What's going on over in Turtle Land? The organizers of Charleston's sprawling public art exhibition, Turtles on the Town, don't seem to have their act together.

There aren't enough maps to help people find the art objects - I've tried to get one on two occasions from two different locations, no luck. Some of the sculptures were late to arrive. And the website promised a complete photographic listing of the turtles "right before [they] hit the town," but that was a week ago - still no sign of the listing.

Not only does this make my job of reviewing the damn things harder, but it doesn't seem fair to the multitude of sponsors who back the loggerheads.

That doesn't mean the artists haven't tried their best, though. Given blank sculptures to decorate, they've tried all kinds of different things. Lisa Backwelder's created one to lurk outside the Post and Courier offices on Columbus St., with a mortarboard, rolled up newspaper and a gormless expression that's perfect for the P&C.

Dave Lorenz has done one ("Davey Wavey") on Meeting St. with smooth scythe-like swirls on its back and a receding Elvis kiss curl on its head. And the Dock St. Theatre has a cool one called "TheatreWings," with feathered foreflippers, dramatic masks on its shell and a nice brown, grey and black color scheme. It's by the Charleston Stage Company High School Apprentice Program (the tykes who are stuffed backstage), which is directed by Stefanie Christensen.

The best thing about checking out the turtles was that it gave me the excuse to act like a tourist in my own town, walking up streets I don't usually bother with and finding new short cuts that make me feel less geographically challenged. If only there were more maps to help other tourists track down the turtles and explore Charleston.

Usually when I write a review for the City Paper, it takes a few days for the piece to be printed (the newspaper's out every Wednesday).

But there's one time of year when I review things the night of the show or the next morning, submit it post haste, and it goes straight up on the website. It's Spoleto time, when a major arts festival swamps Charleston and I'm assigned to cover as much as humanly possible within a 2-week span.

I like the immediacy of the website reviews - it reminds me of when I freelanced for The Scotsman in the '90s, the editors clicking their tongues at me for sweating too long over my stories. But I'll be glad when Spoleto's over, with its gawking patrons, bizarre shows and the reckless drivers visiting from North Carolina.

I'll be blogging my own view of the fest as often as I can, so watch this space - for a couple of weeks at least.

I've been assigned by the City Paper to cover the past few Art Walks in Charleston. The Walks involve 32 member galleries representing way over 500 artists. The galleries stay open late on the first Friday evening of March, May, October and December; other stores and artspaces stay open to catch the same crowd.

Charleston's French Quarter Galleries folk got peeved with me the first time I mentioned those unofficial openings, so these days I make sure to mention the official organizers when I review the event.

Just over a week ago I ended up on an entirely different art walk, completely by accident.

The Olde Village walk used a pedestrian-friendly part of North Charleston. Stores, restaurants, salons, the quaint bank and post office showed a few paintings each. the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, and a public art project came to fruition - my son Sam was one of the contributors.

the evening was smaller in scale and less ambitious than Chucktown's Art Walk, which worked in its favor - free glasses of wine and hors d'ouevres were not necessary to attract the happy punters who visited the village. The French Quarter Galleries could learn a thing or two from the North Charleston Art Festival's partnership with local businesses.

I happened to visit the walk because Sam had his art etched onto a public exhibit; he's a much more successful artist than me. Even if Sam hadn't been there, though, I still would have enjoyed myself. I hope the walk's repeated at next year's Art Festival, with a little more promotion and much-deserved hooplah.

The official Liberty movie site is up and running, courtesy of co-producer Ron Mangravite and his staff/students at the University of Miami.

You can visit the site to watch interviews with the producers and director; read background info on the independent film; listen to temp track music and keep tabs on the post production phase of Liberty, shot right here in South Carolina.

Yesterday I nipped to Magnolia Plantation, where an archaeological dig is underway near a cluster of slave cabins.

The erstwhile diggers have found a brass candlestick, intact bottles, pieces of Colonoware ceramics and lots of other fascinating bits and pieces spanning the past couple of centuries.

My guide was archaeological assistant D.J. Tucker (pictured), who specializes in African American history. His boss Craig Hadley was an historical advisor and actor in the Liberty movie and organized the event recorded in the Siege of Charleston documentary.

D.J.'s dog, Riley, likes to supervise the digging. Riley specializes in rolling around in every bit of horse flop he comes across.

Last night I was at J. Paul'z in James Island, SC, where they've just opened a new show by Patrick Pelletier (above). He's trying a new series of Miroesque abstracts that are being snapped up by collectors. The exhibition will be in the restaurant for 2-3 weeks.

Keith George was at the reception, and he's just launched a magazine called Xperience Charleston. He describes the glossy lifestyle publication as a "work in progress," but it looks pretty slick to me. It features two artists that I've reviewed lately - Pelletier and Brianna Stello.

George promises that #2 of Xperience will be thicker and better-looking. I look forward to seeing it around town.

With 24 hours to go until the second Gibbes Movie Night, here's a list of the films we're planning to show:

Le Croissement by Brad Jayne (12 mins)

I Walk Alone by Steve Daniels (2 mins)

Lavague by Kevin Hoth (5 mins)

Scattered Smothered Covered by Matt Serins (8 mins)

Shostakovich by Kevin Harrison (11 mins)

Patrick Pelletier by Nick Smith (12 mins)

Above you can see a picture of artist Patrick Pelletier standing in front of his film, Patrick Pelletier. Post modern or what?

The main event is a video art installation and talk by Janet Biggs. Her exhibition, Like Tears in Rain, opens at the Gibbes Museum of Art tomorrow.

Of course, if it rains tomorrow night all over my outdoor event, I'll be the one with tears. (Look for us indoors in the event of wetness).

Audobon Doc

A PBS/American Masters documentary on John James Audubon will be screening in Charleston, SC on May 2nd. The 7 p.m. premiere will take place at the main Charleston County library on Calhoun.

Local artist and gallery owner Sherry Browne and Roswell Eldridge's wife Juanita will be present to help explain Eldridge's goal of preserving the Audubon octavos.

They'll also be mentioning his new association with Operation Migration, the group co-ordinating whooping crane recovery.

Eldridge did a great job at this year's SEWE and at a recent show for Sherry Browne at her Studio Open gallery in Folly Beach. If you're downtown and in the mood for a free movie, the Main Library's the place to go to give the Audobon afficianados your support.