A Message of Appreciation from the Jasper Family

Gratitude is not the only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. – Cicero

Let’s face it. There’s a lot about American Thanksgiving that is bupkis. From opposing (and propagandistic) theories of the origin story, to “traditional” dishes based on cans of Campbell’s BPA-laden soup, to little kids dodging those creepy uncles who bid them to sit on their laps after dinner, not everything about Thanksgiving is as wholesome and good as subjective history would have us believe. But science shows us over and over that being both thankful and grateful is good for our own mental health as well as the health of the relationships we foster. 

To that end, I asked the Jasper Project board of directors to share the things for which they are all thankful, in their personal lives and in their lives as public servants to the arts. 

I ask you now to indulge us as we share these thoughts with you. 

pictured - Kristin Cobb, Meeghan Kane, and Bekah Rice

I'm so thankful for the creative minds and tender hearts that continue to make this city better, and I'm particularly grateful for the Jasper team for welcoming me with open arms. It has been such a pleasure working with these talented folks. - Meeghan Kane

I am thankful for grace. For friendships that last and those that do not. For having my parents still with me. For my children who continue to make me proud of their choices to live life on their own terms and with an open heart. For the ability to get up every day and brush my teeth, go to the gym, eat a yummy meal, and breathe. For getting to work in the arts… and manage the coolest venue…It really is all a gift. - Kristin Cobb

I’m thankful for my husband, Adam Corbett, and all the other board spouses and partners who support us and work their butts off to help out at events and the wonderful artists we have worked with this year (and previous years)! I appreciate their patience with and kindness toward our board member volunteers, and the opportunity to show their work! The Jasper board for dedicating their time and talents and working so hard to make everything we do happen. I'm excited for the new folks we have joining next year as well and can't wait to see how much we accomplish! - Bekah Rice

pictured - Keith Tolen with family & friends

I’m thankful this year and every year for being a part of this amazing arts community that continues to thrive and contribute to our culture with generous positive energy. I am also grateful to be a part of the Jasper Family! - Keith Tolen 

I’m thankful for creativity - the soul of connection and overcoming differences. - Pam Bowers

I’m thankful for the new, young creative talent that is making Columbia a brighter city to live and create in. - Wade Sellers

pictured - Dick Moons leading a drum session at Jasper’s Degenerate Arts project, June 2025

I am thankful for living in a place that has such a vibrant, diverse & active arts community. I am constantly amazed & grateful for the wealth of talent in this relatively small city. I don't think many of our citizens realize just how fortunate we are. I'm also thankful for my kids,  my beautiful friends and for still being here to appreciate it. - Dick Moons

I am thankful for family and friends. I’m also thankful for the opportunity to share my ideas with the world. - Kwasi Brown

Fish for Thought by Emily Moffitt

I am thankful for my dear friends, family, and my partner-in-crime Dylan! I am also extremely grateful for all of the artists who have allowed me to work with them at Koger or through the Jasper Project. It makes me very happy to think about how we are all improving and contributing to the arts here in Columbia. - Emily Moffitt

pictured - Stan Conine

At this point in my life, I realize how thankful I am for my families (plural): Of course the really close biological one that calls me “Stanley” or ”Dad” or ”Pops.” But also my close family of Vista neighbors and friends who sometimes call me “(censored).” Or just call me. And I am especially thankful for my family of artists and fellow art lovers who helped me realize that I’m not just an art lover, I am also an “artists lover.” - Stan Conine

I have accidentally contrived the perfect retirement, having surrounded myself with visual, graphic, musical, literary,  theatrical and other kinds of artists and can proudly count them as my friends. These are the rewards of a lifetime. I was worried I'd spend my dotage playing pickleball and watching reruns of Barney Miller until I was dead. Instead, I get to write and listen to and watch and celebrate the artists with whom I cross paths on a regular basis. Barney Miller is great and all, but it can wait awhile. Oh: family and food. Those things matter too. Perhaps I take them for granted because they've always been there, which is more than enough to fill a fella's heart. - Jon Tuttle

pictured - Libby Campbell with members of her beloved “thruple” - Becky Hunter and Ellen Rodillo-Fowler

I’m thankful to live in a community which has such a thriving arts community; my closest friendships have evolved from that community. I’m also thankful for the bunch of weirdos who make up the Jasper Board and for  Cindi & the good Doc  who see that a light shines on Midlands artists who might otherwise not be recognized. And ambrosia. - Libby Campbell

pictured - Cindi’s grand-monkeys

Among the many things I’m thankful for, including family and friends and my home at Muddy Ford, I’m also thankful for the talented and committed friends who serve on the Jasper Project board of directors. We have a magazine and a film project and a playwright project and SIX galleries because these devoted people give their time, energy, and talent to a dream I had almost 15 years ago – and they’ve kept that dream alive! I’m also especially thankful this year for the newest member of our family, our fur-baby Jane. And, of course, my grand-monkeys, Sarge and Bobby. - Cindi Boiter

pictured - Janie enjoying my favorite Thanksgiving tradition - the nap!

Two Events Coming Up Celebrating GENERATIONS: 100 Years of Arts at the University of South Carolina

The University of SC’s School of Visual Art and Design is having a birthday - and it’s a big one!

