♪ (opening music) ♪ Hello, I'm Beryl Dakers.

Welcome to Palmetto Scene!

We're delighted that you could join us as we look forward to a better and brighter year in 2021.

After a dark and dismal 2020 with the resurgence of the arts community activity we are beginning to see some encouraging signs that there is a light hopefully signaling the end of this pandemic.

One rural community aided by the South Carolina Arts Commission is using the arts to open doors of communication and bring people together.

<woman> (speaking in Spanish language) (speaking in Spanish language) (speaking in Spanish language) ♪ (rising music) ♪ <woman #2> So, when we originally put our Amos Hall Canteen food truck park here We wanted to create two things.

Number one, an opportunity for more food for our residents.

We are growing and the census is telling us we're going somewhere near 30 thousand residents but there were just a handful of restaurants.

We knew we had this need.

Lydia from the Art Pot reached out to me and said "Hey we just got this grant.

We want to start putting art throughout the city of Hanahan.

<Lydia Cotton> I'm not going to do anything that is not part of a city and of the whole community as in of Latino, Black, White everybody.

<Christie Rainwater> We started brainstorming what that could look like.

I knew the Amos Hall Canteen had just started up and there was still more room for love on the property.

<Lydia> So we decided to do the doors of community which means that everybody donate a used door.

<Christie> With Council member Sally, our City Administrator, Mike Cochran and the team from the Art Pot, Lydia and her crew started to dream on what exactly do we want this to look like and we decided on this fence of doors which we're so excited about >> Maybe some people think, a fence?

Right now?

When we talk about Latinos, about fence, like Whoa!

This is a community love fence where we have come together And it's a door that will resonate as an opening heart for everybody to see >> As we looked at how many different volunteers we were needing, we said what if we're for purposeful about just not inviting the people we know or maybe each one of us invites the people in our circle and our circles look different and we bring all those circles together.

What originally was just supposed to be a piece of art truly became a community project being purposeful and focused on multicultural unity.

<Lydia> It is now a community project, it just changed the narrative in an incredible way.

because of the people, because we have everybody together.

It seems impossible to do a community project or even an art project if everybody's not included.

<woman #3> We're going through a lot dealing with COVID, dealing with racial issues and I thought this would be very therapeutic to come together as a community doing something positive and I am an art fanatic.

I love art.

Art is the best therapy.

It makes me hopeful.

I don't feel anxiety about being around people.

These are good people.

Everyone's being positive and now I'm going to have a reminder every single time I come past this fence I'm going to remember this moment.

We are having a ball.

I'm really loving it.

♪ <Lydia> It is the type of project that's incredible.

And it's needed in every community.

Multicultural mind set was put in the heart of this project.

That is what community is all about.

the art of community, is exactly that.

<Stephanie Pittman> It's impossible to move forward without coming together and I feel like the art community is a way for us to really communicate with each other.

We're more than just our skin color.

We're more than just Latina, Black, White.

We are people, we are human.

I mean we all have to fix this.

This means a lot for all of us to come out here and just do this.

>> Hanahan is a beautiful city It's a city that is growing.

It's a city that is learning.

And it's a city that is welcoming.

This is a good example of coming together as people,, as citizens, as humans.

♪ (piano music) ♪ >> Across the nation and even here in South Carolina homelessness has been and continues to be a major issue.

Caletta Harris, an up and coming documentary filmmaker has chosen to tackle this issue using her art form to advocate for those with no voice, no hope, and no address.

♪ <Caletta Harris> Our connection human to human connection is so important for people.

And that's when we have to step in as humans.

But I love doing that.

That feeds my soul and it feeds their soul because they're giving me life and I'm giving them life.

My very first production was an organization called Kids Foundation.

And they're a nonprofit and they asked me to do like a marketing video for them, because they dealt with human trafficking and sex trafficking for kids.

So what they wanted me to do is create a marketing video to get funding to go into other countries to rescue children.

And when I did that it just kind of blossomed and they got the money that they needed to and the funding that they needed.

I was like, I'm serving a purpose at the same time.

So, that's like my heart strings, doing meaningful work and non-profits and people to make a difference in seeing my work help make that difference.

That's kind of where I was sold.

So, I'm always like very passionate and compassionate for people that come to me with, you know, meaningful work.

