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Sunday, May 19, 2002 Artist uses technology to bring arts world to Spartanburg By Kim Atchley
If you don’t know Scott Cunningham for his watercolors or oil paintings, or as exhibits coordinator for the Spartanburg County Museum of Art, you’re likely to know him as the Webmaster of Sparklenet.com, the Upstate’s web connection to area arts. Cunningham has been working on the project for three years. Many people want to get involved in Web projects for quick money, but Cunningham hasn’t developed the project for that. He is in for the long haul, developing the site to make a difference for our community. “I’m pleased that Sparklenet is beginning to be a recognized brand name,” said Cunningham. Though one day he hopes to add staff to help manage the updates and expand the site even more, right now he says he’s just one guy doing the best he can. More than 650 pages into the site development, the “best he can” is making a difference. In some ways, the Sparklenet project has made the world a smaller place. People worldwide have contacted Cunningham after viewing his site. Hits on the site have come from as far away as Italy, Russia, China and India. Although international artists have asked to be included on the site, Cunningham’s goal is to promote the arts that are generated within about a 50 to 75 mile radius of Spartanburg. In other ways, Sparklenet has expanded the world of local arts. Artists and their work are now much more accessible to the public worldwide. The idea is for artists to stop competing against each other and instead form an alliance, he explained. Having their portfolios accessible on the Web means that the artists do not have to make the often-elusive connection with exclusive galleries to get their work seen by potential buyers. Though many of the site’s featured [artists] have made gallery connections, the site still provides a much broader reaching link to the world outside Spartanburg. To participate in the portfolio project, artists pay a fee to have their work developed into the site [The Artist Index]. There, visitors and potential art buyers can find out more about the artist, view specific works and make contact with the artists. There’s even another site section for budget-minded buyers where a price range of works can be entered. Any works listed on the site, originals or prints, that fit that range then appear on screen. Sparklenet has also been a way for commercial galleries to connect with the Upstate. Hub City Ceramics, currently featuring dinnerware crafted by Kelly Huffling McCullough, is one commercial connection. Larry Elder, a Spartanburg Native [and] past president of the Artists Guild [of Spartanburg], recently opened a gallery in Charlotte, N.C. His gallery, Elderart, is another. Elder hired Cunningham to design the Elderart Web site. Just this week, someone saw the site in Greensboro, N.C., called Elder and purchased three works over the Web. “The Web site has given me the ability to introduce people to my gallery without having to be here,” he said. “They can access it any time, any day.” The Non-Profit Connection Another key element of the Sparklenet site is the information links to nonprofit arts groups and colleges in and around Spartanburg. Here, site visitors can connect with background information on the groups, check out event schedules and ticket prices and link directly with the presenting organizations through e-mail or with contact information. Projects, such as the Hub City Writers, Local Notables and a developing Downtown Walking Tour can also be accessed. History and historical places to visit in Spartanburg, the Upstate and across the Carolinas can also be found. For about five years, there has been a Spartanarts Web site with Web space donated by Teleplex. Bill Taylor, who manages The Arts Center, built and maintains the site. As Cunningham was developing Sparklenet, he volunteered to help update the Spartanarts pages with additional graphics. At the same time, he created joint linkage between the Sparklenet and Spartanarts sites. “Scott’s work has been a great help to us. The pages he’s developed for us are more aesthetically appealing than we originally had,” said Taylor. The Spartanarts site started with about five to six hits a week, now there are 40 to 50 per day. “That’s great for what we are and where we are,” said Taylor. Though it is difficult to gauge the effect the linkage has had, Taylor knows it has helped. People from all over the world have contacted Taylor to find out about the area arts. Some are people planning to visit the area while others are considering moving here. Scott is also helping to design pages to highlight the new cultural center, which is expected to be built off St. John Street and near Barnet Park. The Artist In what little “spare” time Cunningham has, he’s working on his own artwork. Most recently, he’s replaced a long retired table saw and begun building frames for his works. Though his hands are usually busy creating and manipulating the inner workings of Sparklenet, he’s been enjoying the truly tactile experience offered by the wood, splinters and all. When time permits, he also paints. But it’s been a long time since he’s worked with oils. Though he’s continued to develop his artist’s eye intellectually, now his hands are catching up and he’s beginning to feel the flow of his designs moving from mind to canvas again. He was drawn to art early in life and distinctly remembers finger painting. It’s a technique he still uses with his oils, and one that gives him a tactile connection to his work. Many styles and subjects catch Cunningham’s interest. Because he’s willing to work through them all, he considers his versatility a plus. It also helps with selling his art since people are drawn to a variety of styles. Cunningham admits that even he doesn’t know what defines “a Scott Cunningham” work. But with interest generated in all the styles he’s explored, that’s working to his benefit right now. Teaching is another outlet for Cunningham. This spring he taught a design and technology course at the University of South Carolina at Spartanburg, helping non-majors develop a better understanding of graphic design. He’ll be teaching a similar class again in the fall. |