about-us

Hope Bruns Hope Bruns is the Assistant Director at Blair Center... for the Arts, where she also serves as an instructor. She brings a dynamic blend of artistic talent, educational experience, and leadership to the center. Before joining BCA, Hope spent five years teaching elementary and middle school art in North Carolina, where she fostered creativity and confidence in young artists. Hope holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education with a concentration in fine art photography from Appalachian State University, graduating in 2020. In addition to her work in arts education, she is a professional family and newborn photographer, blending her love of visual storytelling with her passion for capturing life’s most meaningful moments. show more

Carrie Wooden Carrie Wooden, AKA "CollageKitsch", is a collage artist... Born in Huntington, Carrie Moved to Pawley’s Island as a senior in high school, then on to England for a couple of years to take classes at the University of Nottingham. Carrie made Charleston home in 2000. In 2020, Carrie began creating analog collages to help deal with the stress of the Covid-19 pandemic. show more

Lindsey Maldonado Lindsey Maldonado is a visual artist and graphic designer ... based in Goose Creek, South Carolina. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Arts and time spent studying fine arts in Florence, Italy, Lindsey draws from both classical training and lived experience to inform her creative work. Her practice spans a variety of mediums—soft pastels, watercolor, acrylics, and pottery—though she holds a particular affinity for the rich textures and expressive depth that soft pastels offer. For Lindsey, art is not just a practice, but an emotional compass. Her work reflects the ebb and flow of her inner world: tranquil moments give rise to soft palettes and peaceful scenes, while times of unrest yield darker, more contemplative imagery. She doesn’t chase inspiration—it emerges organically, shaped by her evolving emotions, surroundings, and sense of self. “Inspiration and ideas change. Knowledge changes.” This belief sits at the heart of her work, embracing the impermanence of both thought and feeling as essential to the creative process. In 2020, Lindsey founded Lindsey Nicole Design Studio, a space where her artistic vision continues to grow and shift—always in search of the next challenge, project, or adventure. show more

Katie Wilson Katie is an illustrator and arts educator who enjoys painting, drawing, and printmaking. ... Her love for the arts shows through her warm and inclusive teaching style. She studied at the College of Charleston where she received her degree in Arts Management & Studio Art and her Masters in Teaching. She is currently an elementary art teacher for students ages PK through 5th grade. She loves working with her students and igniting their passion for creativity as they explore self expression through their work! show more

Hollyn Belle Hills is a singer-songwriter and musician from Charleston, South Carolina. ... She is a self-taught guitarist and has been playing guitar since the age of 8 years old. Now, she plays professional shows at venues around the Lowcountry in addition to recording and releasing her original music. This past year, Hollyn Belle began teaching formal guitar lessons to individuals of all ages. Hollyn Belle’s favorite musical artists include Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves, Ruston Kelly, and Maisie Peters. show more

Dru Blair Dru is the owner of Blair Center for the Arts and ... holds a Master’s Degree in Fine Art from USC. Dru also owns the School of Realism, an international art school located in Blair, SC. Dru specializes in airbrush, photorealism, watercolor, pastels,3D animation, digital art, and drawing. View some of his photorealistic paintings HERE. show more

Fiammetta D'Aversa Fiammetta is an Italian artist who ... studied art in Rome, Italy, and Paris, France. Her specialties include illustrating children's books, custom furniture designs, t-shirt designs, acrylic paintings, watercolor, and live drawings. She has a passion for languages, teaching, piano, and traveling. show more

Danielle Nguyen Danielle holds a BFA in Animation/Illustration from ... San Jose State University in California and has been drawing for almost as long as she can remember! She and her family have been blessed to lived in California, Texas, and now South Carolina. . show more

Rick Sargent Rick is an adjunct faculty at The Citadel where ... he teaches drawing and animation.Rick earned a Bachelor Degree in Art from the University of Georgia and a Master of Science degree in Medical Illustration from the Medical College of Georgia. He has studied painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York and the Academy DuCret in New Jersey. His work is inspired by the symbolism and significance of everyday events. His major artistic influences are Rembrandt, Ingres, Millet, John Singer Sargent, and Bo Bartlett. Rick is a professional illustrator whose art tries to capture both the detail and motion of a moment. He specializes in portraiture and subjects in nature. He earned a Bachelor Degree in Art from the University of Georgia and a Master of Science degree in Medical Illustration from the Medical College of Georgia. He has studied painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York and the Academy DuCret in New Jersey. His work is inspired by the symbolism and significance of everyday events. His major artistic influences are Rembrandt, Ingres, Millet, John Singer Sargent, and Bo Bartlett. He was honored to win the 2011 Cooper River Bridge Run Poster competition and picked by the Town of Mt Pleasant to participate in a beautification project. show more

