Supper Table Spotlight: Filmmaker Betsy Newman honors Elizabeth Evelyn Wright

We’re kicking off our series of spotlights on our Supper Table artists by looking at one of our film artists: Emmy Award-winning Betsy Newman

There’s so much to celebrate about filmmaker and producer Betsy Newman and what she has brought and continues to bring to South Carolina’s cultural landscape. So much so that we’re doing a profile of Betsy in the fall issue of Jasper magazine, coming out later in August.

Here, Betsy talks about her work honoring Elizabeth Evelyn Wright, founder of Vorhees College in Denmark, SC.

My Supper Table subject is Elizabeth Evelyn Wright, the woman who founded Voorhees College. I’m thrilled to have learned about her – she was one of those people who blaze brightly for a short time and contribute an enormous amount. From the time she boarded a train by herself at the age of 16 to go to the Tuskegee Institute, to her death at the age of 34, she had built and rebuilt several schools for black students. Though two of her schools were destroyed by arsonists, she was undeterred by the racist violence of the Jim Crow era. She raised funds from wealthy white philanthropists and named her successful school for her most generous supporter, Ralph Voorhees. It’s fun to work on a short video about Wright, and inspiring to be part of the Supper Table cohort. I love hearing about the approaches that the other women are taking to their films, and the ways in which the visual and literary artists are treating the same subject matter.

To learn more about Jasper’s Supper Table project please visit our Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thejasperproject/the-supper-table and for a comprehensive look at what the SC Arts Commission calls a “Who’s Who of SC Female Artists” please visit http://www.scartshub.com/whos-who-of-female-scartists-headline-new-project/.

To be a part of this project and have your contribution celebrated in the accompanying book, Setting the Supper Table, please consider making a minimum $50 donation and dedication to the SC Women who rock your world at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thejasperproject/the-supper-table

Columbia Museum of Art has a Busy September Planned

 

From Marilyn to Mao: Andy Warhol's Famous Faces

On View in the Lipscomb Family Galleries through Sunday, September 13

The CMA presentsFrom Marilyn to Mao: Andy Warhol's Famous Faces, a thematically focused look at the artist's influential silkscreens and his interest in portraits.Andy Warhol (1928-1987) is central to the pop art movement and one of the best-known 20th-century American artists. From Marilyn to Mao uses 55 of Warhol's acclaimed portraits to explore pop art's tenet of the cult of celebrity, the idea that pop culture adores the famous simply because they are famous. Warhol exploited society's collective obsession with fame like no artist before or after him. The exhibition celebrates the Mao suite, an anonymous gift to the CMA of the complete set of 10 silkscreens Warhol created in 1972 of Mao Zedong, chairman of the Communist Party of China from 1949 to 1976.

Warhol first gained success as a commercial illustrator before becoming a world-renowned artist. His works explore the relationship between artistic expression, celebrity culture, and advertisement that flourished by the 1960s-concepts he continued to examine throughout his career. His art forms a mirror of the rise of commercialism and the cult of personality. He was not a judge of his subjects as much as a talented impresario who brought thousands of people into the pantheon of fame, if only for fifteen minutes. Some, such as Marilyn Monroe, got a few more minutes.

In addition to Marilyn Monroe and Mao Zedong, the exhibition includes the faces of Judy Garland, Muhammad Ali, Sigmund Freud, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Albert Einstein, Annie Oakley, Theodore Roosevelt, Giorgio Armani, and Superman, as well as two self-portraits by Warhol, to name a few. The majority of the works outside of the CMA's Mao suite are loaned by the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Penn. The CMA has also secured a partnership loan with Bank of America to borrow seven pieces from their collection. The run of the exhibition is filled with an array of related evening and daytime programs for adults and families.

Identity

On View in the Community Gallery through Sunday, September 27, 2015

Warhol interrogated the concept of identity, which remains at the core of the American experience. From Marilyn to Mao: Andy Warhol's Famous Faces provides the broader community the opportunity to both appreciate the enduring qualities of his art and to question the nature of fame and identity. How do we understand fame and identity in relation to others or to our own sense of self? Can we, like certain celebrities, politicians, or artists, remake ourselves? How are these concepts a part of the 21st-century experience? The Identity exhibition, a community gallery show whose opening coincides with Arts & Draughts on August 14, attempts to address and perhaps offer answers to these broad questions. The CMA has invited four established Columbia artists - Michaela Pilar Brown, Ed Madden, Betsy Newman, and Alejandro García-Lemos, who have each chosen one or more artists to mentor. Together each group creates a work or installation that responds to the questions of identity raised in the Warhol exhibition.

