Art Summer Vacations

Thinking about your summer vacation? If you're a local you don't have to take a week off just to go to the beach. (Go ahead and high five yourself. We'll wait.) Though we live in paradise, it's still a good idea to change the scenery sometimes. Why not plan a week or long weekend trip this summer centered on artistic inspiration? Here are some of our favorite exhibits going on across the country;

Nick Cave: "Until"
Through August 17th
Mass MoCA, North Adams, MA

If you're headed to New York, Boston, or Vermont this summer, consider a diversion to the Massachusetts Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) for Until, Nick Cave's most original installation yet. You know him as the creator of Soundsuits, but be prepared for something totally different. Cave has transformed a football-field sized gallery with
"16,000 wind spinners; millions of plastic pony beads; thousands of ceramic birds, fruits, and animals; 13 gilded pigs; more than 10 miles of crystals; 24 chandeliers; 1 crocodile; and 17 cast-iron lawn jockeys". Hop a cheap direct flight from CHS to NYC and take public transportation to Albany, NY. 

Robert Rauschenberg: Among Friends
Through September 17, 2017
The Museum of Modern Art, New York City

In the 1950s, artist Robert Rauchenberg challenged the status quo by bringing every day materials into his work. This exhibit is a retrospective of his art over six decades, including "over 250 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, and sound and video recordings".

New York City in summer is hot and crowds empty out for cooler vacation spots. That means cheap hotels and cheap flights for tough Charlestionians who find New York City's version of summer heat a relief.

Enduring Spirit : The Art of Tyrone Geter         Through  June 11, 2017
Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia SC

Looking for a day trip? The Columbia Museum of Art with a long lunch stop makes a perfect mini-break. Or, if you're headed north, make a pit stop in Cola and check out an amazing new exhibit by Tyrone Geter.

"Columbia African-American artist Tyrone Geter debuts an all-new series of large-scale charcoal and pastel drawings in this one-person show of approximately two dozen works. Geter’s work is heavily influenced by his mother, who grew up in the early 20th century amid racial discrimination, poverty, and illiteracy. Through her love, compassion, and desire to do the right thing, she passed her legacy on to her children. Geter uses that legacy in his work, saying, “Throughout my career, the human form has been the mechanism that makes it possible for me to speak my truth about my life, my beliefs, and the varied and colorful histories of my people.”

Universal & Sublime: Magdalene Odundo                 June 24–October 15, 2017
High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA

If sculpture is your thing, head to Atlanta for Kenyan artist Magdalene Odundo's retrospective of her work from 1980 to the present. If you've never been to a retrospective by a living artist, Odundo's show illustrates how artists and their work evolve over time.