Kevin Free Kevin is a photography specialist with a diverse ... background in the photographic industry. He received his Master’s of Fine Arts degree from the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), Savannah, GA, in 2014. Kevin earned his undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Watkins College of Art, Nashville, TN, in 2012. Kevin has worked with nearly every form of photography in his career, from alternative processes to the latest digital technology. show more

Rob Maniscalco Rob has been a professional creative his entire adult life. Born... in 1959 in Detroit, he has lived in New York, New Orleans and currently in Charleston. His commission portraits and fine art are part of over a thousand collections throughout North America. In Detroit he hosted Artbeat on PBS and founded the Maniscalco Gallery. As a fine artist, he likes to work in multiple series. Perhaps his most enduring series is that of a commission portrait artist, immortalizing Supreme Court Justices as well as children and families. In 2014 Robert took on a vision-quest, called The Quench Project, in which he traveled to Haiti, producing numerous paintings, a documentary short (Out of Darkness), along with a companion book (Quench), juxtaposing the Haitian struggle with obtaining fresh water against our society’s obscene wealth inequality. Robert blogs on a wide range of subjects and written three other books, The Fishly and Point of Art. His fourth book, an Amazon #1 bestseller, is a full color drawing/painting method, called The Power of Positive Painting. He is an actor/director, writer/playwright, musician/composer and teacher, a former Adjunct Professor of fine art and theatre at Charleston Southern University and drawing illustration at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Robert has expanded his creative milieu to include courtroom sketching, covering the Dylann Roof and Michael Slager trials in Charleston. His multi-disciplinary play, Vincent John Doe, received its world premiere, to rave reviews, during the 2018 and 2019 Piccolo Spoleto Festivals. He is now a regular exhibitor in the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition. show more

Chelsea Baird Chelsea is an Industrial Designer for a... Package Design & Engineering Center based in Chicago, IL, working remotely from her home in Charleston. A graduate of Clemson University with a B.S. in Packaging Science, she brings a unique blend of technical expertise and creative curiosity to all her endeavors. When she’s not designing packaging solutions or chasing after her two young kids, Chelsea spends her evenings immersed in creative pursuits such as painting, sewing, and quilting. Raised among artists, becoming a painter has been a lifelong dream fulfilled, and there are few things she loves more than sitting amongst tubes of paint. She views her art practice as a tool for observing, connecting to, and appreciating the world around her—grateful for every opportunity she has to explore. show more

Silvia Belviso Blair is a classically trained Italian ... artist specializing in drawing, watercolor, oils, and acrylics. Her style ranges from photorealism to impressionism. She is also owner and manager of the Blair Center. show more

Cat Brantley Cat Brantley is a dedicated teaching artist based... in Charleston. She is a Visual Arts Instructor with Engaging Creative Minds and is listed in the SC Arts Commission Artist Directory. Recently, she launched Mindful Art Creative, blending mindfulness with creative expression. She teaches a variety of mediums, including watercolor, basic drawing, mandala art, indigo dyeing, and batik dyeing, and is always open to exploring new artistic techniques. show more

Steve Cefalo Steve Cefalo is a seasoned imaginative classical oil painter, ... character and graphic novel illustrator, and former instructor at numerous art schools and universities, Steve Cefalo has a unique and eclectic vision. He shares his broad base of knowledge with a sense of lighthearted fun, passion, and a love for people. show more

Amy Scarella Amy majored in liberal arts with a focus on studio art and ... completed her Masters' Degree in Elementary Education at Lesley University in Cambridge, MASS. After teaching in New York City, Amy focused on her entrepreneurial endeavors including starting a non-profit dog rescue and creating a “garage school” for children during COVID quarantine. Currently, Amy offers student support at The Promise school in downtown Charleston which focuses on students with dyslexia. She has always been an artist at heart and values the varied art lessons given to her throughout her young life and the amazing instructors she was lucky to have. show more

Luke DePolo Luke DePolo is an oil painter and charcoal artist specializing in ... in portraits and landscapes. His work is influenced by the techniques of the old masters, such as Edgar Payne and John Singer Sargent. Luke is originally from NC but now resides in Charleston show more

Kate Tipton Kate is a self-taught artist and ... and Live Wedding Painter originally from the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest VA and East TN. She has always had a love for the coast and lowcountry scenery, which is where she naturally tends to draw inspiration for her artwork, and now calls Charleston home with her husband and dog. She specializes in watercolor and travels across the country to paint live at weddings and events full time. Though she has always been creative and artistic, she started her art business, Purpose Under Palms, in 2021 as a way to do what she loves, live with more purpose and intention, and bring others joy through art show more

Kristin McGivern Kristin is an artist from Greenville, SC ... now residing in Daniel Island. She graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and has pursued art her entire life. She enjoys experimenting with all mediums, palettes, colors, and subjects as she discovers new techniques and new perspectives of God’s beautiful design. Most of all, she loves sharing the techniques she learns with others so that they are empowered to create their own works. show more

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