Mystic Osprey Gallery’s Fall Opening
Meet Artists Pamela Corwin And Mark S. Holland
October 23rd, 4-7 p.m.
story by KAREN SNYDER
Beaufort’s Mystic Osprey Gallery in Habersham Marketplace will showcase new works from Artists Pamela Corwin and Mark S. Holland on Friday, October 23rd from 4-7 p.m. The gallery, established in 2019, has made a name for itself in the South Carolina Arts scene with its single-minded curation and focus on fine artists who use their talents to showcase nature, wildlife, and the earth’s precious habitat.
“What a special place we live in,” says gallery owner Robert Howell, a long-time producer and event planner in the arts. “We’re fortunate to have this opportunity to showcase it in our gallery. Whether it’s the climate or the great outdoors, many are drawn to Beaufort for these reasons. When you walk inside Mystic Osprey, the art provides a calming meditation on our natural world.”
One of the artists in the showcase is Pamela Corwin, a wildlife and fisheries biologist here in South Carolina, focusing on American shad and striped bass. The only art courses Corwin ever took were in high school. “She is a natural artist with God-given talent,” says Howell.
Often referred to as the “Artistic Biologist” within her field, most of Corwin’s work is wildlife or relates to the outdoors. After many years pursuing her career with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and serving in the South Carolina Army National Guard, Corwin rediscovered her love for painting when she began volunteering at a veterans’ shelter in Charleston, SC. She picked up some art supplies and started having art therapy with these veterans. Corwin did not really draw or paint; she was there for support.
“I was there to show them, and eventually myself, that art is a form of therapy that speaks without words,” Corwin says. After graduate school for Avian Ecology at The Citadel, Corwin’s path back into the studio included “a brown trout which she painted as a birthday card for her husband.” Her husband happened to share the card with someone at the Department of Natural Resources, and eventually Corwin was invited to be the featured artist to paint fish for award certificates as part of the department’s Trophy Angler Program. Later, projects for South Carolina Wildlife magazine followed.
“You just have to stop by the gallery to see the great white shark she’s made from 300 fossilized shark teeth found here in the Lowcountry! It’s put together like a jigsaw puzzle and is quite
remarkable,” says Howell.
The second artist to be featured as part of the Mystic Osprey showcase is Mark S. Holland. “Holland’s oils of woodland and wetlands scenes on wood panels look as if John Audubon had a long afternoon tipple with Lewis Carroll,” Howell quips.
Howell describes Holland’s work as fanciful and playful. “His painted panels of nature’s flora and fauna remind you of a childhood memory spent barefoot in nature in the most dreamlike outdoor setting with nature’s creatures unseen, yet right in front of you.”
Says Holland about his own work, “There is no hidden meaning in my work. Nothing for the viewer to figure out. I am sharing what we all need. It is our shared attachment to this planet and the living things in it … I make my work not only for myself but for all, so that together we can celebrate nature and our existence in it.
“I’ve always been an artist who observes culture and nature, particularly the hidden things not readily seen in a glance. It is my mission to take the unseen and make it seen.”
It seems this approach marries easily with Howell’s, who works diligently to curate a collection of affordable, museum- and investment-quality fine art that can be appreciated and enjoyed by everyone.
Holland’s work is part of the Kessler Collection at the Grand Bohemian Galleries in Asheville, NC; Charleston, SC; and Orlando, FL. He’s also a featured artist at the 2020 Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE) in Charleston, SC, and has exhibits at Beaver Lake Lodge in Beaver Lake, CO.
“As artists, Mark and Pam are exactly what Mystic Osprey is all about. This is collectible art that brings the outdoors into your home decor beautifully.
“Every time someone looks at these works, they will see something new in nature, and hopefully that looking for something extra will carry forward in the way in which that person appreciates our planet on which we live, and the creatures we should be celebrating and sustaining for our children and their grandchildren,” says Howell, explaining the reason, purpose, and focus behind Mystic Osprey Gallery. “Our fine artists are represented in other geographic areas by world-class galleries and have their work in private collections around the world. But our visitors and area residents have access to them right here in Beaufort!”
Howell recommends that guests stop by the gallery, which reopens on October 16th as part of the Habersham Discovery Trail experience. “Grab a nice lunch or dinner in the marketplace, stop by the gallery, and then enjoy wandering the one-mile Habersham Discovery Trail. The trail features 11 beautiful, community-painted birdhouses for wrens, kestrels, owls, and wood ducks.
“It’s a great socially-distanced field trip,” jokes Howell. “We’ve all been stuck inside. This is a great opportunity to enjoy a bucolic setting and take in the natural beauty that surrounds us — both inside and outside our gallery.”
The gallery currently follows recommended CDC guidelines for social distancing and masks to ensure patron safety. (Masks will be provided for guests who do not have them.) Those who miss the showcase may shop online at www.MysticOsprey.com or make an appointment for a private viewing.
