers.
Price: $20 Members | $30 Non-Members
Deep Listening / Slow Looking, Sunday, Oct. 13, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
New Muse Concerts will offer a unique evening of music where musicians perform a piece twice—first without explanation, and then again after an in-depth conversation about the composer, the piece and the performance, encouraging deeper listening. Before the concert, attendees can join a “Slow Looking” tour led by the director of education and programs, focusing on a detailed exploration of select artworks. Concert tickets include access to both the concert and the art tour.
Price: $35 Members | $45 Non-Members | $15 Student/Faculty
Introducing Spike Lee | Gibbes Distinguished Lecture Series, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Spike Lee, Academy Award-winning filmmaker and noteworthy art collector will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Distinguished Lecture Series event. Lee’s appearance falls on the heels of his recent exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, Spike Lee: Creative Sources, which offered a rare glimpse into Lee’s personal art collection. In conversation with Pauline Forlenza, director of the American Federation of Arts, Lee will speak about his vast collection, what informs his choices and the many inspirations behind his work.
Price: $50-125 | LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN
Curator-led Tour, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Chief curator Sara Arnold will lead a tour of the latest exhibition, Celebrating the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art.
Price: Free for Members and with Museum Admission
Expressive Figure Drawing Workshop with Katelyn Chapman, Oct. 23 – Nov. 20, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
In this five-week workshop, participants will explore techniques for drawing the human form, focusing on capturing the models' liveliness, expression and personality. The course will incorporate traditional and mixed-media methods to bridge representation and abstraction, with an emphasis on light, line and form to enhance understanding of gestures and human anatomy. This class is suitable for both beginners and those with some experience, though a foundational knowledge of drawing skills is recommended.
Price: $300 Members | $350 Non-Members
Gibbes and Ghouls | A Family Halloween Event, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Guests are invited to join the museum for “Gibbes and Ghouls,” a fun and family-friendly evening filled with tricks and treats. Costumes are encouraged, but all are welcome to attend.
Price: Free
Visiting Artists
Karl Zurfluh, Now – Oct. 20
Zurfluh’s painting series, Light Pilots, cultivates a new visual language by utilizing and rearranging representational symbols deeply rooted in his past. These paintings are created with charcoal, acrylic, latex and aerosol paint; allowing him to build a myriad of layers, resulting in an atmosphere that feels thick and tangible.
Tiangxing Xu, Now – Oct. 20
Xu presents a collection of paintings, prints, installations and artist’s books that serve as building plans for an imagined amusement park. Like pages ripped from a diary, each work seeks to capture the emotions of an important day long forgotten. He explores printmaking, installation, book making and integrate them into amusement park series and exhibitions.
Where Are You From, Sep. 20 – Nov. 3
Alice Colin’s exhibition, Where Are You From, features portraits of 12 local women who underwent genetic testing to uncover their ancestral roots. Inspired by the test results, Colin created a distinct color palette for each participant, with each color representing a different ethnicity, and used these colors to depict their ethnic breakdown. This series celebrates the diversity of Charleston’s women and highlights their contributions to the community, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own identities and shared humanity.
Exhibitions
Artist Spotlight: David Driskell and Edward Middleton Manigault, Now – Dec. 1
The rotating artist spotlight series continues in August with two new spotlight explorations. One focuses on renowned American artist and art historian David Driskell, whose painting and printmaking practice was influenced by nature, abstraction and African imagery. The other spotlight features early modernist Edward Middleton Manigault, whose fanciful paintings were well-respected during his short lifetime and included in major modernist exhibitions, such as the 1913 Armory Show.
Art Sales Gallery Exhibit: I Can Make a Difference: An Exhibition by the scholars of Metanoia's Freedom Summer, Opening September 4, 2024
On this 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer of 1964, which inspired Children's Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools in operation across the U.S. today, scholars of Metanoia Freedom School have collaborated with the Gibbes Museum of Art to present a community art exhibition. This year, the Freedom Summer Scholars focused on photography, capturing the art within their own lives. The photography displayed gives an inside look into the Metanoia community, through the lens of a young artist. Thematically, each week of Freedom School focuses on the overarching theme of Making a Difference. Collages and photos featured in this exhibit will display images and words that reflect the thoughts and dreams of these young scholars and will showcase their desire to make a difference within their community.
Celebrating the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art, October 11, 2024 – January 12, 2025
The Gibbes Museum of Art has awarded 15 artists with the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art since its inception in 2008. Supported by the museum’s dynamic young professionals’ auxiliary group, Society 1858, the Prize recognizes artists whose work contributes to a new understanding of art in the South. This exhibition celebrates winners and finalists of what has become one of the South’s most prestigious art prizes.
