Island School Council for the Arts

 ISCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Judy Costello President

Judith Costello, owner of Jcostello Gallery located at 8 Archer Road in the Red Fish building has represented an international stable of contemporary artists since 1999. Costello a board member for five years, two served as Vice President and Board President in 2010. Born and educated in Boston. Together with her husband and daughter has resided on Hilton Head Island for sixteen years “To be a part of an organization that exposes our children to the artistic brilliance of artists Patrick Dougherty (sculptor), Kennedy Center Jazz musicians Allan Harris and the Cross That River Band as well as, The North Carolina Dance Theater to name a few is personally inspirational and extremely gratifying”

Anne Feldman, Vice President

Anne Feldman is a freelance writer. Now in her second year on the board of the Island School Council for the Arts, she remains committed to fostering support for arts education, and believes that a lifelong passion for the arts is the greatest gift we can give. She lives on Hilton Head Island with her husband Richard and their two beautiful children, 11-year old Matthew and seven-year old Sarah Rose. Anne holds a Bachelors in Journalism from the University of Georgia. She formerly lived in Atlanta and worked for CNN. She also served on the Advisory Board for Uptown/On the Town, a literary performance series in Atlanta funded by the Fulton County Arts Council.

Gabrielle Van De Velde, Secretary

Gabrielle, a visitor to Hilton Head Island since 1965, moved to the Island in 1977. Upon receiving her Bachelor of Arts from Ringling School of Art and Design, she chose to keep the Island as her home and begin her career in graphic design. Her experience grew through opportunities with Gardo, Doughtie and Rose Advertising Agency, and her own graphic design studio, Electric Ink. An early introduction to Website design came her way via partnership in OpenVision, LLC. Moving into marketing as director with MARS, The Real Estate Store, Gabrielle ultimately chose her own path again by forming StudioGabrielle, handling design for both print and web, while also handling creative needs for The Bluffton Sun, Coastal Sport and Wellness Magazine, and Living Green Times.

Van De Velde has been active in volunteerism and event planning throughout her life.  A volunteer career in the Junior Chamber of Commerce gave her experience in public speaking, leadership training, community service and statewide event planning. Offices served include a range from local to state level. Van De Velde created a youth speak-up program to assist young people in communication skills, was awarded a top place finish on a national level in public speaking, is a member of the SCJC Palmetto Corps, and received her Senatorship - . She also served as director of the Reilley’s Perriet-Jouet Golf Tournament, assistant director of Festa Italiana, and serves on the Hilton Head Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee.

Gabrielle’s great love for the Island’s natural beauty and love of the arts gives her the passion to work to bring the arts to all children’s lives 

Marie Carroll Shiroma, CPA

Marie has a solid combination of finance, trust and administration, management and marketing expertise developed over three decades of diverse professional experience marked by a well-established consulting clientele. Specializing in family businesses and trusts, Marie currently assists three generations of her well-established consulting clientele. Marie has run MCS Consulting as a part-time practice while raising her three children. Seasoned by her own life lessons, Marie emphatically guides her clients through life’s paperwork.

During one of life’s lessons – a divorce and its aftermath, Marie joined her children’s school, The Congressional Schools of Virginia, as the Director of Admissions and Marketing for the school and its summer programs. During her eight years at Congressional, Marie helped coordinate the school’s major fundraising event, International Night, a themed dinner with silent and live auctions. Marie was instrumental in the creation of The Congressional Update – a monthly newsletter-so that the faculty could share the exciting classroom projects and activities with school families. Marie also started The Congressional Connection, a weekly refrigerator calendar- so that parents could keep track of the sports, academic and art activities. Marie has always loved the interaction with children and teachers – she shows a true appreciation for the loving demands of education.

Whether in the academic, corporate or consulting arenas, Marie brings a sharing mentality – she is willing to give her best. She loves being an active member of the community (she was the Food and Beverage Manager for Concours) and enjoys the Hilton Head art scene. It would be nice for Marie to have a venue to share her love of children and art in a constructive and hopefully profitable way.

About MCS Consulting

Founded 1980, MCS Consulting provides accounting consultant services for individuals and small businesses. MCS Consulting has served as financial records liaison for divorcing families, trust and estate beneficiaries, attorneys, investment advisors, financial advisors, accountants, real estate agents and court personnel. MCS Consulting offers personalized financial concierge services for those desiring money management and financial recordkeeping assistance.

You just can’t help but smile when you see Mira’s whimsical, colorful works of art.  The subjects and the generous size of the piece beacon you to come have a closer look.  When you do…you start appreciating the fine details and her masterful execution.

Miroslava “Mira” Scott began her journey in art while a young girl in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  She developed a love of nature and wildlife there on Calumet Island where she spent her free time.  Mira’s work has been influenced by this and the assortment of animals and birds that her father brought home to observe from the Montreal Zoo.  Her father called her “eagle eyes” because she had learned from him at an early age to sit still and watch for any subtle movements in the woods, sky and water. “It would give me great pleasure to spot something before he did.  My father placed me in a canoe on the Ottawa River at five days old; all bundled up like a papoose.” This influence can be seen in her most recent works, “Big Dipper, Little Dipper” (Loggerhead turtles coming ashore) and “Miss Swiss” (cow in pasture in Switzerland). 

