5 "A lot of people see their own child in that picture,? Golden says. "They'll say `that's my son or that's my grandson.'? When Golden opened her gallery in 1977, it was still a gamble to own a business downtown. At the time, there were only 13 other shops housed in the Cotton Exchange, a complex of eight restored buildings connected by brick walkways. "In the beginning I was painting prolifically,? Golden recalls. "When we first opened, it was three or four days before anybody bought anything. I still remember the people who made those first two purchases.? Today the Cotton Exchange and the historic district are full of life, and Golden is one of many artists that make up a thriving and diverse art scene in downtown Wilmington. From photography to handcrafted glass to textiles, there is a wide range of artistic talent concentrated in Wilmington. To support and advocate contemporary artists working in the area, the nonprofit organization Creative Wilmington was created in 2001. The group works as a network for artists and arts organizations and their website, www.creativewilmington.com, is the city of Wilmington's arts and culture calendar. "The downtown area has been and is continuing to be a hub of activity for a variety of different cultural opportunities,? says Matthew Dols, director of Creative Wilmington. "There's something for everybody no matter what interests you have.? At Port City Pottery and Fine Crafts, the gallery is dedicated exclusively to "handmade, one-of-a-kind three-dimensional art and craft? by jury-selected artisans. Seven professional potters from the Wilmington area opened the gallery inside the Cotton Exchange in 2007 and operate as a co-op. "We take turns working in the gallery so any time you come in you get to meet one, two or three of us,? says co-op president Pat Holleman. "We can talk to customers who come in very intimately about each other's work because we all know each other. I can go around this gallery and tell you every single piece and who made it and that's very specialized, I think.? Holleman crafts functional pottery such as bowls, plates and platters, often using hues of blue and green - the colors that appear naturally near her Kure Beach home. "We've had work that's found a home in fifty states and many countries around the globe and we've been very happy about that,? Holleman says. "I sold pieces in the last couple of days to people who were returning to South Africa, England and Paris, France. It's very exciting.?
12a message18 22 42 44 46 54 70 60 32 38downtown wilmington 78downtown wilmington's art and culture, get involved at the cameron art museum1112the downtown art scene includes unique performance opportunities14a home like no other family is the heart of the home at st. james plantation.a sense of placethe st. james chapel19new woodlands park homesites planned for october release212223golf 's best-kept secret -irelandin other words, links golf is nothing like american golf. nothing. that's why anyone who calls him or herself a golfer needs to take a week or so and travel to experience the differences.27the charm of orton plantation 29'going green' becomesa neighborhood affair32going green: anall-volunteerfire department 36it could be said that a community gets the fire department it deserves. and thanks to community-wide support, the st. james fire department has evolved into one of the best firehouses in the area.3839splish-splashing is fun and exercise for this group of ladies.4142harborwalka new 45st. james university47plantationsome of the first neighbors ann o'malley met in st. james plantation were flowers. drives around the community introduced her to various gardens she wished to know better. today, o'malley is roaming those yards, and she's brought a few hundred people along. "you can drive by all of these houses and see how beautiful they are in the front, but there are things in the back,? o'malley says, joining several folks nosing about powder blue hydrangeas, sunny yellow lantanas, and soft pink mimosas decorating pattie accordino's lush rear lawn.505152531 45556fun + learning = owner spotlight: 59he said, she said 61st. james properties, llc resale division 3891 ridge crest drive the reserve collection3310 sparkleberry court the nature view collection3565 st. james drive the links collection4135 south lagoon court the links collection3030 marshwinds circle, villa 1104 the plantation villa collection3776 ridge crest drive the reserve collection3840 worthington place the reserve collection3350 club villa, villa 305 the plantation villa collection4152 skeffington court the nature view collectionhole by holehole #11hole #127576