Marked by the Water
A Multi-disciplinary Arts Commemoration of the First Anniversary of Columbia's 1000-year Flood
“Marked by the Water” is a multi-disciplinary arts project involving visual and literary artists which will serve as a commemoration of the first anniversary of the devastating 1000-year flood suffered by Columbia, SC on and around October 4, 2015. The purpose of the project is to allow for recollection and critical aesthetic processing by Columbia’s artists of events surrounding the flood and its aftermath, resulting in meaningful, complementary, artistic documentation.
“There was work to be done. From physical labor to hauling supplies to helping keep tabs on needs and news via social media, everyone had a job to do. And no less important was the job of the artists who rose to meet the cultural imperative for which they knew they were responsible—documenting not only what happened to our community, but how it made us feel and think. How it changed the way we saw our places in nature, in the community, and in the future.”
Product:
- A full color 8.5” x 11” book containing poetry, prose, and completed visual art contributed by approximately 20 writers (poetry and prose) and 20 visual artists.
- An exhibition of visual art with an opening event on October 4, 2016 which will coincide with the release of the above book of poetry, prose, and visual art
- Release of a compilation CD of local music (already) created by Columbia musicians and musical groups in response to the flood and the community’s needs resulting from the flood
- Commissioning of a dance performance also in response to the flood and its aftermath
- Commissioning of a musical composition also in response to the flood and its aftermath
Process:
- Artists from all disciplines were invited to four meetings, the first occurring on November 30th, 2015. The purpose of the meetings was to build community; share stories, sentiments, and information; and to stay on task via progress reports and face-to-face commitment to fellow artists. Meetings included story and sentiment sharing, presentations from First Responders, a message from the City of Columbia, and site visitations.
- Artists kept track of one another’s work via messages from the project organizers (Cindi Boiter, Ed Madden, and Mary Bentz Gilkerson) as well as via social media (Facebook work group).
Media:
- Local Artists Offer a Plethora of Responses to Last Fall’s Flood, Free Times, October 5, 2016
- Arts Planner: Columbia artists to commemorate flood anniversary at Tapp's event, The State Newspaper, September 30, 2016
- Flood Art Exhibition on 1-Year Anniversary, WLTX, October 3, 2016
- A Year Later, 50 Artists Respond to the Historic Flood, SC ETV, October 21, 2016
As part of the Marked by the Water project, Ron Hagell produced a short film with choreography by Terrance Henderson. Click for more details.
This project was supported by a Connected Communities grant from Central Carolina Community Foundation.
Central Carolina Community Foundation-the Midlands’ expert on philanthropy- is a nonprofit organization serving 11 counties in the Midlands by distributing grants and scholarships and linking the resources of donors, nonprofits and area leaders to communities in need. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.yourfoundation.org or call 803.254.5601.