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Shopping Charleston

by Madelyn Miller

I had heard about the Spoleto Arts Festival in Charleston and dreamed of attending for years. But not in my wildest dreams would I ever have guessed what a fabulous shopping destination Charleston is.
 
Spoleto is a great time to visit because of all the cultural events. But there are also special art exhibitions and arts and crafts fairs offered during the festivities, and the stores are open later because of all the visitors, so it just might be the best time to shop there outside of Christmas.

ARTISANS

During Spoleto, there are several juried craft shows. I particularly liked the outdoor craft show and found it worth every penny of the $2.00 admission.  It runs the first weekend of Spoleto.

There is also an indoor craft show at the end of Spoleto and a Sculpture in the South Show held in Summerville's Azalea Park. Another popular event is Piccolo Spoletowhich features works in all media by North and South Carolina artisans held in the Old Slave Market.

THE QUINTESSENTIAL CHARLESTON SOUVENIR: SWEETGRASS BASKET

Sweetgrass basket weaving, rich in African heritage, has been nurtured and perpetuated through oral history, family tradition and culture. Folk history tells us that the Africans brought this craft to America. Historians are amazed by the similarities between baskets found in Africa, the West Indies and the South Carolina Lowcountry.
 
The sweetgrass basket making artistic techniques have been passed on through families. The parents have training sessions for the young, acquainting them with the basket weaving skill, and its very interesting African folk history.
 
Gathering the raw materials for sweetgrass baskets has always been a family project. Young, strong males climb the top of very tall palmetto trees in order to get the leaves. Younger children usually gather pine needles as they drop to the ground, The sweetgrass and bulrush must be pulled from the marshlands at low tide. They must be place dint he sun for several days so that they will "cure" to the dry state that is required for weaving. All materials must be stored in a dry place as each ingredient can only be gathered at a particular time of the year.
Most sweetgrass pieces begin with a knot. Several strands of sweetgrass, pine needles, or bulrush are held together and tied in a simple slipknot. A filed, broken spoon or fork is then used to penetrate the knot so that the palmetto strips can be pushed through easily. The weaver must use skill in bending the raw materials to form the desired shape. The palmetto strip is wrapped tightly around the remaining pieces to create a "row". Additional materials are added as needed in a process called "feeding". The painstaking process is repeated continuously until the product is completed. All of this is done by hand.
 
The skill of the sweetgrass basket weaving produces a masterwork rich in heritage, steeped in beauty, and intriguing in form. Today museums and art collectors throughout the world purchase the baskets. Each basket reflects the cultural heritage and history of a unique people, Each basket is an original sculpture that reveals the artist's skill as both designer and technician. A basket's value increases with age and with proper care, it will last forever.

FORGED IN TRADITION: WENDELL AUGUST

For 75 years the artisans and craftsmen of Wendell August, the nation's oldest and largest forge, have been handcrafting unique metal giftware.
Located on King Street in the heart of Charleston's Historic District, this
is an interesting place to experience old world craftsmanship. There are
Christmas ornaments and collectible plates, serving pieces and toys and limited edition and collectibles. It is easy to take home some of the home and desk accessories and jewelry.

Wendell August. 309 King Street. 1-800-waf-gift. http://www.wendell.com

LAZY RIVER.

This store has lots of imported native crafts and handmade items. I found two handmade beaded necklaces for $10 each. I would have bought more but they were the last two they had. The sales person told me someone had bought one in each color earlier in the day and that was all that was left. Sorry I hadn't gotten there sooner. Most of the other things are equally inexpensive.
 
A great place for gifts even if none of it appears to be made in Charleston.

Where to stay

Charleston Place
130 Market Street, 800-414-2427
http://www.charlestonplacehotel.com
and be sure to try the Charleston Grill

For more information, call (843) 722-2764 or visit http://www.spoletousa.org

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