This Friday night, join us for the opening reception of Barrier Islands: a selection of new paintings by Shannon Smith Hughes.
A Lowcountry native, Shannon grew up with a keen appreciation of the islands surrounding Charleston—as an artist, she’s forever inspired to paint them. “Our Lowcountry coastline is made up of a chain of barrier islands separated from the mainland by shallow sounds and tidal inlets,” she says. “I have had the wonderful privilege of painting on some of our local barrier islands, recently on Dewees Island.”
Just about 11 miles north of Charleston, Dewees Island is a haven of unspoiled nature—from beaches and dunes to a maritime forest. “My immersion with nature there deepened my appreciation and respect for these coastal sanctuaries. While the benefit of a barrier island is to protect the mainland from harmful storms, it is our responsibility to protect the fragile ecosystems of these islands,” she says.