Mixson, a sustainable, walking neighborhood located in the heart of Park Circle in North Charleston, has just planted its first community garden. Mixson residents are taking care of the garden and eagerly awaiting their first harvest time. The garden was created to be a source of great organic vegetables for the residents, but also in hopes of being a resource of information to help others establish more neighborhood gardens throughout North Charleston.
This community project was possible thanks to Marty from Dukes Garden Center who shared his expertise and provided the beautiful plants, also Jennifer from the Children’s Garden Project and of course the residents of Mixson who provided the muscle to make it happen. The Children’s Garden Project seeks to involve children in a “learning community” that begins with a garden and extends to the limits of the collective imagination. The
Charleston Children’s Project sites are all over the metropolitan area – on the Peninsula, James Island, Johns Island, West Ashley, and North Charleston.
When competed, Mixson will offer true urban living while preserving traditional principles of design and architecture. Construction of the first homes started in late 2007 with eighteen homes completed. The first residents moved in to Mixson last fall.
Starting today, May 22, Charleston, SC will celebrate its premiere arts festival for 17 days and 17 nights – Spoleto USA 2009. The festival offers more than 120 performances. In addition, the City of Charleston also produces the Piccolo Spoleto. The Charleston City Paper just published a very detailed guide to Spoleto that includes opera, theater, dance, music and parties and more. So much to do during Spoleto in Charleston…. I will only mention my favorites:
Piccolo Spoleto’s Sunset Serenade, May 22 at 8pm. Charleston Symphony performing on the steps of the Custom House. Free!
Don John- musical theater (sexy actor Gisli Orn Gardarsson from Iceland appeared on Lowcountry Live today). “The play is the contemporary update of the classic myth of Don Juan, the original ladykiller, the first international playboy, the proto-womanizer, the Ur-man of mystery (The City Paper).” Memminger Auditorium. May 22, 23, 25, 27-30; June 1-2, June 4-7. $25
Punch Brothers – concert. Five young talented folk and bluegrass musicians are the talk of town. May 28. The Cistern. $25
Noche Flamenca - dance. Hot and steamy night filled with flamenco; superb dancers, guitarists and singers. The Cistern. June 4-6. $30
Brahms/Tchaikovsky – classical music. World renowned violinist Sarah Chang joins the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra to perform Brahms’ brilliant and challenging Violin Concerto in D major and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6. Gaillard Auditorium. June 2. Starting at $10.
Festival Finale – concert. Bring your picnic and wine. The Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra will offer a concert under the stars featuring Bartók’s lively Dance Suite and Rimsky-Korsakov’s sumptuous Scheherazade + fireworks. Middleton Place Plantation. June 7. $15
In a speech this week HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced that the Federal Housing Administration came up with a way to allow first time homebuyers to use the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit as a down payment at the time of purchasing a home. In light of this new development, the Homeownership Resource Center, a division of Family Services, Inc., rēhava – real estate storeand the College of Charleston’s Carter Real Estate Centerwill present a First Time Homebuyer Workshop on Saturday, May 30, from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Wachovia Auditorium located at the College of Charleston.
The new $8,000 tax credit for qualified first time homebuyers and other recent changes in legislation have enormous implications for the housing market and present many opportunities for first time homebuyers. They will no longer have to wait until the following year and their tax refund to get the money. However, the home buying process can be extremely confusing even for experienced home buyers. Knowledgeable counselors and industry experts will discuss key steps of the home buying process – focusing on topics such as mortgage applications, fees, and budgeting, current market conditions, qualifying for the new $8,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers, buying HUD properties and foreclosures, home inspections and the closing.
To sign up for the workshop, visit http://www.rehava.com or call 843-744-1348 ext. 25. This free class includes lunch and is open to public. The College of Charleston’s Wachovia Auditorium in the Beatty Center is located at 5 Liberty St., Charleston.
Shine, the very hip new Charleston restaurant, is hosting a couple of great events this week! On Thursday, May 21, check out Margo Kaufman’s “Found Objects, Installations, and Other Things” art exhibit featuring all sustainable creations. Do not worry, shine’s gorgeous wallpaper will not be punctured, none of the artwork will be hung…they promise total installation…no footprint. This art exhibit will be on display through June 6, 2009. In addition, shine is hosting an arts & music festival on Saturday, May 23, featuring a variaty of artwork and music bands all day (rock, funk, soul and djs).
DJ Arthur Brouthers – you know him as the exclusive Charleston Fashion Week DJ – will be doing a show at shine on June 6 called “the history of house.” This one is still a secret, but it’s gonna be wild!
The Charleston Arts Coalition launched its very first project, charlestonculture.com, on May 14 at Robert Lange Gallery. The launch sponsored by Shine, British Wine Merchant and DJ Icebread was a smashing hit and the website is filling with new profiles and calendar listings. The Coalition’s goal was to create a much-needed online venue for Charleston’s creative arts community. The website is available for free. It includes profiles (of artists, musicians, authors, chefs, dancers, restaurants, galleries, photographers, video producers, architects and more), calendar listings and postings.
