South Carolina State Museum Blog

Celebrate Salvation Army Week at Titanic:The Artifact Exhibition

scsmadmin — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:50:33 +0000

Did you know the Salvation Army was among the first to provide support to the more than 700 survivors of the Titanic? That’s not all, Salvationists (members of The Salvation Army church) were among the shipbuilding crews in Belfast, Ireland, that built the ill-fated vessel. Salvationists were also among the passengers, including some that survived the tragic sinking. And, of course, Salvationists were among the first to meet the Carpathia in New York to provide comfort to the survivors, their families and others who were not as fortunate. Today, 100 years later, the Salvation Army continues to provide a helping hand to those in crisis.

To honor the century of service the Salvation Army has provided since it offered help to survivors of the Titanic sinking, the South Carolina State Museum is offering a discount to its blockbuster exhibit Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition to Salvation Army donors during Salvation Army Week, May 13-21. The exhibit contains more than 125 stunning artifacts recovered from the ocean floor.

Supporters of the Salvation Army may access this special offer by simply “liking” the Salvation Army of the Midlands Facebook page and clicking on the “$3 Off Titanic” icon, texting SALVATION to 313131 to access this page from a mobile device, or simply donate $10 or more by check to the Salvation Army of the Midlands to the address listed below.

Donors will receive one coupon per $10 donation mailed to the return address. Two coupons will be mailed for donations of $20, three coupons for $30 donations, etc. Please send donations to:

The Salvation Army of the Midlands P.O. Drawer 2786
Columbia, SC 29202

New Civil War Exhibit Spotlights Naval Operations

scsmadmin — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:09:32 +0000

Civil War in South Carolina:Naval Warfare and Failed Attempts to Take Charleston

The naval aspects of the Civil War in South Carolina are examined in the State Museum’s upcoming new history exhibit.

Designed to present the Palmetto State’s participation in the war and the effects of the conflict on the state, The Civil War in South Carolina: Naval Warfare and Failed Attempts to Take Charleston will open June 30.

The exhibition will include artifacts, photographs and illustrations, animated maps and models of a variety of ships, telling a story few South Carolinians know.“It’s a story that includes battles of big guns, mine warfare, amphibious assaults, ironclads, torpedo boats and submarines, showing that much of modern naval warfare began in South Carolina,” said Dan Dowdey, a State Museum exhibits designer and Civil War historian.

Naval Warfare is the third in a series of six exhibits covering the museum’s four-year observation of the war’s 150th anniversary. Each new exhibit will be added to its predecessor, so that in 2015, the sesquicentennial of the war’s end, the museum will have 2200 square feet of new, permanent exhibit space dedicated to the Civil War, comprising the combined six parts.

The exhibit will discuss the “Anaconda Plan,” designed to cut off supply lines and squeeze the South into submission by blockading the Confederate coastline. Also presented, among other topics, will be the Union capture and occupation of Port Royal; life on Hilton Head under Union control; the blockade; failed attempts to cut the Charleston & Savannah railroad and the failed attempts to take Charleston by land.

Through the use of models and animations, the story of the ironclad gunboats of both Union and Confederate navies will be explained, as well as how they came to be and the circumstances of their battles.

The exhibit will touch on the human side of the siege by looking at the lives of sailors and soldiers, and the fear, not of the enemy bullet, but of disease and mental breakdown.

“Fort Sumter and the defenses of Charleston endured more than 580 days of constant siege by the combined Union army and navy without surrendering,”said Dowdey. “The ordeal often has been compared to the siege of Troy.“

Naval Warfare and Failed Attempts to Take Charleston can be seen on the museum’s fourth floor from June 30 until March 2013, when part four of the series will open.

Abstract Art Exhibit Presents Variety in Sculpture

scsmadmin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:57:27 +0000

A variety of impressions can be formed in the State Museum’s new exhibit Abstract Art in South Carolina 1949-2012. Many come from the colorful splashes of paint on canvases of various materials throughout the Lipscomb Gallery.

Others are gleaned from the selection of modern sculptures found throughout the space, a collection as diverse in media as the pieces are in theme.

“This exhibition reflects the diversity of nonrepresentational art from across the state over the past 60 years,”said Curator of Art Paul Matheny. “The majority of the work included is two dimensional paintings. However, a few artists are known for their work created in three dimensions.”

