Work of Charleston artist on display at Florence County Museum

The Alice Smith: A Charleston Renaissance Artist exhibit is presently on display at the Florence County Museum.

Smith (1876 - 1958) is one of the South’s most important turn of the century watercolorists. A native of Charleston, she is best known for her prolific documentary book illustrations and watercolors of the Lowcountry landscape, rendered in an unmistakable fluid style inspired by Asian art.

Unique to the Florence County exhibit are illustrations, memorabilia and family photographs which offer visitors a personal perspective into the artist’s life. It also includes supporting works by Smith’s contemporaries, the artists Bertha Jaques, Helen Hyde, and Birge Harrison.

Smith was a lifelong advocate for historic preservation and a key figure in the movement which came to be known as the Charleston Renaissance. Her works are held in the collections of major museums throughout the U.S.

The exhibition, sponsored by the Eastern Carolina Community Foundation Blackwell Ervin Family Fund, is on view in the museum’s Special Exhibits Gallery through Sunday, Dec. 5.