Established in 1925, USC’s School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD) is celebrating it’s 100th birthday this year with two events coming up next week at Columbia Museum of Art’s The Loft, as well as at McKissick Museum on the campus of USC.

On Friday, December 5th you’re invited to help celebrate this auspicious occasion by attending a reception in honor of the museum’s exhibition of art from alumni and professors, current and contemporary, titled Generations: 100 Years of Arts at The University of South Carolina. Curated by students under the direction of Susan Felleman and Lana Burgess last spring. The reception is from 4 - 5:30 and is free.

Later, you may join celebrants at our Columbia Museum of Art’s The Loft (1515 Main Street) for an even bigger bash from 6:30 - 9:30. The evening includes live music, food, drink, opportunities to purchase art, and a short talk by Deborah Solomon, New York art critic and authorized biographer of the artist, former Lake Murray resident and USC student Jasper Johns, the artist for whom our little magazine was named. Tickets are required for this event and may be purchased by clicking this link. Please note: there is a sizeable reduction in ticket prices for artists who are self-employed. (Kudos to the event planners for giving this much-appreciated financial break to working artists!)

Jasper congratulates and honors all the members of the SVAD family!

Congrats to Columbia's Koger Center for the Arts - A Grantee of the Levitt Music Series!

Huge Congrats to the Koger Center for the Arts for being a Levitt Music Series Grantee! The Jasper Project is proud to be among the SC organizations that partner with the Koger Center to make it more than just a performance venue, but a true center for the arts. Every Third Thursday patrons can join Jasper on the center’s second tier at our Nook Gallery space where we feature the work of a Midlands-area visual artist as part of The Vista’s regularly scheduled Third Thursday programming. The intimate space offers patrons the opportunity to meet and chat with our featured artists, share a snack, and often hear our artists speak about their work. This is always a free event and we typically go from 5:30 - 7 pm, but it’s always a good idea to check the Koger Center calendar to be sure a performance doesn’t result in a change in time.

While the Koger Center has been offering a program of free events in the lobby and on the outdoor stage for a while now, director Nate Terracio says this is the first time the organization has been awarded a Levitt Music Series Grant. “The grant provides 3 years of support for free outdoor concerts in 2026, 2027 and 2028,” Terracio says, explaining that, “We have hosted both local talent such as: Longtooth, Prettier than Matt, The Ramblers, CammWess, David Rodriguez, and members of the Black Nerd Mafia,” as well as regional and national acts including Claudette King, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, J Roddy Walston, John Hollier, She Returns From War, and Indianola.

“The Koger Center for the Arts is beyond excited that Columbia has been chosen as the first city in South Carolina to be recognized and funded by a Levitt Music Series Grant and we are thankful to the community and individuals that supported our efforts and took the time to vote for us,” he continues. “We look forward to expanding our free outdoor concert series through this grant to include spring and fall concerts.  As Columbia’s center for the arts, we want everyone to feel welcome and hope to bring the whole community together through music both inside and outside.”

For more about the grant please refer to the press release issued by the Levitt Foundation: “The Levitt Foundation, a national social impact funder supporting the largest free outdoor concert series in America, today announced the largest number of Levitt Music Series grant recipients in its history—providing 66 communities with multi-year grants, up to $120K each.

Levitt Music Series Grants are an exciting, multi-year matching grant program bringing the joy of free, live music to towns and cities across the country. Each Levitt Music Series location presents 7-10 free outdoor concerts per year, injecting new life into underused public spaces and creating joyous, inclusive community destinations. Reflecting the Foundation’s commitment that all Levitt projects be community-driven, the top 50 finalists were selected through public voting in September 2025 (via online and text to vote). The Levitt Foundation then conducted a comprehensive review process of all finalists to determine the Levitt Music Series grant recipients.

The Levitt Foundation will be awarding over $7 million dollars over three years to the nonprofits presenting Levitt Music Series, supporting 34 new grantees and 32 returning grantees to bring free outdoor music to their communities in 2026, 2027, and 2028. Also new this grant cycle are funding partnerships with state agencies—in Tennessee and Mississippi—to bring even more free outdoor concerts to their communities.

“The Levitt Foundation is thrilled to announce the communities across the country receiving Levitt Music Series grants, and we congratulate all the new and returning Levitt grantees. We know from decades of supporting free concerts in public spaces how the power of free, live music brings friends, families, and neighbors of all ages and backgrounds together, strengthening the social fabric and economic vitality of communities,” said Sharon Yazowski, President & CEO of the Levitt Foundation. “We are also excited that our partnerships with Tennessee and Mississippi are supporting additional communities in those states—a model we hope will inspire other states throughout our nation for future collaborations to bring free, outdoor concerts to their towns and cities.”

From the print issue -- DEGENERATE ART PROJECTS I & II

“We proudly reclaim our art—protest art in defiance of the current administration’s attempts to remove, censure, and redefine art and its purpose—"Degenerate Art” in solidarity with both historical and contemporary artists who work or have worked to maintain our first amendment rights of freedom of speech and expression.”

