The artists featured below are all approved artists for the South Carolina Arts Commission's Arts-In-Education Program. These artists are all endorsed by and associated with Black Creek Arts Council of Darlington County. This page has been developed to introduce you to these great artists and the opportunities they can bring to your school.

Click below to learn more about our artists:

Patz Fowle (ceramics, hand-building clay)
Mike Fowle (found art sculpture)
Michelle Morris (ceramics, hand-building clay)
Sapphire Moon Dance Company (modern dance)
Vicky McLain (painting)
Beth Wicker (fabric art, custom jewelry)

Coming Soon: Sheila Schmotzer (dance) & Calvin Reynolds III (painting, etching)

Black Creek Arts Council of Darlington County is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is registered with the Secretary of State.

The mission of Black Creek Arts Council is to promote and foster the Arts in Darlington County. BCAC’s offices are housed in a state of the art 10,000 square foot facility at 116 West College Avenue in Hartsville, SC. BCAC offers a variety of programs including art classes of all styles, after-school activities, pre-school aged programs, private music lessons, and various types of gallery exhibits. BCAC also offers assistance with arts management, funding, education, and program coordination to arts and cultural organizations in Darlington County.

For more information about BCAC, visit our website or contact Bruce Douglas at 843.332.6234.

Patz Fowle

Patz Fowle has done residencies across the United States and internationally. The talent and enthusiasm she brings to the classroom are as impressive as her vast experience around the globe. A residency with Patz is sure to be a rewarding experience for students and educators alike.

Additionally, a residency with Patz traditionally brings a second artist from the Arts Commission’s Approved Artist Roster into your school. Patz’ husband, Mike, is also an approved artist for Arts-In-Education residencies. His profile can be found below.

What to Expect From a Patz Fowle Residency:

Professional Artist Patz Fowle will share the Patz Process Ceramic Technique and other traditional hand building methods for working in clay.

Professional artist Patz Fowle is a multi media artist specializing in ceramic hand-built sculpture. She is recognized internationally for her distinctive, thought-provoking, and humorous style. In 1970, Fowle developed an innovative method for hand building in clay: the Patz Process Ceramic Technique.

Through the years her ceramic sculptures and method for working in clay has become part of the rich heritage of Southern Ceramics and American Ceramic Techniques. Numerous examples of Fowle’s work and technique are in ceramic books, international periodicals, sculpture reference books and art text books. Fowle’s website is used by teachers and others in the visual arts community as a valuable and informative Ceramic Art Resource.

Patz’s Background:

1970 Developed the Patz Process Ceramic Technique

1979 Studied traditional wheel thrown ceramic techniques under the direction of Yosuke Haruta 1982 Attended Parsons School of Design/Adelphi University LI, NY.

1983 Provided internship program in her studio for students attending St. Lawrence University

1993 Featured artist on an SCETV series on PBS

1995 Selected for SCAC Roster of Approved Artists

1995-2003 Artist/Sculptor for NASCAR

2003- present Illustrator for Literacy First/ Professional Development Institute, Washington

2004 & 2005 Participated in the Savannah College of Art and Design Art Educators Forum

2004 Traveled to Rome, Venice and Florence for International Professional Development

2005 Traveled to Japan for professional development

2008 & 2009 Studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago

2009 Studied atthe Kansas City Art Institute

Through her art connection in Japan, Ms. Fowle developed the International Art Exchange of Ideas. This program was created to help schools gain appreciation for different cultures and to share visual art ideas.

Fowle is a member of the National Art Education Association and has been teaching the Patz Process Ceramic Technique to thousands in ceramic workshops, museum programs and as Artist-in-Residence in schools nationally and internationally.

Patz Contact Information:

patzfowle@yahoo.com
843.332.8474

Mike Fowle

Mike Fowle is a champion of green and found art creations. His mobile-style sculptures are reminiscent of work by Alexander Calder. A residency with Mike will not only teach students about art, it will give them an understanding of limitless possibilities of artistic creation.

Mike’s Description of His Own Work:

I create sculpture using natural materials and/or found objects. I also hand build clay sculptures using traditional methods and the Patz Process Ceramic Technique.

I am a contemporary visual artist working in 2D and 3D mediums. I maintain a working studio where I create art for public and private collections. Some of my metal sculptures are exhibited on the grounds of the Florence Museum, Florence South Carolina.

In 2008 the Lynches River County Park commissioned me to create a permanent Wall Sculpture for the Enviromental Discovery Center where it is now on display. I also had a metal sculpture in the Palmetto Hands 2008-2009 traveling exhibition, sponsored by the South Carolina State Museum. I can often be found volunteering my time at the Florence Museum, where I help to preserve and display the Museums collection of fine art and historic artifacts.