The sculptures range in media from stone to wood to metal, even to earthenware and masonite with oil paint, said the curator. Some were made by pioneers of abstract art in the Palmetto State such as WilliamHalsey. His totem-like “DoubleGodI” and“Growth Forms II,” both from 1985, stand near the entrance to the exhibit like welcoming guards made of wood and masonite, respectively, with finishes of oil paint.

Compared to the almost whimsical nature of Halsey’s work is the geometric form of “Thru a Trapezoid,” with a name as mathematical as its shape. Carved of pink alabaster marble, it is the work of William Ledyard, a neurosurgeon from Illinois who practiced in Columbia from 1953 to 1973. After retiring, Ledyard studied watercolor and printmaking at the University of South Carolina, though he would eventually work in wood and stone as a professional artist.

“Krieger,” a 1967 piece in cast bronze by John Acorn, looks like a riveted helmet, suggesting a soldier or warrior. This is appropriate, since “krieger” is the German word for warrior, and it was created in a studio in Germany while the artist was working there.

The exhibit also features Acorn’s 1968 cast aluminum sculpture “V.W. Resurrected.”

Winston Wingo is represented by three cast bronzes, “Horizontal Formation” and “Large Formation” from 2008, and “Vertical Formation II” from 2011.

The show’s largest sculpture, created by Philip Whitley, is 1972’s “Tango,” made of red polychromed steel.

“Including sculpture in this exhibition adds another important dimension to the show,” said Matheny.

“Tango,” 1972 by Philip Whitley. Polychrome steel.

Abstract Art in South Carolina 1949-2012 can be seen in the Lipscomb Gallery through Aug. 26.

Abstract Art in South Carolina 1949-2012 Reception

New Exhibit Spotlights Mental Health

scsmadmin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:33:02 +0000

Art by clients of the South Carolina Department of Mental Health can be seen in the upcoming exhibit Art of recovery, beginning May 3.

The exhibit was put together from competitions open to people receiving services through the department. Winners of the competition, which is judged by Midlands artists, are initiated into the “Order of the Brush.”

The Art of Recovery project was started to showcase the talents of people who live with mental illnesses and the role that creative outlets like art can play in the recovery process, according to the Dept. of Mental Health.

“There are wonderful artists across the state who approach art making from various perspectives and experiences,” said Curator of Art Paul Matheny. “The art included in this project is no different, and offers a glimpse into another part of the visual culture of South Carolina.”

The project also gives the artists the chance not only to exhibit their art, but to sell it as well, though the pieces in the museum’s show are not for sale. The participants use a variety of media as a means of expression and recovery, including oil and watercolor.

The DMH says that the program seeks not only to empower clients, but also to educate the public about, and dispel the stigma associated with, mental illness.

“The Art of Recovery program administered through the Department of Mental Health provides a unique service to the artists in the program, and a wonderful opportunity for the public to see what these artists are creating through various media that they are exploring in their work,” said Matheny.

Detail from “Two Men,” 1996 by Tomara Moss

Among the pieces museum guests will see are “Two Men,” a 1996 charcoal pencil work by Tomara Moss, and “The Audience,” a 2012 creation of oil crayon, acrylic resin, phosphorous paint and glitter, by Robert Ashley.

“The Audience,” 2012 by Robert Ashley

The pieces are matted, framed and transported statewide by Department staff volunteers to galleries, libraries and other venues.

Art of recovery can be seen in the State Museum’s Education Corridor through June 17, 2012.

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition Coming May 5th

scsmadmin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:02:48 +0000

A century ago, on April 15, 1912, Titanic, the biggest ocean liner in history, sank after colliding with an iceberg, claiming more than 1,500 lives and subsequently altering the world’s confidence in modern technology. On the centennial of the sinking, the South Carolina State Museum will observe the anniversary of the tragedy which continues to resonate through Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition. More than 125 fascinating artifacts recovered and conserved from Titanic’s debris field will be showcased, offering museum guests a poignant look at this iconic Ship and its passengers.

The Exhibition has been designed with a focus on the legendary RMS Titanic’s compelling human stories, as best told through these authentic artifacts and extensive recreations of rooms from the storied Ship. Perfume from a maker who was traveling to New York so sell his samples, china etched with the logo of the elite White Star line, and many other authentic objects offer haunting, emotional connections to lives abruptly ended or forever altered.

