Red Piano Too: A celebration of women

To commemorate Women’s History Month, the Red Piano Too Art Gallery has assembled works by various women artists who exhibit in the gallery. Women’s History Month was first celebrated in 1911 in Europe pays tribute to women and their role in society. The artists in the gallery show comes from varied and very interesting backgrounds.
Henrimae Bell: After retiring, Mrs. Bell found a second career as an artist.  Her work consists mainly of “Church Women” but she does beautiful florals.
Saundra “Renee” Smith: St. Helena Island native, master’s prepared registered nurse, wife, mother, grandmother married a Marine officer and saw the world.  After her husband’s retirement, they returned. Her Lowcountry scenery  will light up any room or any heart.
Helen Stewart: A memory painter, she vividly recaptures scenes from her youth.  She can identify persons in her art and relate interesting stories about each person.
Victoria Smalls:  St. Helena Island native mother of three, Victoria attended South Carolina State University on a basketball scholarship and has had a career in education and in tourism and as the curator at the Red Piano Too Art Gallery. Her signature works are reflective of her bi-racial heritage and her beliefs in cultural diversity and pluralism.
Shirley Hunter: St. Simons Island resident is a prolific artist. Her paintings with subdued brightness at first glance appears to be pastels but they are oils with a very deft ability to convey light and lightness of spirit.
Julia Neal: A fine art nature photographer whose journey into the art of photography began years ago growing up on a Maryland farm and continued as her career moved her to Atlanta. After years of spending time on Hunting Island and enjoying the quality of life in the Lowcountry, Julian relocated to St. Helena Island in 2011.  Nature inspires Julia’s photographs.  Her images are an expression of nature’s subtle communications and exhibit her passion for the natural environment.
Diane Britton Dunham: A unique artist whose primary subject matter is the black female.  She makes no apology about it and confesses, “it is the only thing I love to draw, and it’s what I do best.”
Margaret Warfield: Margaret writes, “ I think of myself as an artistic communicator, wishing to transform and extend perception and stimulate views toward new insights and expressions.  All of my paintings contain elements of hope and love.”
Alfreda Robinson Jamison: is a sweetgrass basket weaver born and raised in Mount Pleasant. She can count seven generations of sweetgrass basket weavers in her family and her grandmother has baskets in the  Smithsonian.
Della Wells: This Milwaukee native is a multimedia artist and has exhibited at the Red Piano Too Art Gallery for almost 20 years. Her art is mostly pastels and multimedia/dimensional collages.
Cassandra Gillens: A Boston native with roots in Port Royal, her distinctive acrylics are collected nationally and internationally.  She has works in the collections of Lowcountry iconic artist Jonathan Green who is also her role model and mentor.
Gallery owner Mary Mack said, “When citing or listing specific women artist there is always the risk of overlooking or slighting other gallery artists — this list is not all inclusive — we have many more very talented and creative artists. A ‘Celebration of Women’ is a venue designed to delight the art lovers heart.”  The exhibit will run March 3- May 18. The gallery will host an opening reception on Saturday, March 3 from 12-5 p.m. at 870 Sea Island Parkway, St. Helena Island. For more information on the event and art, call 843-838-2241.