Degenerate Arts—Entartete Kunst—I and II

By Cindi Boiter

 

Sometimes you just have to say what you’re thinking. You have to get it out there, one way or another. You have to express the fire of frustration, anger, and disappointment that can rage within you, as well as those still-hanging-on, deep-rooted beliefs that it can be better. It has been better. Our country has been better and can be better again. These sensations are complex and difficult to manage for all of us.

Luckily, we have artists.

Art is the tool we humans use to attempt to reconcile our profound and complicated responses to a world that doesn’t always give us the peace we crave. The peace we once took for granted. The process of creating art, be it dance, theatre, or music, visual art, or the written word, not only soothes the artist but it helps the recipient of the art, the viewer, the reader, feel seen and heard as they wrestle with the same conflicts an unbalanced world stirs inside them. It helps the recipient to better comprehend where we are right now, as a culture, and it helps us know that they we not alone.

This is why the Jasper Project originated the Degenerate Art Project in the summer of 2025 at Stormwater Studios, and it is why we’re bringing this unique project back in January 2026 at Gemini Arts.

Degenerate Arts II offers an open call for visual artists as well as performing or written word artists who want to propose programs that they would like Jasper to help implement.

Why do we call it “degenerate art?” In his essay printed in the current issue of Jasper Magazine, professor and Jasper Magazine poetry editor Ed Madden identifies the similarities between Hitler’s purge of art that did not represent the cultural ideology he promulgated—an ideology we now recognize as fascist—and the current administration’s attempts to dictate, control, and suppress art via a “politics of culture.” As Madden writes, in July 1937, “Nazi culture warriors had searched 32 of Germany’s public museums, determined to purge them of any work they considered undesirable because they were incompatible with Nazi values.” Hitler and Goebbels called the exhibition of this “undesirable” art “Degenerate Art,” or “Entartete Kunst” and juxtaposed it against an exhibition of predominantly representative art, of which he approved, and titled “Great German Art” or Grosse Deutsche Kunstausstellung.

We proudly reclaim our art—protest art in defiance of the current administration’s attempts to remove, censure, and redefine art and its purpose—"Degenerate Art” in solidarity with both historical and contemporary artists who work or have worked to maintain our first amendment rights of freedom of speech and expression.

CALL FOR ART FOR DEGENERATE ART PROJECT II EXTENDED UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY NOVEMBER 22ND!

I’ve always maintained that we don’t fully know the history of an event or a period of time until we know how the artists interpreted it. To that end, we created the first iteration of our Degenerate Arts project to provide a concerted platform for Columbia’s artists to express their responses to our country’s current socio-political situation. We also wanted to bring our local arts community together both physically and in spirit during this challenging time in order to support and encourage one another. And we hoped to preserve for posterity the SC Midlands’ artistic interpretation of this unique and disturbing time in history.

More than twenty visual artists participated in the Degenerate Arts Project in June. It was exciting to see the work, some of it satirical like Robert Airial’s cartoons of the president as a present-day Mussolini and  the same man removing the letters M and E from the word America to simply spell ME. Some was jarring and foreboding, like Eileen Blyth’s found art sculpture of a child’s old doll in a rusty oven. And some of it was incisive and incredibly current like Marius Valdes’ huge painting of a masked ICE agent with a word bubble reading “Just Following Orders.”

Pictured - poet Ed Madden stands before Marius Valdes’s painting “Just Following Orders” during a protest poetry reading in June 2025

Eileen Blyth - Artist

Portrait and assemblage artist Kirkland Smith says, “Being part of the Degenerate Arts project reminded me how powerful art can be in shaping the way we see one another.” She continues, “I appreciated the opportunity to portray a polyamorous group of four beautiful transgender women with quiet dignity, reclaiming a narrative that has been twisted for political reasons. The exhibition created a space for empathy in a world that is forgetting how to listen.”

Kirkland Smith pictured with her painting and her daughter at the Degenerate Art Project I in June 2025

While our first project focused on visual arts, poetry, a little music, and activism opportunities, we plan for our 2026 project to include additional arts disciples and we are excited to hear from dance, theatre, and more literary artists about what you’d like to contribute.

While the 2025 project lasted less than a week, the 2026 project will last three weeks, giving all of us ample time to be seen and heard.

And while the first project was structured as an invitational exhibition, Degenerate Arts II offers an open call for visual artists as well as performing or written word artists who want to propose programs that they would like Jasper to help implement.

For more information on how to submit a proposal for Degenerate Art II please see our CALL FOR ART at the Jasper Project website.

CALL FOR ART FOR DEGENERATE ART PROJECT II EXTENDED UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY NOVEMBER 22ND!

This article previously appeared in the fall 2025 issue of Jasper Magazine, on newsstands now.

Alex Ruskell & Les Merry Chevaliers Invite You to THE WORLD'S MOST HANDSOMEST ART RECEPTION

Join visual artist Alex Ruskell on Wednesday December 3rd at 6 pm at The Hallway: Community Art Gallery at 701 Whaley for the opening reception of his exhibition.

Special LIVE performance by Les Merry Chevaliers!

