“Domestic violence is issue number one in our state. Many risk their lives by answering domestic disturbance calls; others fight their battle in the court rooms. For the most part, these individuals are not recognized for their tireless work and we want to rectify that,” says Betsy Fraser, the event chair.

The event is hosted by the Zonta Club of Charleston and Liza’s Lifeline of South Carolina. The following people will be honored:

Liza’s Lifeline Person of the Year ~ Ellen Steinberg, Assistant Solicitor
Best Professional ~ Elmire Raven, My Sister’s House
Best Volunteer ~ Sarah Finkelstein, NCJW & CAAIV
Best Advocate ~ Easter LaRoche, Charleston County Sheriff

The 2012 Breaking the Silence Judges are: Army Wives Cast – Sterling Brown, Wendy Davis & Terry Serpico, Channel 5 Anchor – Debi Chard, Post and Courier- Allyson Bird. All of them will be attending the gala!

Tickets are $60 per person till January 13th, 2012, and $75 after. Tickets include the cocktail hour, entertainment, sit-down dinner and award ceremony. Cocktail attire. To purchase tickets, please visit www.zontaofcharleston.com. For more information, please call 843-822-0146 or email info@zontaofcharleston.com. The event sponsors include Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy, Cruise Planners, Embassy Suites Hotels, Wedding Studio, The City of North Charleston and The Harbour Club.

Zonta’s mission is to stop violence, and to improve lives of women through a variety of international service projects. In 2010-2012, Zonta International will fund service programs in Rwanda (Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV), in Guatemala and El Salvador (Safe Cities for Women), in Liberia (Reduction of Obstetric Fistula). The local chapter is devoted to prevention of domestic violence in the Greater Charleston Area. The club meets once a month at The Harbour Club in downtown Charleston. Zonta membership is by invitation.

Founded in 1919, Zonta International is a global organization of executives and professionals working together to advance the status of women worldwide through service and advocacy. Nearly 31,000 members belong to 1,200 Zonta Clubs in 66 countries. Amelia Earhart became a member of Zonta in 1928. The Zonta International Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation to which contributions are tax-deductible. The Foundation invests and manages funds donated to it to further the objects of Zonta International, and provides funds for the international service projects.

###

Media Contact: Vladia Jurcova-Spencer, Stylee PR & Marketing, vladia@styleepr.com, 843-345-3275

About WellnessPlus:
Established in 1986, WellnessPlus is a premier chiropractic practice aimed at providing its patients with the highest quality of expert chiropractic care in a comfortable and professional environment. Led by an experienced Charleston chiropractor, Dr. Valerie Fantino, who believes in finding and treating the source of pain, not just attending to symptoms, WellnessPlus offers a full range of services including chiropractic adjustments, rehab and therapeutic massage and other complementary services such preventative care, pregnancy support and massage stress relief.  Dr. Fantino treats common injuries and ailments of the body such as stress, whiplash, headaches, neck pain, hip pain, chronic back pain, fibromyalgia and arthritis.

The practice is accepting new patients. To schedule an appointment, please call (843)571-1020. The practice is located at 1001 Physicians Drive, Charleston, SC, 29414. Please visit www.wellnesspluscharleston.com for directions and more information.
###

Media Contact: Vladia Jurcova-Spencer, Stylee PR & Marketing, vladia@styleepr.com, 843-345-3275

The new office will be equipped with two full rehab stations to rehab the entire neck and back; five therapy bays with capabilities of doing electric muscle stimulation, ultrasound, cervical traction, moist heat and ice therapy and four adjusting rooms. In addition, the practice will offer therapeutic massage therapy in four private, comfortable rooms.

“For the past 25 plus years I have very much enjoyed seeing my practice change, with the addition of more therapies, rehab and therapeutic massage. My greatest joy is seeing a patient come in hurting and leave pain free. I feel we already have a great combination of services to treat most any musculoskeletal condition; and now we can treat our patients in our new, modern and comfortable environment,” says Dr. Valerie Fantino.

