For the first time ever, the Jasper Project joins in the reindeer games of playing the Free Times Best Of campaign. Why? For the same reason everyone else plays:
The Jasper Project has been nominated in a “Best Of” category — Best Local Website: Music and Entertainment.
We support Free Times & this is a money-maker for those guys. (Sorry, we aren’t going to advertise though.)
Like everyone else, we also enjoy seeing our name in print and distributed throughout the land.
Do we think that the entities who also play the game and win are actually the “best of?”
No, Silly!
We recognize that the “Winners” of this marketing campaign are the people and businesses who do the best job of rallying their friends, families, and supporters to go to the trouble of logging in to the Free Times website and thumbing through all 300+ categories of “Best Of” in order to cast their vote.
Do we think that winning would mean that Jasper actually has the Best Local Website: Music and Entertainment in Columbia?
To be honest, there are far too many variables being ignored here to declare that anything is actually the Best Of anything, based on an unscientific method of gathering info. That being said, it should be noted that the Jasper Project website is the Only Contender in this category that devotes its entire website to Music and Entertainment (and Theatre, Visual Art, Film, Dance, Design, Poetry & Prose), so there’s something to be said for that.
Do we think we have a chance in hell of winning, considering that we are in competition with the organization that makes the rules, along with many other deserving websites?
Well, that’s really up to you, isn’t it?
Finally, do we think the Free Times Best Of Campaign is anything other than a popularity contest?
Of course not! (But we are not so jaded as to pretend that we don’t like to feel pretty, too!)
So caveats in place, here are Jasper’s votes for a few categories of competition dealing with local arts, along with our recognition of the important arts categories that weren’t even invited to play.*
*Best Local Creative Writer, Best Local Theatre Director, Best Local Photographer, Best Songwriter, Best Poet, Best Graphic Artist, Best Creative Nonfiction Writer, Best Book Written By a Local Author, Best Classical Musician, Best Arts Administrator, Best Arts Supporter/Volunteer
Best Art Gallery
There's something good to be said about all these galleries. CMA has always supported Jasper and the folks at Stormwater are professional and great to work with. Kudos to Richland Library for making art -- especially local art -- a priority. But we have to pull the lever for the Gallery at the Koger Center because it is truly a hyper-local space; Jasper Magazine's own Visual Arts Editor, Emily Moffitt, is the curator there; and you'll find one of Jasper's unique gallery spaces, The Nook, on the second tier where we install a monthly exhibition featuring a SC artist with a reception on the third Thursday of every month (and sometimes Friday or Wednesday, check our events page).
Best Entertainment Venue
We're on the fence between the Koger Center and Harbison Theatre because we admire both venue's commitment to featuring local artists and we appreciate the support we've received from both organizations.
Best Filmmaker
We've worked with most of these outstanding filmmakers in one capacity or another and are proud to support them all. But what kind of an organization would we be if we didn't rally behind our board president, Wade Sellers? In addition to being a trail-blazing filmmaker, Wade gives back to the community in so many ways, including heading up our 2nd Act Film Project which has produced a total of 100 films by independent SC filmmakers as of 2025.
Best Local or Regional Museum
We are fortunate to have a wonderful working relationship with the SC State Museum and we are all about the fantastic stewardship these good people are affording to their impressive SC Arts Collection. They like us, too, as evidenced by their hosting Jasper’s film — In Memory of His Memory by Wade Sellers at 6pm on July 17th.
Best Place to Celebrate a Birthday
We tend to choose our friends at Motor Supply Company for their menu, service, and the beautiful local art, programmed and installed by yours truly, Jasper!
Best Artist
We think all of the Greater Columbia Arts Community artists deserve a prize, a big fat commission, and a Peter Lenzo hug (IYKYK), so go with your heart on this when you vote but always remember to buy local when you can.