The artist Alex Ruskell with Les Merry Chevaliers

Southern Exposure New Music Series Concert Presents Scenes from PERFECT LIVES

The Southern Exposure New Music Series’ second concert of 25-26 presents scenes from Robert Ashley’s quirky 1980s “TV opera” Perfect Lives, a multi-media show led and with music by USC faculty composers

Greg Stuart and David Kirkland Garner

featuring Ed Madden as the Narrator

Greg Stuart and David Kirkland Garner

From our friends at The USC School of Music —

Experimental composer Robert Ashley’s seminal work Perfect Lives, an “opera” (of sorts!) about bank robbers, cocktail lounges, and reincarnation (sort of!), was first produced for television in 1984. Since then it has gained a cult following and been called “nothing less than the first American opera, written within an American language using various American attention spans …” (Fanfare).

Southern Exposure’s special presentation of three scenes from Perfect Lives is led by USC faculty composer-performers Greg Stuart and David Kirkland Garner, who contribute the music (the sometimes-inscrutable text is by Ashley) and play alongside USC’s New Sounds Quartet. USC English language and literature professor Ed Madden, former poet laureate of Columbia, [& Jasper Magazine Poetry Editor!] is featured as narrator.

This multi-media program also features a video by Greg Stuart, and includes a related visual art display by Columbia painter [& previous featured artist in Jasper Magazine & Jasper Galleries] Mary Ann Haven.

This FREE concert – no tickets or reservations required, general admission seating – is on Friday, November 14 in the USC School of Music Recital Hall, 813 Assembly St., Columbia.

For more information, visit/contact: Southern Exposure New Music Series

Help Celebrate the Fall 2025 Issue of Jasper Magazine with a Scorpio Party at Gemini Arts!

You’re invited to join the Jasper Project on Saturday, Nov. 8th at Gemini Arts for a  Celebration of the Release of the Fall 2025 Jasper Magazine.

It’ll be a night of music, poetry, prose, visual art, and just hanging out with other like-minded Soda Citizens who believe the arts give us hope, solace, and joy! Plus we’ll be fulfilling a little wish that Cindi and Wade have had for a long time—bringing as many of Columbia’s Scorpio Babies together as possible to celebrate the exhilarating madness of being born a Scorpio!

The evening will start with poetry and prose readings by Carla Damron, Ivan Segura, Rhy Robidoux, and Naya Lanai Jackson, many of whom will be signing and selling their newest books. There’s a rumor that there will be a theatrical performance – we’ll keep you posted. And our musical guest for the evening is JB SamSon!

JB SamSon

And, of course, there will be cake and plenty of freshly baked Jasper Magazines!

Scorpios are invited to wear Black and/or Red and to find Cindi or Wade at the party to get your Official Scorpio pins.

We can’t wait to see you at 6pm at Gemini Arts at 2847 Commerce Drive. And Stay tuned – we have more surprised in store for you as the celebration continues to develop!

Palmetto Luna Presents Dia de los Muertos THIS SATURDAY -- FREE & WONDERFUL!

 

From our friends at Palmetto Luna Arts

 

Join Palmetto Luna Arts on Boyd Plaza to celebrate Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos). This FREE annual event includes a Day of the Dead altar, arts and crafts, live music, folkloric dances, Latino artists market, a live painting session, and other cultural activities.  

Day of the Dead is a Mexican tradition to honor those who have departed before us. Within Mexican culture’s complex fusion of customs including Aztec, Mayan, and Spanish traditions, death is merely one part in the wider cycle of existence. The Day of the Dead celebration is the result of the ancient ritual venerations and offerings to the goddess Mictecacihuatl (“Lady of the Dead”) for deceased children and adults as well as the Spaniards' desire to accommodate these festivities within the Catholic celebrations of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.  

Organized by Palmetto Luna Arts. Sponsored by The City of Columbia, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, and the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

TRAVEL GURU RICK STEVES COMES TO COLUMBIA NOV. 10 FOR SPECIAL CONCERT WITH SC PHILHARMONIC

Rick Steves in Cinque Terra

From our friends at the SC Philharmonic —

The South Carolina Philharmonic presents Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey on Monday, November 10, at 7:30 PM, at Koger Center for the Arts. Audiences will embark on a multimedia journey across Europe with Rick Steves live and in-person as the SC Phil performs sweeping anthems of the Romantic era while also examining the modern spirit of unity and freedom that defines the continent. The program features works by such luminaries as Johann Strauss II, Edvard Grieg and Giuseppe Verdi. This is an especially rare opportunity for Midlands audiences to witness one of travel’s most beloved voices on stage with a major symphonic ensemble.

The experience of Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey will be a unique one for Midlands audiences. Rick Steves himself will take patrons on a personally led journey through Europe, with stops in Austria, Germany, Italy, England, France, Norway and the Czech Republic. For each country, Rick has personally curated a program that features anthemic works by the Romantic Era’s celebrated composers which will be performed by the SC Philharmonic. In addition to the music, Rick provides entertaining insights and cultural examinations for each country, as well as the work that is being performed. A large screen positioned over the orchestra will display beautiful footage that will accompany each work – bringing the joy of travel into the concert hall.

Rick Steves is a popular public television host, a best-selling guidebook author, and an outspoken activist who encourages Americans to broaden their perspectives through travel. But above all else, Rick considers himself a teacher. He taught his first travel class at his college campus in the mid-1970s — and now, more than 40 years later, he still measures his success not by dollars earned, but by trips impacted.

