J.D. Clark and Chris Meyer (Provided)
It’s hard to imagine a 1906 artillery battery transformed into an art gallery, but that’s exactly what happened Saturday evening, Feb. 22, when Battery Gadsden Cultural Center (BGCC) opened its doors to Sullivan’s Island resident and accomplished artist J.D. Clark for a one-man exhibit of his impressive talents. Art not only filled the rooms, but so did the patrons.
BGCC Vice President Adele Tobin noted, “I’m sure we must have had a hundred people come through during the course of the evening, all wanting to see the art and meet the artist.”
Clark is a local artist who grew up in the Midwest and Great Lakes. He retired in 2013 from a business career and began his new career as an artist in 2017. In 2018, he began selling his art at the Charleston City Market. His work has been shown at the Piccolo Spoleto juried art show, the North Charleston Arts Fest and the Old Exchange Building. In fact, the Exchange Building continues to display his 2017 oil painting, Yonge’s Island Post Office.
One of the evening’s visitors was Chris Meyer, the man who took the now-famous photograph of Clark painting the Charleston Waffle House in West Ashley. His posting of that curious scene ultimately went viral on social media, helping to spread Clark’s name far and wide. Patrons had the chance to meet both the photographer and the painter, as well as see the Waffle House photo.
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Clark said later, “I was telling my wife, Vicki, this morning that the event was one of the most smoothly run activities I've been involved with recently. Everything worked great. I appreciate all the support from the Cultural Center! Once it was all set up, I was blown away by the atmosphere of the space. The industrial chic setting reminds me of something found in the SoHo gallery community of NYC. We are very fortunate to have this historic site for the arts community.”
BGCC’s founder, the late Make MacMurphy, would undoubtedly have been pleased as well. When she first founded the group in 1992, part of her vision was “to establish and maintain an art gallery and to provide studio space for use by local artists.” That mission was well accomplished Saturday.
Board member Linda Perkis added, “I have never seen the Battery look this good. The evening, the weather and the turnout were wonderful. Thank you, J.D. Clark.”
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