The construction of Dr. Fantino’s new building began in April 2011. WellnessPlus will occupy 2,740 square feet of the 4,525 square feet available. There will be space available for lease to another health care professional. Designed by David Thompson Architect, the building’s layout, mechanical and electrical systems and exterior materials were all carefully selected to be efficient, low maintenance and environmentally friendly.

About Dr. Valerie Fantino:

Dr. Fantino went to undergraduate school at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh, NY. In 1981, she completed her training and earned her Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City, Missouri. Dr. Fantino is a member of the South Carolina Chiropractic Association and the American Chiropractic Association.

About WellnessPlus:

Established in 1986, WellnessPlus is a premier chiropractic practice aimed at providing its patients with the highest quality of expert chiropractic care in a comfortable and professional environment. Led by an experienced Charleston chiropractor, Dr. Valerie Fantino, who believes in finding and treating the source of pain, not just attending to symptoms, WellnessPlus offers a full range of services including chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, therapeutic massage and other complementary services such preventative care, pregnancy support and massage stress relief.  Dr. Fantino treats common injuries and ailments of the body such as stress, whiplash, headaches, neck pain, hip pain, chronic back pain, fibromyalgia and arthritis.

The practice is accepting new patients. To schedule an appointment, please call (843)571-1020. The practice is located at 1001 Physicians Drive, Charleston, SC, 29414. Please visit www.wellnesspluscharleston.com for directions and more information.

###

Images available upon request.

Media Contact: Vladia Jurcova-Spencer, Stylee PR & Marketing, vladia@styleepr.com, 843-345-3275

“Get REDy to Wear” party is a precursor of the RED Party. Masks and dresses will be worn by their highest bidders at the three-ring circus extravaganza on October 27, 2011 at the Old City Jail. Masks were created using traditional materials like feathers, beads, and ribbons, as well as non-traditional materials like sweet grass and metal from a chicken coup.  Participating artists include Lese Corrigan, Jeff Kopish, Dee Schenck Rhodes, Mary Hoffman, Lynne Hamontree, Heather Gilliett, Everett White, Leigh Magar and Tina Christopholis. Bidding start at $75. Interested bidders can preview the masks on Facebook.

To rsvp to the event, call 843-577-5245 or send email to wallace@buildingartscollege.us. The Cocktail Club is located at 479 King Street, Suite 200 in downtown Charleston, SC.

About the American College of the Building Arts:

ACBA educates and trains artisans in the traditional building arts to foster exceptional craftsmanship and encourage the preservation, enrichment, and understanding of the worlds’ architectural heritage through a liberal arts education. Visit the ACBA website at www.buildingartscollege.us.

###

Images available upon request.

Media Contact: Stylee PR & Marketing, vladia@styleepr.com, 843-345-3275

Charleston, SC, September, 5, 2011 — The Charleston Auto Expo will be held at the Omar Shrine Temple on Sunday, September 25th, from 12 until 5 PM, in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. The Charleston Auto Expo will showcase the top local and Southeast automotive specialists, presenting the latest advances in the automotive care and specialty products industries as well as conducting live demos, sharing product knowledge and offering giveaways! Proceeds from the auto show will benefit the Dillon Frisbie Foundation.

Live demos will include: 3M Clear Bra Protection, Wheel Repair, Upholstery Repair, Paintless Dent Repair by Anthony Spencer of Dent Dynamics, Car Audio, Vinyl Wraps, Headlight Restoration, Window Tinting, Detailing, Paint Touch-up, and more.

Admission is $5.00 which includes a free goodie bag and automatic entry in all day drawings for thousands of dollars in free products and services. Rare cars, and Darius Rucker’s West Coast Custom USC Gamecock Karminn Ghia will be on display. In addition, attendees will enjoy continuous live music outdoors; Low Country BBQ and tacos provided by the Taco Boy Food Truck. The car show will also include a family fun corner, featuring our Car’s jump castle and a cotton candy station.

“This is a consumer expo show that will not only showcase products & vendors, but sponsors will be selling services and merchandise!  The Charleston Auto Expo is a place for all car enthusiasts to learn about unique auto care services and products and meet other car clubs/groups and auto enthusiasts,” says John Ritenour, the auto show organizer.