“Visitors are quickly drawn back in time to 1912 upon entrance, as each one receives a replica boarding pass of an actual passenger aboard Titanic,” said Director of Education Tom Falvey. “They then begin their chronological journey through the life of Titanic, moving through the Ship’s construction, to life on board, to the ill-fated sinking and amazing artifact rescue efforts decades later.

“They will marvel at the re-created rooms, and press their palms against a re-created iceberg while learning many stories of heroism and humanity.”

In the “Memorial Gallery,” guests will take their boarding passes to the memorial wall and discover whether their passenger and traveling companions survived or perished.
Over the past 15 years, more than 25 million people have seen this powerful Exhibition in major museums around the world, from Chicago and Los Angeles to Paris and London. RMS Titanic, Inc. is the only company permitted by law to recover objects from the wreck site of Titanic. The company was granted Salvor-in-Possession rights to the wreck site of Titanic by a United States federal court in 1994 and has conducted seven research and recovery expeditions to the Titanic, recovering more than 5500 artifacts.

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition can be seen at the State Museum in Columbia through Sept. 3. Admission to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition is $11 for adults, $9 for senior citizens and $7 for ages 3-12, in addition to general museum admission. South Carolina students in groups are admitted to the exhibit for $5. Tickets can be purchased, and information can be found, on the museum’s website, scmuseum.org.

This large chunk of the historic RMS Titanic can be seen, along with more than 125 other authentic artifacts from the legendary sunken Ship, in the South Carolina State Museum’s upcoming blockbuster Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, which opens May 5.

The bow of the elegant RMS Titanic, under construction. More than actual 125 artifacts will combine with photographs, room recreations and more to tell the story of the ill-fated first – and last – journey of the mighty Ship in Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, opening May 5 at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia.

This candy dish bearing the logo of the White Star Line is just one of scores of actual artifacts recovered from the ocean-floor remains of the RMS Titanic. The South Carolina State Museum’s amazing new blockbuster Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition will bring the voyage of the magnificent Ship to life with stories of the passengers and crew who used these historic objects.

An elegant re-creation of the magnificent Grand Staircase, which was a meeting spot for passengers aboard the equally grand vessel, the RMS Titanic. Room re-creations will join photographs, actual recovered artifacts and more in the South Carolina State Museum’s incredible new blockbuster Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition.

VITAL Health Fair

scsmadmin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:05:25 +0000

South Carolina State Museum's VITAL Health Fair March 24

Join us Saturday, March 24 for a the VITAL Health Fair, a day dedicated to health education. Palmetto Health Community Services will be conducting free simple screenings for diabetes and prostate cancer at 11 a.m.

Speakers from Palmetto Health Community Services and Providence Hospital will be giving presentations about diabetes, prostate cancer and women’s heart health. We will also have special guest, Patricia Moore-Pastides, the first lady of USC, giving a presentation about nutrition and exercise, followed by a book signing of her cookbook, “Greek Revival.”

There will be booths from local health and community organizations with information on cancer, organ donation, diabetes, exercise and more. There are even activities for the kids hosted by USC’s Goodbodies program from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

The Health Fair will be hosted from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. and is held in conjunction with BODY WORLDS Vital. Enjoy this event for free with museum membership or admission. For more information on this event call (803) 898-4952, or email publicprograms@scmuseum.org.

If you would like more information on becoming a museum member and the savings you can earn please visit scmuseum.org or call (803)898-4937.

Battery Creek High School Wins Trip to BODY WORLDS Vital

scsmadmin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:33:08 +0000

Lady Luck graced the Lowcountry recently, when a sports medicine class from Beaufort’s Battery Creek High School entered a contest to try to win a free field trip to Columbia to visit the South Carolina State Museum’s incredible blockbuster exhibit BODY WORLDS Vital.

Teacher Lydia Williams’s class was drawn from entries from across the state and visited the museum March 6 to learn about all phases of the Palmetto State’s culture, but especially about how the human body works.

BODY WORLDS Vital is the biggest exhibit the museum has brought to South Carolina. It contains 6,500 square feet of real donated human bodies, organs and systems assembled to teach guests how best to take care of their bodies and live longer, healthier and happier lives. It is making its Southeastern premiere in Columbia, and the State Museum is only the third venue anywhere to present this brand-new major exhibition.

