November 26: Thanksgiving Eve Rock Party

Victor's + FDDC

Invite you to join the fun!!

Thanksgiving Eve Rock Party

For the second year in a row on November 26, 2014, Victor's and Downtown Florence Developers are hosting the annual Thanksgiving Eve Rock Party. Come enjoy Food, Live Music with "THE BLUE DOGS" and Drinks. The free street concert will be on Dargan & James Allen Plaza from 6:00pm to 10:00 pm.

 

The "Tastes Like Chicken" rock band will start the evening off.  The TLC band isheavily influenced by many different genres of music (jazz, r & b, country, soul, hip hop, and Gospel).  TLC also pride themselves on their vocal harmonies and unique sound, with a saxophone as their lead instrument.

 

Following TLC, the Charleston SC-based "Blue Dogs" will begin playing at 8:00 pm.  The Blue Dogs were established in 1987 playing and singing Americana/country-rock music.  The band has performed on the same stage with such well-known and diverse artists as Willie Nelson, Widespread Panic, Bruce Hornsby, and Hootie and the Blowfish and more. They have also received national exposure by singing the national anthem on NBC at the final Southern 500 NASCAR race in Darlington SC in 2004, and in 2007 by performing as the house band on a week's worth of Wheel of Fortune shows.

 

Food and Drink tickets will be available the night of the event. The For more information please call Rachel Dill at 843.665.0846

Florence downtown group soliciting funds for public art displays

The Florence Downtown Development Corporation has started its second campaign to solicit Florence residents to support downtown public art by becoming a Rediscovering Downtown member.

Funds raised through memberships last year were around $19,000 and were matched by Sunday alcohol permit revenue collected by the city, according to Florence Downtown Development Manager Ray Reich. That money surpassed the group’s first year goal and funded five sculptures in downtown for under $30,000.

“We have already identified additional places to put some art and one is on the other wall in the James Allen Plaza in a piece we picked by the same artist (Bob Doster),” Reich said. “And we’re working with another artist for a piece that would make for a more grand entrance into James Allen Plaza that features a lot of iron work, so those are the two focuses for the 2014 money.”

Reich said the Rediscovering Downtown membership is similar to memberships other downtown groups have, but focuses just on public art rather than business promotion. The membership levels from $50 for individuals and $125 for families to $5,000 for a corporate gold level and will help the group continue the public art push in downtown while providing members with exclusive perks.

Members receive admission to the annual membership social, a listing in the annual membership newsletter, receive event tickets to be used at FDDC events, brick pavers or granite plaques (for $500 pathfinder level and over) in one of the two downtown courtyards and premium sponsor benefits such as VIP treatment at several FDDC events.
The group hopes to raise a total of $50,000 this year, including the city’s match.
Downtown Florence saw its first pieces of public art last fall including four pieces by Bob Doster, three of which were inspired by the drawings of Florence School District 1 students, and the towering steel, Big Bleu Birdnanna by Hartsville husband and wife artist duo Mike and Patz Fowle.

“That’s what it’s intended to do is to engage a person who either likes it or doesn’t like it it’s art and it has a sense of place in the arts and culture district,” Reich said. “If you go back and look at the master plan for 2010, the plan was that whole corridor on Dargan from the library, that’s the cultural district, so that’s our intent for putting our initial concentration in that area.”

Other downtown groups in the state such as the Vista Guild in Columbia, Bennettsville Downtown Development Association, Conway Alive and Main Street Beaufort have membership options that serve as a promotional, marketing and advocacy arm for downtown businesses.

But FDDC’s public art funding is similar to Greenville’s, though Greenville receives $75,000 annually directly from Sunday alcohol sales and also uses a committee to evaluate and recommend pieces of art.

According to Greenville’s website, there are 63 public art pieces from abstract metal works to statues and a tank and fighter jet.

Doster, who also has a piece of work in downtown Greenville, said last fall that art is an important part of creating a downtown culture.

“When you start adding sculptural elements to downtown, it livens up the whole downtown,” Doster said. “People see this and want to go around and see it, and it just adds to ambiance for downtown and that’s what I hope people get out of it.”

Reich said the public has so far embraced the downtown pieces and that the city has applied for grants to redevelop part of East Evans into an art walk area complete with art pieces and landscaping. The grant is still pending.

This story was written by Gavin Jackson and originally appeared on scnow.com.

Jane Madden received the 2013 John W. Baker Award from FRAA

Jane Madden received the 2013 John W. Baker Distinguished Service Award from the Florence Regional Arts Alliance.  Jane was the driving force behind downtown Florence's Art Trail Gallery becoming a huge success.  She is also a constant advocate for the arts in the Pee Dee and a huge advocate for the revitalization efforts in downtown Florence.

Click on the image below to see a video about the award and Jane's accomplishments:

To see a list of all of FRAA's 2013 Arts Awards winners, click here.

To learn more about the Florence Regional Arts Alliance, click here.