The Art of Joseph Norman

On View in Gallery 15 through Sunday, January 10, 2016

African-American artist Joseph Norman is a Chicago native whose lithographs mesmerize the viewer with an exploration of dark human emotion and raw commentary on black life in America. The Art of Joseph Norman introduces two complete print portfolios: Out at Home: The Negro Baseball League, Volume I, and Patti's Little White Lies. While Norman's work is said to be concerned with social injustice, inequality, and conflict, it is equally about love, transformation, and self-reflection. T

Gallery Tour: From Marilyn to Mao: Andy Warhol's Famous Faces

Saturday, September 5 & 12 | 1:00 p.m.

A guided tour provides an overview of the Gladdddthematically focused exhibition, From Marilyn to Mao: Andy Warhol's Famous Faces, featuring 55 of Warhol's famous portraits to explore pop art's tenet of the cult of celebrity, the idea that pop culture adores the famous simply because they are famous. Free with membership or admission.

Gallery Tour: Highlights of the CMA Collection

Every Sunday | 2:00 p.m.

Free

A guided tour provides an overview of European and American art in the CMA collection. This family-friendly tour features masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo from the Samuel H. Kress Collection and the American galleries.

Gladys' Gang: Join us for this popular series! Gladys' Gang is a free, early childhood arts and literacy program for ages 2-5 that focuses on preparing children for kindergarten. Using art as a guide, children and their adult caregivers enjoy story time and a visit to the galleries followed by a hands-on art project in the CMA studios. The program is held the first Wednesday of each month from 10:00 until 11:00 a.m.  Spaces are limited. Reserve your free spot in Gladys' Gang at columbiamusuem.org

I'm a Little Teapot or Coffee Pot

Wednesday, September 2 | 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Join us for some stories and songs and visit to the galleries to find some tea and coffee pots followed by art time in the studios where we will work together to decorate a tea pot.

Baker and Baker presents: Beethoven Cello Sonatas with A.W. Duo

Friday, September 4, and Saturday, September 5

Doors at 6:00 p.m. | Concert at 7:00 p.m.

2015 is the year of Beethoven for the A.W. Duo-Alyona Aksyonova on piano and James Waldo on cello. During their two-night stint at the CMA, the duo plays the complete cello sonatas. In the spring of 2014, the duo went on its second regional tour of the southeast, during which their performance at Church of the Good Shepherd in Columbia, SC was recorded by SCETV South Carolina Public Radio. This past summer, the duo had its debut at Alice Tully Hall with the ICN International Music Festival and made its first appearance with the Highland-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival in North Carolina. Cash bar. Both nights: $25 / $20 for members / $5 per night for students. Single night: $15 / $12 for members.

About Face Drawing Sessions

Mondays, September 7 & 21: Topics vary | 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Tuesdays, September 8 & 22:

Portrait Drawing | 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Figure Drawing | 7:15 - 9:15 p.m.

Looking for a supportive and friendly environment to hone your artistic skills? About Face Drawing Sessions are for you! There's no instructor, but there is a group of inspired artists, representing a wide range of abilities, who love to draw from the live model. Must be 18 or older to participate. Mondays: $12 / $10 for members / $5 for students. Tuesdays: $10 / $8 for members / $5 for students. Includes both sessions.

Passport to Art: Set the Table

Sunday, September 13 | Noon - 3:00 p.m.

Create a still life collage using a variety of different materials during this free drop-in open studio for families. Enjoy a self-guided tour or join the family-themed tour at 1:00 p.m. Free.

Dinner in White

Sunday, September 13

Cocktails at 6:00 p.m. | Dinner at 7:00 p.m.

Based on the incredible Diner en Blanc events that have popped up in cities around the globe, Chef Ryan Whittaker and 116 Espresso and Wine Bar are excited to present their own Dinner in White here at the CMA. The museum transforms into Warhol's factory for a totally unique dining experience. Come dressed in all white and bring an item for Warhol-inspired table decoration; the table with the centerpiece that pops the most will win a prize basket. Enjoy cocktail hour in our mod '60's lounge, then indulge in a multiple-course dinner inspired by the works in the Warhol exhibition. All proceeds go toward supporting the CMA educational mission. $120 / $100 for members. See the CMA website for details on discounted pricing for groups of 4 or 8.

Contemporaries' Oktoberfest

Thursday, September 17 | 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Come and enjoy a fun-filled evening of music, brats, and beer. $20/$5 for Contemporaries members.

CMA Jazz on Main: Trumpeter & Vocalist Joe Gransden: Songs of Sinatra and Friends

Friday, September 18 | Doors 7:00 p.m. | Concert 7:30 p.m.