Rick’s hit program Rick Steves’ Europe continues to run on public television stations across the country including SC ETV. Rick’s book, "On the Hippie Trail," has been named a New York Times Bestseller, and is about his 1978 journey from Istanbul to Kathmandu along the popular overland backpacker route of the 1960s and 1970s. 

Rick is the founder and owner of Rick Steves' Europe, a travel business with a small-group tour program that brings more than 30,000 people to Europe annually. Each year, the company contributes to a portfolio of climate-smart nonprofits, essentially paying a self-imposed carbon tax.

Single tickets are $37-$69, and can be purchased at scphilharmonic.com or by calling the Koger Center

Box Office at (803) 251-2222, Mon-Fri. 9AM-5PM.

Congrats to the Winners of Jasper's Frightmare Pumpkin Carving Contest!

Last night at Curiosity Coffee, the Jasper Project and Black Nerd Mafia teamed up with our hosts at Curiosity Coffee for our traditional pumpkin carving contest among local artists. Participants included Gina Langston, Roxanne Mockabee, Sean Krumbolz, Keith Tolen, Ija Charles, Billy Guess, and Cynthia Bowie. We’re excited to announce the winners:

PEOPLE’S CHOICE - CYNTHIA BOWIE

FIRST VIEW, BUT LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER …

~~~

FUNNIEST - ROXANNE MOCKABEE

~~~

MOST INNOVATIVE - REGINA LANGSTON

~~~

SCARIEST - SEAN KRUMBOLZ

Congrats to all our pumpkin carvers and thanks to our partners in mayhem, Black Nerd Mafia and the always cozy Curiosity Coffee!

And BIG Thanks to the Businesses & Organizations that donated this year’s awesome prizes!

Black Nerd Mafia

Hoot Columbia

The War Mouth

City Art

Koger Center for the Arts

South Carolina State Museum

Happy Halloween from All of us!

Congratulations to our 2025 2nd Act Film Project Winners!

Last night, Thursday, October 23rd, the Jasper Project celebrated the 9th iteration of one of our favorite and most long-lasting projects, the 2nd Act Film Project. Having grown out of our previous venues, it was thrilling to see an almost-at-capacity 400-seat Harbison Theatre full of rowdy, mutually-supportive SC filmmakers who had traveled from throughout the state to be together and screen this year’s films. “We were excited to have filmmakers from all regions of the state this year,” says project director and Jasper Project board president Wade Sellers. “Spartanburg, Greenville, Aiken, Charleston, and Columbia independent filmmakers showed why the independent film community in our state as is as strong as ever.”

With 16 filmmakers participating this year, in addition to the 84 films produced in previous years, we can officially announce that, since the beginning of the 2nd Act Film Project in 2013, the Jasper Project has produced a total of 100 films by independent South Carolina filmmakers!

“This year, we named our best film award, previously the Producer’s Award, after a close friend of the Jasper Project, Tom Hall,” Sellers announced to the audience last night. A documentary filmmaker, visual artist, and musician, Hall had worked closely with Sellers on a number of films, including Compromised, a 2015 film  that examined and rejected the argument for the Confederate flag flying above the SC Statehouse. Hall died unexpectedly on January 20, 2024, leaving behind a shocked community and devastated family and friends. According to Sellers, “Tom’s passion for filmmaking, music, and supporting artists in our  community was unmatched. The Tom Hall Indie Spirit Award is awarded to the Filmmaker whose film best exemplifies this passion.” 

The winning films are as follows:

“Our Audience Award this year went to William Clay for his film, The Beautiful Confusion,” Sellers continues. “It’s a beautiful and complex, short film, and the type of project that sets the bar very high for what filmmaker’s should strive for as part of the 2nd Act Film Project.” The Audience Award is selected by the attendees at the screening, all of whom are issued one ballot per person.

Group Shot of 2025’ 2nd Act Film Project Filmmakers at Harbison Theatre with Audience Members - photo by Perry McLeod

Other awards were pre-selected by a panel of judges who, this year, included Tamara Finkbeiner, Chad Henderson, Patrick Rutledge, and Chris White. The first and third act script lines were written this year by award-winning filmmaker Robbie Robertson along with award-winning writer, Julia Liz Elliott, both from Columbia, SC. 2nd Act Project filmmakers were charged with writing the 2nd act of the screenplay and then filming the script in its entirety. The 2nd Act Film Project is the only project of its kind of which we are aware. 

“One of the 2nd Act’s missions is to amplify the diverse creative voices that are in our state,” Sellers says. “This year‘s group of filmmakers was our most exciting group yet!”

Congratulations to all of our filmmakers and winners! And special thanks to the Harbison Theatre Crew for hosting us and to Chef Joe Turkaly for filling our stomachs with yumminess and our hearts with love!

16 Brand New Films by SC Indie Filmmakers -TONIGHT @ Jasper's 2nd Act Film Project

There is so much to be proud of about this project that it is hard to know where to start. So, in no particular order, let’s just jump in!

#1 - What about our fabulous poster from local artist extraordinaire Cait Maloney — How Cool is That? Check out Cait’s other work at the link above and hit her up if you ever want graphics that rock the socks off your audience! (You’re barefoot now, aren’t you?)

#2 - Having already produced 84 films from some of SC’s most talented and creative indie filmmakers, Jasper’s 2025 2nd Act Film Project raised the number of accepted entries this year to 16, bringing our total number of films produced across the years by our 2nd Act Film Project to 100!

