Butterfly & Art Festival June 2 & 3. Black Swallowtail by Mark Hilliard (markhilliardatelier.wordpress.com)
By Dariel Bendin
If a butteryfly approaches you, be careful not to touch its wings. Too much contact can damage the scales, which are necessary for survival. (Courtesy photo)
Brookgreen Gardens will host a brand new, two-day festival that celebrates the world or butterflies. Taking place Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3, the family-friendly event will include a wide range of activities designed to teach us more about the important role that butterfies play in our environment. Children can make their own butterfly crafts and create butterfly chalk art. Workshops, demonstrations and walking tours will highlight information on how to create a butterfly garden and photograph butterflies in their natural habitats.
Wall frog by internationally recognized sculptor, Scott Penegar. (Photo courtesy Penegar Studios)
Presenters include nationally known nature photographer Mark Hilliard; Robin Salmon, Brookgreen’s vice president of collections and sculpture curator; and Monarch butterfly expert Billy McCord. Dr. Jaret Daniels, author of “Butterflies of the Carolinas Field Guide,” will also be on hand to sign books and answer questions.
Nancy Lorraine, author of “The Butterfly Adventure” and Dorothy Herron, the book’s illustrator, will be signing books, as will Julie McLaughlin, author of the “Gator” series for children.
In what is sure to be a popular event, Brookgreen’s horticulture staff will demonstrate how to landscape a garden to attract butterflies.
In addition to the butterfly-themed activities, Brookgreen is also bringing some of the area’s finest artists to showcase their work during the Butterfly Festival. The list includes local favorites Charles Chrisco (raku pottery), Joe and Tonda Jeffcoat (pottery), Mark Hilliard (photography), Suz Mole (fused glass) and Judy O’Brien (watermedia).
Charleston sculptor Scott Penegar, who has created sculptures for S.C. State Parks, Brookgreen Gardens, Ripley’s Aquarium and more, is not to be missed.
Sometimes call the Passion Butterfly, the brilliant Gulf Frittilary Butterfly. (Photo Mark Hilliard)
The festival is 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free with garden admission. Brookgreen Gardens is located about 18 miles south of Myrtle Beach on Hwy. 17 (For GPS purposes, the physical address is 1931 Brookgreen Drive, Murrells Inlet, S.C. 29576.).
Admission is $14, adults; $12, seniors 65 and over; $7, children 4 – 12; and discount prices are available for groups of 15+. The gardens, gift shop and restaurant are handicapped accessible. For further information, visit the website, www.brookgreen.org or call 843-235-6000.
Schedule
(subject to change)
All Day Events
• Artists and vendor booths
• Demonstrations
• Horticulture and butterfly tent with information
• Children’s butterfly crafts and activities
• Sidewalk chalking
• Face painting (butterflies)
10 a.m.
• Butterfly Garden Tour (plants and butterflies)
• Live music performance in the Arboretum
11 a.m.
• Program/talk with Dr. Jaret Daniels on Butterfly Conservation In the Southeast (Lowcountry Center Auditorium)
Children’s Activity Center in Learning Lab 1 opens
Participating Artists
Little River, S.C. artist Charles Chrisco will exhibit his unique raku pottery during the two-day festival. (Photo Louis Aliotta)
A Berg Design – Hand painted glassware and wire wrapped accessories/ serving pieces, mosaics & prints
African Graffiti - Glass art
Artifactual Adornments – Hand-crafted artifact jewelry
A T Jewelry Design – Unique wire wrapped/ beaded Jewelry with natural stones, pearls, shells, seaglass & crystal
Lisa DePaoli Balog – Sterling silver with freshwater pearl jewelry accented with gemstones
Ivie Barnwell – Sweetgrass baskets and weaving demonstrations
J. Bilicki – Pottery and ceramics
Bold by Kattour – Hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind, semi-precious gemstone jewelry
Meg Carter - Sea glass jewelry
Jean Caveness - Ceramics
Jefri Lynn Chandler – The Art Box Studio’s cast sculptures and demonstrations
Donna Chesborough – Illustrated Brookgreenscapes
Charles Chrisco - Raku pottery
Amy Cox – Albatross Pottery
Harold Crook – Wooden bowls
Millie Doud – Multi-media (glass, ceramics, paintings, fiber)
Cate Ferreira - Hats and fascinators (milliner)
Zelda Grant - Textile arts: hand-crafted pillows, tote bags and art photo note cards – Introducing make-and-take Brookgreen bookmark souvenirs
Mark Hilliard – Nature photography
Kathleen Hunt – Glass kaleidoscopes
Jeffcoat Pottery – Hand-made, wheel-thrown, gas-fired pottery
Capturing the moment when a Black Swallowtail alights on a cone flower. (Photo Mark Hilliard)
Thelma Johnson - Sweetgrass baskets
George Kosinski – Watercolors of flowers and butterflies
Shirley Lawing – Oil paintings
Nancy Lorraine (author) and Dorothy Herron (illustrator) – “The Butterfly Adventure” book signing
Loretta Lutman (author) “The Ugly Caterpillar” book signing
Anne Malarich – Brookgreen and nature photography
Anthea Masters – Silver and driftwood accessories for home and garden
Susan McClure – Coastal Accessories
Ann Marie McKay – Paintings, prints & notecards & illustrator book signing
Julie McLaughlin – Children’s book signing for “Hungry Mr. Gator,” “Mr. Gator’s Up the Creek,” and “Mr. Gator Hits the Beach.” The low country wetlands come alive in these whimsical stories.
Barbara Mellon - The Earring Lady- dichroic glass jewelry
Suz Mole – Fused glass art
Michael Munden - Hand crafted jewelry using various semi-precious gemstones and crystals as well as copper, nickel silver, and brass
Richard Nelsen – Acrylic paintings
Judy O’Brien – Watercolors-mixed media, cards, prints (framed & matted)
Jennifer Owen – Charleston artist-original paintings in acrylic, watercolor and pastel. Hand-made jewelry in wire and semi-precious stones, butterfly inspired arts and crafts
Scott Penegar – Plaques, reliefs and sculpting demonstrations
Fay Petrovitz – Low country inspired original paintings on canvas, specializing in garden scenes
Robin Salmon – vice president of collections/curator of sculpture at Brookgreen Gardens – Sculpture conservation and book signing
Chad & Heather Samson – Beach beads and glass-blowing demonstrations
Scenes by Maria -Photography
Jef Sturm - Oil paintings
Sean Thompson – Nature & wildlife photography printed on canvas
Kathryn Turnauer - Glass art
Nancy Van Buren – Watercolors
Christine White – Pottery.