Her early works were landscapes and wildlife done in watercolors and were very “traditional.” A critique by a very well known, nationally collected Canadian artist stated, “What an interesting touch of eroticism.” when noticing a touch of red polish on a self portrait that was otherwise a very calm, monochromatic piece.  Mira was quite taken aback by this comment and it took her two years before she painted again.

Nevertheless, she became very proficient at working with etchings as a medium.  She liked the graphic nature of it.  “It was like doing sculpture on paper.  It was a very black and white way of thinking,” Mira felt.  She was asked to teach an etchings class at Technical College of the Lowcountry and accepted the position.  When she found out she was expecting her first child, she felt that the complications of working with toxic material would affect the baby’s health so she put away her etching materials.

The forthcoming baby led her to painting furniture, first for the baby’s room but soon any unpainted furniture piece was an opportunity to use a more colorful palette. During this time she owned a framing shop in Hilton Head Island while living in Beaufort, SC and in Palm Key, SC (a very well known artist community).

She admired a painting of a sunflower that a North Carolina artist had created because of its whimsical nature and the inspiring quotations painted in the picture.  She considered buying it but decided she could create something herself.  Having owned the frame shop she thought a mat board would an interesting surface upon which to paint, but it was not smooth enough.  After some research, she came up with the idea of using AFX3 …illustration board that was sturdy, archival quality but lightweight.  She started creating pieces that had a push and pull in the color – high contrast – to create movement.  Her sunflower was very pleasing and provoked a new style and color scheme for Mira’s work.

Next came orange California poppies, playful kittens, Daufuskie porches.  Ideas started coming fast.  Sometimes she would be working on 6 – 12 pieces at a time.  In her day to day life, she would encounter objects and would start thinking how they would be perfect to incorporate in one painting or another.  Sometimes the symbolism was apparent, sometimes not.

Her latest works return her to the beginning… diptych’s of Loggerhead Sea Turtles coming out in the moonlight to lay their eggs,   “Place in the Woods,” memories of her childhood in Montreal.  “Because we are so connected to nature here on Hilton Head, it is easy to be inspired, “ Mira noted.  “Bubba Duey’s Little House” is an example of being inspired by local scenes without painting the traditional shrimp boats and marsh scenes. It was inspired by a photograph she took 25 years ago of a basset hound in front of a traditional Gullah house on Hilton Head.  This print raises funds for the Gullah Museum that helps sustain the fragile, vanishing culture of the Sea Islands.  She feels that her turning point was when selling art was no longer her focal point – instead pleasing herself thru design and free thought was her mindset.

Mira has owned “Picture This Gallery” in Hilton Head since 1985.  It is a place where many artists gather on a daily basis.  Whether a new art exhibit, lecture or book signing, it is a much anticipated and well attended event.

Ms. Scott’s works of art are displayed in many private collections internationally.  Her love of nature is seen in all of her work – showing great detail in her subjects, capturing emotions and moods ranging from serenity to joy.  A variety of galleries have showcased Scott’s work.  “The Checkered Moon” in Beaufort, SC and Savannah, GA, “ Barrett Antiques” in Bluffton, SC, “The Audubon Nature Store” on Hilton Head Island and most recently “Art Downtown/Gallery 209” in Brunswick, GA.

Mira feels there is a great need for continuing art education in our school systems, and has participated as a contributing artist for most of the 29 years that the Island School Council for the Arts has existed.  She has held the position of Solicitation Chairman for the annual “An Evening of the Arts” auction and dinner, which gives support to this educational need.

Mira Scott’s works, as well as the works of local, national and international artists that she represents, can be seen on her website: www.picturethishiltonhead.com 

Ann Coffey 

Julie is a native of Hilton Head Island and a graduate of the College of Charleston, where she received a Bachelors of Science degree in both Fine Arts and Art History.  She continues to share in her love of the arts through her work with ISCA, and as a freelance artist, hand painting children's furniture.  Julie and her husband, Victor, are proud to raise their two boys in the lowcountry where Julie enjoys giving back to her community.  Over the past several years, she has been involved with many local charities and non-profit organizations, such as the Coastal Discovery Museum of Hilton Head, the Hilton Head Human Association and the Van for David Fund.  She is currently the Assistan to the Executive Director of Bluffton Self Help.  She joined the Board of ISCA in 2009 and looks forward to many adventures with the artists and children of Hilton Head Island and Bluffton, where they will have unique opportunities to experience visual, performing, and literary arts.  Julie believes the generosity of her community will help open its children's eyes to the universal benefits of the arts...teaching them that creativity has no boundaries and that through self expression, they can reach out to the world.

Anuska Frey  

April Hobus  

Deborah McCandless 

Tonia Voegele