May 31st: Florence After Five

The Florence Downtown Development Corporation presents Florence After Five concert series which happens the last Friday of every month. Experience local music, local food & beverages, and it's free!

Bring a lawn chair and come out to relax, and enjoy the music with friends and family while supporting local food and beverage vendors and the downtown revitalization.  

The event starts at 5:30pm and the band plays from 6 to 8pm each month.

• April - Too Much Silvia
• May - Root Doctors
• June - Men of Distinction
• July - Nantucket
• August - Painted Man
• September - Woodys
• October - The Embers

Moving in the Right Direction: The Art Trail Gallery

Check out this video about the Art Trail Gallery in downtown Florence:

This video was made possible by

the Florence Regional Arts Alliance.

November 3rd: Eat, drink and go nuts at the Pecan Festival in Florence

Seven stages, 38 acts and more than 250 vendors are just a small sampling of the attractions the ninth annual South Carolina Pecan Festival will have to offer Nov. 3.

Early morning events like the annual “Run Like a Nut” and “Bike Like a Nut” will return to this year’s festivities with 5K, 10K and half marathon runs, as well as metric and half-metric century bike riding competitions.

According to Tara Durden, Florence Downtown Development Corporation (FDDC) promotions chair, this year’s event aims to focus on both an increase in fun as well as safety and overall convenience.

“Aside from the addition of three extra beer gardens and a wine garden, we really want to advocate the use of our ‘Park and Ride’ service to and from the festival,” Durden said.

The Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority, in conjunction with the City of Florence, will continue the ride services this year with routes covering areas near the Florence Airport as well as locations along Evans Street.

“We’d like people to utilize those services, so we’re really going to push its use this year,” Durden said.

Another addition to this year’s festival will be an expansive eating/seating area on Evans Street that will share arts-and-crafts vendor space for a large portion of the afternoon.

“We plan to have an art trail that runs the course of Evans Street,” Durden said. “We’ll also have space in the breezeway area directly across from Railroad Junction for additional vendors.”

Not to leave the little ones out, Mike Richenbach Ford will sponsor the free “Kids Fun Zone” that will allow younger attendees to engage in just as much fun and fanfare as the adults.

The spotlight this year will undoubtedly be focused on the dozens of acts that will be featured on any of the seven stages being erected for the festival. Local acts such as the Masterworks Choir, West Florence High School Orchestra and funk-rock band, Speakeasy, are all scheduled to perform.

Headliners like The Rick Strickland Band, The Brown Brothers and Mother’s Finest will also showcase their talents on their respective stages throughout the day.

“We’re going to have a little something for everyone,” Durden said. “We’re ready for another eventful and exciting year.”

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: S.C. Pecan Festival

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 3

WHERE: Downtown Florence

INFO: More than 250 vendors, live entertainment and more

This story was written by Brian Wilder and originally appeared on SCNow.com.

Festive Fun at Florence After Five

Friday marked the start of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, but in Florence another game was getting under way: the inaugural cornhole tournament at Florence After Five.

The monthly street party held on the last Friday of every month brought more than 800 people to Dargan Street and also 28 two-player teams to compete in the cornhole tournament for a $500 prize.

Dark clouds and a passing thunderstorm threatened to rain on the fun, but the only precipitation that fell from the sky was from the misting fans. While some distant lighting bolts brought thunder, it wasn’t enough to stop folks from dancing, drinking, eating, donating school supplies to the United Way Stuff the Bus event or the bean bag throwing competitors.

For Darlene Buchanan, recreation manger of the Florence City Parks and Beautification, the turnout for the tournament was great to see.

“We wanted to do an event in conjunction with Florence After Five and cornhole is such a big thing right now we thought it’d be great to do this,” Buchanan said. “We’ve gotten such good comments about it that we’re going to do this again.”

On the green space between the Kimbrell’s Building and the new Florence County Museum site twenty teams lined up and played a double elimination tournament. The teams of two play other teams of two, with one player from each team on opposite boards. Players alternate throwing four bean bags each with the goal of either getting one on the board for a point or in the hole in the wooden board for three points. If both teams manage to score in a round points can cancel each other out as they play to 21.

Ray Reich, downtown development manager, said events like the tournament are helping grow the monthly event.

“We’ve seen our biggest crowds ever this year,” Reich said as the Charlotte band Too Much Sylvia blared in the background. “The beauty is as things like the hotel, the restaurant, and the museum gets built all these things are going to grow this event and will be ever more of a reason for people to come downtown every month, or maybe twice a month or weekly as we grow.”

This article originally appeared on SCNow.com. 

Call to Artists: The Pecan Festival

July 27th: Florence After Five

June 29th: Florence After Five

May 23rd - 26th: Farmers' Markets Across the Pee Dee

The Pee Dee is hosting three great farmers' markets between May 23rd and May 26th.  Click the links below for more information about each market:

May 23rd in downtown Florence

May 24th in Lake City

May 26th in Marion

Farmers' Market: Every Wednesday 3-7:30pm in downtown Florence

Come Downtown Florence and shop the

Downtown Farmers’ Market.

