2014 SEWE Gala at Charleston Place Hotel

Cindy and Mark Munn with SEWE featured artist Chad Poppleton

Neal Robinson, Jack Hanna and Jimmy Huggins draw a winner

The most anticipated evening of the year for wildlife enthusiasts is always the black tie Gala on Thursday night of the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition. This serves as a preview for the artwork on display in the ballroom at Charleston Place Hotel, with artists on hand to inform art lovers and art collectors about what makes their work unique. The annual live auction offered a varied list and went down as one of the best in the 32-year history of SEWE. Patrons dined on seafood and soaked up the electricity of the night, with fine wine and spirits in the mix. An array of politicos were in attendance including Congressman Sanford, Speaker Harrell, Chip Limehouse and Ag's Hugh Weathers. The ladies of the Lowcountry wore their black dresses and colorful evening gowns and were able to equal the beauty depicted on the canvases. Don't forget the world-class wood carvers and the bronze sculptors who can take their medium and turn it into a delicate feathered bird representation that rivals the real thing. Plenty of art is snapped up the night of the Gala but the atmosphere is absent of the 'hard sell' - rather a high level of art appreciation is always present. Even Jack Hanna made an appearance, giving a helping hand when it came time to draw for the winner of the Scout boat raffle. Win the winning entry went to a man in Illinois, SEWE's Jimmy Huggins quipped that he had no idea how to get a boat to Illinois, and the light-hearted moment set the stage for the auction. Items included stays at Palmetto Bluff, Sea Island Resort, and Cabin Bluff, with hunting trips to Spain and South Africa also up for bids. 2014 Featured Artist Chad Poppleton's original of the official SEWE poster was sold as were antique duck decoys and collectible knives. After the auction special animal appearances by various owls and even a sandhill crane kept everyone entertained in grand SEWE style!

Gigi and Mike McShane with Nemours Wildlife Foundation

Pheasants sculpture at Charleston Place

To view past blog entries from the SEWE Gala click 2013,  2012, 2011, 2010, or 2009.