Folly artist Molly Right creates treasures from trash
Artist Molly Right has spent decades around Charleston, but it was Folly Beach that ultimately felt most like home. Since moving to the island full-time in 2017, Right has built a life centered around art, community, and the outdoors, creating distinctive portraits and wildlife pieces from thousands of bottle caps in a studio beneath her home. We had a chance to catch up with Molly and chat with her about her life on Folly.
FOLLY CURRENT: Where were you born and how long have you been connected to Folly?
MOLLY RIGHT: I was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, and my family moved to Charleston in the late ‘60s. Growing up, we lived on the Peninsula and then East Cooper.
As an adult, I moved back to downtown Charleston, and that’s where I raised my children. When they were young, we spent a lot of time at the beach at Folly, and the kids were so happy there that my partner at the time and I decided to build a home on Folly. For the first 10 years my home was a short-term rental, but we often used it for family and friends when it wasn’t rented. In 2017, I moved here full-time.
I had my art studio in downtown Charleston for over 20 years, but the building sold in 2023, which is when I decided to convert the parking area under my home into a studio. I was upset at first about losing my foothold downtown, but having the studio here on Folly turned out to be the best decision I could have made.
FC: What is your favorite thing about Folly Beach?
MR: I love being able to work from home and stay on the island. I’m able to walk the beach at least once a day and when the weather cooperates, get out on the river with my Sunfish. I’m a fairly insular person by nature, so I’m well suited to living and working this way. That said, the small interactions I have in my daily life are an important part of my day. Whether it’s saying hello to Amanda at the post office, who has the amazing ability to remember most people’s box number, or chatting with Andi at Bert’s or Earl from the City of Folly Beach, it’s a feeling of belonging I haven’t found in any other community I’ve lived in around Charleston.
Most mornings, on the way to the beach, my dog Albert and I stop by Bert’s for a biscuit for him and a coffee for me. After the beach walk we often pop by a neighbor’s yard that has become an informal dog playgroup. After that, my work in the studio begins. I mostly do commissioned portraits, but also animals: dogs, fish, and birds. As you can see in the photo above, a portrait of Bobby Weir, my art is made entirely of bottle caps, both vintage and new.
FC: Tell me a story you’re fond of about Folly Beach.
MR: When I first started coming to Folly Beach in the 1980s, it was more sparsely populated and had a definite bohemian, blue-collar vibe. We’ve gotten a bit fancier since then.
Anyway, back in those days there was a diner on Center Street called The Sanitary—it was anything but, and in fact some people called it the “Unsanitary.” Early one Saturday morning I wound up there with some friends after a long night of partying that had turned into watching the sunrise over the ocean. Picture Mama Flo behind the counter, cigarette hanging out of her mouth, working the grill flipping bacon and pancakes. The waitress came over to take our order. Were we still a little intoxicated? Possibly. When she got to the table, she took a step back and announcedloudly enough for the whole room to hear, “Don’t anyone light a match around this bunch or they might combust.” We didn’t combust but the other patrons did … with laughter.
FC: In your opinion, what’s the most pressing issue facing our community today, and if you were in charge, how would you address it?
MR: I would like to see more solutions to the problem of speeding on the island. I’ve been told speed bumps are a DOT issue, but other areas around Charleston have managed to get them and I hope we can find a way to as well.
A less pressing concern, but still important to me, is more outdoor showers at the beach access parking lots. I was told by someone at the city that a shower costs $10,000 to install. Digging a trench from the water line across an unpaved parking lot and putting in a rudimentary shower shouldn’t cost that much, and I think that number needs to be re-evaluated.
I also believe there should be more public bathrooms in closer proximity to the beach so visitors can easily find them. There are bathrooms at the playgrounds, which is great, but they’re too far from the beach and not everyone knows they’re there.
Pat “Wiggy” Hiban interviews a different “Face of Folly” for this column each month. If you have an idea of someone you think Pat should chat with, please send suggestions to editor@follycurrent.com.