One day, I read in the newspaper that Columbia City Council wanted to do something about the homeless situation and there were three options.

So, one was just leave town.

The other one was to go to a shelter on the outskirts of town or be subject to jail if you're caught on the street.

And I said, "What?

"That's your solution?"

So, it really just hit me hard because like I said I'm an empath.

What if I'm in their shoes.

I could feel.

What if I had to just leave town and just disappear.

How would I feel about that?

I said I want to do something about it.

I have a production company.

I have all the tools.

So, let me just start documenting what's around me.

So that's kind of how it started and it was just one story after another story and then it - you know how the degree of separation was so close.

I kept meeting people that were in this circle of influence that were activists.

And they led me to the next, and to the next.

So, that's how this whole thing blossomed.

And, seven years later, "No Address: Part One" is a series now.

<woman #2> I don't think it should be a crime for being homeless.

<woman #3> It's more like out of sight, out of mind.

<man #1> How do you criminalize somebody's situation, <woman #4> They're called ordinances.

They're usually city laws that make it a crime to sleep in public, to sit in public, to lie down in public, to sleep in a car, to beg for help, to eat sometimes in public.

I mean, it just takes a variety of different forms.

<man #2> They were talking about rounding homeless people up and put them in something like a concentration camp.

<man #3> Our literature says 3.5 million people.

If people knew the true number of homeless people, if we documented that true number of homeless people.

We don't have the resources to address the problem.

And that is a statement directly from an elected official.

<woman #5> Since 1995, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has not given us any money to build housing.

<woman #5> Gentrification is the only housing policy that this city has.

Atlanta's housing policy is gentrification.

That's it.

>> I want to do more for myself and getting out of this homelessness, so I can pay for me a home.

>> But when you have no address, getting just a decent regular scheduled job is virtually impossible.

♪ (dramatic music) ♪ <Caletta> It taught me a lot about myself, that I am...resilient, you know, that I am am more compassionate than I thought, that I am supposed to be in this place that it is divine.

Everything that I asked for happened.

It made me become more of an advocate, I call myself the visual voice for the community.

So, now it's like my life's work.

It's my journey.

So, even putting the camera down this is what I want to do.

So I want people to know what homelessness is first.

What does it mean to not have an address and it means everything and what does it mean to criminalize someone without an address.

And then I want action.

I want something to stir up in you to say, I've laid out steps how you can take action.

So start implementing those in your life and maybe we can have a better society.

♪ (choir music) ♪ >> With more time on their hands, many people chose to adopt a pet during the COVID-19 shut down.

Sounds like a good idea.

Right?

Well it is, if you can find a pet to adopt.

One bright spot amid the gloom is the fact that more animals are finding loving homes in which to shelter during the storm.

(highway traffic) ♪ (dogs barking underneath music) ♪ <speaker #1> So in 24 years, I've never seen the shelter this empty.

We have more animals out in foster than we have in the facility right now.

That's been a huge help.

<speaker #2> My name is Tess Overstreet I decided to use my quarantine time to foster kittens.

So exciting.

I got two little baby boy kittens from Columbia Animal Services that we'll be keeping the next three weeks.

So I'm so excited to help care for you.

Let me see you.

(cat meows) So cute.

<speaker #3> I own a small business here in Columbia and it's a holistic based skin care and massage therapy studio.

On March 16th when we temporarily shut down because of the virus, it was kind of a scary and emotional time.

It's also right around when we found out that Tess wouldn't be physically going back to school this year.

So, it was just kind of crazy.

And the pandemic drastically changed the speed of our life.

Tess has always wanted to foster kittens.

She's been wanting to do that since she was born practically.

I thought maybe we can spend this time pouring our love into these kittens that need us.. (kittens meow) <Marli> We've seen it happening all across the country.

I don't think this is what we expected, We don't really know what to expect once this all clears up and we get back to whatever the new normal is.

<Tess> It's hard not being able to go to school or see my friends.

It's just really great to have them here.

<Marli> People being home more, they may notice a litter of kittens or something, somewhere hidden out in the yard somewhere.

We want to encourage people to actually don't bring them to us right away.

Call us first.

Most likely the mama cat is still around and the kittens are better off with her at least until they're weaned than coming here.

<Tess> So yesterday we went to Columbia Animal Services for their two week check in.

