HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS with SC Philharmonic, Cola Rep Dance Co, Columbia Choral Society, Michael Hazin, Camm Wess, Cat Galan, Johnnie Felder and SANTA!!!

The South Carolina Philharmonic presents Home for the Holidays on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 7:00 PM at the Koger Center for the Arts under the baton of Music Director Morihiko Nakahara. The SC Philharmonic is bringing this community celebration back to the Koger Center for one night only after last season’s inaugural performance. As this concert is a holiday-themed variety show, the orchestra will be joined by singers CammWess (The Voice, Team John Legend), Cat Galan (Stankface, Boomtown Trio), Michael Hazin (musical theatre performer) and opera singer Johnnie Felder. The concert includes two performances by Cola Rep Dance Co. The Columbia Choral Society also comes to the stage for the thrilling second act. Finally, Santa will also be on hand for any last-minute requests. This joyful concert is a creative collaboration between Music Director Morihiko Nakahara and director Chad Henderson, the former Artistic Director of Trustus Theatre and current Marketing Director of the SC Phil. Tickets may be purchased by visiting scphilharmonic.com or by calling the Koger Center Box Office at 803-251-2222. 

Home for the Holidays is one of the last large-scale holiday-themed events of the season, with the performance scheduled on December 19th. This concert is a great way to entertain family and friends who have gathered for the holidays, and to those who are looking for new traditions. Created in collaboration with Music Director Morihiko Nakahara and local theatre director Chad Henderson, this concert promises to be an energetic experience that celebrates the Midlands arts scene. “This concert is a salute to our community,” said Director Chad Henderson. “Last year, we started out trying to create an exciting program of joyous music that would set performers up to shine with an orchestra. Once we got into the weeds, we realized we had created a multidisciplinary celebration of home.” The creative team of Nakahara and Henderson leaned into that aspect with more intentionality this season. 

Columbia Choral Society

Audiences can expect to hear holiday classics like Bing Crosby’s Jingle Bells, Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song and Leroy Anderson’s festive holiday treat: Sleigh Ride. Opera singer Johnnie Felder will join Cat Galan for a very special performance of The Prayer - made famous by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion. The Columbia Choral Society will join the orchestra for arrangements of Twas the Night Before Christmas and selections from John Williams’ Home Alone score, among others.

“Without giving everything away, we have some special surprises planned for our audience,” said Henderson. “With this concert being so late in December, we are really focused on creating an evening for families and friends. A lot of folks are about to travel to other places at that time, and so many are returning home as well. This concert is a great way to get into the spirit, and to be awed by the talent we have in the Midlands. We’re also collaborating with one of my favorite colleagues: lighting designer Marc Hurst. You’re going to get some epic musical experiences out of this one.” 

The SC Philharmonic’s Home for the Holidays will take the Koger Center stage on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 7:00 PM at. Concert ticket prices range from $25 to $55, and they can be purchased at scphilharmonic.com or by calling the Koger Center Box Office (803) 251-2222.

 For more information about the South Carolina Philharmonic, please visit SCPhilharmonic.com 

CALL for PLAYWRIGHTS -- Jasper Project Opens its Call for Scripts for the Play Right Series 2025

Play Right Series: 2025 Call for Submissions

The Jasper Project announces the 5th cycle of its Play Right Series, a collaboration between area theatre artists and Jasper Community Producers—or theater aficionados, supporters and even newcomers. The project will culminate in summer 2025 with the staged reading of a brand-new South Carolina play. 

Submitting A Play

The play submission window is now open. 

  • Playwrights must be natives or residents of South Carolina.

  • The winning playwright must be present for development sessions with Community Producers in Columbia during the summer, 2025 (specific dates to be determined later), and must agree to offer program credit to The Jasper Project at any subsequent productions or publications.

  • Plays may address any topic, using language appropriate to the subject matter; we are not, however, considering musicals or children’s plays. 

  • Submissions must be one-act plays, 45-75 minutes in length, typed according to industry-standard format (see our Sample Format). 

  • Please include, as a cover sheet, a one-page bio of the playwright and description of the play, including cast size and any unusual technical demands, bearing in mind that smaller and fewer are usually preferable.

  • One submission per playwright, please.

  • Please submit your play no later than February 15, 2025  to playrightseries@jasperproject.org

 

Play Selection

When the submission window closes on February 15, 2025, the Play Right Series committee will read and select a play for development through the spring and summer.  “Development,” in this case, means round-table readings with paid actors and directors and attended by Community Producers and Professional Others, followed in the summer by rehearsals and presentation at Harbison Theatre in early September. 

The process will be facilitated by Jasper Community Producers—audience members invested in the development process and supportive of the state’s literary talent. In exchange for a modest financial contribution Jasper Community Producers will be offered insider views of the steps and processes inherent in creating theatrical art by attending readings and rehearsals, and informative talks and presentations including conversations with the actors, director, playwright, stage manager, costumer, and sound and lighting designer. The result: Community Producers learn about the extensive process of producing a play and become invested personally in the production and success of the play and its cast and crew, thereby becoming diplomats of theatre arts.

Previous winning plays have included:

Sharks and Other Lovers by David Randall Cook

Moon Swallower by Colby Quick

Therapy by Lonetta Thompson

Letting It Grow by Chad Henderson

Join Jasper for Vista Lights this Thursday - featuring Lisa Alberghini, Adam Corbett, Karen Sargent, Candace Catoe, Carla Damron, and Valerie Lamott

by Cindi Boiter

In my heart I’m just now switching over from sandals and sundresses to blue jeans and boot weather, but in my brain the calendar tells me that the holidays are sneaking up on us and I think I have to believe it. Unless we’re deep in the darkest timeline, which isn’t out of the question, numbers don’t lie. This Thursday is November 21st and that means Vista Lights is happening this week. Already.

Luckily, the Jasper Team has been at the planning table and we have an evening of local art and festivities planned for you when you join us on Thursday, November 21 at 6 pm at Coal Powered Filmworks at 1217 Lincoln Street in Columbia’s historic Vista. As usual, we’ll have a fun roster of local artists who will be sharing their wares – ornaments, jewelry, small art, surprises!

Among our featured artists are Lisa Alberghini, Adam Corbett, Karen Sargent, Candace Catoe, Carla Damron, and Valerie LaMott!

We’ll have some light snacks, friendly faces, and loads of good cheer as we pretend our political world is still on its axis and we take refuge in the reciprocated pretense of joy on all your smiling faces.

There may be booze.

Join us!

An Evening of Art – Opening Receptions for Exhibits by Janet Swigler and Christina Clark at the Koger Center

By Emily Moffitt, Visual Arts Editor, Jasper Magazine

Join us on Friday, November 22, from 5:30 – 7 p.m. for two art receptions at the Koger Center for the Arts. In the Nook on the second floor of the Koger Center, Jasper Galleries welcomes Janet Swigler. On the ground floor of the Koger Center, walls will be adorned with the work of Christina Clark. Both artists work with abstract forms and subject matter, yet in different ways that engage the viewer.

Janet Swigler moved around the United States often at a young age due to her Air Force family upbringing, but this had a beneficial impact on her adaptability, independence, and resourcefulness. She spent several of her pre-teen years living in Japan, which offered cultural aesthetics and philosophies that continue to influence her art and life. This, along with her musical training and experience in music education, created a synergy of artistic disciplines and ideas that transferred easily to the work she creates. Sewing has been a lifelong interest of hers, and her quilt-making studies under Nancy Crow helped her to reach where she is today.

