I remember the day when I met Philip Simmons. At the age of 94, he was still very much involved in the arts community, and that day, he was present to support the American College of the Building Arts.

Simmons passed away June 22, but his legacy and works will continue to inspire future generations. This master blacksmith’s work can be found all over the city, and also at the Smithsonian Museum, the National Museum of American History and the South Carolina State Museum.

His interest in iron work began after moving downtown from Daniel Island. He began an apprenticeship at age 13, and was a full-fledged blacksmith by 18. Over his quarter-century career, over 500 gates, fences, columns, window grills and other works (not including pokers and other tools) were produced. 

Simmons earned the “National Heritage Fellowship” from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1982, and received an honorary degree from SC State University in 2006.

Check out some of his work at the following locations in Charleston:

• The gazebo at the Charleston International Airport
• Gates outside the Charleston Vistors Center
• The egret gates at Waterfront Park
• The Gadsden house gate at 329 East Bay St.
• The gate at 2 st. Michael’s Alley
• The railings and window grilles at 45 Meeting St.
• The heart gates at St. John’s Reformed Episcopal Church at 91 Anson St.

Also, check out the wrought iron at Liberty Square and the Philip Simmons Park on Daniel Island to see works designed by him.

The “Write of Summer” writing camp is back this summer to inspire young writers and poets. The camp is lead by Jonathan Sanchez, a two-time winner in the South Carolina Fiction Project. He has been writer-in-residence at the Jack Kerouac House in Orlando, and has led workshops at dozens of schools. 

Each session will visit the Gibbes Museum of Art and will close with a coffeehouse reading, with students performing from their portfolios of new work. Sessions are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until noon. Cost is $160 per session. Sessions are limited. Pre-registration is required, and camps will be filled in the order that registration forms are received.  

• July 13 – 17, Grades 7 – 9, Blue Bicycle Books (420 King St., Charleston)
• July 20 – 24, Grades 3 – 6, Christ Our King (1122 Russell Dr., Mount Pleasant)
• July 27 – 31, Grades 7 – 9, Christ Our King
• Aug. 3 – 7, Grades 9 – 12, Christ Our King
• Aug. 10 – 14, Grades 3 – 6, Blue Bicycle Books

For more information, call 843-722-2666 or email jonathansanchez@aya.yale.edu.

Lowcountry author, Dorthea Benton Frank, is set to publish a sequel to her best-selling book, Sullivan’s Island, on June 30. Sullivan’s Island earned a spot on the New York Times best seller list in 2000.

A book launch will be held July 2  at the Charleston Library Society (164 King St.). Frank will discuss and answer questions about the book, and each guest will receive a signed copy. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Tickets are $75 per person (includes the cost of the book) and can be purchased by calling 843-723-9912.

Book summary from Amazon.com:

Whether you were away from the Lowcountry for a week or for years, it was impossible to remember how gorgeous it was. It never changed and everyone depended on that.

Newly graduated from college and an aspiring writer, Beth Hayes craves independence and has a world to conquer. But her notions of travel, graduate study, and writing the great American novel will have to be postponed. With her mother, Susan, leaving to fulfill her own dreams in Paris and her Aunt Maggie, Uncle Grant, and stepfather, Simon, moving to California, Beth is elected by her elders to house-sit the Island Gamble. Surrounded by the shimmering blue waters of the Atlantic, the white clapboards, silver tin roof, and confessional porch have seen and heard the stories of generations of Hamiltons. But will the ghosts of the Island Gamble be watching over Beth?

Buoyed by sentimental memories of growing up on this tiny sandbar that seems to be untouched by time, Beth vows to give herself over to the Lowcountry force and discover the wisdom it holds. She will rest, rejuvenate, and then reenter the outside world. Just as she vows she will never give into the delusional world of white picket fences, minivans, and eternal love, she meets Max Mitchell. And all her convictions and plans begin to unravel with lightning speed.

There is so much about life and her family’s past that she does not know. Her ignorance and naivetÉ nearly cost her both her inheritance and her family’s respect. But Beth finds unexpected friends to help her through the disaster she faces: her wise and charming Aunt Sophie; Cecily Singleton, the granddaughter of Livvie Singleton; and Woody Morrison, the solid young investment banker.

This wonderful ensemble of characters could be your own family, but watch what unfolds as they succumb to the island’s spell. If everything happens for a reason, then Beth’s return to Sullivans Island teaches her that betrayal and tragedy are most easily handled when you surround yourself with loyal family and friends in a magical place that loves you so much that it wants to claim you as its own.

The Palmetto Artisan Program, a week-long, after-school entrepreneurship class, has won first place in the US Conference of Mayors’ city livability awards. Palmetto roses are created from Palmetto Tree fronds and are a recognizable art form in Charleston.

The program was developed after residents and officials complained about children selling palmetto roses, so in 2007, the City of Charleston created the program. To teach worthwhile business practices and promote their talent in a positive way, middle- and high-school students learn lessons in customer service, marketing techniques and social skills at the class. The kids also get snacks, mentoring and free palmetto fronds. Upon graduation from the program, youths are permitted to sell palmetto roses.

To read the whole story from Post & Courier, click here.

Do you cherish the days of record stores? Do you have fond memories of Millenium Music? Want to know the story about how Millenium came to be and evolved into FeedYourPlayer.com, and later AbundaTrade? Check out the June issue of Inc. Magazine to read the story of two Charleston businessmen adapting to the times. 

