Portrait Of Former SMC President Teague Unveiled

09/08/10 — (l-r) SMC president Dr. Colleen P. Keith; portrait artist Tish Lowe; and former SMC president Dr. Charles P. Teague

SPARTANBURG, SC - Spartanburg Methodist College's sixth president was honored Wednesday on the campus of SMC with the unveiling of his official presidential portrait.

Dr. Charles P. Teague, president of SMC from 1997 to 2009, was on hand as his portrait was revealed twice during the day - once during a luncheon for guests and friends of the college, and later in the afternoon for faculty and staff. He was accompanied by his wife Daune, daughter Julie and granddaughter Savannah.

"It's not every day you get to unveil the portrait of a former president. But it's such a pleasure to unveil, on the eve of our centennial, a portrait that honors Charlie and his 12 years here - and all the fine work he did for SMC," said current SMC president Dr. Colleen P. Keith.

The portrait of Dr. Teague was produced by Tish Lowe, a self-employed artist in Columbia, SC. It will hang in the Phyllis Buchheit Board Room along with those of his five predecessors.

"It was an education and a wonderful experience. It was fun getting to know her [Lowe]. I think she's captured aspects of me that other people may not have seen. But this is a lot about artist interpretation. I'm honored though and very humbled," Teague commented.

Lowe talked about the experience, saying, "I had a lot of fun doing it. Charlie was a great person to work with. He was a little nervous at first, but that's natural, especially with people you don't know. I worked with him for a whole photo shoot going through different poses. Finally he sat down on the stool and took off his glasses - and we liked that a lot. It looked like a really natural pose, so we decided to go with that. So everyone time he came to sit, he would assume that pose."

The portrait, which was produced on high quality canvas imported from Italy and includes up to 10 layers of paint in some areas, was the culmination of a series of new photographs, approximately 24 hours of sittings, and artistic review and interpretation of photos taken during Dr. Teague's tenure at SMC.

"Your tools are important. Also, with this type of painting, you go through as stepwise process. You start with an oil sketch using one color. Then, layer by layer, you build up the color. Each step of the way, you build up more detail so finally you're doing the writing on the medallion or the twinkling in the eye. But what I try to do is connect with the person. I think it's important to realize it's not a photograph. What I want to do is not just capture the package, the outside stuff - because that changes from second to second - but to try to understand enough of the person so that I can reflect what's on the inside, a bit of the soul," Lowe added.

Lowe specializes in classical realism in the style of the Old Masters of the Renaissance. Trained in Florence, Italy, her work has been recognized internationally, including the "Chairman's Choice Award" in the prestigious Art Renewal Center 2007 International Salon and "Best of Show" in the City Wide Art competition in Florence, Italy. Her work is represented in private collections in England, Italy, Switzerland, Canada and the USA .

She recently moved from Italy to Columbia, SC, where she focuses on portrait, still life, and figurative oil paintings. She is opening a studio in the historic Arcade Building on Columbia's Main Street in about two weeks and will be a featured artist at the upcoming "Columbia's Global Eye" exhibition at 300 Senate in Columbia, SC in November as part of the 2010 Vista Lights arts celebration.

To faculty and staff, Dr. Teague stated that "I think this should be an homage to all of you who worked at SMC during the 12 years I was here. I am so grateful for all my many friendships here. It's because of all of you that SMC has accomplished what it has."

Former SMC Board of Trustees chairman Dan Foster addressed guests at the luncheon saying, "Under Charlie's leadership, the institution's financial health was restored, facilities grew, enrollments grew, the value proposition grew and and the college was completely invigorated. This is not easy work. Yes, these were difficult times, requiring great leadership and a positive mindset. Charlie gave this institution what it needed most - a steady hand, a determined spirit and a winning attitude."

To Dr. Teague, Foster added, "Today, Charlie, you can be proud of your many accomplishments over your 12 years of service, effort and perseverance. You and Daune have earned the love and respect of your peers and community at large."

During Dr. Teague's tenure at SMC, the college received two $1 million gifts that enabled the construction of Bridges Residence Hall and Sparrow Residence Hall. The addition of those two residence halls increased the college's availability of on-campus housing by 210 rooms.

In addition, Dr. Teague oversaw the construction of the Phyllis Buchheit Board Room and the Vassey Information Technology Center; the addition of a lobby to the Buchheit Administration Building; the reconfiguration of inner campus roads; removal of unsightly structures from the campus; completion of the outdoor athletic facilities project; implementation of the beautification of the facilities and grounds; renovation of numerous facilities on campus; improvement of classrooms by adding state-of-the art technology to support instruction; an increase in the number of full-time faculty members; and the development of the master plan for facilities and grounds.

Spartanburg Methodist College began its 100th academic year of providing quality education to students in a Christian environment on Aug. 25, 2010. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning.

For more information, contact Brian Fulkerson, director of public information, at (864) 587-4254 or publicinfo@smcsc.edu