Christina Clark, originally from Austria, descended from a family of artists and musicians. To this day, she surrounds herself with the joyous energy of visual arts and music through her own personal artistic endeavors and her philanthropic service to the University of South Carolina School of Music. Clark carefully considers the viewer’s experience when she starts to put pastel to paper. Recently, Clark created a series of pieces that served as companions to the Parker Quartet’s Beethoven Quartet cycle. Clark embraces the conversation that music can have with her work and is honored to be able to keep that conversation going through her donations.

Both receptions are free and open to the public. They precede the sold-out performance of Koger Center and ColaJazz present: Live in the Lobby Jazz: The Music of Miles Davis. There’s a lot going on in the Vista that night, including a concert at Colonial Life Arena, so be mindful of parking and get to the receptions early!

Poetry of the People featuring Lisa

This week’s poet of the people is Lisa McVety-Johnson, a gentle soul, who I first met at an exhibition of her husband's artwork. It was a while before I became aware that she was finding her voice through poetry at the 2021 release of Fall Lines. Her work is kind, understated and revealing. I look forward to her continued blossoming and coming into her own as a poet.

Al Black

Lisa Johnson-McVety is a non-fiction writer whose work was previously only heard by college professors, or friends and family at funerals. Born to a southern patriarchal family, her work focuses on the transformative healing from traumatic events in her life and is dedicated to those before her who had no voice. In 2018, at the age of 49, during lunch breaks and evenings after work, Lisa graduated from the University of South Carolina with honors earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative Writing. Lisa was awarded her first publication in 2021 Fall Lines, where you may read her poem, Sad Feet. Lisa’s poem, It’s 4 a.m., was awarded publication in The South Carolina Bards Poetry Anthology 2023. 

  

In my fall

The leaves crunch

beneath

my feet

and yet remain,

only changed

in form.

 

This season brings

a shedding,

a new stage,

and with it, new buds form

on the landscape

of my page.

 

I choose my response

to both the blooms

and the blight.

I’m a work in progress

an eternal dreamer

a student of this life.

 

  

Earth Angel

 

I was living with no clue

until I saw him for the first time

through new eyes,

the cataracts of my past removed.

 

Hardened tree limbs

for arms and legs

that engulf and protect

my wilting self.

 

I soar so very high

knowing not what the future brings.

He holds my cares, my cries

in the comfort of his wings.

 

I find relief in him

from the heat of the flames

for in his cool breeze

I live again.

 

I allow myself to float.

Expansive sky above

sun on my shoulders

safe in the sea of his love.

 

 

Shhhh

 

I am the devil

I am man himself

I am father

 

His words echo in my head

as his hand presses my face

deep into the bed

my jaws wrenched

out of place.

 

He always screamed “hush!”

 

He’s still trying to quiet me

 

He’s dead

 

The Box

 

The year 2028.

Abortion, firmly in our past.

No more bi-partisan hate.

New policy on the scene.

New government to intervene.

 

Email provides a link

to our portal.

Your fate sealed

as your date of birth will reveal.

If male, press the circle.

 

Minimally invasive,

it touts to be of great appeal.

A quick nip and tuck

no need for drugs.

Just a slice at birth, and home to heal.

 

And so, ends

the divisiveness

of this quarrel.

 

History books speak of

our barbaric acts,

how our young society suffered.

Don’t worry about these cracks.

For under our reign, we shall recover.

 

No more unwanted births.

The burden no longer on her.

Absolution founded by a mother.

Apply inside once notified

we deem you worthy to give life to another.

 

Thank god for a woman

I think God is a woman

 

Don’t worry. Whether you like it or not, we’ll protect you.

Join the Jasper Project and SCAA for a Reading and Launch Celebration of Southern Voices – Fifty Contemporary Poets Edited by Tom Mack and Andrew Geyer

By Cindi Boiter

Poetry and place come together beautifully in Tom Mack and Andrew Geyer’s (editors) new book, Southern Voices – Fifty Contemporary Poets (Lamar University Press) Which launched on October 1st on the campus of University of SC at Aiken, where Mack is a distinguished professor emeritus and Geyer serves as chair of the English Department. The two previously worked together editing the fiction anthology, A Shared Voice: A Tapestry of Tales (Lamar University Press, 2013), and have joined forces once again to bring us a new and intriguing look at contemporary poetry from the South.

“Because of the overwhelming success of that collection of paired tales, the folks at Lamar University Literary Press wondered if we could put together an equally attractive book of poems,” Mack says. Mack also edited Dancing on Barbed Wire (Angelina River Press, 2018) which Geyer co-wrote with Terry Dalrymple and Jerry Craven. “We knew from the outset of the multi-year project that we wanted to cover the whole South from Virginia to Texas, from Arkansas to Florida; and we thought that 50 would be the minimum number of poets (4-6 poems by each) that we would need to do justice to the complex geography and culture of this distinctive region of the country.”

South Carolina poetry aficionados will not be surprised by the list of distinguished contributors to Southern Voices, among them Jasper’s own poetry editor and inaugural Columbia city poet laureate, Ed Madden, along with Libby Bernadin, Marcus Amaker, Ron Rash, Glennis Redmond, and forty-five equally accomplished poets from across the region.

“Once we decided on how many poets to include in the book,” Mack says, “we divided the South in half. Because I had edited the South Carolina Encyclopedia Guide to South Carolina Writers (USC Press) and managed the USC Aiken writers’ series for over a decade, I volunteered to invite 25 poets from the Atlantic coast, the part of the South I know best. Drew (Geyer), a native of Texas and a member of the Texas Institute of Letters, focused on Southern states from Alabama to west of the Mississippi.”

The theme of “place” features prominently in this collection, Mack says. “It thus made sense to invite as many state and local poets laureate as possible since those individuals had already been selected by governmental entities to represent a particular locale. All of the Southern states have state poets laureate; and some states, such as South Carolina, have poets laureate who have been selected to represent cities and towns. Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, and Rock Hill, for example, have municipal poets laureate. Thus, we were expecting that most of the poems submitted by each invited poet would focus on place: physical, emotional, spiritual, or psychological. We were not disappointed.”

But the co-editors recognized early on that the representation of contemporary Southern poets looks increasingly different than in decades past, as it should. “From the very beginning of the process, we wanted to put together a book that reflected the changing demographics of the region, its growing diversity and burgeoning equality of opportunity. Thus, in choosing our invitees, we kept gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation in mind,” Geyer says.

In his introduction to the volume Mack writes, “Perhaps no other region of this vast country is haunted more by the past. In the case of the American South, heavy lie the legacy of slavery and the specter of the Civil War. … Yet, the winds of change can be felt throughout the American South, due in large part to both a generational and demographic shift—the region is consistently being enriched by transplants from other parts of the country and other nations of the world.”

“This Southern Voices collection is a testament to how far we’ve come,” Geyer agrees. “The poets in this anthology are Black and white and brown, straight and LGBTQ+, native Southerners and northern transplants—a mélange of artists from across the Greater South most of whom have served as the poets laureate of their states and/or local communities. These are the poets whose work everyday folks living in the South chose to represent them. The diversity of voices that you’ll find in this incredible volume is reflective of the people who make the place what it is.” 

Launch celebrations and readings for Southern Voices are scheduled  throughout the state. The public is invited to attend the Columbia event, sponsored in part by the Jasper Project and the South Carolina Academy of Authors, from 6 to 8 pm on November 14th at All Good Books in Five Points. Poets scheduled to read from the collection include Ed Madden, Glenis Redmond, Libby Bernardin, and Ellen Hyatt.