#3 - In keeping with the Jasper Project’s policy of NEVER charging any artist a fee to submit or show their work, not only is it FREE for filmmakers to enter our 2nd Act Film Project, but Jasper gives all participating filmmakers a modest, but meaningful, $100 stipend to use freely at their own discretion. Need a new piece of equipment to make your film? Use this stipend to help you rent or buy it! Want to make your film punch higher with cool props or costuming? Here’s a hundred bucks to help out! Want to treat your cast & crew to dinner or celebrate with a wrap party? The pizza is on us!

#4 - Thanks to our generous sponsors, Jasper is able to award $2250 in cash prizes to our winning filmmakers in the following categories:


$500 PRODUCER’S AWARD

$250 BESTSCRIPT

$250 BEST DIRECTION

$250 BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

$250 BEST ACTOR

$250 BEST EDITING

Plus, we bring the folks who come out and support the project with their ticket purchases into the action by giving them a voice in who takes home the big bucks via the

$500 Audience AWARD

(Each audience member is issued one ballot to cast on the film of their choice!)

#5 – Speaking of our Generous Sponsors, we are incredibly proud of the trust they have placed in us to use their funds wisely and for the good of the Arts. Thank you so much for making tonight possible to

Precision Garage Door

Bill Schmidt

FIT Columbia

Rikard and Protopapas

Marketing Performance

And, of course

Coal Powered Filmworks

#6 - Finally, we are still dismayed to have received an unsolicited financial award of $5000 from our sisters & brothers in the Krewe de Columbi-Ya-Ya! We thank you. We love you. We honor you.

And to that end, we are immeasurably proud that, more than a year ago, we decided to rename our TOP film award for the 2nd Act Film Project to the

TOM HALL INDIE SPIRIT AWARD!

There are still a few seats left in the 400 seat Harbison Theatre, but if you don’t have your ticket yet, you should get one now by CLICKING HERE!


CALL for Literary Art! Welcome to Gemini Arts' New Publication -- THE OTHER TWIN LIT REVIEW!

Happy to share this call for art from Gemini Arts’ Katy Harrison —

Submissions are now open for our first issue of our lit review! Our review will accompany our exhibitions and gives our non visual artist friends a chance to be published! Katy Harrison our resident poet will field all submissions! (@katyharrison_wip) 

Submission Window Open: Digital Imprint of The Other Twin, Lit Review — Issue 01

Theme: Nostalgia

The Other Twin Lit Review is now open for submissions of poetry, memoir, flash fiction, and essays exploring the theme Nostalgia.

Genres accepted:

Poetry (1-5 pieces, no more than two pages per poem, left aligned standard formatting only, please)

Memoir (under 1,000 words)

Flash Fiction (under 1,000 words)

Essays (under 1,000 words)

Submission Window: Oct 21-November 14th

Submit via: theothertwinlitreview@gmail.com

Bios (75-100 words) must be included with submission. 

Simultaneous submissions are welcome! Just let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere. Come share your polished and crafted version of what once was… or what never quite was. We can’t wait to meet your ghosts.

Jasper Presents a Free Artist Talk with Colleen Cannon-Karlos at the Koger Center for the Arts

By Emily Moffitt

If you missed the chance to check out Colleen Cannon-Karlos' exhibit in the Jasper Project’s Nook gallery space during her opening reception for October’s Third Thursday, mark your calendars for her free artist talk at the Koger Center!

Join us on November 4, from 6-7 p.m. for her free talk where she’ll give an in-depth look at her artistic processes, inspirations, and more. A Q&A will follow her talk, and all the work in Cannon-Karlos' exhibit is available for purchase.

Cannon-Karlos' Artist Statement:

My new work consists of deconstructing recycled corrugated cardboard and transforming it into an alternative surface to create new imagery. I became interested in working with cardboard because it is cheap, ubiquitous and unfortunately very wasteful in our consumer driven, throwaway society. Mixed media includes cardboard, recycled plastic shopping bags, acetate and more. At least I can do my small part and turn discarded objects into artwork that celebrates its beauty and integrity.

The corrugated or fluted lines contain their own design aspect of regularly spaced, machine engineered parallel lines. Removing and/or adding layers by distressing and manipulating the cardboard reveals amazing texture characteristics in layers that are enhanced with the application of paint and other materials. The cardboard itself reveals levels of unique textures that give a relief quality and tangibility to the imagery. This work also reflects my interest in physics – understanding the nature of reality as energy coalesces into form. The imagery present in the distressed cardboard seems to be in the process of both emerging from and dissolving into existence. The resulting artwork is mounted on wooden panels.

For additional questions, contact the Koger Center.

 

MOON & STARS -- New Single by KIMBER

Kimber - “Moon & Stars”
Recorded and Engineered by Jay Matheson at Jam Room Recording Studio

Cover art by Michael Krajewski

Fronted by vocalist and songwriter Kimber Carpenter, KIMBER is a rising force in Columbia’s ever growing local music scene, delivering a big, soul-driven sound rooted in original songwriting, rich harmonies, and unshakable musical chemistry.

Formed just two years ago by Carpenter and drummer Garrick Turner, the lineup solidified as bassist Donovan Amason, lead guitarist Shayla Hunt, and keyboardist Mandy Applegate joined the fold—all lending dynamic elements that elevate Kimber’s raw lead presence into a wall of harmony and power.