Each Wednesday from 3:00pm to 7:30pm

160 W Evans Street

Enjoy the freshest and best that the Pee Dee has to offer from

Organic  Beans, Radishes. Tomatoes, Eggplant,

Pasture Raised Beef, Garden Vegetables, Pears, Grapes,

Blueberries, Flowers, Firewood, Handmade soaps, local honey, handmade lotions, Goat Cheese, Goat Milk, Goat Milk Soap, Frozen Custard, Fresh Local Eggs, Soy Candles, Handcrafted Crocheted Soap Bags, Local Art, Garden Plants, Fresh Local Seafood, Fresh Strawberries...

...and much, much more! 

Spread the Word: Visualicious deadline is May 1st

A Message From Jane Madden of the Art Trail Gallery:

Spread the word!!

We're calling for artists!!

Over $1,000 in prizes!!! 

It's time for......

Visualicious 2012

Visualicious 2012 is generously sponsored by NUCOR-Vulcraft SC 

Awards:

$300 Vulcraft Award of Excellence

For Best in Show

Professional Category

1st Prize     $200

2nd Prize    $125

3rd Prize      $75

Honorable Mention $50 (2)

Novice Category

1st Prize     $125

2nd Prize    $100

3rd Prize      $50

Honorable Mention $25 (2)

The Gallery is looking to include works such as oils, acrylics, watercolors, colored pencils, sketches, pastels, dye, ink, graphite, charcoal, chalk, and so on as a regular painting or drawing, or mixed-media, in styles such as fantasy, Manga, Anime, floral, wild life, landscape, abstract, portraits, still-life, etc. Also, 3-D works like sculptures, woodwork, needlework, fashion, carving, metal work, paper, and more! Sorry-no photography!

Deadline to sign-up May 1st.

Click the link below for the online participation form:

Visualicious Participation Form


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The Art Trail Gallery is located at 135 South Dargan Street in downtown Florence.

Five Members of the Artisans of the SC Cotton Trail Win Ribbons as part of Photofabulous Exhibit

Members of the Artisans of the South Carolina Cotton Trail (ASCCT) recently had a great showing at the Art Trail Gallery's (Florence, SC) Photofabulous exhibit.  In all, five ASCCT members took home nine ribbons.  

Below is a list of the ASCCT winners by category and place:

Macro:  Ann Baldwin (1^st)

Architecture:   Linda Humphries (1^st), Walter Sallenger (2^nd)

Digital: Suzanne Muldrow (1^st, 2^nd, & 3^rd)  

Wildlife: Patz Fowle (2^nd)

Landscape/Seascape:   Anne Baldwin (1^st)

Abstract:  Linda J. Humphries (1^st) 

ASCCT's mission is to bring together artists, artisans, and retailers for the benefits of marketing, tourism, education, and shared resources.

The Artisans of the South Carolina Cotton Trail (ASCCT) have set April 12^th as the deadline for their next round of applications for inclusion into the five-county guild. Currently, 32 artists make up the group’s roster. In that group are painters, potters, photographers, collage artists, soap-makers, jewelry-makers, glass artists and a weaver. 

Artists and artisans from Darlington, Chesterfield, Lee, Marlboro, and Florence counties are eligible for inclusion into the group. Artists whose work is considered “of the area” or cotton-related can also apply to be in ASCCT.

For more information about ASCCT's upcoming jury, click here.

The Art Trail Gallery is located at 135 South Dargan Street in downtown Florence, SC.  

November 17th - Pee Dee Events

There are several events taking place in the Pee Dee tonight.  No matter which one (or two or three) you choose, you'll have a great time.

Holiday Open House in Downtown Hartsville

Hartsville's annual downtown shopping event will include specials and discounts at nearly all shopping locations.  The Open House is from 6pm to 9pm.  There will be plenty to see, buy, eat and drink in downtown Hartsville tonight.  Two arts-related portions of the Open House include: Burry Bookstore will be hosting author Karen White and there will be a Jam Session at Frets 'n Necks.   

Showcase of Historic Facades in Downtown Florence

There will be a showcase of the historic building facades in downtown Florence on November 17 from 6-8pm. Five architects will prepare architectural renderings of the front and rear of 2 historic buildings each. The renderings will be presented during a wine and cheese reception at the Art Trail Gallery at 6:30pm. For more information, please contact Angela Stukes at 843.230.2039.

Francis Marion University's Jazz Express

The FMU Jazz Express will perform tonight at the FMU Performing Arts Center in downtown Florence. 
The Jazz Express is a chamber jazz ensemble devoted to the development of individual improvisation skills through the preparation and performance of literature for small jazz groups representing a variety of jazz styles and periods. 

A little earlier in the day, the FMU History Lecture Series will present Codes & Ciphers 101 in the Cauthen Education Building on the FMU Campus.  This lecture is free and begins at 4pm.

A Showcase of Historic Florence Facades - November 17th