The Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Museum in Myrtle Beach is currently offering two exhibits of stunning, unusual artwork by Carolina master-artists.

Robert Courtright: Collages, Collage Constructions and Masks 1953-2008 runs now through April 28. Courtright is an internationally known artist whose work has rarely been shown in his home state of South Carolina. This exhibit is a retrospective of his work that traces his early interest in collage and emphasis on architecture as well as his later fascination with faces in his somewhat whimsical masks.

The second exhibit, which runs through March 20 is Serendipity: Raku by Steven Forbes-deSoule. Forbes-deSoule is a North Carolinian who has been working in the American raku pottery tradition for more than 25 years.

American raku pottery, inspired by a Japanese tradition, creates unique and unusual looking ceramics by plucking pieces from the kiln while they are still red-hot. They are then sealed in a metal container with combustible materials. These materials, when ignited, leave their signature on the ceramic sculpture creating what Forbes-deSoule calls a “serendipitous” result.

The bowls and vases on exhibit in Myrtle Beach are inspired by nature and the vistas of the artist’s home in the North Carolina mountains.

The Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Museum is located at 3100 S. Ocean Blvd. in Myrtle Beach. (It’s so close to the beach, in fact, that you can enjoy a magnificent ocean view from inside the museum.) You can visit the museum Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.