Charleston Reporter

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department has announced concurrent solo exhibitions at Park Circle Gallery featuring the works of K. Kim Thomas and Doug McAbee. The exhibitions will be on display from June 5-29, 2024, with a guided tour by Thomas on June 8 from 1-2 pm and a public closing reception with both artists on June 28 from 5:00-7:00 pm. Admission to the gallery is free.

Charleston-based artist K. Kim Thomas will present her exhibit "Plastic Beach," which includes mixed media assemblages addressing themes of climate change, nature, and consumer culture. “I am particularly interested in the way these forms mimic human consumption and its relationship to pollution,” said Thomas. Her works include crocheted plastic shopping bags, prints made by inking found objects, and sculptures created from materials sourced during walks and collected at home.

Thomas completed her MFA in Studio Art at Memphis College of Art in 2012 and has exhibited her work internationally. She is also a full-time high school art teacher in Summerville, SC.

Doug McAbee’s exhibit "It Don’t Cost Nothin’ To Be Nice" features colorful drawings on uniquely shaped wood panels, vibrant hollow-form steel sculptures, and site-specific murals using acrylic paint markers. His work creates narratives about interpersonal relationships through imaginative characters. “I was taught the power of laughter and humor by my father,” McAbee explained. “Knowing that art has the power to change how people think, I have chosen to communicate positive and hopeful messages.”

McAbee learned welding at age seven under his father's guidance. He earned his BA and MFA at Winthrop University and currently serves as Associate Professor of Art at Lander University in Greenwood, SC.

Park Circle Gallery is located at 4820 Jenkins Avenue in North Charleston. The gallery operates Wednesday-Friday from 11:00 am-6:00 pm and Saturday from Noon-4:00 pm. For more information about the gallery or other Cultural Arts programs, visit www.northcharleston.org or contact [email protected].