Author to Speak on Clemson Founder at Gallery Sept. 11

On Sept. 11 from 10 to 11 a.m., Sunset River Marketplace art gallery in Calabash, N.C. will feature Ann Ratliff Russell as part of its Coffee With the Authors lecture series. Ratliff is the author of “Legacy Of a Southern Lady: Anna Calhoun Clemson 1817 – 1875.” The presentation is free, but seating is limited so reservations are requested.

Anna Maria Calhoun Clemson was the daughter of S. C. Senator John C. Calhoun and the wife of Thomas Green Clemson, founder of Clemson University. She worked actively with both men. Just a year before her death she selected a committee to work for statewide support of a plan to build a scientific agricultural college on land at Fort Hill, which she had inherited after her mother’s death. Her husband died three years later, leaving the Fort Hill estate and $80,000 to establish a new college. In 1893, Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina (with military training required) opened its doors to 446 cadets. Today, Clemson University occupies Fort Hill , and the mansion is at the center of campus. [information from www.civilwomenblog.com]

Russell is a member of the Southern Association for Women Historians, the S.C. Historical Society and The University South Caroliana Society. A native Texan, she earned a B.A. from Sophie Newcomb College in New Orleans, La. and an M.A. in European history from the University of Texas in Austin. She was a faculty member in the history department at Clemson University and a public information specialist at the historic houses of Fort Hill and Hanover. She received her Ph.D. in American history from the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Her dissertation was published in book form by Clemson University Digital Press in 2007. She also wrote a chapter about Anna Calhoun Clemson in the Thomas Green Clemson biography edited by Alma Bennet. These writings and letters written by Anna Calhoun Clemson will be the subject of her discussion at the gallery.

About Sunset River Marketplace
Since opening in 2002, Sunset River Marketplace has become an active supporter of performing, literary and visual arts in the area. The 10,000 square-foot gallery features work by over 200 North and South Carolina artists. Its on-site pottery studio has two kilns and three wheels for use by students. Ongoing oil, pastel and watercolor classes are also provided, in addition to workshops by nationally known artists. The gallery’s Coffee With the Authors programs feature presentations by local and regional offers. A recently added Paint & Party series provides a fun after-work experience for those with no previous art background. The gallery’s framing department offers full-service, on-site custom frame design.

Sunset River Marketplace is located at 10283 Beach Drive SW (Hwy 179), Calabash, N.C. Regular hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit the website (www.staging.careful-crib.flywheelsites.com) or “like” the gallery’s Facebook page, which is updated daily. Reach the gallery by telephone at 910.575.5999.

Sunset River Gallery