Artist:
Chapin Art Trail
A Community Art Project
Dragonfly's Journey
CJ Marchese
Installed September 2021
Artist's Statement
The question “can’t we all get along” is still a good question. In the world of my backyard I have every kind of creature including: snakes, lizards, skinks, toads, frogs, turtles, fish, insects, birds of all kinds, flocks of geese ducks, bats, rabbits, foxes, possums, deer, cats, dogs and who knows what else. I see most of these daily either feeding in the backyard or on my many walks around the neighborhood. I never see them fighting (except among their own species – fighting for food). Its kind of heaven, here on earth for me. The beauty of the lake and the animals – one of the many attractions in Chapin!
About the Artwork
"Dragonfly's Journey" is a 4 foot tall artistic trail marker with a sailboat on top. The metal form was created by Steven Reed and Shelly Fugua. The artistry on the marker was done by CJ Marchese.
Installed September 2021
About the Artist
CJ Martin-Marchese was in born in Springfield, Ohio in 1956. When she was old enough to travel her mom packed up and moved to Miami, Florida. When she was young she learned a lot about sewing and embroidery and yarn arts from her mother. Also, having grown up both next to the Ocean and in close proximity to 11 National Parks in Florida, her love of the outdoors grew tremendously. Throughout her life CJ has always been fascinated by images and how the world is represented through the eyes of others. Naturally, she was drawn to photography. The interest was cultivated during her young years learning on her father’s box camera – “Brownie” a black and white film camera. Color photography came much later. She enjoyed photograph and drawing through high school and in College studies in the Fine Arts, majoring in Photography (Black and White at the time) and a second degree which included Art Education, from Florida International University. After completing her degree, CJ delved even more into her photographic practice, and began to use her photographs as ideas and subjects for painting and mixed media and handmade photo-cards. She has a love for many mediums and crafts but her favorites are photography, watercolor (markers and colored pencils) and textile art. She also enjoys painting on substrates different from canvas and uses recycled wood, glass and ceramics. CJ has traveled all over the world whenever she could which included visiting most of the United States, Canada, and Europe from Amsterdam to Italy, Mexico, Jamaica and lots of Islands in between. Her camera and sketchbooks are always with her.CJ moved to South Carolina in 2004 and connected with several Artists groups in Columbia, Lexington and when she moved to Chapin in 2015, she found new Artist friends in Chapin and Newberry area. She has shown in many businesses around the community and in 2016-2017 she was part owner with 3 other woman of Lexington Artists Collective Gallery.
Scavenger Hunt Clue:
A Partnership Project by the Crooked Creek Art League and the Town of Chapin
This organization is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support in this grant comes from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of The Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina.
This project was supported by a Connected Communities grant from Central Carolina Community Foundation.