It turns out that they were actually found on a prison truck.

So we have the two cutest little escape convicts ever.

♪ (flowing music) ♪ >> I always intended to find them a great home, although I am getting attached to them.

So, I mean there's a possibility of adopting them.

Although, we'll see.

♪ >> Do you see your brother?

♪ (flowing music) ♪ <Tess> Kittens are so much fun, but they're definitely a handful.

♪ The kittens need a lot of attention and I am tired because I'm having to wake up in the middle of the night to feed them and with all my classes and school work.

But it's definitely worth it.

♪ Don't do cords.

These guys are just weaning off of formula and so they're still trying to suckle their food.

So it's my job to help them transition over to soft food, which is a little messy.

So I'll take soft food in my hand and a kitten in the other and then I'll just try to put it right over his mouth.

There you go.

♪ <Stacey> To see the joy that she's had with this experience and to get to know these kittens and to love on them.

And to see what an amazing job Tess is doing with them, is really special to me.

>> This is when the kittens finished eating.

They have the messiest little faces.

So, you have to clean them off.

So they just ate and so next they're going into their playful stage.

And then they get really tired.

And that might be my favorite because I get to cuddle with them.

I think it's going to create some interesting conversations too.

At least I hope it will or maybe we look at how we deal with animal care control in general, moving forward and how we do that.

This has been really nice not to have a ton of animals in here and being able to have the space to keep everybody very comfortable and happy at this point.

♪ (flowing music) ♪ >> COVID-19 has been terrible in so many ways and the repercussions will be felt for years to come.

But one thing I'm grateful for during this time is the time that I've had with Tess and these kittens.

♪ (flowing music) ♪ I should be ready in about 10 minutes.

I love you.

♪ (flowing music) ♪ We are so keeping these kitties.

>> The arts are important to a community but the life of an artist can sometimes be very difficult especially in these trying times.

Artists need both a way and a space to express themselves creatively in.

But for many, present circumstances have made this even more difficult to find.

Fortunately, however the Columbia Development Corporation recognizing the value of the arts community has stepped in to help preserve the livelihoods for this talented group.

♪ (jazz music) ♪ <speaker #1> The arts feed the soul <speaker #2> I never didn't want to be an artist.

<speaker #3> It's not something that I do.

it's what I am.

<speaker #4> I've not found anything this satisfying or challenging as trying to make a work of art.

<narrator> For an artist's work to be valued, it must not only be creative but also needs a community that embraces it.

Stormwater studios was created in 2018 after a group of artists in the Vista lost their lease due to gentrification and needed to find a new home.

♪ (blues music) ♪ The city had begun planning a new facility for them back in 2007 but the Great Recession forced them to shelf the project for over ten years.

When it finally came to fruition, it was as part of a new arts district complete with two neighbors, Lewis and Clark Furniture and Lamps and One Eared Cow, Glass Blowing.

The artists are now enjoying many improvements in the new studio including high ceilings, skylights, air conditioning, sinks and better access.

<David Yaghjian> Now, we can drive up to the building.

We're on the same level as the parking lot.

There's no parking meters.

We can bring stuff in.

<Sharon Collings Licata> This is actually smaller square footage than I had at Vista Studios, I was able to set it up much better because of the access and the doors.

<woman #1> I have lots of bins of material and every time I go on location to work with a school group, or to do a project somewhere, I have to bring all my stuff with me.

<narrator> They're also enjoying the gracious gallery space with the moving wall that can be configured in a number of ways and the natural surroundings outside.

>> It's quiet.

It's beautiful.

It was a small creek down below that was mostly stormwater runoff.

It's still attracts wildlife.

<Kirkland> Sometimes I'll just walk back there and sit by the creek and journal or just think.

It's nice.

<man #1> This facility belongs to everyone.

It belongs to the public.

It's an incentive for them to come and relax and enjoy this place.

<narrator> Shows are free to the public.

Visitors may get a chance to see the artist's process or ask them about their inspiration.

<woman #2> I feel what we have is really special because we're not just a gallery.

We're a working studios.

We have 10 resident artists here.

I feel there's a lot to see right here.

We're all doing very different work.

<Stephen> This wing is full scale 28 feet, and it represents in a sense, the wars that humanity keeps visiting on themselves.

At the same time, it's painted like a monarch butterfly, which alludes to the other war that we are constantly waging, the relentless war against nature.

