Dear Friends:

I am delighted to present the full schedule for the 2002 Charleston Antiques Symposium to you with this letter. The azaleas are starting to bloom, and the weather is beautiful, so plan to join us for the Symposium from March 14 through 17, 2002!

With most of the sessions taking place in historic structures and in classrooms on the College of Charleston’s campus, you will find our schedule to be both manageable and exciting. Our theme, “Beyond Charleston,” will interest both novices and connoisseurs by focusing on decorative arts and architecture from outside Charleston. (To use a phrase from the Charleston perspective, we will be looking at works “from off!”)

Our sessions will be varied in their approaches to our theme. Keynote Speaker Jack L. Lindsey, Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, will present a lecture entitled “Discoveries and Surprises: Recent Acquisitions and New Research in the Decorative Arts of Early Philadelphia.” As the Philadelphia Museum celebrates its 125th anniversary year, this fascinating lecture will highlight a number of that institution’s most important, recent acquisitions and discuss current lines of research that these new discoveries suggest.

Our Opening Night speaker will be Dale Couch, Senior Archivist at the Georgia Department of Archives and History. His lecture, “The Development of Early Georgian Decorative Arts: Historical Demographics as a Basis of Style,”will examine how regional cultures from the Chesapeake Region, the Carolina Low Country and the American Backcountry combined with direct immigration from Europe and Africa, as well as trade connections with the Carribean and major American cities, to forge the cultural products we identify as Georgia decorative arts.

Other speakers on our roster include Alexandra Kirtley, Assistant Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; H. Parrot Bacot, Jr., Professor of the History of Art at Louisiana State University; and Gregory J. Landrey of the Winterthur Museum. Joining them will be Williamsburg’s Olivia Alison; Diane Chalmers Johnson, Professor of Art History at the College of Charleston; and Susan Sully, author of Savannah Style: Mystery and Manners.

On Friday we will have two students joining Ralph Muldrow, Co-Director of the College of Charleston’s Historic Preservation and Community Planning Program, to present a session about Lowcountry architecture. We are delighted that students will be involved in the Symposium in such an active way. Remember that all proceeds from the Charleston Antiques Symposium benefit the School of the Arts and its programs.

Our host hotels for the 2002 Charleston Antiques Symposium will be Charleston Place, ranked in the top twenty hotels in North America by Condé Nast Traveler, and the Holiday Inn Historic District, ranked the number one Holiday Inn in the world by Holiday Inn guests. Both hotels are offering special rates to those Symposium participants who make their reservations by February 17, 2002, and indicate that they will be attending the Charleston Antiques Symposium. I encourage you to make your reservations early, as the number of rooms available at these special rates is limited.

Charleston Place is offering a single occupancy rate of $149.00 per night for stays for Thursday, March 14, 2002, and Sunday, March 17, 2002. The single rate for the remaining nights will be $249.00. Reservations can be made by telephoning Charleston Place at 800.611.5545. Note that those participants who reserve two or more nights at Charleston Place will receive a special gift, and a complimentary continental breakfast is included with each room.

The Holiday Inn Historic District is offering a special rate of $129.00 per night for single or double occupancy, and upgrades are available. Telephone 877.805.7900 before February 17, 2002, in order to reserve rooms at the Holiday Inn Historic District. Remember to say that you are a Symposium participant!

If you need help in making arrangements for your travel to Charleston, please telephone Charleston Travel at 843.556.8646 and ask for Cecil Wilson. Cecil has been most helpful in making arrangements for participants and speakers, and I am sure that you will find him to be of great assistance to you!

We have developed partnerships with other organizations, and I am sure that you will want to take advantage of what they have to offer. Corporate support for the 2002 Charleston Antiques Symposium comes from Wachovia Bank and Saks Fifth Avenue. Other sponsors and partners include Charleston Place, the Holiday Inn Historic District, Estate Antiques, the Historic Charleston Foundation, Tiger Lily Florist, Charleston Travel, and other supportive businesses and individuals.

Admission prices for the Symposium range from $25.00 to $75.00 for individual sessions, but packages are available at attractive rates for those who wish to participate in the Symposium more comprehensively. Refer to the enclosed registration form for more details about these savings. Seats are limited for some sessions, so be sure to send in your registration early!

If you have any questions about the 2002 Charleston Antiques Symposium, please telephone Michael W. Haga at 843.953.7766 or send an e-mail message to him at HAGAM@COFC.EDU. He will be happy to answer your questions about the Symposium.

Until I see you in March, I send you my best wishes!

Sincerely,

Jean Y. Helms, Chair
Charleston Antiques Symposium Committee