By Murray Sease
La Petite Gallerie
I consider myself incredibly lucky to live in the art-oriented community of Bluffton South Carolina. Before I was an ‘artist’ myself, I loved to visit the shops and galleries in our small town which even back then seemed to have more than its fair share of artsy stuff going on. I must have been inspired by what I saw!
I remember falling in love with Jon Nelson’s moonlit nocturn paintings and Louanne LaRoche’s wonderful lowcountry people and animals. Jacob Preston’s pottery studio beckoned us inside with his gorgeous grey and blue glazed bowls and platters. Mark Flowers’ studio was the old Maye River Gallery and he was an inspiration for many artists who followed him. Lynda Potter’s lovely impressionist work jumped off the walls of a tiny gallery on Heyward Street with its vibrant beauty. These artists were inspiration for me and many others!
A major force in Bluffton’s art community was Peggy Duncan, whose energy and vision helped many local artists find ways to make a living selling their work. She started or co-opened at least three galleries in Old Town Bluffton. One of those would become the Society of Bluffton Artists, or SOBA, founded by Peggy and a small group of fellow artists. Today, SOBA has grown to more than 100 members, welcomes artists of all skill levels, and offers classes and workshops – an enormous contribution to Bluffton’s art scene.
Peggy’s next venture was the Guild of Bluffton Artists, a cooperative gallery formed with some of the same artists who helped launch SOBA. Over time, that gallery evolved into Pluff Mudd Art.
Peggy’s final endeavor in Bluffton was La Petite Gallerie which opened its doors in 2015 with just five artists. I was lucky enough to be invited by her as one of those first
Amos Hummell on the set of Living Colors, circa 2007
artists and I’m still there today! It is a lovely space adjacent to The Store on Calhoun Street, featuring six owner artists and several consignment artisans offering jewelry, pottery and oyster shell creations. There is an outdoor space full of sculpture and garden art – it is a welcoming gallery inside and out! Each of the artists works at least one day a week and would love to meet you and talk art. We are lucky to have the proximity and friendship of The Store’s Babbie Guscio who has encouraged oh so many aspiring artists over the years.
Bluffton is also home to Four Corners Fine Art and Framing, Camellia Art, and the elegant Red Piano – beautiful high-end galleries filled with stunning artwork. Calhoun Street Gallery is tucked among them beneath the oaks
Other than La Petite Gallerie, the little art gallery that was most special to me was my husband Bill Sease’s project. It was located in an old mechanic shop on Calhoun Street, next door to the old Eggs’centricities clothing store (itself once a gas station). The Red Stripe Gallery was a small corrugated metal building with a giant two-story garage door opening onto a front yard perfect for displaying Bill’s scrap metal creations. He had a rotating fleet of ‘Murder Cycles,’ which were artistic motorcycles made of crazy collections of rusty wheelbarrows, sawblades, shovels and antique tool parts. They featured riders with names like Pick Ax and Elvis, all built from recycled parts and pieces of metal with the odd addition such as pink high heels on one of the ladies riding on the back or in a side car. The riders were known collectively as Heck’s Angels. Alongside these colorful characters, Bill filled the gallery with work by other talented artists, including pottery, paintings, and exceptional ironwork by local creators.
Bill Sease, Red Stripe Gallery owner and founding member of Bluffton’s Heck’s Angels, circa 1998
Bill moved on from the gallery after a few years, subletting the space to the famous Amos Hummell, who used it as an open studio and outdoor theater space. Locals may remember Amos’ productions of ‘Living Colors’ – a series of hysterical outdoor plays featuring appearances by random local celebrities and anyone else inclined to get on stage and have a part in whatever the topic for the night was. As fun as it was, Amos moved on as well, and Bernie Haag took over the interesting ex-mechanic space turned art gallery. He created the Filling Station Gallery which introduced Bluffton to many regional artists, as well as offering a space for local artists who were just getting a foothold into the art scene. I was lucky enough to be one of his artists and will always be grateful to him for believing in me.
There are so many more artists, gallery owners, and supporters who are helping members of this community realize their creative potential. The visionaries who opened galleries and welcomed visitors – many of whom become loyal customers and friends – surely knew they have helped shape Bluffton into something special. Bluffton is a true town for art, and we are grateful to them all.