“We are delighted that this contest has provided the opportunity for the Museum to bring to Columbia students from the Lowcountry who sometimes can visit only infrequently because of the distance and scarcity of funding for field trips,” said Group Visits and Volunteer Manager La Ruchala Murphy. “It is our hope that Mrs. Williams’s class not only will experience the exceptional education resources of the BODY WORLDS Vital exhibit, but that the class’s visit will encourage other school groups from the area to visit as well.”
The prize, worth approximately $1,000, included a bus trip and admission to the museum and the exhibit for 100 students, plus 10 teachers and chaperones. This enabled other classes to join Williams’s.
BODY WORLDS Vital can be seen in the State Museum’s Blockbuster Gallery through April 15. Media sponsors for the exhibit include WIS –TV, WCOS-FM, the State, Lamar Advertising and Time Warner Cable.
Admission to BODY WORLDS Vital is $11 for adults, $9 for senior citizens and $7 for ages 3-12, in addition to general museum admission. South Carolina students in groups are admitted for $5. Tickets can be purchased, and information can be found, on the Museum’s Web site, www.scmuseum.org.

BODY WORLDS Vital Virtual Audio Tour

scsmadmin — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:48:07 +0000

Today, BODY WORLDS Vital Marketing Director Keely Saye took the South Carolina State Museum’s Twitter followers on a virtual audio tour of the blockbuster exhibit that has now attracted more than 48,000 visitors. BODY WORLDS Vital audio tours are only $4 for members and $5 for non-members. Just when you think you can’t learn any more by simply going through the exhibit, you can count on these audible teachers to blow you away with even more facts and educational content. Here’s a quick review of the live tweeting tour.

@SCStateMuseum Twitter Feed

1:32 pm: @KeelySaye here. I’ll be tweeting live from the #BodyWorldsVital audio tour in 30 minutes. Join the convo here and on Facebook from 2 to 4.

1:59 pm: Getting started here in the #BodyWorldsVital gift shop with the audio tour wand. pic.twitter.com/kcBeu0OZ

2:05 pm: Let the #BodyWorldsVital audio tour begin! pic.twitter.com/yLJjC8Vt

2:09 pm: We’re starting with commentary #201 about the skeleton. It’s amazing how much more you learn listening to the audio wand.

2:14 pm: Listening to commentary 226 and seeing first hand the difference b/n a regular knee joint and one w/ severe arthritis. #bodyworldsvital

2:24 pm: Commentary 614 breaks down the skeletal muscles of “The Runner” in this body plastinate. pic.twitter.com/TX0TWdJP

2:27 pm: The brain consists of 14 billion nerve cells according to commentary 251. I’m pressing 22 to learn more about the cerebral cortex.

2:29 pm: Be sure to follow the full convo at @SCStateMuseum. We’re not able to get the full #BodyWorldsVital hashtag into all of this content!

2:34 pm: The physical effects of #Alzheimer’s can clearly be seen as commentary 265 explains the significant widening of the grooves in the cortex.

2:40 pm: Moving on to the central nervous system w/ “Nerve Leonardo” who demonstrates how the spinal chord runs down the spinal canal.

2:42 pm: This audio tour goes into so much more detail. I feel like I have a virtual teacher following me through #BodyWorldsVital right now.

2:45 pm: Pressing 46 to learn even more about the autonomic nervous system after commentary 604 provided a great general overview.

2:47 pm: Commentary 304: Did you know that smokers who smoke a pack a day deposit a coffee cup full of tar every year?

2:51 pm: You wouldn’t believe the difference in color of a smoker’s lung compared to a non-smoker. Pressing 24 to learn more about how we breathe.

2:55 pm: Commentary 312 is explaining a cross section of the Thoracic Cavity with #lungcancer

3:04 pm: Did you know the #heart pumps about 3 oz of blood during an average lifetime? That’s enough to fill up 3 supertankers.

3:07 pm: Looking at the blood vessel configuration of the #heart at #BodyWorldsVital pic.twitter.com/wiU5CDqb

3:09 pm: Learning about what actually happens during a #heartattack at #BodyWorldsVital

3:12 pm: Amazing to see pics of the average food consumption families eat in the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, Mexico, India, Italy and Egypt.

