Obituary of Clelia Garrison Hand

Clelia Garrison Hand, artist and retired art educator, age 91, passed away July 6, 2023.
Clelia was born March 14, 1932 in Kingstree, SC, the daughter of the late Rev Edward K.
Garrison and the late Clelia Gertrude Bannister Garrison. Preceded in death were Charles
Albert Hand Jr, her husband of 58 years; her daughter Daun Stuart and Daun’s husband Robert
Bruce Stuart; her son Raven Daemeon Hand and her other son in law Robert J. Reardon Jr.;
her sister, Elizabeth Hendrix and Elizabeth’s husband, Carroll Hendrix, and their son, Edward
Hendrix; her sister, Kathryn Lyles and Kathryn’s husband Oby Lyles Sr; and her sister in law
Sue Sly.
Survived by her daughter Clelia Hand Reardon, members of the Lyles family, Young family,
Susan Hendrix Giovanni, the Sly family, and Diane Black.
Clelia’s interest in art dates from earliest childhood. While a student at St. John’s High
School in Darlington, SC, she received her formal instruction in painting and composition from
R. Mickey Brumbaugh of Coker College. In 1954 she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree
with a Major in Art Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she
studied under Gregory Ivy. Her education continued with self taught skills, exchanges of ideas
with other artists, and workshops in various media including silk-screening, glazing, copper
enameling, spinning, and air brushing. She studied film animation under the instruction of
Deanna Morse, Filmmaker in Residence for the South Carolina Arts Commission, and sculpture
under Emma Lou Davies for the University of North Carolina and John Michel of The College of
Charleston.
Following graduation, she taught at O’Keefe High School in Atlanta, Georgia. In Charleston,
SC, she taught drafting at Murray Vocational School, and art at Phoenix Hall, 10 years at First
Baptist Church School, then Brentwood Elementary, Norman C. Toole Middle School, and
Orange Grove Elementary School.
Clelia had exhihibited, sold, received awards, taught, and performed demonstrations in
various parts of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, New York, New
Jersey, and Canada. Membership in professional art organizations had included: The Atlanta
Association, The Atlanta Art Education Association, The Georgia Art Education Association,
The National Art Educaction Association, The Charleston Artist Guild, The Guild of South
Carolina Artist, Gibbes Art Gallery, The Carolina Art Association and partnership in Le Petit
Louvre Art Gallery. She was also Past President of The Charleston Artist Guild 1982-1983.
She worked on various committees , as art consultant and critic to groups and individuals.
She formulated the course “Fundamental Principles of Design”, to teach the basics of art
composition to beginning adult art students. She was constantly experimenting in new
techniques and materials-using subjects which ranged from realist to abstract. Materials
included Charcoal portraits, painting, colleges, wood and stone carving, ceramics, cooper
enameling, batiks, weaving, and mixed media to filmmaking.
Although Clelia’s art work has received numerous awards, she is most proud of the
distinction achieved by her students on the state and national levels and many of them have
gone on to be professional artist as well as art educators.
Other interest included her love of playing her piano and advocating for animal rights. In lieu
of flowers, please give to your favorite animal shelters.