 

 

 

A version of this article appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of Jasper Magazine - Available now throughout Columbia

Jasper's First Thursday at Sound Bites Features Jarid Lyfe Brown

By Cindi Boiter

The Jasper Project is excited to welcome visual artist Jarid Lyfe Brown to our gallery space at Sound Bites Eatery as part of our First Thursday celebration this Thursday, November 7th.

A profoundly original artist, Brown’s technique has typically leaned toward surrealistic expression often by anthropomorphizing animals and visually annotating his subjects on the same canvas.

Born in Atlanta and raised in Columbia, Brown has lived in Gilbert for the -last 17 years. A construction worker by day for the past 30 years, Brown attended SCAD but is, for the most part, self-taught. His work has recently shown at both Soul Haus and Havens Gallery.

“About two years ago, life seemed to be unexpectedly and unusually busy and chaotic,” Brown says. “Between that and lazy excuses, painting and drawing started drifting because I was used to painting very large which can be time consuming. I grabbed a new sketchbook as a sort of documentation device for my current erratic thoughts and regular life experiences. Since a 10x7 book is a bit more portable, this would give me a chance to work anywhere. These small new works [in his Sound Bites exhibition] reflect about two years of sporadic expression, sometimes even forced so to not let go of something that means so much.”

Jenny Thompson Leads Collaborative “Cut-A-Thon" for Hurricane Relief at the Koger Center

By Emily Moffitt, visual arts editor Jasper Magazine

Have you waited too long since your last haircut? Have you been looking for an opportunity to help out your fellow Carolinians in the wake of Hurricane Helene?

You have the chance to do both at the same time on November 7, from 11 am to 6 pm on the Koger Center Plaza Stage. Jenny Thompson, owner of Bombshell Beauty Studio who shares her heart with both Columbia and Asheville, has led the charge to gather local Columbia-based hair stylists to offer “pay-what-you-can" haircut services, with all payments and proceeds going towards relief programs based in Western North Carolina. The highlighted relief programs are BeLoved Asheville, River Arts District Artists, and ARG Rigging & Rescue. Upon receiving a fresh and new haircut, guests are able to pick which fund they’d like their payment to go towards.

The event will take place rain or shine, but in the event of inclement weather, the haircutting services will move inside to the Koger Center lobby. You can find more information about the event on the Koger Center’s social media, or Jenny Thompson’s instagram (@curlndye)

For more information about the relief funds, check out these links:

BeLoved Asheville

River Arts District Artists

ARG Rigging & Rescue

Poetry of the People featuring Cynthia Francis

This week's Poet of the People is Cynthia Francis. 

I met Cynthia through poet, Jane Zenger. She is a newly retired educator busy finding her voice through poetry. There is no ambiguity or trying to decide what she means; her poetry is refreshingly direct and unapologetically to the point. Zealous to hone her craft, she can be found actively participating in poetry readings and workshops. I look forward to her future involvement and development in our poetry community.

Al Black

Cynthia Francis began her teaching career at the Fort Jackson Schools 39 years
ago. She started as a second-grade teacher, then moved to pre-kindergarten, and
ended her career teaching kindergarten. She served on several committees and
organizations during her professional career. Chairperson for Professional
Development Schools with the University of South Carolina. Chairperson of the School
Improvement Council/Committee, President of the Fort Jackson Association of
Educators, Chairperson/Organizer of Multicultural Project at Pinckney Elementary
School. Member of Who’s Who, and Former President of SCECA(South Carolina Early
Childhood Association). She has recently supervised interns for the USC College of
Education.

Redone

Stop living in the shadow of memories,
plucking out pieces of sentiment
capturing thoughts and triggering emotions.
Stop dwelling in the spirit
relevant to feelings.
Life doesn’t come with guarantees.
You’re just a being
needing to make a stance.
Sometimes, you have to take a chance.
Just listen to the quiet!
It’s like the world stops
at the end of the day.
You, in your space,
moving towards a place.

____

Love Finds You

Love finds you when you’re never looking.
It sees you from the inside.
Things unseen,
no one watches for
through the quietness
which tells it all.
Listen carefully to unspoken words,
it lets you know the strength
and fortitude of your worth.
Love finds you when you’re never looking.
Connects the wrong,
yet, gives the sense you belong.
Half the duo, silent and strong.
A heart-filled love, free from loneliness
someone who shares, no more emptiness.
A life that cares, no broken promises.
Love’s a sanctuary gathers forth
a restless spirit from within
and brings peace which smoothly transcends.
Love finds you when you’re never looking.
It sees you from the inside,
a subtle moment catches like fireworks
then later subsides.
Love is everlasting, never-ending.
It ebbs and flows until time ends.
Love finds you.
It sees you from the inside
when you’re never looking.

____

Life

Life is a full circle.
Each day brings opportunities to learn,
grow from the past.
Memories are not to be ghosted,
put in jars, placed on shelves,
become forgotten, only to reinvent themselves
in the future as unwanted guests.
Life itself does not have an expiration date.
The idea of living holds tremendous weight.
Stand up, hold tight
living is not quite dead yet.
There’s still light.
With living comes discomfort, mess, discord, stress.
It also reminds you of those hard times
that leads to your best moments.
Life can express itself in the shadows of comfort
while pulling to the present those feel-good pleasures of self
connected to others in memories.
Joys shared, actions delivered, show we care,
relaxed in the company kept.
Life is a full circle,
but we allow it to slip away.
We give time the upper hand.
One side of the hourglass is full of sand.
We can’t recover, can’t reuse.
can only make new the time we have now,
so, let’s use until it’s gone.

____

Too Much

They moved shows from the stage
brought raggedy selves in our faces.
Tails throbbing, hips bobbing,
words flirting, asses twerking.
Someone shouting, “Back it up, gal!”
Everyone’s talking nonsense.
All done in constant pursuit
to screw consumers
of their dollars and cents.
Fill their drawers with lingerie,
bribe young girls to cover their lips
with filthy named gloss
cosmetic stores won’t sell.
Put your name out there, show who’s the boss.
Your name on the latest perfume,
that’s how you can sell it.
Nothing soothes the soul like being told you’re at the top.
At some point, this bullshit has to stop!


Capturing Memories: Kristin Holzer at Jasper’s Tiny Gallery this November -- By Liz Stalker

By Liz Stalker

Kristin Holzer, a Columbia painter, has had a passion for paint, and its power of visual permanence since she was a child. “Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved to create,” Holzer, who is completely self-taught, says, “I have always used my art as a way of capturing my memories. I would paint my pets, places I traveled to, and local landscapes that I loved.”

Following her move to South Carolina in October of 2021, Holzer found herself drawing further into her landscape work. “When I moved to Columbia, SC, I began to paint local landscapes and landmarks as a way for me to explore my new home,” Holzer says. Holzer has already painted a number of iconic state sites, from the 200-year-old Poinsett Bridge in Landrum to the lush marshes of Charleston, to the USC Horseshoe here in Columbia. Each of these pieces, which feature vibrant natural greens, bright lighting, and sharp shadow work reflect a deep appreciation for the landscape and keen eye for detail. This literal and artistic exploration has culminated in her current goal of painting every single one of the 47 state parks in South Carolina.

In addition to this goal, Holzer has found fulfillment in her commission work, saying, “I have found a love for not only sharing my artwork with others, but also painting other peoples’ pets and memories[…] I have been blessed to receive so much support from my local community, and it has been an absolute joy sharing my artwork with people who love South Carolina as much as I do now.”

Holzer’s show at the Jasper Project’s virtual Tiny Gallery, which marks just over three years of her South Carolina residency, opens Friday, November 1st, and is available through the end of the month.

