The Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park is a feature of Beaufort, South Carolina.
It is beautifully landscaped with a wide variety of plantings and trees.
There is plenty of green space for dogs and kids to run around on.
Sunsets are romantic here, changing by the minute.
Have a marvelous day/evening (wherever you are on the clock)! ~Val
The Kraft Draft Brew Pub is a 5 minute drive from our house and we finally checked it out after living here for 3 years! Located in a former model home display room, it does not look like your typical brewery.
A Kindle with the menu is provided to the customer as it is always changing.
It is sorted by recently tapped, Kraft (their own in house brews), local, seasonal, fruity, light, Belgian, sours, malty, hoppy and dark.
We ordered a flight and I love the presentation in an old muffin pan!
Our favorites were tangerine wheat by the Krafty Draft and Melon Head by Shipyard.
The service was excellent. We also tried some samples. Growlers are available so if a customer loves a particular brew it can be brought home in a jug. There is a glimpse of the brew room through the glass door below.
We also had brunch here which is a new option for Saturday and Sunday. I am hoping it is here to stay! The avocado toast was a delicious healthy option.
Jim went full southern with a smothered chicken biscuit. This is a buttermilk chicken in gravy, with bacon and green onions. It was cooked to perfection.
There is a great atmosphere inside and out.
If you go, the Kraft Draft is located at 269 Charter Oak Road in Lexington SC.
Have a marvelous day/evening (wherever you are on the clock)! ~Val
The Ironic Curtain is currently on display thru September 12, 2021 at the Columbia Museum of Art in South Carolina. This exhibit features the underground work of Russian artists under political repression prior to the fall of the Soviet Union as well as more recent art. In short, this is named Sots Art.
Some pieces are quite quirky like this of Apollo the Greek god of the arts, President Ronald Reagan and Spiderman. This artist emigrated to the United States from Russia stating that "Sots Art in exile is, for me, the genuine thing." He felts that "Sots Art cannot evolve in Russia."
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| Hero, Leader, God -by Alexander Kosolapov, 1985 |
Below is Joseph Stalin watching Charlie Chaplin's Gold Rush playing on the scene of the old leather shoe being eaten. Stalin banned the movie after seeing the painting to avoid comparison.
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| Shoe Appetite, 2 Great Dictators by Tengiz, 1991 |
Perseus holding Medusa's head is depicted by the artist here explaining this is the assassin who killed Leon Trosky by a pickaxe to the head when he was in exile in Mexico City in 1940. The order was given by Stalin.
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| Perseus (The Assassination of Trotsky by Stalin By Alexander Kosolapov, 1983 |
This work is a collection of leaders, dictators and art collectors. The bottom right is Neil K. Rector who is the collector of the exhibit collection.
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| The Third Empire by Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamidm 1982-1983 |
This sculpture is a play on Giacometti's Walking Man. In this humorous piece, the walking man suffering from life's challenges at the time in his country meets Vladimir Lenin. Lenin is normally depicted as strong but here is a bit baffled by this worn out man. It portrays the difference between Socialist Realism and Existentialism of the time.
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| Meeting of Two Sculptures by Leonid Sokov, 1990 |
I particularly appreciated the large collection of photographs in this exhibit.
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| Television Came to the Village by Mark Shteinbock, 1980 |
The most remarkable work to us was that of Oleg Vassiliev. These are more recent works. What intrigued us was how much aspects of these oil on canvas appeared like photographs. True art!
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| Remembrance of Things Past by Oleg Vassiliev, 1993 |
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| Gathering in Moscow by Oleg Vassiliev, 1998 |
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| Erik Bulatov - Mayakovsky Square by Oleg Vassiliev, 1995 |
This painting below is by the artist portrayed in the piece above. Bulatov said "The space we inhabited was entirely deformed by our frighteningly aggressive ideology. But because people had lived their lives in this space, they had begun to perceive it as normal, as natural. I personally wanted to show the abnormality and unnaturalness of this normal space". The Soviet men and women are enjoying the beach scene which is interrupted by red "ribbon" used in military medals, particularly under Lenin.
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| Red Horizon by Erik Bulatov, 1970-2000 |
In this photo below, the artist takes found photos and scratches out the faces as well as other treatments. His focus is photos from the 1930s - the 1950s when people under Stalin feared doing something wrong that could create trouble for them. It was important to be careful of what was being photographed. I have a feeling this fear still exists today and must be more challenging considering all the photos and film constantly being taken.
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| Untitled 4.90-22 by Igor Savchenko, 1993 |
Ending with something fun! There is a wonderful variety of children's book covers by these artists on display too.
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| Cinderella book cover by Oleg Vasiliev & Erik Bulatov, 1990 |
Overall the exhibit was entertaining, mostly witty and smile inducing. It demonstrates the power of humor at times of difficulty and oppression.
Have a marvelous day/evening (wherever you are on the clock)! ~Val
Jim and I have been exploring the breweries in our area since many have popped up in recent years. A fabulous, fun tour to support local businesses! The Mercer House Winery is not a brewery, but close enough since we are able to sample adult beverages.
The tasting room is quirky and fun.
Unique flavors we also enjoyed included coconut pineapple muscadine, honey lemon tea
and mango chocolate pinot grigio. The most original in my opinion was
apple pie. It tasted like apple pie! The wines do change so these are not always available.
The tasting room is surrounded by antiques and other fun objects. There is outdoor seating so if you want to enjoy a full glass of a favorite after tasting, there is plenty of space to lounge in.
I never thought of South Carolina as a place for wineries but it turns out the muscadine grape is grown here.
This is a place I would recommend locals and visitors to visit. It is a unique, non-pretentious experience.
The cost is $15 for a tasting. The number of wines available can vary. We sampled 20 varieties.
First Thursday on Main of June 2023 in Columbia, SC was filled with amusement! Each month, this is a celebration of art, music, food, local ...
