Meet Carolyn Fraser | Gallery director & baker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carolyn Fraser and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carolyn, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
I think about this question often. What does make me happy?? I am most content when spending unplanned time with friends or family. Alongside my full time career in the gallery business, I also enjoy volunteering as an usher for a local performing arts theater, work on my side hustle (sweet treats for holidays!), and helping to promote the businesses in my area of Charleston, South Carolina. The other thing that really makes me happy is hearing that my baked goods have made someones day, or finding that perfect painting for a client, or being able to share a favorite restaurant or activity to folks visiting Charleston. I love my community and I want all of us to survive and thrive, so sharing the fabulous folks around me makes me so very happy.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I spent my late 20’s-late 40’s in restaurant kitchens as a chef and later as a pastry chef. This experience taught me a great deal about people, personalities, timing, and the importance of putting things back where you found them. Being a female in the kitchen was not easy when I first began in the late 90’s–it was incredibly male dominated/oriented. After graduating from culinary school in 1998 I headed to Amelia Island, Florida and really dug into my culinary career. Up until then I had worked in small catering businesses and small kitchens, the Amelia Island Plantation dropped me into huge banquets as well as working between multiple kitchens with different menus. It was exhilarating and I loved it! After 20ish years, I decided it was time to move on from the kitchen and returned to my first love, art.

I never would have thought I would end up running a gallery in Charleston, S.C. I love it! I enjoy the challenges that working with different artists and personalities present. Meeting new people and sharing my joy in all the fabulous things Charleston has to offer from delicious restaurants to tours of the surrounding waters. Part of sharing the artists we represent is making folks feel comfortable in our space–galleries can be intimidating–and I want you to feel like you are in your own living room.

One of my passions is encouraging my friends and fellow art-trepaneurs with their social media and hyping them up to get involved in new and different avenues for their products. Recently I have been working with my college friend Mollie Dickson and her company Harbour Candles.

Along with working with artists in Helena Fox Fine Art, I have been working on my own art again–simple but a little eclectic jewelry (I call my creations Calibogue Design) and I am continuing to grow From Becky’s Kitchen marshmallow empire.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh man! I think about this all the time. I like to take the opportunity of friends visiting to try new places as well as sharing some of my favorites. The below itinerary would be for someone who had never been to Charleston.

My favorite thing to do around the city with friends is wander as well as take a walking tour. In my opinion the best guided walking tours are with Walk & Talk Charleston–Tyler and her guides are knowledgeable as well as share some fun tidbits of the social history of the city. They also offer specialized tours, such as one to the IAAM and one that talks about our flora and fauna and its place in the history of the city. We would have at least one beach excursion-Sullivan’s or IOP– if colder weather, we’d go for a nice walk and then lunch or dinner out at The Obstinate Daughter or Acme Seafood, unless we got up for sunrise, then we would go warm up with a coffee from Cafe Panime on the Isle of Palms. Of course there would be some shopping– Mildred Newberry’s, Holst & Lee, and Revealed Gallery are some of my favorites for guests. Something for everyone! Of course we would take a walk down King Street and for sure stop into Buxton Books and I’d take them for a tour of The Charleston Library Society. I would also suggest a visit to the Philip Manigault House or the Aiken-Rhett House.

I love breakfast, so I usually plan the days so that we can go out for a hearty breakfast and then a snack for lunch and somewhere fun for dinner. For breakfast I love Millers All Day and take anyone I can there. Acme Kitchen, Harken, Metto Coffee and Vintage Coffee are a few of my other go to’s. If it’s just a stop for coffee, I would take them to Brown Fox or Owl Bear. Dinner can be a challenge, after agonizing over a decision now you have to get a reservation! My top go-to’s these days are The Grocery, Brassiere le Banque, The Establishment and The Obstinate Daughter. I am also fond of Lowland Tavern and Vern’s. If my friends aren’t opposed to a bit of a wait, you can always get a seat at Chubby Fish, you just might have to entertain yourself for a bit, but the food is totally worth it. We would for sure stop into Goat.Sheep.Cow for some cheese, meat, and wine, because we are going to need at least one night on the couch.

If we are lucky there will be a great band at The Charleston Music Hall or maybe something fancy at The Gaillard. Otherwise, I am not much of a night owl. But when friends are here I definitely take advantage of having their energy to pep me up and can be found at the Windjammer or maybe The Commodore Club. A new to me fun bar is Blūm on Meeting Street. It feels like you are hanging out with all your friends even if you don’t know anyone there.

If it is spring heading out to Middleton Plantation or Cypress is fun and when it’s a little warmer taking a eco boat tour with Barrier Island Eco tours or Coastal Expeditions is a great activity.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My brothers– Joe, Simon, and West Fraser. They have all pushed me in many ways, sometimes just to prove that they have the wrong idea about my abilities.. But without them, I am not sure I’d be the person I am today.

Website: www.helenafoxfineart.com

Instagram: @frombeckyskitchensc and @helenafoxfineartcharleston

Image Credits
Photograph of Carolyn by Sloan Photography @sloanphoto Palmetto Dreams original painting by West Fraser To the Moon original painting by Mary Erickson Julyan Davis original paintings in Helena Fox Fine Art marshmallows made by Carolyn for From Becky’s Kitchen Necklaces designed by Carolyn for 2nd side hustle Calibogue Designs Mollie Dickson of Harbour Candles photograph by Laura Kay Berry