STILL HERE -- Jump Scares, Gore Ratings, and What to Watch if You're Staying in on Halloween

STILL HERE is a new column by Jasper Magazine editor Cindi Boiter

I remember being invited to  a Halloween costume party in my early 20s when we lived in DC and being flummoxed by the invitation to “dress up” in a costume for the event. Dress up? Like a child? I thought. This was in the early 80s and all I could think was that Halloween was for children and  I had no idea how to approach “dressing up” as an adult. Thankfully, the years have passed and taught me that Halloween may be for children, but it is also a sacred night for so many of my LGBTQ+ friends who love the holiday for the personal and aesthetic freedom it has traditionally allowed, as well as artists and creatives, like my friends Bohumila Augustinova and B.A. Hohman, who treat Halloween the way they treat their daily lives, with creativity and panache.  

In any case, I’ve learned my lessons about Halloween, and now I recognize that I don’t dress up primarily because I’m too lazy. That said, I appreciate the spookiness of Halloween, as seen through the eyes of my grandchildren, and I love a free night that allows me to stay in and watch scary and, sometimes, esoteric films.  

To that end, I took advantage of having filmmaking friends who know much more about scary flicks than I do and I asked a few of them to recommend some films to watch on Halloween night. But because I’m a wimp I also asked them to indicate whether there are scare-jumps in their recommended movies (I hate them!) and to rate the films for gore with 1 being OK for wussies (me!) and 5 being grossest. 

Thanks to Thaddeus Jones, Chris Bickel, and David Axe for helping me out. Here’s what we came up with.

David Axe, independent filmmaker 

SKINAMARINK (2022)

“A divisive and unique cinematic nightmare. No jump scares, just dread.”  (Axe)

Gore Rating - 1

Jump Scares - 0

~

CUCKOO (2024)

“A trippy and atmospheric horror set in the German alps. Several jump scares.” (Axe)

 Gore Rating -2

Jump Scares - many

Chris Bickel, independent filmmaker

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)

“No real jump scares, but an unexpected ending. The movie that started everything and ushered in the modern horror era. I watch it every Halloween. “ 

Gore Rating – 2

Jump Scares - 0

PIECES (1982)

~

“Amazing Eurotrash slasher movie”  

Gore Rating – 4

Jump Scares -1  

~

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR (1985)  

“0 on the gore scale, just dumb fun. No jump scares. Made-for-TV comedy horror with Levar Burton and Sheri Belafonte. Kind of hard to find, but worth seeking it out for stupid fun. It's like if Michael Jackson's Thriller was a feature-length TV comedy.” 

Gore Rating – 0

Jump Scares – 0

 

Thaddeus Jones – independent filmmaker

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008)  

Oskar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl. (IMDb) 

Gore Rating – 3

Jump Scares – 2

~ 

SLITHER (2006) 

A small town is taken over by an alien plague, turning residents into zombies and all forms of mutant monsters. (IMDb) 

Gore Rating – 5

Jump Scares – 2

  ~

TRAIN TO BUSSAN (2016) 

While a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan (IMDb) 

Gore Rating -2

Jump Scares – 3 

~

 THE SHINING

Stanley Kubrick classic based on the Stephen King novel starring Jack Nicholson

Gore Rating – 2

Jump Scares --3

 

Jones also mentioned one of my favorite horror films, The Fly (1986) starring a very cute Jeff Goldblum and a porcelain-skinned Geena Davis. I favor the zeros when it comes to jump scares and gore, and Thad gave The Fly a 4.5 on gore with 1 jump scare, which made me feel brave af. But I wonder if, like me, Jones also prefers the 1958 version starring Vincent Price with David Hedison as his brother who, spoiler alert, ends up with the arm and head of a man, but the rest of his body, a fly, feebly and frighteningly muttering those infamous words that are still tattooed on my brain, “Help me. Help me!” 

If you’re staying in and watching something horrific on Thursday night, let us know  what you have queued up.

 

 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Congratulations to the Jasper Project’s 2024 2nd Act Film Project Winners & Photos by Perry McLeod from the Event!

Art by Cait Maloney

Wednesday night was a brilliant night for local independent filmmakers at the Jasper Project’s 2024 2nd Act Film Project at 701 Whaley! With a sold-out house and fabulous arts energy, we celebrated all 14 SC filmmakers who were juried into the project, screened all 14 films, and awarded a total of $2500 in cash prizes to our participants.

Participants included Adam Weber, Idris Pearson, Nick Clay, Marley Gregory, Chad Henderson, Thaddeus Jones, Bakari Lebby, Silas Rowland, Taiyen Stevenson, Alex Steele, Andrew Smith, Ebony Wilson, Dustin Weible, and USC SGTV 1080c, a student film group from USC.

2024 welcomed the largest roster of filmmaker applicants thus far and, in keeping with the mission of the Jasper Project, there was no entry fee for participating in the project. Filmmakers also received a $100 stipend from the Jasper Project to help offset production costs.

2nd Act Film Project director, and Jasper Project Board of Directors president Wade Sellers had this to say about this year’s event: “The 2024 2nd Act Film Project confirms that the indie film community in the midlands is stronger than ever. Filmmakers and indie film fans gathered to watch 14 films created solely for the screening and a packed house of almost 230 people laughed and celebrated the strongest group of movies made for the second act project thus far. This group of films marks 84 movies that have been made by South Carolina filmmakers and produced by the Jasper Project. The Jasper Project is proud to take a leading role in supporting the growth of the new wave of indie filmmakers in the state.”

Sellers continues, “Our 2nd Act judging panel of creative professionals, faced difficult challenges choosing individual awards from this year‘s group of 2nd Act Film Project films. Each film exhibited highly professional approaches to the craft and awards came down to serious discussions between panelists. Quite simply, the talent in every category was just too good to pick an obvious winner. To witness the serious approach each filmmaker took toward the creation of a six-minute short film is humbling and the high quality of the end product is overwhelming. Our indie film community is as strong as ever.”

In addition to cash prizes, winning filmmakers were also presented with artisanal awards created by Columbia, SC - based visual artist Michael Krajewski.

Adjudicators included Kwasi Brown, founder of Black Nerd Mafia, indie filmmaker Robbie Robertson, and visual artist Michaela Pilar Brown, all of whom viewed the films in advance of the screening . The Audience Award was decided via secret ballot (one ballot per person) by attendees at the Wednesday night event. The awards were as follows:

Audience Award – Toreador, Chad Henderson

Producers Award (Best Film) – Toreador, Chad Henderson

Best Script – For He’s a Jolly Dead Fellow, Silas James Rowland

Best Director – the Easter Sunday Massacre, William Nicholas Clay

Best Cinematography – Toreador, Jonathan Palance

Best Editing – The Other Within, Collins White

Best Actor – Toreador, Cesar Davalos

Best Score – Ryde, Ebony Wilson

All 2nd Act Film Project screenplays are bound, given an ISBN, and filed with the US Library of Congress as a way of preserving for posterity some of the art created by the Jasper Project and art coming out of Columbia, SC.

This event, including our cash awards, was made possible by our generous sponsors. Please thank them for their support of local film art and patronize their places of business. Sponsors were Bill Schmidt, The Dragon Room, Fit Columbia, Sound and Images, Precision Garage Door of Columbia, Marketing Performance, Rikard & Protopappas, Columbia Arts Academy, Final Draft, and Coverfly.