For 15 years Kent Wagner and business partner, Clayton Woodson, owned Millennium Music on the corner of King and Calhoun Streets. With the music industry going digitel, Millennium was faced with declining sales and launched a new venture called FeedYourPlayer.com in 2006, which offered customers the option to trade used CDs for iPods. FeedYourPlayer was a hit, and Wagner decided that his business would be more successful online. After closing the brick-and-mortar store in 2008, Wagner and Woodson launced AbundaTrade, which allows customers to exchange CDs for electronics like TVs, iPods and camcorders. 

Visit the AbundaTrade website to learn more.

What inspires you?

Tell us your inspiring story in 50 words or less, and you’ll be entered into a random drawing to win a one-night stay and dinner for two at Old Village Post House in Mount Pleasant!

Submit online: CharlestonInspired.com

Deadline: National Inspiration Day, January 31, 2009

More details: Old Village Post House (c. 1888) is a Maverick Inn & Restaurant featuring six guest rooms with private baths; a Southern bistro with two beautiful dining rooms; a neighborhood tavern and more.

Your stay includes continental breakfast in the morning, and a bottle of Maverick Private Label wine.

Enjoy Maverick cuisine, hospitality and accommodations!

A certificate will be sent to the winner. Valid Sunday through Thursday based on availability. Reservations must be made in advance and are not valid during holidays.

Expires November 30, 2009.

Laura Bright, Director of Marketing, Maverick Southern Kitchens 843-724-3808 or Lbright@mavericksouthernkitchens.com

If you couldn’t make the first-ever Pecha Kucha Night at Memminger Auditorium last night, you missed an amazing event pulled off by lots and lots of volunteer work, along with generous helpings from the The Culinary Institute of Charleston at TTC, the College of Charleston’s Computer Science team, PDA Green Works, and financial support from the CVB, New Carolina and the Charleston Regional Development Alliance.

Over 200 people turned out to share a beer, sample tasty bits from the young chefs, and get exposed to the thoughts, inspiration, and creativity of 9 diverse individuals who choose to work and live in Charleston – a small slice of the depth and breadth of creative talent that impacts both the quality of life and the economy of our region.

So what did we experience? A Google Earth tour of the urbanized parts of the globe; an intimate visit with a mountain man; a sustainable architecture showcase; ‘bricksellated’ public art; a story about an insouciant young Charlestonian; a roots rock reggae tour of Jamaica and it’s link to hip-hop; a French-Asian fusion bouillabaisse whipped up on site; a spoken word performance; and a short film created in the last 2 weeks just for this event… an amazingly fun, diverse, and energizing set of presentations. (Learn more about the presenters at www.pechakuchacharleston.wordpress.com.)

Special thanks go out to Robert Prioleau of Blue Ion (our emcee) and Patrick Bryant of Go To Team for their leadership and kicking off what we all hope to be the first of many events to bring the creative community together.

Keep your eyes and ears open for the next one… we already have a full slate of presenters lined up and we’re thinking January. More to come!

Photo courtesy of Diana Deaver.

A group of creative industry professionals in Charleston are staging the first-ever Pecha Kucha Night in Charleston on November 12 at 6:00 p.m.  So what the heck is Pecha Kucha and why should I care?

Pecha Kucha is a Japanese phrase that means ‘the sound of conversation’ or ‘chit chat’ and it’s a mix of show-and-tell, open-mike night and happy hour. It was originally conceived by architects in Japan who wanted an informal forum for creative people to meet, network, and share ideas without the danger of a designer run amuck with PowerPoint and microphone.  So the format allows each presenter 20 images shown for just 20 seconds each, without control of ‘forward’ or ‘back, please,’ making for a concise, 6 minutes and 40 seconds of fame for each of 8-10 presenters.  Since 2003, the concept has spread virally to over 135 cities around the world.

With so much interesting creative work going on around Charleston, in so many different arenas, it sounded like a good idea to celebrate that and see what’s happening.  The presenters confirmed for the first event are from the fields of graphic design, advertising, visual and performing arts, literature, architecture and urban planning.  And we’re working on a few more.

It’s for creativity, it’s not for profit, and all of the organizers are volunteers who have day jobs.  So no one’s going to hit you up for cash.  Oh yeah, and there will be beer, too.

So check out the invite, rsvp if you’re interested (you’ll need to in order to find out the location), and we’ll see you there.  And feel free to pass it along to anyone you think might enjoy.  Should be interesting!

We already knew Chef Mike Lata of FIG Restaurant was the epitome of Charleston inspiration, but now his message is resonating across the country. In a recent issue of Southern Living magazine, he talks about the importance of eating locally, and the fact that when he moved here ten years ago, almost no one was buying from local growers. Now, with the huge help of the Slow Food Movement making its way into Charleston, that has drastically changed.

Lata says, “Now I see it as part of the fabric of our cuisine here in Charleston. My peers inspire me daily with how they are buying locally and cooking locally.”

How can you get on board? Eat locally, frequent your farmer’s market, and get involved in your community!

See the entire article here!

Redux Art Center is teamed up with B’zar Clothing creating their own inspiration this weekend. Friday the 22^nd of August, they are hosting The Munny Show 2.0. The event was created to feature and support the diverse underground local art scene as well as give back to the local community through youth-focused art programs.

The viewing will be held at the Redux Art Center in downtown Charleston from 6 to 8 pm, followed by the auction from 8 to 9:30, then ending with a party from 9:30 to 11 pm. All proceeds will go to support the free and local education and outreach initiatives of Redux Art Center.

So, what is a Munny? Create your own! The artists involved range from graphic designers, painters, illustrators, graffiti artists, clothing and jewelry designers, as well as many other artistic voices.