Creek by Creek is a collaborative effort by artists Mary Edna Fraser and Jeff Kopish, underscoring the perils of plastic pollution and the importance of protecting the Lowcountry’s unique waterways. Featuring an array of Fraser’s batiks on silk and oil paintings and Kopish’s ceramic and found object sculptures incorporating everything from recycled plastic to actual trash, this exhibition aims to further educate the public on environmental issues through the lens of art, and to remind viewers of the consequences of their own actions within the larger ecological systems of which they are a part.
The artists’ new work, and their ecological concerns, is being presented in concert with three indispensable area groups: Charleston Waterkeeper, the Coastal Conservation League, and the South Carolina Environmental Law Project. Specifically, the exhibition will focus on eight areas of concern: the endangered African American communities of Cainhoy and Phillips, the Beidler Forest Audubon Center and Sanctuary, Captain Sams Spit, Crab Bank, the Great Pee Dee River, Hobcaw Barony, Shem Creek, and James Island Creek.
“My work is not what is important,” says Fraser. “It is the collective work done by all three groups. How they protect what we hold dear… passing the baton to win new battles. This is an environmental activist show to encourage action and counter apathy.”
The installation will be on view Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 5pm starting March 18 and closing May 8, 2022 at City Gallery.
[Image & Text Credit: City Gallery]
VIDEOS & LINKS
There are currently four new videos on view at City Gallery (approximately 25 minutes total). You can watch them individually below:
Charleston Waterkeeper at James Island Creek –
Coastal Conservation League at Shem Creek –
SC Environmental Law Project at Captain Sams Spit –
Waties –
Other relevant videos are available to view through Mary Edna’s website HERE.
Listen to an interview with Mary Edna and Orrin Pilkey on Creative Process podcast HERE.
Listen to an interview with Mary Edna on Ohm Radio 96.3 HERE.
Nix 526
On Tuesday night Mary Edna will speak to the County Council on behalf of the Coastal Conservation League and concerned citizens to oppose the continuation of 8 miles of 526 for $2.35 billion! The prosed highway starts at Folly and runs to the edge of James Island Creek, then through the heart of James Island County Park, then John’s Island to connect to West Ashley. This is a political boondoggle that would disturb valuable wetlands, forested areas, and the rural nature of our already overdeveloped islands.
My home is located on James Island Creek, right where the 526 connector would begin. If completed, it would contaminate further the waterways and destroy the rural nature of James Island and John’s Island.
I even wrote and performed a protest song for Dana Beach when the Coastal Conservation League began fighting the ill-proposed plan. The price is much too high at triple the original cost, and overdevelopment is what would follow. There are so many needs in our midst that require pertinent attention. Please listen to the pleas of the people who oppose overspending with terrible outcomes for folks who live near the extension plans. The homes you have already purchased on James Island Creek could be sold, and you could make a difference to our community and keep it out of harmful man-made destruction. Thank you for your time and attention.
Mary Edna Fraser