For more information on the event and the Charity it benefits, the Dillon Frisbie Foundation visit: www.CharlestonAutoExpo.com
###

Featured in Charleston Magazine, American Art Collector, AmericanStyle and Art & Antiques as the most important fine visual arts festival in Charleston, the Charleston Fine Art Annual celebrates the diverse fine art scene that the growing art market of Charleston has to offer.

Program:

Wednesday, November 2, 6-8 p.m. – “Women in Art” Lecture at the Gibbes Museum of Art

Friday, November 4, 5:30-8:30 p.m. – CFADA Gallery Receptions & Historic Downtown Charleston Art Stroll

Saturday morning, November 5, 9 a.m. – noon – “Painting in the Park” in Washington Park

Saturday evening, November 5, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. – “Silent Auction & Patrons’ Reception”

The fine art weekend kicks off on Wednesday, November 2 with Women in Art lecture series presented by the Gibbes Museum of Art. Held in conjunction with the exhibition Breaking Down Barriers: 300 Years of Women in Art, this three-part lecture series celebrates women and art. Following each 6 p.m. lecture, enjoy a wine and cheese reception, book signings, and a chance to mingle with the speakers. For ticket information on the lecture series, please visit www.gibbesmuseum.org.

Friday evening is traditionally reserved for special art openings at CFADA member galleries. Art collectors stroll through the historic streets of downtown Charleston to enjoy an array of works from local and visiting artists. Artist receptions start at 5:30pm on Friday, November 4, 2011. Join us for an enchanted evening filled with art. This art stroll is free and open to public.

The highlight of the fine art weekend is the Painting in the Park which will feature some of the most celebrated local and visiting artists, including West Fraser, Johnson Hagood, Julyan Davis, Ted Ellis, Rhett Thurman, Shannon Smith, Jennifer Smith Rogers, Simon Balyon, J. Christian Snedeker, Karen Larson Turner, Laurie Meyer, George Pate, Mark Bailey and Lese Corrigan Mark Horton, Chris Groves, Nancy Hoerter, Shannon Runquist and Larry Moore.

On Saturday morning, November 6, starting at 9:00 a.m., stop by for a cup of coffee bright and early at Washington Park where CFADA artists will be gathering to work on their paintings for the evening’s Silent Auction. This is the most popular event of the weekend as hundreds of art enthusiasts flock to the park for an opportunity to meet their favorite artists and watch them create their works of art that will be sold to benefit the Charleston County High Schools’ art programs. The Painting in the Park ends at noon.

The Eighth Annual High School Art Competition, an outdoor juried exhibition of outstanding student works from eleven local high schools, is held in conjunction with the Painting in the Park. The student art works will be on display from 9 a.m. and judged by a panel of celebrity judges. The winners will be announced at 11:30 a.m.

“Silent Auction & Patrons’ Reception” is a benefit created for art collectors and patrons interested in spending time with their favorite artists and supporting CFADA’s mission. The evening starts at 6:30 p.m. at Ella W. Richardson Fine Art. The works from the park will be up for bid. The silent auction ends at 8:00 p.m. and the event ends at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets for the Silent Auction & Patrons’ Reception are $55 per person. Ella W. Richardson Fine Art is located at 58 Broad Street in downtown Charleston, SC. The Charleston Fine Art Annual raises funds that keep art alive in local high schools. Since 2004, CFADA has donated over $180,000 to art programs at eleven local high schools.

About the Charleston Fine Art Dealers Association:
Founded in 1999, the Charleston Fine Art Dealers’ Association is the source of fine art in the South and consists of the city’s prominent galleries. The association promotes Charleston as a fine art destination for avid collectors and passionate art enthusiasts and supports the artists of the future. CFADA has donated more than $200,000 to local high schools, the Gibbes Museum of Art, Redux Art Center and the Studio Art Department at the College of Charleston. For more information on CFADA, please visit www.cfada.com.