Thanks again to everyone who came out to support LOCAL INDEPENDENT FILM in Columbia, SC! To keep up with future film arts projects and all of Jasper’s many arts projects, including the call for the 2025 2nd Act Film Project, subscribe to Sundays with Jasper. To put your name on the 2nd Act Film Project, the Play Right Series, Jasper Magazine, and all of our multidisciplinary arts projects, join the Jasper Guild of Supporters for as little as $25 at the Artist Peer Level.

Enjoy a few of the images captured Wednesday night by local photographer Perry McLeod.

Taiyen Stevenson - 15 Minutes

Chad Henderson - Toreador

Local indie filmmaker Chris Bickel

Ebony Wilson - Ryde

Delicious food by Chef Joe Turkaly is a tradition at 2nd Act Film Project

Jasper board member & visual artist Keith Tolen (r) with filmmaker Thaddeus Jones

Nick Clay accepting his award for The Easter Sunday Massacre

Alex Steel and Collins White — the Other Within

Silas Rowland with crew - For He’s a Jolly Dead Fellow

Filmmaker Ebony Wilson with Mom

Jonathan Palance and Chad Henderson — Toreador

Jasper Project Operating Director Bekah Rice

2nd Act Film Project director Wade Sellers with 701 Whaley’s Leeann Kornegay and Jasper Project founder & Executive Director Cindi Boiter

Working the door — Jasper Board members Christina Xan and Liz Stalker with Coal Powered Filmworks employee Jami Wiseman

Award artist Michael Krajewski with Jasper Magazine co-founder Bob Jolley, aka Bier Doc.

Sponsor Bill Schmidt with guests.

Jasper board member Kwasi Brown enjoying snacks by Joe Turkaly.

Cesar Davalos accepting his Best Actor award for Toreador

Wade Sellers with filmmaker Kari Lebby.

Jasper Partners with Black Nerd Mafia & Curiosity Coffee to Present the 3rd Annual Frightmare on Main Street 2024 featuring Autocorrect and Tyler Wise & So Much More!

We’re Back!

The Jasper Project is excited to partner once again this year with Black Nerd Mafia and our gracious host, Curiosity Coffee, to help kick off Halloween with one of our favorite and most fun events — Frightmare on Main Street!

Friday, October 25, 2024

5:00 PM 10:00 PM

Curiosity Coffee Bar — 2327 Main Street

The fun starts at 5 pm when you arrive and grab your bag(s) of votes for your favorite artisanally carved pumpkin, created for your viewing, voting, and purchasing pleasure by some of Columbia’s spookiest artists, including

Tennyson Corley

Devon Corley

Cynthia Bowie

Keith Tolen

Thomas Washington

Michael Krajewski

Regina Langston

Billy Guess

Artist - Olga Yukhno

5:00pm – Doors

$10 for all events and activities + 5 candy votes for the pumpkin carving contest.

Kids under 10 get in free!


5:30pm - Horror Movie Trivia

Bring your team and kick off the night with trivia hosted by Black Nerd Mafia.


6:30pm - Jasper’s 2nd Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest

These aren’t your everyday jack-o'-lanterns. Vote on your favorite pumpkins carved by local artists and bid in our silent auction to take one home. All proceeds benefit the Jasper Project and the winning artist takes home a fabulous prize!

Candy votes will be available for sale and 5 votes are included for free with the cost of admission.


Cosplay Costume Contest

Contest categories include Best Children's Costume, and Best Adult Costume.


Winners for the Pumpkin Carving and Cosplay Costume Contest will be announced around 8pm.

Pumpkin Bidding with close at 8:45pm


8:15pm – Autocorrect & Tyler Wise


Artist - Bohumila Augustinova

Artist - Kimber Carpenter

Poetry of the People Featuring Lisa Spears

This week's Poet of the People is Lisa Spears. I first met Lisa at Aiken County Library for Art of Words. Her poetry blew me away. Since then, she has featured at Mind Gravy and I have heard her read in Charleston; I am hungry for more.

She teaches English to marginalized high school students in Charleston; her book, Releasing Birds, is must read material for those who have triumphed over the trauma of living - "At first, it felt sinful"

-Al Black

Lisa Spears is a poet who resides in Charleston, SC. Her debut book, Releasing Birds came out earlier this year. It is written in memoir fashion–giving a personal testimony to her journey and healing from traumatic experiences. Often images from her work are stark, yet painfully beautiful. Spears moved to Charleston from the Midwest to follow her dream of writing while living by the ocean. She also teaches high school English to students experiencing trauma. She can be reached at Follypoet63@gmail.com

 Hope to the Brim

       When grief for the world assails me,

       and words avail me none,

       and rockets rain in succession in day blind wars

       and the amputee and the orphans cry

       and a lone woman pushes the grocery cart filled with a home,

       and there’s a bad accident on I-78  

       and  an Aunt Ida is ill,

       and the family cat ran away,

       And all hope is at the bottom of the barrel,

       I must cleave hope to remain 

       steadfast and standing

       in my heart’s recall for,

       Somewhere a baker is whistling to the day’s fresh start,

       and geese are flying south,

       and a boy is rejoicing to ride a two wheel bike,

       and a sliver of light passes through the curtain,

       and a toddler dances with a kite and they are twirling,

       and seagulls frame the beach

       and a grandpa baits the hook,

       and sheets dry on the line,

       and a child makes a wish with a dandelion flower,

       and a niece is in remission,

       and fall leaves keep falling,

       and wild horses run so free,

       and Morning Glories frame a white front porch,

       and church bells ring come Sunday morn’,

       and the people thereof keep on singing

,

       And they keep singing,

       I keep singing,

       we keep singing,

       until we know the words again,

       filling hope to the brim,

       And the cat came home.

       Somewhere, the cat is home.

       

“ Adverbial Pause”

               Another boy was murdered by another boy

               today, I got the news

               when the principal calls

               at six p.m.

               on a Saturday

               it’s never good at my school. 

               Where they share lunch

               and high fives and still love

               when I bring candy.

               Now, I can’t teach them about adverbs

               how splendidly, gleefully, beautiful

               it could have been

               to turn sixteen.


 “The Crossing (Yam Suph & Almamanu)”

                                                  Jewish and Arabic translation

                                             

                            Deir-al-Balah used to glitter by the sea

                            there among palms

                            families sang songs

                            a fisherman could hear

                            upon the water

                            Today, for a son

                            the house a hollow tomb

                            to hold his Um (mother)

                            The boy will go now

                            on the far side of land

                            to find Ab (father)

                            at the line drawn in the sand

                            Following the rockets by night

                            a myriad of faces

                            eclipse in shuttered flame

                            A piece of bread

                            for a child 

                            with no name

                            Slipping past soldiers

                            towering like false gods

                            At dawn he runs

                            to the great divide.

                            There a girl is weeping

                            for a bright, blue dress

                            Bobbe (grandmother) she cries

                            Beyond the expanse

                            there is no sky

                           He reaches her hand

                           across the world

                           of every side

                           Herein lies a Holy Land.       


A Special Jasper Project and South Carolina Pride Third Thursday Exhibit at the Koger Center

Join us on Thursday, October 17, from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at the Koger Center for the Arts for the opening reception of our special Pride Art Exhibition! This special exhibit in The Nook features four Columbia based artists who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. The artwork of Jahnna Blyden, Kimber Carpenter, Mahkia Greene, and Quincy Pugh will be on display from October 17 through November 19, 2024. The opening reception will also feature a live queer poetry reading curated by Liberation is Lit with poets Leigha Carson, Brandy del Rio, and Maggie Olszewski!