Vocally and lyrically, Kimber is influenced by fearless artists like Ani DiFranco, Sinéad O’Connor, and Amy Ray whose vulnerability, intensity, and unapologetic truth-telling inspire the band’s commitment to authentic expression. The result is a sound that’s both expansive and intimate—progressive in structure, soulful in delivery, and deeply human at its core.

Now, Kimber is set to release their debut single, “Moon & Stars,” a playful yet powerful track, Moon & Stars captures vulnerability, hope, and the magnetic pull between love and heartbreak. Adding a unique artistic dimension to Moon & Stars is the collaboration with local visual artist Michael Krajewski, who created the single’s cover art. Known for his neo-expressionist style, Krajewski did not disappoint with this stunning interpretation of the song. This partnership is more than visual—it’s a merging of two local creative voices. As a local Columbia artist, Kimber’s music now meets Michael’s visual expression, forming a unique conversation between art and sound.

Give them a follow on Facebook and Instagram @kimber_theband to keep up with live shows and upcoming announcements of more music being released this year.

Moon & Stars can be found on most streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. 

You can also check their Band Camp page at https://kimbertheband.bandcamp.com/

KIMBER is:


Kimber Carpenter – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Shayla Hunt – Lead Guitar, Backup Vocals
Mandy Applegate – Keyboards, Backup Vocals
Donovan Amason – Bass
Garrick Turner – Drums

 


 

--

CALL FOR ART - The Jasper Project's Degenerate Art Project PART II

Degenerate Art Project II – Call for Art

The purpose of this exhibition is to answer an overwhelming request by artists and patrons of Jasper’s inaugural Degenerate Art Project (July 2025) for an additional exhibition which will involve an open call for visual artists and an extended calendar for exhibition. This iteration of the project will also include prizes for visual art and representation by additional arts disciplines.

Learn more about the project →

Entry Guidelines

  • Artists must live in one of the following counties to be considered: Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda, Sumter, Lee, Clarendon, Newberry, and Aiken.

  • Artists may submit up to three pieces. 

  • 2D Art must be framed, wired, and/or mounted for presentation and delivered to Gemini Arts during a designated time period on January 17 and 18, 2026. 

  • All art must be for sale and artists must agree to allow the Jasper Project a 25% commission on sold art which will go toward project costs, with any potential extra going toward the publication costs for Jasper Magazine.

  • All submissions should be of NEW work. Nothing previously exhibited or repurposed for this exhibition is allowed. 

  • Artists who participated in the Jasper Degenerate Art Project in 2025 are invited to submit new work, but art previously exhibited at the Jasper Degenerate Art Project in 2025 should not be submitted for the second exhibition.

  • No AI-generated imagery or significant alterations of others' work is allowed. 

Deadline for submission – November 16, 2025

The purpose of this exhibition is to answer an overwhelming request by artists and patrons of Jasper’s inaugural Degenerate Art Project (July 2025) for an additional exhibition which will involve an open call for visual artists and an extended calendar for exhibition. This iteration of the project will also include prizes for visual art and representation by additional arts disciplines.

The title, Degenerate Art Project, is a contemporary SC-localized reflection of the Nazi Party’s 1937 Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art) exhibition in Munich at which more than 650 pieces of Modernist art were haphazardly displayed alongside graffiti and mocking text labels with the goal of denigrating and ridiculing the art and artists. The exhibition included the work of 112 artists including Picasso, Mondrian, Chagall, Kandinsky, Klee, Dix, and many other groundbreaking artists. The website of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum offers an excellent overview of this period of world history. 

The purpose of the Jasper Degenerate Art Project is threefold:

  • To provide a platform for expression and/or protest via art for Midlands area artists

  • To bring our local arts community together both physically and in spirit during this challenging time in order to support and encourage one another

  • To preserve for posterity, via the Jasper Project website, Columbia, SC’s artistic interpretation and response to our country’s current socio-political situation.


Two More Nights to See Titus Andronicus for Free and Break Your Mind When You Think About Shakespeare Forever

by Cindi Boiter

Last night, I popped by Earlewood Park amphitheater to scope out the situation for our little party that is seeing South Carolina Shakespeare Company's Titus Andronicus tomorrow night (and to get hugs from my kids). I only stayed 30 minutes, but wow. Full disclosure that director Chad Henderson is my son-in-law, but I’ve got to say that he and his team have really pulled off something brilliant with this production. It’s absolutely out of the box —innovative and surprising and a little surreal.

For example, in the photo below, we see Jennifer Hill in the role of Tamara, Queen of the Goths, but behind her we see the imposing face of Darion McCloud as Aaron, her lover, projected onto the draped screen as he delivers yet another menacing line.

In this photo we see Catherine Hunsinger, in the role of Lavinia, the daughter of Titus Andronicus, on the actual stage but also projected behind her giving the audience a larger than life look after an unspeakable act has befallen her character. Evidently this is the work of videographer Adrian Williams with Megan Claxton pulling focus.