CFADA Member Galleries:
Charleston Renaissance Gallery • Corrigan Gallery Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art • Helena Fox Fine Art • Horton Hayes Fine Art Smith-Killian Fine Art • The Sylvan Gallery • Wells Gallery

###

Media Contact:
Vladia Jurcova-Spencer, Stylee PR & Marketing, vladia@styleepr.com, 843-345-3275

The multi-disciplinary arts event is free to the public and features the rich variety of arts experiences in the tri-county area with the greater goal of building arts audiences and breaking down barriers to participate in the joy and festivity of the arts. The event will take place from noon to 5:30 p.m. at the Memminger Auditorium in downtown Charleston, SC.

Attendees of the arts expo can expect a cultural marketplace of interactive arts booths providing information about programming and events and offering participatory activities and a selection of tickets to upcoming performances as well as memberships and merchandise.

Featured activities inside include: building Charleston’s creative arts district with LEGOS; a family-fun-arts corner directed by Creative Spark Center for the Arts; a scheduled series of intimate performing art experiences “Revealing the Secrets of Art” and a video montage and premiere “360◦ view of Charleston’s Arts.”

With Beaufain Street closed off for the event, attendees will enjoy famous fare from the Charleston Food Truck Federation and street performances.

“OPEN” 2011 is a blank canvas that participating organizations are invited to fill with their creative expressions. Our participants are the fireworks that will inspire you,” says Jessica Solomon Bluestein, executive director of the Charleston Regional Alliance for the Arts.

Participating organizations include:

• Annex Dance Company
• Arts Business Civic Coalition of Summerville
• American College of the Building Arts
• Avery Research Center
• Chamber Music Charleston
• Charleston Academy of Music
• Charleston Center for Photography
• Charleston Concert Association
• Charleston County School District
• Charleston Fine Art Dealers Association
• Charleston Library Society
• Charleston Symphony Orchestra
• City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department
• City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs
• Coastal Carolina Association of Pro Musicians
• Cone 10 Studios
• Gibbes Musuem of Art
• International Piano Series
• Jazz Artists of Charleston
• New Music Collective
• Redux Contemporary Art Center
• South Carolina Storytelling Network
• Taylor Music Group
• Theatre Charleston (Actors’ Theatre of South Carolina, Deuce Theatre, Village Playhouse, Flowertown Players, Footlight Players, PURE Theatre, South of Broadway Theatre Company, Creative Spark Center for the Arts and Sprouts Childrens Theatre)
• The Village Playhouse
• Yo Art

“Everyone is welcome to our free arts expo to preview our community’s diverse cultural performances and events. We especially extend a wide open invitation to arts novices to attend and participate in the joy and festivity of the arts,” continues Bluestein.

The event is sponsored by the Interior Design Program of the Art Institute of Charleston, Family Asset Management, Knology, Prime South Group, Fox Music House Inc., Live5 WCSC, Clear Channel and Patrick Properties.

For more information about the event, call 843-724-6440 or email info@ArtsCharleston.org. The event is free to the public. The Memminger Auditorium is located at 56 Beaufain Street in downtown Charleston, SC. For more information, please visit www.artscharleston.org.

About the Charleston Regional Alliance for the Arts:

The Charleston Regional Alliance for the Arts is dedicated to the shared realization of a dynamic and thriving arts community by serving arts organizations in the region of Charleston, SC with resources and best business practices. Acting as a catalyst and facilitator for Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties, the Alliance envisions an engaged community that is fully expressive, creative and inspired by the arts. For more information visit www.artscharleston.org.

###

Media Contact:

Vladia Jurcova-Spencer, vladia@styleepr.com, 843-345-3275

Charleston, SC, July 5, 2011 — The Charleston Regional Alliance for the Arts invites local art organizations and collectives to participate in the 2^nd annual “OPEN,” a multi-disciplinary art exposition that is open to the community, featuring the abundance of artistic and cultural offerings in the tri-county area. The event will take place on Saturday, September 10, 2011, from noon till 5:30 p.m. at the Memminger Auditorium in downtown Charleston, SC. The registration deadline is on July 22, 2011.