The reception is free and open to the public. Learn more about the featured artists below:

Jahnna Blyden is a dynamic artist and graphic designer whose work spans the realms of fine art and visual communication with remarkable finesse. With a background in both graphic design and traditional art, Blyden brings a multifaceted approach to her practice, seamlessly integrating elements of design theory with the expressive freedom of painting, resulting in pieces that are as visually arresting as they are conceptually rich.

In her role as a graphic designer, she leverages her artistic sensibilities to craft compelling visuals that communicate messages with clarity and impact. Whether it's branding campaigns, illustration work, or digital media projects, she infuses each design with a unique blend of creativity and strategic thinking. Jahnna’s dedication to her craft is evident in her commitment to continuous growth and innovation. Constantly seeking new challenges and pushing the boundaries of her creativity.

Kimber Carpenter is a self-taught acrylic and mixed media artist from Irmo, South Carolina. She loves creating art with bold colors and interesting content. Her love for music, the arts and the beauty of the human spirit is poured into every piece she works on and gives her daily inspiration to create. When she is not painting, she immerses herself in other art forms such as writing music or working as a freelance graphic designer.

She has exhibited with the Jasper Project, the Cottontown Art Crawl, Melrose Art in the Yard, Sound Bites Eatery, Rob Shaw Gallery, Land Bank Lofts, Aloft Hotel, NoMa Warehouse, Vista Lights, 14 Carrot Foods, Musician’s Supply, Frink Meeting Space, Pitter Platter, Nicky’s Pizzeria, Carolina Imports, Autumn Faire Arts Festival, The Mad Hatter’s Art Festival, The Artist Coop, Still Hopes Episcopal Home, Irmo Chamber of Commerce and Irmo Town Hall.

Carpenter has become known for her unique, quirky retro space series pieces. They include mixed media work as well as hand painted ray guns and robots. Kimber’s childhood love affair with science fiction has inspired her to create colorful, whimsical space art that she absolutely loves making.

Mahkia Greene (They/She) is a visual storyteller and teaching artist based in Columbia, South Carolina. With a BA in Media Arts from the University of South Carolina, Greene has dedicated nearly a decade to blending education with artistry through media literacy and creation. They served for several years as the Manager of Media Education at The Nickelodeon Theatre, a local independent cinema, and have led a diverse array of in-school, after-school, and field trips programs that explore queerness, rural culture, and race. 

Greene’s expertise extends nationally, with guest facilitation at notable events such as the 2017 Creating Change Conference in Philadelphia, the 2018 Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago, and the Picturing Democracy series at the College of Charleston in 2021. Their personal creative work as a Black, queer, Southern artist delves into the intersections of media and identity, producing subversive art that reclaims the means of storytelling and explores the expression of self. Their visual creations have been showcased across the East Coast, gracing venues and festivals including the Indie Grits Film Festival, the Nasher Museum of Art, the Columbia Museum of Art, and the Boston Center for the Arts.

Quincy Pugh was born on August 25, 1958, in Augusta, Georgia. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art from Augusta University in 1982 and a Master of Librarianship from the University of South Carolina in 1988. Pugh served as the Film and Sound Librarian/Manager at Richland Library (Columbia) from 1989 until his retirement in June 2018.  In that capacity, he also coordinated exhibitions and was in close contact with local, regional, and national recognized artists and illustrators. He also helped establish and served as chair of the library’s African American History and Cultural Events committee for numerous years. His position and love of music, literature and art kept him entrenched in Columbia’s cultural and arts community but didn’t allow much time for his love for painting. Since his retirement he has dedicated his time to developing a new and exciting body of work reflective of his community and southern heritage.      

 

We are so excited to include a live poetry reading as well – come by for the art and stick around to listen to local poets share their art as well!

From left to right: Leigha Carson, Brandy del Rio, Maggie Olszewski

Poetry of the People Featuring Jeff Gregory

This week's Poet of the People is Jeff Gregory. Before the printing press, poetry was carried to the people by balladeers and singer/songwriters; Jeff Gregory writes and performs as a twenty-first century balladeer, singer/songwriter.

I have known Jeff for several years. First from afar and later sharing the mic during his performance at a house concert and then between sets for a concert with several bands,  He has featured at Mind Gravy and I am honored to call him friend.

You may find him performing with his band, The Runout or with his wife, Kelley in The Run Out Duo. He also generously contributes his talents to performances of several bands and musicians both on stage and in the recording studio. Visit his website.

Bones and Stars

There are bones in the ground, and a wheel rolls on ‘cause it’s round
If you take all that you’ve found, where will it leave you, in the end.

Every bit of us was something else before.
And we stare across with open hearts and wonder what’s in store
And the layers to it all make it so much more mysterious….that I found you

There are stars in the sky that shine on us from back in time
And leave the questions in our minds but I’ll never find the answers

When I wake up and the sky had all turned grey
And I wonder if the stars I saw last night had gone away
Then I looked into your eyes and it seems that they sparkle the same way, the same way

We can do it if we want to. We can let our starlight shine
We can do it if we want to. We can let our starlight shine.

Currency

There’s pattern of thought and pattern of form
And where they break off is where we go wrong
If something is human and we choose to speak it out loud
The next breath we take is closer to working it out

There’s love in the arms of someone like you
There’s barking dogs, setting suns, rising red moons
When the bottom line fades so far out of view
What currency matters to you

A new baby cries and old man does too
For all of the life that passes by you
So cast out your nets and see what the haul will bring in
And when the going gets rough let it out and bring it back in

There’s hope in the future for when we’ll share time
There’s laughter and music and stars that align
When the bottom line keeps us distracted and blind
What currency eases your mind

There’s love in the arms of someone like you
There’s brow sweat and birdsong on a cliffside in June
When the bottom line fades so far out of view
What currency matters to you

Ghost

The air is thick
Just like a dream
As if something happened here last night while I was still asleep
But now you’re gone or whatever that means
Cause your words echo inside my mind I feel you in my heart and I can see you in my dreams

And your ghost is so close to me
Even if I made you up in my mind ultimately
Your ghost is so close to me

Way down that road
The moon on the hill
Thought I felt your hand on mine the window’s down the other’s on the steering wheel
But you’re not there
I can’t take it anymore
There was a time we were together now I’m drinking and not even keeping score

And your ghost is so close to me
Even if I made you up in my mind ultimately
Your ghost is so close to me

Bio

Jeff Gregory is another wonderful former educator who the South Carolina public education system has run off. He and his wife, Kelley, are raising two children and two dogs somewhere between Lugoff and Columbia while he works at Anson Mills and pursues a creative life in music. "I take joy in the small stuff, and the things that memories are made of." (Jeff Gregory)

Jasper Announces The Roster of 2nd Act Film Project Filmmakers -- Tickets Going Fast!

The Jasper Project is delighted to announce the return of the 2nd Act Film Project on Wednesday October 23, 2024, at 701 Whaley Market Space. A VIP reception with filmmakers starts at 6 pm, followed by the main event at 7:30 – a screening of 14 new independent films all created by SC filmmakers. 

The brainchild of Jasper Project SC board president and Emmy-nominated indie filmmaker Wade Sellers, owner of Columbia, SC’s Coal Powered Filmworks, 2nd Act Film Project is a unique take on the independent film project. Filmmakers are given the 1st and 3rd acts of a short film script. Their task is to write the 2nd act and make the movie.  

To date, the 2nd Act Film Project has produced a total of 70 indie SC films. 2024 welcomed the largest roster of filmmaker applicants thus far, with 14 filmmakers selected to participate in the project. In keeping with the mission of the Jasper Project there is no entry fee for participating in the project. Filmmakers receive a $100 stipend from the Jasper Project to help offset production costs. In order to help nurture the growth of the SC indie film community, filmmakers are also encouraged to reach out to the Jasper Project, Coal Powered Filmworks, and each other for advice and assistance with the technical and artistic challenges of creating an independent film. 

