With so many options, choose your passion.
Maura's Three for the Week in Charleston, 4/29 - 5/5
Charleston’s annual arts amp-up is underway, with a robust roster spanning every discipline, topic and setting. Tuck in under Mt. Pleasant live oaks as music fills the canopy. Head to North Charleston, and revel in a full-on festival. Want to collect art while protecting local marshes? There’s a one-night-only, art-powered fundraiser. Is a play your thing? Beat it to a black-box theater. Before Charleston heats up, head out.
North Charleston Arts Fest
Various locations throughout North Charleston, May 1 - 5
Local artists and performers across all arts lanes converge in North Charleston Arts Fest, which welcomes all to free performances, exhibitions, concerts and activities in venues including libraries, businesses, community centers and parks. Launching with a May 1 opening reception and exhibition, this year then fans out through the city.
To get a sense of the range of offerings that span the city and the globe, check out the Bossa Do Brazil! Brazilian bossa nova concert performed by vocalist Rochelle Whitney Green accompanied by guitarist Nikolai Svishev and John Willmarth on percussion; the Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition, Celebrating Black Music, curated by Torreah “Cookie” Washington; the World Dance Showcase of traditional, folk and modern dances of cultures from around the world; the Colour of Music Festival Chamber Music Quartet & Quintet; and the Tales of the Lowcountry theater performance by The Crabpot Players.
For more information, visit northcharlestonartsfest.com.
Go aural and alfresco at ‘Live Under The Oaks’
Mt. Pleasant Towne Center, 1218 Belk Dr., Mt. Pleasant, Thurs., May 2, 6 p.m.
Grab a chair or blanket and revel in Live Under The Oaks. Emceed by Johnny O' of 95SX, these free concerts take place every Thursday evening during the month of May. Grab take-out from a Towne Centre restaurant or visit the weekly food truck. Beer and wine will be available for purchase from Burtons Grill + Bar. First up on May 2 is Kevin Daniel, a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter specializing in southern rock and blues, with Sweetgrass Foodz as the food truck.
For a complete lineup of artists and food trucks, visit mtpleasanttownecentre.com/events/live-under-the-oaks-concert-series.
Cast a cold eye on global strife via Village Rep’s ‘Journey’s End’
Threshold Repertory Theatre, 84 Society St. in downtown Charleston, May 3 - 18, various times.
The Village Repertory Co. in collaboration with Threshold Repertory Theatre, presents Journey's End, the searing work by R.C. Sherriff that first premiered in 1928, which set over the course of four days leading up to the German attack on the British trenches in 1918. Directed by Keely Enright, the ensemble cast features Robbie Thomas, Paul O'Brien, Jeffrey Johnson, John Black, Kyle Downs, Dave Reinwald, Brent Fox, AP Hart, Sam Daniel and Ben Hudd.
Tickets are available at villagerep.com.
Bonus: Be an art collector and marsh protector
SDCO Partners, 121 Wentworth St. in downtown Charleston, Thurs., May 2, 6 - 9 p.m.
This event is everything I love about the South: a convergence of conservation and culture driven local creatives. The design team of SDCO Partners is hosting Recess, a free community art event to support The M.A.R.S.H. Project, a local grassroots organization focused on revitalizing the Lowcountry’s marshland ecosystems. The event gathers 20 Charleston-based artists creating original works focused on ecology, stewardship and cultivating community— each priced at $40, with all proceeds donated to The M.A.R.S.H. Project.
For more information visit themarshproject.com.
See you at Recess!