“OPEN” was created as an annual preview of the arts for local non-profit art organizations and collectives. Through this art expo, participating organizations are given the opportunity to captivate, intrigue and cultivate new audiences,” says Jessica Solomon Bluestein, executive director of the Alliance. “Last year’s event attracted 750 attendees, and although the art expo is targeting new audiences, loyal art enthusiasts and patrons mingled with art novices that are looking to explore music, dance, visual arts, theatre and the literary arts.”

“OPEN” 2011 will include a cultural marketplace of interactive art booths, multimedia & stage presentations, a family fun corner and an open-air courtyard of vendors, street performers and more. In addition, participants will receive:

• Free training to help them promote and sell their mission, programs and events
• Space to present the “best” of their artistry and to engage with spectators
• An interactive booth to sell and promote their annual programming
• Networking and collaborating with other organizations and patrons from the tri-county area
• Collaborative Arts Marketing on national TV stations, radio, traditional and non-traditional media outlets and out-of-the-box community outreach.

To qualify, art organizations or collectives that consist of five or more artisans should be involved in one or more of the following art disciplines: music, dance, visual arts, theatre and/or literary arts. Registration fee is $100. Interested parties should contact Jessica Solomon Bluestein at 843.577.5288 or by email at jessica@artscharleston.org.

About the Charleston Regional Alliance for the Arts:

The Charleston Regional Alliance for the Arts is dedicated to the shared realization of a dynamic and thriving arts community by serving arts organizations in the region of Charleston, SC with resources and best business practices. Acting as a catalyst and facilitator for Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties, the Alliance envisions an engaged community that is fully expressive, creative and inspired by the arts. For more information visit www.artscharleston.org.

###

Media Contact:

Vladia Jurcova-Spencer, vladia@styleepr.com, 843-345-3275

CHARLESTON, S.C.— On Friday, July 15, 2011, Charleston will live and breathe food and fine art as the Charleston Fine Art Dealers’ Association hosts its 6th Annual Palette & Palate Stroll. The exclusive food and art event showcases high-quality art works from nationally renowned artists paired with excellent local fair prepared by celebrated Charleston chefs. This year’s event will feature fresh seasonal products, literally, and on canvas.

The Palette & Palate Stroll that has made its name as one of the most anticipated visual art and fine food summer events in the South features restaurant and gallery pairings. Foodies and fine art connoisseurs stroll through the historic streets of downtown Charleston, sampling tastings from some of the finest local restaurants in the beautiful setting of prestigious Charleston galleries. The Palette & Palate Stroll starts at 5:30pm and ends at 7:30pm.

“The Palette & Palate Stroll is a new progressive arts event that features a melding of the visual and culinary arts, two art disciplines that naturally complement each other. We knew that this event will attract new faces to Charleston and our galleries and are very pleased that tickets for the event remain in strong demand,” says Cindy Hayes, president of CFADA. “Our goal was to also reach out to our community and give local restaurants unique art venues to present their works of culinary art.”

There is art for every collector’s budget and taste at Charleston’s 6th Annual Palette & Palate Stroll, including works of the Charleston Renaissance from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to contemporary art from more than 100 artists as well as photography, sculpture and glass art.

The fine cuisine is prepared by the elite local chefs. The 2011 Palette & Palate Stroll pairings are:

Charleston Renaissance Gallery & Circa 1886

Corrigan Gallery & Cypress

Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art & Blu

Helena Fox Fine Art & Anson

Horton Hayes Fine Art & La Fourchette

John C. Doyle Art Gallery & Caviar & Bananas

Robert Lange Studios & Charleston Grill

Martin Gallery & Social

Smith-Killian Fine Art & McCrady’s

The Sylvan Gallery & Halls Chophouse

Wells Gallery & Boathouse

The event is benefiting CFADA’s visual arts scholarship fund. Money from the scholarship fund has been awarded to organizations such as Redux, the Gibbes Museum of Art and the College of Charleston School of the Arts. Cost is $45 per person and tickets are limited. Reservations are required. Tickets can be purchased by calling 843-819-8006 or on-line at www.cfada.com.

