In Mount Pleasant, just across the new Cooper River Bridge, there is a gem of a gallery -- the Shem Creek Art Gallery.  And in this gallery are three significant Charleston artists:  Billie Sumner, Tammy Papa, and Tate Nation.  They have partnered together to run this gallery showcasing their own works.  For 17 years, Sumner ran her own gallery downtown and was also one of the founders of the French Quarter Gallery Association.  Each has acquired some noteworthy accolades:  Sumner, the official image of First Night Charleston's 2004 program guide; Papa, second place in the 2003 SC State Fair; Nation, the official poster image for Piccolo Spoleto Festival 2000.  Their works vary drastically, but as Nation states, "Our three personalities blend and complement each other, as do our painting styles."  Many of his paintings are textured, vivid and whimsical scenes, strongly influenced by Caribbean art.  Sumner's abstract impressionism is full of shapes and bold colors.  Papa works in pastels, creating more realistic images.  It's impossible to pick a favorite; the works and their creators all have such individual charisma.

-- adapted from from WHERE Charleston, Spring 2004