The original concept, I've held for over 10 years.

I took about half a year.

I looked at industrial footage of fighter factories and designed it actually the same way but with lighter materials as an actual fighter wing.

As we go through this life, we forget about the ordinary assembly, the magnificence of it.

It's even the smallest creatures beyond belief.

<Sharon> It's not a canvas you can pick up and shove in the car.

The first challenge would be the weight of all this stuff.

If I'm doing one of the big pieces like the couple outside, you have to plan those ahead of time.

You've got to have big bins and lots of packing material because you have to cushion, so things don't get scratched.

When you're doing something like this, which comes in what they call random boulders, you're really just diving in and working with the stone and what's there.

No matter how hard I try, I think I almost always going to end up with very curved and angular type pieces.

And I typically have a lot of upward motion.

Whether it's a highly simplified animal form, which I do as well as the abstracts, which is what I'm working on now.

<Kirkland> I know what I want the piece to more or less looks like when I'm done.

I know who I want it to look like and have figured out a lot of it before I even began.

I'm just trying to lay down some values right now, kind of work from the big shapes to the small.

You lay in your darks and your lights kind of build the form and it'll have some dimension to it when it's finished.

I was just looking around our community, the world around me and becoming very aware of what a disposable society we are.

And so I decided to tackle this issue of really disposable plastics.

And I do have a message behind the work.

I think that the way that we're living is not sustainable.

>> One of my subjects are primarily fish and places I fish.

I'm passionate about the environment.

I'm passionate about natural spaces.

I'm from South Carolina.

I love our rivers and woods and lakes and ocean and nature and fish and everything in that environment.

And that's the subject of my work.

I think the thing that differentiates art is that, it goes above and beyond the ordinary.

Take an idea.

They take some materials and they do something that is original, unique and beyond explanation.

<David> My work is about balance.

When it's achieved, it gives me a kind of a balance.

I've come to the conclusion that we as a species have really become much too enthralled with ourselves.

So I started doing this older man who is thinking about aging and thinking about a lot of things.

Then, he began to get too serious.

And I decided he needed a companion.

And the Bonobo was I thought a good foil for him.

We're different from chimps.

They solve things by touch.

They're a matriarchal society.

They're much more cooperative.

He doesn't really criticize but he does a lot of observing.

They don't say much but it's understood.

<narrator> Stormwater also welcomes visiting artists, hosts workshops and even has a studio just for the Visual Arts School at South Carolina.

The residents at Stormwater contribute to the upkeep of the building, the website and various other tasks including taking turns as the president.

<David> The main job each of us has is to come in and work.

I don't think of my success in terms of sales or not sales.

I mean it certainly makes a difference.

It's nice to be able to pay the rent from sales at least.

<narrator> The artists have learned to network, keep a low overhead and use social media to market their work beyond the studio.

Some even offer private lessons.

But in the end, money isn't necessarily their main goal, making art is.

>> We hope you've enjoyed our pieces tonight.

For more stories about our state and more details on those stories you've just seen, please visit our website at PalmettoScene.org And of course don't forget to follow us on social media, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @SCETV #PalmettoScene We leave you now with tonight's Palmetto Postcard, from the new Stono River County Park, one of the Low country's newest parks.

for Palmetto Scene, I'm Beryl Dakers.

Good night.

Stay strong and thanks for watching.

♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Hi I'm Michael Bradley.

And welcome to Stono River County Park.

♪ The public has a need and a desire for open space and preserved land.

And Charleston County Parks wants to provide safe family friendly, fun, outdoor space.

♪ (upbeat music) ♪ That's a mile and a half trail from the trail head where the restrooms are.

It does have a beautiful walk over a wonderful Marsh view.

A one thousand foot boardwalk that takes you to an island in the Stono River where there's a nice nature trail that goes around the island.

It is an unmanned facility.

It serves as a destination for the West Ashley Greenway and those that bike and run and walk on the greenway, kind of an end point where there's restrooms, water.

There's even a bike repair station, a little place to picnic.

We are right along the Stono River.

So you're going to see all kinds of marsh life.

It has been very popular for birding.

There's been all sorts of birds out here in the marsh, flying over the island.

It's a wonderful park.

We hope that everybody continues to enjoy it and please come see us.