Twenty-nine years ago, Crooked Creek Park was being built and a group of artists requested that an art facility be part of the plan. Founding members met for a year setting up a constitution with bylaws and obtaining a 501c.3 status. Crooked Creek Art League (CCAL) membership has now grown to over 150 members from Chapin, neighboring towns, and other states. During Covid, general meetings were held via Zoom and are still provided.
Join us on the third Monday of each month in person at 5:30 p.m. for refreshments and socializing. The general meeting and informative artists’ presentations begin at 6:00 p.m. both in person and via Zoom.
Visitors are welcome.
Our first meeting of the 2023-2024 year will be on September 18. Presenter at the meeting will be Crooked Creek Art League member, Robert “Vic” Shuler, who received the Best in Show award at the 2023 Juried Art Show and Sale for his painting, “Triumphant Rain.” His presentation and demonstration will be “What Inspires the Artist?”
In addition to monthly general meetings, CCAL offers as many as six two- or three-day workshops to both members and non-members. At this time workshops are already scheduled for October, November, January, and February. To see the list, go to the website, www.crookedcreekart.org and select Events/Calendar.
Two juried art shows each year display the talented League artists. One is held at Still Hopes Retirement Community in West Columbia in December and January. The second is the Annual Juried Art Show in February and March at Crooked Creek Park.
Crooked Creek Art League also coordinates with Friends of the Irmo Branch Library for an exhibit each year with a portion of all sales going to the Friends of the Library. Additionally, twelve businesses and organizations in Chapin and surrounding towns allow CCAL members to hang their art for the public’s enjoyment. The art hangs from one to three months depending on the number of pieces in the display.
The Town of Chapin has partnered with Crooked Creek Art League for the past several years in providing art installations throughout the town as well as in Lexington, Little Mountain, and Prosperity. The projects have been the following: a mural at Crooked Creek Park; four-foot metal sailboats; four-, five, and six-foot trail markers, and the Chapin Art Trail complete with a scavenger hunt for more than 30 art displays. The latest is an in-progress large mural in downtown Chapin.
To join Crooked Creek Art League, to stay informed of its events and activities, and to learn about community arts projects go to the website, www.crookedcreekart.org .