3:13 pm: Which country do you think drinks the most soda? #BodyWorldsVital

3:17 pm: Now we’re learning about how we digest all that food we eat in commentary 401 about the digestive track.

3:19 pm: Research suggests that a diet consisting of fruits, veggies, olive oil, whole grains, legumes and fish reduces heart disease.

3:24 pm: On average the #stomach holds 2-3 liters and digesting food stays in the stomach around 3 hours. #BodyWorldsVital

3:28 pm: Commentary 432: This cross section of a 50 year old man suffering from obesity clearly shows the organs are drowning in fat.

3:33 pm: Did you know that 34% of adult Americans and 16% of children and adolescents are #obese? #BodyWorldsVital

3:37 pm: Commentary 456: Learning about the diff b/n a healthy breast and one w/ #breastcancer. It’s amazing that this is all real. #BodyWorldsVital

3:39 pm: “Plastination transforms the body, an object of individual mourning, into an object of reverence, learning, enlightenment & appreciation.”

3:41 pm: Thank you, Dr. Gunther von Hagens’, inventor of plastination and creator of BODY WORLDS. This is certainly one incredible experience!

3:43 pm: @KeelySaye here signing off of the #BodyWorldsVital audio tour. Stay tuned to @SCStateMuseum & facebook.com/scstatemuseum on Facebook for more.

Calling All Artists for the Congaree Art Festival

scsmadmin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:06:37 +0000

Boy attends Congaree Art Festival at South Carolina State MuseumArtist shows his exhibit to visitors of the Congaree Art Festival

South Carolina State Museum is hosting the Congaree Art Festival Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. The museum is now accepting application packets from fine artists and craftspeople. Artists will have a booth space of approximately 12 x 12 feet for the outdoor art festival.

Packets will be accepted from professional artists from South Carolina ages 18 and up working in all media, including but not limited to painting, drawing, printmaking, fiber and clay. Please submit 10 images of your work, saved as jpegs, to the address below. Please include an image list with titles and dimensions, artist statement and resume. Application packets must be postmarked by March 19, 2012 for consideration. Artists will be notified the following week.

Indoor space will be available in the event of inclement weather. A limited number of tents, tables and chairs is available upon request. However, artists will be responsible for their own walls and shelves if needed. A $35 fee is required for participation in the festival. There is no charge to apply.

If you have any questions or need any additional information contact Paul Matheny at (803) 898-4941. Please submit your application packet to the address below:

Paul Matheny/Congaree Art Festival

South Carolina State Museum

301 Gervais St., Loading Zone D

Columbia, SC 29201-3041

Announcing BODY WORLDS Vital College Week Winners

scsmadmin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:16:50 +0000

The University of South Carolina and Columbia College have been announced as winners of the BODY WORLDS Vital College Week contest sponsored by the South Carolina State Museum.

The State Museum hosted the contest from January 18 through February 15. All accredited South Carolina colleges and universities had a chance to vote for their schools online to win half-off admission to the BODY WORLDS Vital exhibit during College Week, which is February 20-26.

Based on the number of votes each school received on the museum’s Facebook page, USC won the Division I category, which included colleges and universities in South Carolina with enrollment of more than 5,000 students, and Columbia College won in Division II, which comprised state colleges and universities with fewer than 5,000 students.

The schools’ wins earned them the half-off discounted entry to BODY WORLDS Vital for all their currently enrolled students during the week of Feb. 20.

Facebook users were able to vote for their favorite college or university on the State Museum’s Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/scstatemuseum.

BODY WORLDS Vital is the biggest “blockbuster” exhibit the State Museum has brought to South Carolina. It features 14 real, donated human bodies, plus individual organs and systems. By showing museum guests what’s inside them and how the body works, the exhibit aspires to promote healthy lifestyle choices so people can better take care of their bodies, and live healthier, happier and longer lives.

BODY WORLDS Vital can be seen in the State Museum’s Blockbuster Gallery through April 15. Media sponsors for the exhibit include WIS –TV, WCOS-FM, the State, Lamar Advertising and Time Warner Cable.

Admission is $11 for adults, $9 for senior citizens and $7 for ages 3-12, in addition to general museum admission. South Carolina students in groups with advance reservations are admitted for $5 each. Tickets can be purchased, and information can be found, on the Museum’s Web site at http://www.scmuseum.org.