“If SEWE 2019 is any indicator, the tourism industry should have a great year.” – SEWE President and CEO, Jimmy Huggins.
According to the SEWE team, this year surpassed last year’s record-high attendance and sales. “Our retail, restaurant and hotel partners reported seeing an increase in patrons,” said John Powell, SEWE Executive Director. “Especially those from outside the Southeast, who were also first-time visitors.”
What makes SEWE a success? How about dogs, ducks, darlings, and design. These elements are everywhere you turn at SEWE, which fills five official venues throughout Charleston and spills informally into many more. Take the Birds of a Feather Brunch at Francis Marion Hotel – a postcard perfect SEWE event, and a par-tay! The design-filled room embodied SEWE style with fashion, art, and decor.
With attention to design, here’s a look back at the essential Ds of SEWE:
DOGS. DockDogs® yes, but SEWE is a walkabout for personal pups with outdoorsy leanings. It’s fun just to walk around and admire all the handsome canines in attendance.
DARLINGS. Every year SEWE staff receive dozens of notes from SEWE-goers letting them know that they met their significant other at SEWE, SEWE was their first date, or they got engaged at SEWE (the event always falls on or during Valentine’s week). And it has become an anniversary tradition. It was fun trying to spot the couples throughout the weekend, like birding.
DUCKS. More than any other game, SEWE is about ducks. This year, I took a deep dive into The Art of the Decoy exhibition, and the decoy makers room. The variety of styles, species, and anchors, which quickly became my favorite point of interest, had me thirsty to learn more. Rudimentary ones made from a twig and knob of wood, at $45 each, stole my heart. David O’Neal of Downpoint Decoy Shop based on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, brought these as well as more refined styles to SEWE.
On Saturday, Ducks Unlimited, Nemours Wildlife Foundation, and Lowcountry Land Trust taught how our man-made agricultural landscape became a coveted wildlife sanctuary, enhancing conservation and duck hunting across North America. Drew Lanham, professor of wildlife ecology at Clemson University, spoke on the art of birding and bird hunting, sharing his knowledge and personal experiences through the lens of an African-American birder in the South.
DESIGN. From hunting boots and vests, to black tie gowns and tuxedos, SEWE attendees always make a fashion statement during the event. In fact, the renowned British company Barbour was a first-time corporate partner this year.
A SEWE weekend in style started with Fashion for Feathers, the inaugural fashion show luncheon hosted by Audubon South Carolina. Charleston’s top boutiques at the new Hotel Bennett celebrated the beauty of birds, and there I took in a runway of trendsetting looks while enjoying wine and food prepared by renowned culinary master and “Top Chef” alum Michael Sichel.
The SEWE look is just as much about art as it is fashion. Red Fox Fine Art, a leading gallery of 19th and 20th century sporting paintings and sculpture based in Middleburg, Virginia, presented a special exhibit of American and British sporting art dating from 1750–1950. The exhibit included the work of Frank Benson, Aiden Ripley, Sir Alfred Munnings, Ogden Pleissner, Percival Rosseau and John M. Tracy.
With support from Fennell Holdings and individual donors, SEWE further supported artists who traveled from great distances to be in Charleston. SEWE’s goal is to support these artists through sales of original wildlife art, and easing the financial burden associated with travel and lodging serves that end. Whether it is flat art shipped from Canada or a trailer filled with sculpture pulled from the west, it is not always easy or inexpensive to move art from the studio to the ballroom at Charleston Place. With contributions from both individuals and businesses SEWE offset some of these costs. Artists also received greatly reduced room rates through the generosity of the host hotel.
Ultimately, SEWE design is all about the poster. The SEWE Featured Artist for 2019 was Lou Pasqua. His piece, Little Havoc, was selected as the Featured Painting and is the subject of the official SEWE 2019 poster. The painting went up for auction at the VIP Preview Gala on February 14.
Pasqua aspired to be a wildlife artist from the age of six. After an education in graphic design and more than twenty years working in graphic arts, he refocused and returned to his original goal of becoming an artist. He studied and practiced various painting techniques and then applied his natural talent to his favorite pastime, the outdoors.
His ability to capture emotion and movement has made him one of the most sought-after sporting and wildlife artists in the country. Residing in Etna, PA, Pasqua’s work can be found in collections and galleries across the nation as well as on the covers of numerous publications.