Mount Pleasant Magazine July/August 2017

feature

here’s a duality in the world’s view of art. On

one hand, it is seen as a mere luxury afforded

to those with financial means, while there are

those who believe that to express oneself is

a necessity and that enjoying the beauty and emotion

captured in a painting or in print is an essential part of

life. Under this premise, art is and should be accessible

to everyone.

The latter is the goal of the new Perspective Gallery

in Mount Pleasant. Founded in May 2017 by a generous

donation from the Mount Pleasant Artists Guild, the

gallery’s mission is to promote the practice, teaching and

appreciation of fine arts in the community; to represent

and be of service to the arts community at all levels; to

provide members opportunities to improve their skills,

show their work and market their works; and, perhaps

most importantly, to make art a part of the lives of

children, the elderly, the disadvantaged, the abused and

neglected, and the financially, physically or mentally

challenged members of society.

In short, the Perspective Gallery’s self-appointed

charge is to make art and art education available to the

community as a whole.

And 36 days was all it took. The idea for a gallery was

first introduced by Becky Taylor, director of Perspective,

during her tenure as president of the Mount Pleasant

Artists Guild, and conversations with the membership’s

120-plus members were favorable to the plan. But the

Guild had to move quickly when a former gallery closed

and the perfect space opened in the Crickentree Center.

“Not all of our members were painting every day,” said

Taylor, “but a lot of them were, and the organization had

been in existence for over 20 years at that point, so we

had to make a quick decision to accept the space when it

became available.”

That’s when Dee Dee Conant stepped in. Now

BY KATIE DEPOPPE

Bringing

Art

All

Perspective Gallery inMount Pleasant

Photos courtesy of Perspective Gallery.