Charleston Loan Exhibition

13 by only one other dining destination—New York City. Hominy Grill’s Robert Stehling won Best Southeastern Chef in 2008. He passed the toque torch to FIG’s Mike Lata (2009), who handed it off to McCrady’s Sean Brock (2010). In addition to sharing the honor, the chefs collectively uphold a locavore approach that is evident in their refined interpretations of Southern ingredients and heirloom recipes. Brock’s cooking was coined “Lardcore: Southern Food with Hard-Core Attitude” by Time, while Dateline dubbed it “A Time Transport Machine to Antebellum South.” FIG, according to GQ, is “a place that makes you want to gnaw on Spanish moss; once you see what they’ve done with local products, you imagine that everything around you tastes as good as their flawless pork trotters and local crab-topped flounder.” Anthony Bourdain filmed his No Reservations show at Hominy Grill, where shrimp and grits—a singular Lowcountry dish—made a delectable cameo. Originally conceived as an enclave of tolerance, the city quickly emerged as a cultural stronghold amid the colonial landscape. Two key acts—the first opera performed in the colonies (Flora, 1735) and construction of the first playhouse (Dock Street Theatre, 1746)—endowed the city with an indelible fondness for pageantry. An evolution occurred in the 1920s when a cadre of poets, playwrights, painters and musicians put forth the city itself as their collective muse and produced a voluminous body of work inspired by Charleston’s curious customs and evocative geography. The era, which spanned 1915–1940, became known as the Charleston Renaissance, a far-reaching movement with enduring éclat. Artists from across the nation were drawn to the fertile bohemia and rich architecture that was rich in visceral inspiration. Acclaimed painter Alfred Hutty, who relocated to Charleston to teach for the Carolina Art Association in 1919, is said to have wired his wife, “Come quickly, have found heaven.” Hutty joined the ranks of Josephine Pinckney, DuBose Heyward, Elizabeth O’Neill Verner, Alice Ravenel Huger, Emmett Robinson and Susan Pringle Frost, among others, and a cache of their work, including 247 pieces credited to Hutty, is archived in the Gibbes Museum of Art’s permanent collection. There is limitless history, culture, and architecture to savor throughout the Charleston area and planning a memorable visit is as simple as visiting ExploreCharleston.com, the destination’s premier trip planning resource. Peruse the calendar of annual events on page 14 to pick the perfect time of year for your visit.