the lonely shadow

Friday, June 28 - Friday, September 27
Gallery I
Free & Open to the Public

Opening Reception: Friday, June 28, 2013
6:00pm - 8:00pm

Galleries II & III
Beneath the Covers and Paper Cuts
June 28 - September 27, 2013

From the South Carolina State Museum's
Traveling Exhibits Program.

The award-winning original illustrations from The Lonely Shadow  by cut paper artist Clay Ricewill be featured in Gallery I for the public to view from June 28 - September 27, 2013. The Lonely Shadow blends the elegant black & white silhouette tradition with a colorful world and heartwarming story of a friendship between a lonely shadow and a little boy. Praised for its appeal to children and adults alike, The Lonely Shadow is well-loved for its gorgeous cut-paper illustration and simple but impactful story.

Artist Clay Rice is described by author Pat Conroy as a "great talent who combines soul and passion." Silhouette artistry and storytelling have been in his family for more than 80 years. His grandfather, Carew Rice, was described by Poet Carl Sandburg as "Americas's Greatest Silhouettist" and traveled worldwide sharing his mesmerizing cutouts with delighted customers.

His work has been featured in Country Living, The Washington Times, The Atlanta Constitution, Cookie Magazine, and has appeared in the CBS series Army Wives. Clay is a recipient of the Moonbeam Children's Book Award and the IPPY Award for Children's Book of the Year.

Clay's landscape scenes and children's illustrations are sought after by collectors worldwide; his work is on permanent display at the South Carolina State Museum. Each profile silhouette takes Clay about one minute and he estimates that in his 32-year career, he has cut over 900,000 silhouettes. Clay's nationwide following has families flocking to have this talented artist create keepsake silhouettes and have him sign copies of his award-winning book, The Lonely Shadow.