Five of Charleston’s contemporary artists, Ben Timpson, Karin Olah, Dorothy Netherland, Jonathan Brilliant and Ishmael, will showcase together for the first time during Piccolo Spoleto at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park. From painted glass to burned mediums and collage paintings to miniature compositions, each artist’s process will be revealed. A catalog and short documentary on the artists and their work will be available for purchase. Opening reception is May 15 from 6-8p.m. There will also be lectures by each artist; Ishmael, June 13th, Timpson, June 20th, Netherland, July 11th, and Brilliant, July 18th. The exhibit is open May 15th to July 26th, Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Noon to 5 p.m. The City Gallery at Waterfront Park is located at 34 Prioleau St.
The much awaited re-opening of the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market on the grounds of Moultrie Middle School located on Coleman Blvd. kicks off May 12! At the heart of the market will be two new pavilions housing farmers and food vendors, an open-air plaza, plenty of green space, and seating areas. Old favorites, the magnificent live oak trees adorning the market, will still provide shade and respite for residents and visitors. A wide array of farmer and food vendors will kick-off the new market season. The market will be open every Tuesday until October 20 from 3 p.m. until dusk.
The Mount Pleasant Farmers Market is the perfect place to buy fresh, locally grown produce. This family-friendly event has become a gathering place for locals and inspired the market’s catchy logo “Get Fresh with the Locals!” The market supports the SC Department of Agriculture Certified SC Grown Program. Also available for your assistance are the Clemson Extension Master Gardeners. You’ll also find community information from the Town of Mount Pleasant and various other non-profit organizations.
Participating farmers will include: Boone Hall Farms (Mount Pleasant), Dorchester Farms (Dorchester), Freeman Farms (Johns Island), Grace Farms (McClellanville), J. Mac Farms II (Manning), Joseph Fields Farm (Johns Island), Kennerty Farms (Wadmalaw Island), Magwood Seafood (Mount Pleasant), Maple Ridge Farm (Walterboro), Owl’s Nest Plantation (Cross), River Run Farms (Vance), Shuler Peach Co. (Holly Hill), Simmons Farm (Johns Island), Thackeray Farms (Wadmalaw Island), Tiverton Farms (Moncks Corner), Fields Farm (Johns Island).
The following food vendors will participate in the market this year: Charleston Bay Gourmet (Mount Pleasant), Charleston Candy Company (Mount Pleasant), Charleston Crepe Company ( Charleston), Charleston Festival Foods (Mount Pleasant), Charleston Spice Company (Charleston), Christophe Artisan Chocolatier & Patisserie (Charleston), Coco’s Café (Mount Pleasant), Fresh Pickle Works (North Charleston), Great Foods Co-op (Lobeco), GNS Sub & Middle Eastern Deli (Charleston), Johnny’s Hotdogs (Mount Pleasant), Lucky Mac’s (Mount Pleasant), Mike’s Hot Boiled Peanuts (Summerville), Mount Pleasant Seafood (Mount Pleasant), Nicole’s Nutty Goodness (Charleston), Pulp Pops (Charleston), Rina’s Kitchen (Summerville), Rio Bertolini’s Fresh Pasta (Charleston), Rococo Bakery (Charleston), Southern Sisters (Summerville), Southern Comfort BBQ Sauce (North Charleston), Square Onion (Mount Pleasant), T&T’s Original Kettle Korn (Charleston), Tasty Cakes (Mount Pleasant), Tazza Beverages (Charleston), The Good Dog Bakery (Charleston), The Sprout (Mount Pleasant), Yemmassee Belle Farms (Charleston). For more information on the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market, visit them online at www.townofmountpleasant.com.
The Charleston Arts Coalition, a creative hub for all disciplines in Charleston’s creative community, will launch its first project, CharlestonCulture.com on Thursday, May 14 from 6 to 8 pm at Robert Lange Studios followed by an after party at 9 pm at Shine. The event is free to members and $5 donation to non-members. Space is limited, RSVP necessary.
CharlestonCulture.com, an open source website accessible simply by signing up, fulfills Coalition’s promise to provide a virtual gateway to the creative arts community of Charleston. The website promotes and gives the general public access to all creative disciplines in our community through profiles, calendar listings, postings and more. Sponsored in part by the Charleston Visitor’s Bureau, the site broadens public access and participation in the arts and culture of the area.
It will be a virtual center of creativity where every creative individual of Charleston will be able to promote and market themselves and their talent, trade and craft. Locals and visitors will also benefit from having one central hub where information will be uploaded directly by creatives and not a third party. It will be the master list and calendar of Charleston creatives.
The Charleston Arts Coalition offers this website to Charleston’s creative arts community free of charge with a goal of creating and uniting a dynamic and thriving creative arts environment. Members of the Charleston Arts Coalition will receive premium calendar listings, profile space and postings on the website. Individual membership is $30 per person, and business membership is $50 per business or organization.
The website was created by Butterfat, LLC. The website launch is sponsored by Shine Restaurant, Robert Lange Studios and British Wine Merchant as well as DJ Icebread. Robert Lange Studios is located at 151 East Bay Street. Please RSVP to chasartco@gmail.com. For more information about the coalition, to get involved or to take a survey, please visit http://www.charlestonartscoalition.com/.
Digg has done a lot of talking about integrating Facebook Connect, but not much in the way of implementing it. A source close to the company announced today that Digg will implement the service some time today. Facebook gets another big name partner on its increasingly popular Facebook Connect platform.