The 2nd Act Film Project roster of filmmakers includes Adam Weber, Idris Pearson, Nick Clay, Marley Gregory, Chad Henderson, Thaddeus Jones, Bakari Lebby, Silas Rowland, Taiyen Stevenson, Alex Steele, Andrew Smith, Ebony Wilson, Dustin Weible, and USC SGTV 1080c. With $2500 in cash prizes, awards include the top prizes of the Audience Award—every ticket holder may cast one vote—and the 2nd Act Producers’ Award, each at $500, as well as $250 prizes for Best Script, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Editor, and Best Original Score. Judges are award-winning SC filmmaker Robbie Robertson, visual artist and gallerist Michaela Pilar Brown, and multi-disciplinary artist Kwasi Brown, founder of Black Nerd Mafia.  

~~ Thanks to the following Sponsors ~~

Title Sponsor

Precision Garage Door Repair

Partner Sponsor

Final Draft

Program Sponsors

Bill Schmidt

Coal Powered Filmworks

Filmmaker Sponsors

Rikard and Protopappas

FIT Columbia

Columbia Arts Academy

Marketing Performance

The Dragon Room

Tickets are $20 for general admission and $75 for VIPs and are available at EventBrite

Insider Tip: This event is historically a sell-out with SRO — Don’t sleep on securing your seat!

REVIEW: Antigone at USC's Longstreet Theatre by Libby Campbell

Sophocles’ Antigone, written in the 5th Century BCE  is the final chapter of the Oedipus Trilogy. Our story starts in the city of Thebes. Didem Ruhi’s beautiful lamentation provides the perfect beginning to this tragic tale.

Oedipus’ sons, Polyneices and Eteocles, have killed each other in battle during a civil war fought over succession to Oedipus’ throne. Antigone and Ismene, sisters of the fallen soldiers, reside in the city of Thebes where their uncle, Creon, reigns as king by default. Polyneices attacked the city defended by Eteocles. Creon decrees that Polyneices proved himself a traitor, an enemy of the crown, and vows that Polyneices shall remain unburied, to be devoured by dogs and vultures. He warns the citizens that anyone disobeying his command will be punished.

Antigone mourns the loss of her brother and determines to give Polyneices the burial he deserves. Her sister, Ismene, warns her of  the price she will pay for disobeying the crown. Thereby hangs a tale…

Antigone, portrayed by Elaine Werren, is a strong-willed woman determined to stand up to the demands of her uncle. More than once women are referred to as “mere women” whose words are to be dismissed. Antigone refuses to back down from the misogyny of men in power and buries her brother, punishment be damned.

What a marvelous production. Director Lauren Wilson has done an excellent job of emphasizing the feminism inherent in the script. As we all know, the themes explored by the ancient Greek philosophers and playwrights still ring true today (more’s the pity). Wilson brought together a good, strong cast and crew to tell this story. Werren is a strong, unbending Antigone, willing to pay the price of her defiance. Kyleigh McComish’s Ismene is a hesitant heroine at first, begging her sister not to rebel against Uncle Creon then growing sympathetic to Antigone’s decision. Olan Domer gave a strong portrayal of Teresias, the blind seer. His impassioned warning to Creon of the price he will pay should he execute Antigone was one of the most moving scenes of the evening. (His costume and makeup were outstanding).

There is not a weak link to be seen in the cast. Dominic DeLong-Rodgers’ Creon is unbending and unforgiving in his power. He is a commanding presence. The chorus was beautifully choreographed, using their voices and movement to drive the action of the play. Haemon, Creon’s only surviving son and fiancé, is played by Carlos Turner. He brings a rationality and composure to the story and is put in the position of having to choose between loyalty to his father or loyalty to Antigone. He implores his father to listen to the wisdom of others, to no avail. Mel Driggers’ sentry is fearful of Creon yet sympathetic to Antigone; Driggers does a great job of portraying the tug-of-war between these two emotions.

The set is absolutely beautiful. Andy Mills’ scenic design combined with Jim Hunter’s lighting design and Danielle Wilson’s sound design come together to create what to me is the perfect setting. Kristy Hall’s costumes are timeless. My only quibble with this production is with the costuming. The costumes are   timeless, however, when Creon enters in his uniform, barefoot as is the rest of the cast, it looks as if he heard his cue and dashed onstage without putting his shoes on. And that’s the extent of “things I didn’t like about this show.”

Antigone runs October 9 – 11 at 7:30 pm, and October 12 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Longstreet Theatre. The show runs a bit less than 90 minutes without intermission. Tickets range from $15.00 to $22.00. It’s worth every cent. Parking is at a premium, as usual. There is parking beside Drayton Hall; some street parking is available along Greene St.

           

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by Supporting Local Hispanic and Latino/a Creators by Christina Xan

National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 – October 15 and highlights and celebrates Hispanic and Latino heritage and identity in the United States. Hispanic (those from Spanish-speaking countries) and Latin (those from Latin America) culture is rife with history that enriches the communities we dwell in.  Columbia is one of these diverse spaces, and the art that emerges from this city, specifically, is inundated with a multitude of cultural perspectives. This Hispanic Heritage Month, Jasper encourages all patrons to seek out multidisciplinary art from Hispanic and Latino/a artists and to explore how the creators’ backgrounds affect their work.  Don’t know where to start? Jasper talked with six Columbia-based artists about how their cultural identity affects their creative process. Learn about them and their work below.

Daniel Esquivia Zapata

Daniel Esquivia Zapata – Visual Artist

 Describe the kind of art you make.  

Daniel’s work explores ideas about historical memory, official historical narratives, and what he terms the politics of remembering. He does this through life-size figurative drawings that combine historical texts, the human body, plants, and animals to generate strong spaces that work as poetic imagery, probing the dynamics of narratives in history and historical memory. This represents an exercise not only of why and what, but also of how we remember, especially in societies with conflicting narratives, obfuscated historical memories, and legacies of colonialism. He uses a combination of traditional figure drawing techniques, liquid charcoal and fragmented print and hand-written texts to draw on several layers of mylar, creating life size drawings that combine representations of the human body, plants, and animals to create news bodies that work as metaphors for political bodies intersected by history, newspaper articles and archives. With these drawings Daniel seeks to unveil the "place of memory" within our bodies amid intersecting discourses, making tangible the essence of our collective past and present. His work has driven him to create images that replace the common container metaphor of memory with one that understands memory as something dynamic and interconnected; something alive, inhabited by ideas, narratives, and discourses that live, age, die (or are killed); something like an ecosystem of memories and narratives, and ecosystem that is inhabited by beings of texts.  

Describe the role your cultural identity has in your work.  

In Daniel's life, a multiplicity of narratives and multinational experiences has made him think deeply about the dynamics of discourse and narratives in our societies, especially as an Afro-Latino in the Americas. For Daniel, the intersection of different identities has profoundly influenced his work. His experiences as the son of a human rights lawyer and a social worker in a multiethnic and multiracial family in Colombia; as a victim of forced displacement from his hometown in 1989; as an Afro-Colombian who studied at a HBCU in the US South [Benedict College]; and as a citizen living in Colombia and grappling with the legacies and present realities of its civil war; these experiences have all presented points of encounter with the forces of history’s multiple faces—unofficial, alternative, contested, surviving—that build and situate someone’s identity. 

Alejandro García-Lemos

Alejandro García-Lemos – Visual Artist

Describe the kind of art you make. 

