Welcome to the  
MT. PLEASANT ARTISTS GUILD

HISTORY OF THE MOUNT PLEASANT ARTIST'S GUILD

 

Members who have joined the Mount Pleasant Artists Guild recently may not be aware of how the Guild began.

 

During the spring of 1996, three local artists were taking a week-long art workshop from Ilona Royce Smithkin, a nationally recognized artist who gave workshops twice a year through the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department. The artists had met during the fall workshop and now as the spring workshop ended, Carole Williams and Mary Jean Lawrence were discussing their need to continue painting as a group to encourage each other. Bill Corbin, the artist to whom they were talking, asked if they would be interested in forming a guild. The three artists agreed to form the Guild and were discussing the writing of bylaws when an employee of the Recreation Department overheard their conversation and was enthusiastically supportive. She offered to see if the Recreation Department could provide a place for the Guild’s meetings.

 

The three artists met with the Recreation Department and were told that it would provide a place for meetings and also advertise the Guild in its publications. The tree artists contacted art workshop classmates and friends they knew who were interested in art and formed a small group (about 12-16 people) to write bylaws and make plans for the Guild. They all agreed that the goal of the Guild would be to promote an interest in art within the East Cooper area and to work toward self-improvement and public recognition. The Guild was born, and the first meeting was held in June of 1996 at the Darby Building in the Old Village of Mount Pleasant. In August of 1996 members were invited to exhibit their work at the Festival Hispano held at Palmetto Islands County Park.

 

Honorary Founder Memberships were awarded to Bill Corbin (posthumously) and to Mary Jean Lawrence, Carole Williams.

 

Mount Pleasant Artists Guild

Founders

 

Bill Corbin*

Mary Jean Lawrence

Carole Williams

 

Past Presidents of MPAG

1996-               Bill Corbin*

1997-               Mary Jean Lawrence

1998-               Carole Williams

1999-               Carliss Prosser

2000-               Laurie Meyers

2001-03           Carol Kehl

2003-04           James Dubbs*

2004-05           Lynn Salkeld

2005-07           Brian Scanlon

2007-09           Debra McKinley

2009-10           Gayle Lauderdale

2010-12           Frank Foley

2012-14           Marie Louise Moreto

2014-16           Becky Taylor

2017-19           Deanne Conant

 

*Deceased