CHARLESTON STYLE & DESIGN - Key Persons

A lifelong resident of Charleston, John Albrecht grew up on Isle of Palms and attended public schools through high school. He graduated from The Citadel in 1985 with a degree in civil engineering. In 1993, Albrecht opened his own firm and focused on environmental issues and indoor air quality in buildings, specifically removing moisture from buildings in the Lowcountry. His firm received accolades from the Charleston Chamber of Commerce in 2003 and 2004 as an emerging business. Albrecht sold his firm and left the engineering field in 2011 to pursue his desire for art, where he focused on painting outdoors and honed his skill and style. He would dabble in renovation of homes, focusing on good air quality as a goal. Albrecht's love for art began in his childhood, when he would sketch marsh and beach scenes and boats. He took art lessons at 12 years old from a local artist at the direction of his mother, who recognized a potential talent. His wife, Cindy, resurrected his passion for painting by giving him painting lessons in 2001 when she found some of his old paintings in a closet. She said it was an attempt to give him a break from running his business. Albrecht stuck with it over the last 19 years, taking weekly classes from Joyce Hall and her husband, the late Martin Ahrens, and from Laurie Meyer for several years. He still studies the masters and attends workshops, including the Forgotten Coast in Florida and others offered during the year. Since 2019, Albrecht has been juried into the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition, and he has exhibited with the Saluda Arts Festival, a juried art show. He was a member of Lowcountry Artists Gallery and was juried into the Charleston Artist Guild, where his work was exhibited from 2008 to 2019. Albrecht's work can be viewed and purchased at charlestonartmarket.com. He also shows his work at his studio/gallery in Mount Pleasant by appointment. BORN in Charleston in 1963, John Albrecht grew up on Isle of Palms. Although art was a passion, he pursued an engineering career and graduated from The Citadel in 1985. He worked in the environmental engineering field for the U.S. Navy and in the private sector doing environmental cleanup work, and he ran his own firm in Charleston for 18 years. Albrecht's wife gifted him art classes through Tidwell Art Gallery downtown for Christmas in 2001, and his interest in painting grew all over again. Outside of work, he took weekly art classes and workshops and developed his own style over that time. Ten years ago, he left the engineering business to begin painting on a regular basis. He has studied with local award-winning artists and attended workshops to gather ideas and hone his speed and style. Albrecht has collaborated with artists in the Charleston Artist Guild and exhibited in galleries in Charleston, including Lowcountry Artists Gallery and the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery. Since 2019 he has been juried and participated in the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition, and he has participated in the Saluda Arts Festival, a juried art show. He currently shows his work at his studio in Mount Pleasant by appointment.