Mike’s Contact Info:

mikesfowle@yahoo.com
843.332.8474

Michelle Morris

Michelle Morris is a magnificent instructor. She exudes excitement and enthusiasm to her students. Michelle teaches regularly at the Black Creek Arts Center in Hartsville. Her abilities are proven by the tremendous turnout for her classes, month after month.

Michelle is an auxillary teacher with the Darlington County School District. She has done residencies all over the Pee Dee Region.

Michelle’s Description of Her Own Work:

The emotions and humor in my sculptures expands reality with whimsical imagery. My artwork brings the illusion of human emotions and actions to clay sculptures. The imagination flourishes and shows you an alternate world, bringing the illusion of human emotions and actions to clay sculptures.

Being a Second-Generation Traditional Ceramic Artist, I learned the differences in clay, the history and processes of ceramics. This information compels my artwork to take alternate turns while still maintaining the traditional qualities that I learned to love early in life.

I am inspired by many artists, some of which include: Mr. Walt Disney(for his amazing imagination), Michelangelo, Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, Salvador Dali, Edvard Munch, and of course Patz Fowle, for whom without I would not be a second-generation Ceramic artist.My sculptures have been accepted in many competitions and exhibitions. I am currently sculpting, and creating art for Exhibitions, Commissions, and Private Collections.

Michelle’s Contact Info:

M_morris@msn.com
843.307.6382

The residency opportunities listed below involve artists that BCAC works with on a regular basis, though the artists do not live in Darlington County.

Professor Angela Gallo & Sapphire Moon Dance Company

The company’s mission is to present dance works that inspire thought. The company also believes in bringing contemporary dance to a wide range of audiences.

About Angela:

Angela M Gallo is Artistic Director of Sapphire Moon Dance Company (1997). Sapphire Moon Dance Company focuses on human relationships and socio-political issues -- on successes, failures, and strength – on falling, getting up, and persistence. Sapphire Moon combines dance with theatre by merging text, music, props, videos or other media or installations. The choreography reflects influences from many diverse sources. The dancers move in and out of the floor with ease as they speak, use props or interact with video images. The versatility of the performers allows them to dance with grounded athleticism, to suddenly pause in a beautiful shape or to articulate a small but detailed gesture. The strong bodies travel through the powerful jumps and complicated lifts, showing the grace and the eloquence of the dancers.

Angela received a BFA in Theatre and Dance from Central Connecticut State University and a MFA in Dance from the University of Michigan. Angela is also Assistant Professor of Dance at Coker College and is the director of the Coker College Repertory Dance Company. She was runner-up for the South Carolina Arts Commission’s Fellowship in Dance for 2007.

Sapphire Moon Dance Company's Website:

http://www.sapphiremoondance.org/

Vicky McLain

Vicky on Her Own Work:

I teach realism in drawing and painting. I utilize abstract drawing drills and focus on color basis to teach drawing and painting. Individual paintings or murals can also be done as a residency.



Born in New Braunfels, Texas, Vicky resides with her husband, Jim in Chesterfield, SC. She has been an artist for over 32 years and began her focus on a full time art business in January of 2000. She also began her lifelong dream of cartooning at that time. She sells many pieces over the internet through the auction site eBay. She also created and maintains her own web site - www.drivenbyart.com. She works in many mediums including acrylic, oil, watercolor, pen and ink, graphite/charcoal/pencil, cartooning, computer graphics: web design, logo design, and t-shirt art. She currently teaches a painting class in Chesterfield, and started a class website – http://www.oldeenglishart.com/.

She studied drawing at the San Antonio Art Institute and continues to take several workshops a year with prominent artists such as Paul W. McCormick, Dominic Vignola, Joyce Hall, Daniel Greene and Joy Thomas. She has also taken a cartooning workshop with cartoonist, M. Rasheed, the creator of Monsters 101. She earned her B.A. in Management from Virginia Wesleyan College.

Vicky’s Website:

http://www.drivenbyart.com/


Vicky’s Contact Info:

Vicky@drivenbyart.com
843.623.7214

Beth Wicker

Beth’s Words on Her Own Work:

I create original prints, handmade paper, fabric collages, original oil and acrylic paintings, and custom jewelry.

I am a visual artist, working in a variety of mediums. I create fabric collages and paint in oils and acrylics. I am a papermaker, printmaker, and a jeweler. I have been creating since I was a child, and it is an integral part of my life. I have taught numerous residencies and workshops, and worked with various youth groups.

Beth’s Academic Background

Beth received an MFA from the University of South Carolina in 1984. Before that, she studied at Meredith College and Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Beth’s Website:

http://www.bethwicker.com/

Beth’s Contact Info:

ruralart@earthlink.net
843.910.0317