Sweet: “Just because I can, I award another “ArtAttack” DIY (Do It Yourself) Medal of Honor to Rick Lees and his fantastic website! What a great place to visit and rest a spell during your busy week. Check out rickleephoto.blogspot.com and enjoy. Checking out his daily posts are a highlight of my day. Thanks, Rick for giving us your excellent eye and vibe online. And Rick, blog in and tell us some of YOUR OWN favorite sites that are visual treats.”

The Red Carpet Lounge from “The Other Charleston,” a documentary series of photos of Charleston by Laren Henkin. See more at www.laurenhenkin.com.

SWEET: Here are some more artistic holiday treats seen in recent weeks. First, the West Side of Charleston’s window display competition was great. I agree that the design firm should have won first place. But the whole street looks great. Keep up the nice work, West Side! Also, the AIDS Memorial Garden lights looked fantastic this year. (Look for the garden beside Rally’s restaurant on Washington Street, near the state Capitol Complex.) Good design, great cause. Check it out yourself or visit their site. Plus the soup cook-off benefiting the garden at the beloved Lee Street Lounge was superb! People from all walks of life and social and religious backgrounds coming together for a fundraiser for the garden. That was my funnest event of the season.”
Sour: “Yes, the soup was great and so is the cause. Everything from Joe’s Fish Market’s absolutely fantastic Yugoslavian Fish Stew (you can get it daily there!), to Libby’s Venison Taco Chili, to Kimmie’s fantastic corn crab chowder and on and on. Also, both the Lee St. “Maw Maw Sally” and the Red Carpet “Maw Maw Bill” put forth great efforts.” (See the photo above of the Carpet, and see more of Henkin’s cool work in this town at her website) (more…)

Sour: Well, we ran around all over the region during the holidays. We’ll be posting about the high points and, I guess like everyone else did in gazz a couple weeks ago, we should throw in our best and worst of 2007. What are some remarkable things you noticed last month?
Sweet: “I noticed in the papers where the Clay Center is trying to raise yet more money to make admission free for school groups.” (See this past posting on the merits and demerits of the Clay Center.)

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Sour: “And the Grinchy’s heart GREW THREE SIZES THAT DAY!…” About time, I say. Maybe this new generation of board members will be less elitist. I see where they say they are trying to shed that image. Hope they DO! In the category of I TOLD U SO! I told you that that last large anonymous gift was really the Clay Family. Again. Only, everyone was too embarrassed that the Clays had to bail out the Clay Center to the tune of zillions YET AGAIN, and so kept it anonymous like it was somebody else with deep pockets who thinks the Clay Center deserved another bail out. Like anybody believed that. Now they admit it was the Clays yet again after Lyell passed away.”

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Sweet: “Poor, old honorable Lyell Clay (at right): may his generous soul rest in peace. He definitely deserves a Sweet and Sour Halo award. What a gentleman. Unlike virtually EVERY OTHER person around the state who has a big idea about building or renovating a big new arts structure and then skips out when the consequences strike, Lyell Clay was willing to see it through to the end. Whatever it cost. Now, that is an honorable, dutiful person.”
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