Alejandro García-Lemos is a visual artist based in Columbia, South Carolina and New Orleans, Louisiana. He holds a MA in Latin American Studies from Florida International University in Miami, and a BA in Graphic Design from the School of Arts at the National University in Bogotá, Colombia. His work focuses on social issues, mostly on aspects of immigration, sexuality, biculturalism, religion, and community. His works have been shown mostly in the Southeast. Alejandro is a former member of the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC), as well as the founder of Palmetto & LUNA, a non-profit organization promoting Latino Arts and Cultures in South Carolina since 2007. Lately his work has been shown in Colombia. 

Describe the role your cultural identity has in your work.  

For this particular question I had to look up the exact definition of cultural identity … Cultural identity is a part of a person's identity, or their self-conception and self-perception, and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality, gender, or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture. Therefore my cultural identity is omnipresent in my work, as I had mentioned many times before, I am three times a minority, I am Latinx, gay, and immigrant, how could you avoid those aspects as an intrinsic part of all your art? 

Emily Moffitt

Emily Moffitt – Visual Artist

 Describe the kind of art you make. 

The type of art I create boils down to what I have the most fun with. I'm still trying to make my way in and have my foot in the door of the Columbia art scene! Like most Gen Z artists, I got into art from a young age via immense media consumption: video games, anime, cartoons, comics, and the list continues. As a result, the kind of work I create typically falls under the "illustration" category. I go back and forth between illustration and fine art, and sometimes I still think the distinction shouldn't even matter! As a recent college graduate who has now experienced the adulthood rite of passage that is working a 9-5 while still having time for hobbies, as long as I take even 10 minutes of my day to get my hands moving and draw something in my sketchbook, it's a successful day for me. 

Describe the role your cultural identity has in your work.  

The "fine art" I created started with a body of work that explored my heritage and connected to it more after my grandmother passed away in 2021, and I aim to continue it either by maintaining the "dreamscape" title or by starting a new collection. My goal in the fine art world is to create a body of work that I'm constantly thinking about, called "My Mother's Kitchen," since the closest ties I have to my Puerto Rican heritage stem from cuisine, my relationship with my mom, and the amount of time I spent growing up in and around the kitchen watching my mother make the recipes she grew up making with my grandmother. At this point, it's just a matter of me finding the time, and holding myself accountable, that's preventing me from following through! I do find that my mixed heritage sometimes feels like an obstacle when I do work, however, and that's an internalized hurdle I try to overcome when I create, too. Taíno symbology persists throughout my heritage-based work, and I wanted to also focus on the importance of my relationships with my mom and sister. My Puerto Rican heritage has been driven and shaped only by women in my life, and I wanted to pay homage to that, especially since my sister and I feel the same internalized obstacle of sometimes feeling "not Latina enough."  

Claire Jiménez – Author

Describe the kind of art you make.  

Claire Jiménez is a Puerto Rican writer who grew up in Brooklyn and Staten Island, New York. She is the author of the short story collection Staten Island Stories (Johns Hopkins Press, 2019) and What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez (Grand Central, 2023). She received her M.F.A. from Vanderbilt University and her PhD in English with specializations in Ethnic Studies and Digital Humanities from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. In 2019, she co-founded the Puerto Rican Literature Project, a digital archive documenting the lives and work of hundreds of Puerto Rican writers from over the last century. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of English and African American Studies at the University of South Carolina. 

Describe the role your cultural identity has in your work.

My writing is very much influenced by the work of past Puerto Rican writers, especially the Nuyorican poets. I am thinking of Pedro Pietri's "The Puerto Rican Obituary" and the work of Judith Ortiz Cofer. I remember reading Silent Dancing and "The Story of My Body" for the first time as a young person, who had a hard time finding books by any Puerto Rican authors in the bookstore in the nineties. These texts were inspiring to me as a young reader, and they definitely shaped me as a writer.

Loli Molina Muñoz

Loli Molina Muñoz – Author 

Describe the kind of art you make. 

I write poetry and fiction. I have just finished my first poetry chapbook manuscript in English, and I also have a feminist dystopia novella in Spanish, both of them searching for a warming publishing house.  

Describe the role your cultural identity has in your work.  

Being born and raised in Málaga, Spain, I grew up immersed in both Spanish and English language thanks to literature, music, and pop culture, which deeply influenced my work. However, I have also lived in Coventry (UK), Wisconsin, and finally moved to South Carolina in 2013. For this reason, my work explores themes of identity, feminism, migration, and the intersections between cultures.

 

[ALMA] SPANISH

Querida madre:

Estos días pienso mucho en usted.

Ayer me acordé de su guiso de 

carne y quise hacer uno yo. 

No me supo igual. 

Me faltaba el sabor añadido de sus 

manos y el olor de su delantal. 

Los niños dijeron que estaba muy 

bueno. Yo les di las gracias y sonreí.

Dos lágrimas que se escaparon 

disimulando para no ser vistas. 

Tampoco vieron las dos cartas del

banco avisando del desahucio. 

Les dije que vamos a pasar unos 

días en casa de Alejandra.

Les hizo ilusión pasar un tiempo 

con sus primos y eso me alivió. 

Luego recordé aquella vez que

usted me dijo que eligiera mi 

muñeca favorita.

Crucé el desierto de la mano de 

Alejandra con la muñeca pegada 

a mi pecho como un amuleto. 

Aún conservo mi muñeca.

Aún tengo a Alejandra. 

Voy a estar bien. 

No se preocupe. 

[ALMA] ENGLISH

Dear mother,

These days I think about you all the time. 

Yesterday I remembered your beef 

stew and I made one myself. 

It did not taste the same. 

It did not have that extra flavor from 

your hands or the smell of your apron. 

The kids said that they liked it. 

I thanked them and smiled. 

Two tears escaped trying not 

to be seen by them. 

They did not see the two eviction

 letters from the bank either. 

I told them that we are going to stay 

some days at Alejandra’s. 

They were happy about spending 

time with their cousins and that soothed me. 

Later I remembered that time 

you told me to choose my favorite doll. 

I crossed the desert holding Alejandra’s 

hand and the doll stuck

to my chest like an amulet. 

I still keep my doll. 

I still have Alejandra. 

I’ll be fine. 

Don’t worry. 

 

Giovanna Montoya

Giovanna Montoya – Ballet Dancer 

Describe the kind of art you make.  

I’m a professional ballet dancer, so my art is dance. Ballet is a theatrical art form that integrates music, dance, acting and scenery to convey a story, or a theme.

 Describe the role your cultural identity has in your work.

My cultural identity represents who I am; a dedicated, driven, disciplined, strong woman, which stands up for what’s right, and never gives up. I am always aiming to move forward, trying to do better every day, even if it is little by little, and working hard to achieve my dreams and goals. These have been imperative assets to possess, that have helped me to become a professional ballet dancer with 15+ years of experience. Ballet is a beautiful but difficult art form, which requires a lot of time, sacrifice, effort, love, endless hours of training, and a great deal of discipline and dedication. I would never have become a professional ballet dancer if it weren’t for the commitment, dedication, responsibility, and integrity that my parents showed and instilled in me from a young age. Coming into this country as an immigrant it’s very difficult, and you have to work very hard to achieve success. That’s something my parents made very clear to me from the beginning, and they led by example. Always working hard, never giving up and excelling in their fields. My dad is a statistician for the Mayo Clinic. My mom is a Veterinarian doctor and was a University Professor in my home Country Venezuela. I’m so thankful for my parents and my cultural identity that has shaped me, and played a pivotal role in the person that proudly I am today.