An island of Artistic expression in one Honeycomb Cafe, all January long

You find yourself crafting a mosaic from the diced tri-color potatoes. The guy next to you is whittling a divine image into the toast on his grilled cheese. And the kid at the counter has transformed his pancake into a giant emoji. What is happening at the Honeycomb Cafe?

An explosion of art. That’s what’s happening.

The Honeycomb Café has been a longtime supporter of the arts on Daniel Island, hosting a rotating display of local artists and, more recently, Wednesday night “open mic” nights with area musicians. In fact, the Honeycomb has officially partnered with Black Tie Music and Art Academy to produce what is now known as The Arts at Honeycomb Café. Beginning in the new year, this collaboration will present specially-curated work from Lowcountry artists. Each month will feature a new collection of paintings, photography, or other medium from a single amateur, hobbyist, or professional. And to kick off the 2016 exhibits, over 20 artists from the Art Guild of Daniel Island will be showing their skills for four January weeks.

To steady your heads so that you can take in the dizzying display (and still savor your brunch), Art Guild of Daniel Island member extraordinaire and Black Tie co-founder Kris Manning is here with an informational preview. Thank goodness, too, because that omelet is in danger of being deconstructed and Picasso-ed.

Jennifer Johnston: What is your history with the Art Guild?

Kris Manning: I am a current member of the Art Guild of Daniel Island and one of its founding members and first President. The other founding members include Alexis Phillips, Susan Bauknight, Andi Ganz-Seiderman, Ginny Paternite, Sandy Phillips, Jerri Pogue, Karol-Ann Skelly, and Kristine Casey. The Guild was founded in April 2015. The current President is Karol Skelly.

JJ: How often does the Art Guild meet, and is it always at Black Tie? What is the aim of these meetings?

KM: Black Tie Music and Art Academy is the meeting and workshop space for the Art Guild of Daniel Island. We meet every third Wednesday at 7 pm with the purpose of creating an environment that is conducive to the growth of the individual artist. We feature a guest artist each month who presents their work, technique, and experiences in the art world. For example, our most recent speaker was artist Ken Hamilton. Ken is a Goose Creek artist who specializes in miniature construction. He brought a mixed media constructed “E-Z Rest Motel” model that blew our minds! It represented a motel at a fraction of the scale with the finest of details, including angled mirrors to provide the illusion of depth in the rooms, flickering TVs through the windows, and itty-bitty pizza boxes and laundry on the bed. Ken is a featured artist at Lowcountry Artist Gallery downtown. We strive to bring a wide range of artists and different kinds of art to our members to broaden their horizons. Charleston holds tremendous talent and we want to see it all!

JJ: At last check, there were 30 Guild artists - is that still about right? How many will be showing at Honeycomb in January, and what mediums will be represented?

KM: Yes, we have 30 and we’re growing. You don’t have to live/work on Daniel Island to become a member. I encourage artists to visit our site at www.artguildofdi.org (that’s dot ORG) to see how they can jump on board. We’re so excited about the upcoming show at Honeycomb Cafe. Owner Oanh Dang has provided a nurturing environment for artists over the years by providing a large space for a gallery within the cafe. Beginning in January, Black Tie Music and Arts Academy will be curating the 2016 art each month. January 3-30, 2016 is when the Art Guild of Daniel Island will be featured. Participating artists include Bob Uhler, Bill Goff, Jerri Pogue, Ginny Paternite, Andi Ganz-Seiderman, Karol Skelly, Mary Wessner, H. Scott Cushing, Sandy Phillips, Peter Finger, Heather MacQueen Jones, Martha Thomas Rudisill, Michael Johnson, Amanda McLenon, Bill Payer, Betsy Jones McDonald, Alexis Phillips, Kristine Casey, and Kris Manning. More of our members will also be included. All pieces are for sale and 100% of the sale goes to the artist of the work purchased. No commissions or fees will ever be assessed at the Arts at Honeycomb Cafe art shows curated by Black Tie Music and Art Academy.

JJ: Relative to the size of the community, does Daniel Island seem to be more densely artistic than the average little town?

KM: Daniel Island is oozing with artistic talent. We organized the Guild to provide a place where we can meet, share ideas, share opportunities, and share our work. Last month the Daniel Island Historical Society approached us with a nifty project that they’re working on that needs some artwork. Our artists are submitting pieces to be included in their creation. This little town has so much to offer and our groups are starting to work together to offer our community glimpses of its brilliance. It feels spectacular to be able to spontaneously pick up the phone on a sunny morning and get a few painters to get together down by the marsh to paint what we see. Daniel Island is magical!

JJ: Beyond January, will all artists displaying at Honeycomb be members of the Art Guild? Is the plan to have an end-of-month reception for the artists still in the works?

KM: The January show of the Art Guild of Daniel Island will offer a reception held on Wednesday, January 25, 7-9 p.m. at Honeycomb Cafe. Many of the artists will be there to meet in person and you can ask them how they create and what inspires them. This is a really cool opportunity. Each month in 2016, a new artist will be featured. They are not all members of the Art Guild. February’s artist is H Scott Cushing (who is a member of the guild). He is a tremendous photographer and digital artist. His work is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. Scott will have one piece in the January show and his work is featured on the show poster to whet your appetite!

JJ: Any other interesting tidbits you can dish about the Guild?

KM: The Art Guild of Daniel Island is building up a fund so we can offer a scholarship to a student in the 2016-2017 school year. Information will be available on our website in the spring.