Welcome to our annual May Giving Campaign! 

The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art is excited to announce a month-long giving campaign. Now is a great time to support us with a donation or membership. 

In addition to our current membership benefits, we are offering major perks for everyone that participates during the month of May! 

All contributions directly support our programs including the upcoming exhibition Jennifer Wen Ma, Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light. Cry Joy Park is an investigation into the construct of a utopia, inspired by the history of Charleston: a cultural and artistic capital of the American South, and an exemplar of its opulence and beauty. This installation aims to present both an alluring, gorgeous and otherworldly garden, and its darker counterpart. The worlds created by the exhibition are a juxtaposition of utopia and dystopia and are presented via an immersive multisensory experience that utilizes various forms of communication to convey its message. The exhibition is on view from May 17 – July 6, 2019.

MAY GIVING PERKS

May 1 – 15: Free Upgrades for All New Members!

Free upgrades for all new members that join at a lower level. Purchase a membership at the $40, $60, or $125 level and get automatically boosted to the level above. For example, sign up for a $125 Futurist membership, and receive the benefits of a $350 Postmodernist membership.

JOIN HERE

May 16 – 31: BOGO!

Buy one membership and get one free at the same value! This allows members to renew their own memberships and give one as a gift. Available to both new and current members.

JOIN HERE

Month of May: Two Raffles!

All donors that participate in the May Giving Campaign will be entered into a raffle to win one of two additional perks: tickets to a reception with Jennifer Wen Ma or early access to Bizarre Bazaar 2019, the Halsey’s art yard sale! Five names will be drawn for each raffle.

On Sunday, June 30 you and a guest can join the exhibition donors for Cry Joy Park at a private reception with Jennifer Wen Ma to celebrate her exhibition. 

On Saturday, July 27, the Halsey Institute is holding its second-ever art yard sale, Bizarre Bazaar. In 2015, we sold original artwork, prints, posters, books, fragments of larger works, curiosities, and other objects of interest collected over the thirty+ years of producing exhibitions and now it’s time to clean out the storage rooms again! You and a guest can get early access to all the goodies on the day before the sale, Friday, July 26. 

JOIN HERE

Giveaway Mondays!

Keep a close eye on our social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) and your email inbox every Monday in May for flash giveaways like Halsey tote bags, publications, and tickets to shows at Charleston Music Hall!

Do you have questions about your current membership or some of the benefits available during the May Giving Campaign? Reach out to our Membership Coordinator, Katie Lesser at LesserKM@cofc.edu or 843-953-5652.

All members are invited to join the Halsey Institute staff and tour guides for a fun-filled family-friendly celebration of Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light. Enjoy private guided tours, hands-on activities, scavenger hunts, a collaborative art piece, and refreshments!

This event is open to all levels of membership.

To learn more about Halsey Institute membership, click here!

LUNCHEON IN THE GARDEN: LAND ISSUES

Saturday, June 22, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Free and open to the public
Artist will be present

Bring your own bag lunch

As a part of Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light, Jennifer Wen Ma has conceived of a series of Luncheons in the Garden in which the public will be invited to be a part of conversations dealing with themes of the exhibition. On June 22 at 12:00 PM, the public is invited to bring a bag lunch and break bread with other members of the community in the Halsey Institute galleries. Each Luncheon in the Garden will also feature a collaborative performance by musician, dancer, or poet relating to the theme. For this Luncheon, the artist will be discussing land issues facing the Lowcountry.

Without land, we would not have trees, gardens, or vegetation of any sort, the basis of a paradise. Everything under the sun has a right to live and to lay its head on the earth to rest, be it an ant, elephant or human. But the politics of land has put the world in a critical state; Charleston’s local issues are reflections of the global condition. Habitat loss, homelessness, and gentrification have made land ownership/stewardship not just a human rights problem, but also an animal rights and environmental crisis.

For more information, contact Bryan Granger at grangerbw@cofc.edu.

Join the Halsey Institute staff for a fun and exclusive evening tour. Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs Bryan Granger will lead Halsey Institute members on a guided tour of Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light. Explore the exhibitions, get insider knowledge, meet other Halsey Institute lovers! This event is open to all levels of membership.

To learn more about Halsey Institute membership, click here!

LUNCHEON IN THE GARDEN: RE-ENTRY INTO SOCIETY AFTER INCARCERATION

Saturday, June 29, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Free and open to the public
Artist will be present

Bring your own bag lunch

As a part of Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light, Jennifer Wen Ma has conceived of a series of Luncheons in the Garden in which the public will be invited to be a part of conversations dealing with themes of the exhibition. On June 29 at 12:00 PM, the public is invited to bring a bag lunch and break bread with other members of the community in the Halsey Institute galleries. Each Luncheon in the Garden will also feature a collaborative performance by musician, dancer, or poet relating to the theme. For this Luncheon, the artist will be discussing issues pertaining to re-entering society after incarceration.

Imagine if Adam and Eve were given a second chance after breaking the law of Eden and being expelled. What would a forgiving Eden be like? What restitution and codes of conduct would be necessary to allow them back? How do we bring the formerly incarcerated back into the fold of society, so they can become active and productive members of this paradise again?

For more information, contact Bryan Granger at grangerbw@cofc.edu.

LUNCHEON IN THE GARDEN: FOOD JUSTICE

Saturday, July 6, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Free and open to the public
Artist will be present

Bring your own bag lunch

As a part of Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light, Jennifer Wen Ma has conceived of a series of Luncheons in the Garden in which the public will be invited to be a part of conversations dealing with themes of the exhibition.

On July 6 at 12:00 PM, the public is invited to bring a bag lunch and break bread with other members of the community in the Halsey Institute galleries. Each Luncheon in the Garden will also feature a collaborative performance by musician, dancer, or poet relating to the theme. For this Luncheon, the artist will be discussing issues of food justice facing the Lowcountry.

Under the fruit-laden vines of the Gardens, this paradise is a perfect place to partake in food and drink while discussing food quality, nutritional value, safety, availability, access, and some of the humanitarian and environmental aspects of “putting food on the table.”

For more information, contact Bryan Granger at grangerbw@cofc.edu.