The cast also includes Stann Gwynn (as Titus), Tracy Steele, Richard Edward, Christopher Cockrell (as Saturnius), Marshall Spann, Chris Aimone, Brandon Martin, Dakota Walker, Tristan Brown, young Aden Cobb, Sunni Greene, Brittany Bierman — you probably know many of these folks yourself. But Bonnie, my daughter, was explaining that every night of this multi-media production, all these actors - the whole cast and crew, plus some noble volunteers - have to break down the stage and load out all the equipment, only to load it back in the next afternoon.

If this isn’t dedication to one’s art, I’m not sure what is.

And by the way, the event is free. All you have to do is roll up like I did last night. Parking was easy in the lot and there are designated spots along the road. Head to the small covered pavilion with picnic tables and then just follow the winding sidewalk down to the amphitheater. It’s a short walk. The amphitheater has concrete seating so I’m taking a tailgating chair and, since it’s supposed to be fall Saturday night, I’ll take a blanket, too as well as some vino (Vino Garage is 2 minutes away) and cheese and stuff for a nice pre show picnic. I hope we get to see a lot of friends there!

Titus Andronicus will be performed tonight and tomorrow,

October 3rd and 4th at 8 pm.

For more info about the SC Shakespeare Company visit their website at www.shakespearesc.com or shoot them an email at info@shakespearesc.com.

Southern Gothic Festival: A Free Two-Day Festival Returns to Camden by Emily Moffitt

The Southern Gothic Festival is coming back to the cozy Broad Street of Camden, SC this October. For the fans of the spooky and esoteric, and anyone with a sense of morbid curiosity, this festival runs from the night of Friday October 10 through all of Saturday, October 11. A variety of panels featuring discussions of literature, history, and the occasional ghost tour await audiences either for free or for a nominal fee. Authors and journalists make up many of the headliners, and here are some highlights.

USC and Columbia’s own Julia Elliott, the author of beloved short story collection Hellions, novel The New and Improved Romie Futch, and the short story collection The Wilds, is participating in the panel Haunted Landscapes: The Supernatural in Southern Gothic Fiction on Saturday, October 11 at 11 a.m. in the Historic Camden Education Center, alongside other authors Nathan Ballingrud (North American Lake Monsters and Wounds: Six Stories from the Border of Hell) and Lee Mandelo (Summer Sons and The Woods All Black). Topics of this panel will include subverting genre expectations, blending psychological depth with speculative elements, and drawing on regional mythology to create narratives that are as emotionally resonant as they are chilling.

At 2 p.m. on the 11th, award-winning novelist David Joy joins the festival for a conversation on the complexities of modern Southern identity through the lens of his most recent work, Those We Thought We Knew, and his earlier novel, When These Mountains Burn. Known for his stark, lyrical prose and deeply human characters, Joy explores themes of race, rural poverty, family, morality, and place–capturing the contradictions and weight of life in the contemporary South.

And for those more intrigued in the realm of true crime, two of the biggest cases in South Carolina’s history will receive their fair share of attention. Valerie Bauerlein, a Wall Street Journal Reporter and Writer, is conducting a panel about her book The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty at 12 p.m. on the 11th, and at 4 p.m., catch Dick Harpootlian, a veteran of the Columbia courtroom, discuss his experience prosecuting Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins and Harpootlian’s upcoming memoir about the ordeal, Dig Me a Grave.

For a full schedule of events for the two-day festival, visit the festival website at SouthernGothicFestival.com. The majority of the events are free to the public, including an opening street concert with Valentine Wolfe and Wasted Wine on the 10th at 7 p.m.

Craig Houston's Compositions Opening at City Art

WALK IN THE FOG By Craig Houston

City Art is pleased to announce our newest exhibition featured in the main gallery space: Craig Houston’s Compositions. The show will run between September 22nd and January 2026.

One of the important things to Craig Houston is seeing his art in the hands of those who truly appreciate and enjoy it. His style is continually evolving as well as his sense of color, technique, layering and texture. Craig’s paintings are the product of his education at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida in Commercial Illustration and Advertising.

Though he still does commercial pieces, his love is painting, both impressionist and abstractions.

Taking a concept or quick sketch and being able to make it come to life on board or canvas is a strong talent he possesses. Fighting the idea that the next painting is going to be his best, Craig isn’t willing to stop until he is pleased with it for himself. Large abstracts and non-representational art have produced a new-found freedom of expression in Craig’s work.

Realizing most of his free-form works have to get ugly to get pretty, helps keep his work fresh and prevents looking labored over. Putting paint down, stepping back, observing, and applying layers until the image starts appearing is his routine. His desire is to use his God-given talent to the max!

Please join us for an opening reception with the artist that will be held Thursday October 2nd from 5pm – 8pm. City Art Gallery is located at 1224 Lincoln St. in the historic Congaree Vista area in Columbia, South Carolina. For more information, contact City Art Gallery, at 803-252-3613. Visit online at www.cityartonline.com