In conjunction with the event, Fulton Lane Inn is offering a special art package for two people (July 15-17, 2011). The package is $589.00 plus tax and includes daily continental breakfast, wireless internet access, afternoon wine and cheese reception, evening sherry, three course dinner for two at Circa 1886 Restaurant (Forbes 4 star, AAA Four Diamond restaurant located in sister property, Wentworth Mansion) with rickshaw rides to and from restaurant; tickets for two to Charleston’s most celebrated summer event, the Charleston Fine Art Dealers’ Association’s Fifth Annual Palette and Palate Stroll. To book the Palette and Palate hotel package, please visit www.fultonlaneinn.com or call 800-720-2688.

Founded in 1999, the Charleston Fine Art Dealers’ Association consists of the city’s prominent galleries working together to promote Charleston as a fine art destination for passionate art enthusiasts, avid collectors and talented artists. Since 2004, CFADA has donated more than $180,000 to local public high schools and scholarships for future artists.

2010 Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTB1DFZmgq0

2010 Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12368938@N04/sets/72157624605854494/

CFADA Member Galleries:

Charleston Renaissance Gallery· Corrigan Gallery·Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art Horton Hayes Fine Art·Smith-Killian Fine Art· The Sylvan Gallery·Wells Gallery

Media Sponsors:

American Art Collector Magazine and Charleston Magazine

###

Media Contact:Vladia Jurcova-Spencer, vladia@styleepr.com, 843-345-3275

The Local Arts Index will be the first county-level study designed to measure the health and vitality of the arts industries throughout the United States. It will use a single methodology utilizing information gathered from research produced by the federal government and private research organizations and covering multiple industries, including nonprofit groups, for-profit arts businesses, employment figures, and more. When these quantitative measures are taken together, the Local Arts Index will provide a year-by-year and community-by-community comparison of the nation’s arts sector.

“The arts are a fundamental component of a healthy society. The importance of being chosen for this study for our community, especially in times when arts budgets are being slashed across the board, is that its results will clearly communicate why the arts should be funded,” states Jessica Solomon Bluestein, executive director of the Charleston Regional Alliance for the Arts. “In addition, the Tri-county’s participation in the study and its results will put our city on the national arts map.”

Aiding the Alliance in conducting the survey is Zari Stanko, a graduate student of the College of Charleston, who will contact local arts organizations and businesses to collect the necessary data. The following local arts index indicators are included: performing arts venues, local ownership of local cultural resources, local literary scene, local arts events, provision of arts education, performance and presentation opportunity for young artists, tourist draw of local arts and culture and coverage of local arts and culture in print media to mention a few.

“Our regional participation in the National Arts Index will create a local data base of arts indicators that can be measured against the national data base.  My hope is that it will be used by both public and private sector policy and decision makers to make informed decisions on maintaining a healthy cultural community for the benefit of all,” says Marty Besancon, director of the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department.

The Kresge Foundation has awarded Americans for the Arts a $1.2 million grant to conduct the Local Arts Index, as well as the supporting workshops and materials necessary to assist communities in the effective application of the local data. Research for the Local Arts Index is directed by Roland Kushner, PhD, through support from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA.

National Arts Index, Full Report: http://www.americansforthearts.org/pdf/information_services/art_index/NAI_report_w_cover_opt.pdf

National Arts Index, One Page Overview: http://www.americansforthearts.org/pdf/information_services/arts_index/1pager_2010.pdf

About the Charleston Regional Alliance for the Arts:
The Charleston Regional Alliance for the Arts is dedicated to the shared realization of a dynamic and thriving arts community by serving arts organizations in the region of Charleston, SC with resources and best business practices. Acting as a catalyst and facilitator for Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties, the Charleston Regional Alliance for the Arts envisions an engaged community that is fully expressive, creative and inspired by the arts. The Alliance imagines: the building of bridges within the arts community and between arts organizations and the community as a whole; a common language among diverse constituents; enhanced economic impact of the arts; all art forms made accessible to the community; and, our artisans, performers and organizations being highly recognized, valued and respected.

# # #

Media Contact:

Vladia Jurcova-Spencer, vladia@styleepr.com, 843-345-3275