Clint Eastwood referred to Joe Gransden as "a young man with an old soul and a classic voice."  On September 18, Joe brings that classic voice (as well as some smoking trumpet playing) to the CMA as he kicks off the third season of the Jazz on Main concert series. A native of New York, Joe Gransden has become one of the premier performers in the Southeast.  On the heels of a new release entitled "Joe Gransden: Songs of Sinatra and Friends," Joe joins the Noel Freidline Trio for an evening of music from "ol' blue eyes" himself, as well as other Rat Pack era greats such as Dean Martin and Tony Bennett. Individual Tickets: $35 / $28 members / $5 students. Season Tickets: $140 / $100 members. Premier Table Seating: $300 for 6 guests & 2 bottles of wine, $200 for 4 guests and 1 bottle of wine. Purchase tickets at columbiamuseum.org or (803) 799-2810. Presented by Family Medicine Centers of South Carolina.

ArtBreak

Tuesday, September 22 | Café 10:30 a.m. | Lecture 11:00 a.m.- Noon

ArtBreak is a program that looks at art through a different lens. Each session features a speaker who gives insight into their worldview by sharing their interpretation of works of art at the CMA. This month, begin the morning at the museum with pastries and coffee sold at the pop-up café by Drip followed by a talk from Pam Bowers, USC professor of Studio Art, who discusses nature in art. Free with membership or admission.

En Plein Air Oil Painting Workshop

Saturday, September 26 | 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Join The CMA, Congaree Land Trust, and artist David Phillips at Goodwill Plantation for a unique art and history experience. $45 bring your own art supplies/$75 includes art supplies. Box lunch included. Information and registration: congareelt.org or 803-988-0000

Warhol Community Gallery Salon

Sunday, September 27 | Noon

Free

The community gallery show, Identity, features artwork that responds to the questions of celebrity and identity raised in the Warhol exhibition.  The CMA welcomes two of the four Columbia artists, Michaela Pilar Brown and Ed Madden, along with the young artists they've chosen to mentor and collaborate with, to discuss their work.

Happy Birthday to Arts & Draughts AND The Whig!

 

The Columbia Museum of Art hosts the 21st installment of its Arts & Draughts series onFriday, August 14, from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The CMA's quarterly night of beer, music, and art activities is also celebrating The Whig's 10^th anniversary with tons of things to do. "Having a program still thriving and growing after five years says so much about how Columbia has responded to this idea, and we're excited to celebrate this milestone with the strongest installment to date," says Phil Blair, owner of The Whig. "We've got an incredible exhibit, paired with the most genuinely talented musicians and wonderful human beings we know in this all local lineup, and a beer we made ourselves with the first brewery to ever participate in Arts & Draughts. Without a doubt this is the way we want to recognize our long standing relationship with the CMA and our 10 years of being in business on Main Street."

• Taste local food and drinks by The Wurst Wagen, Bone-In Artisan Barbecue on Wheels, Island Noodles, and Sweet Cream Co. The Whig's 10th Anniversary Ale brewed by Redhook debuts and a beer tasting of Kona Brewing Company's Big Wave Golden Ale is also featured.
• Live music is provided by Jade Janay Blocker, Bologna Eyes, Mustache Brothers, and Say Brother.

The CMA is also going all out with DIY and creative activities inspired by the exhibition From Marilyn to Mao: Andy Warhol's Famous Faces. "There's a lot of art in this Arts & Draughts. We really wanted to celebrate Warhol - both his ideas and his aesthetic," says Adult Programs Manager Glenna Barlow. "At our DIY station you'll be able to make your own Warhol-style piece with a simplified printing process and contemporary celebrity faces. We want to explore the question 'Who would Warhol be depicting if he were still around today?' Beyond that you can make your own digital selfie with a screen printing app and take a picture in our photo booth inspired by Warhol's famous factory." Guests can also get their own "15 minutes of fame" as Multimedia Production Coordinator Drew Baron records candid personal responses to the exhibition.

The night also marks the opening of Identity in the Community Gallery. Identity, featuring works by Michaela Pilar-Brown, Ed Madden, Betsy Newman, Alejandro Garcia-Lemos, and each artist's chosen protégé. Artist groups are:

Betsy Newman

Alice Wyrd

O.K. Keyes

Michaela Pilar Brown

Ariel Flowers

Roni Nicole Henderson

Ed Madden

Alexis Stratton

Alejandro García-Lemos

Mary Robinson

Anna Velicky

Kyle Alston

Kaitlyn Shealy

Identity is a collection of collaborative works or installations that seek to answer the enduring questions posed by Warhol's themes of fame, celebrity, and the public persona.

Admission is $9; $5 for CMA members, or become a member that night and get in for free!

For more information, visit columbiamuseum.org

The Freshniz: Volume 2 -- Saturday Night!

“Live magazine” sounds a bit oxymoronic.  Whether proactively or reactively, magazines expose, summarize, analyze, and/or relate events; but rarely, if ever, are they events in and of themselves.  Saturday at Conundrum, southeast-based art cooperative the Izms of Art will blend these two aspects of spectacle and journalism into “The Freshniz: Volume 2.”

The Izms of Art, like many of the organizations Jasper features, “strive[s] to push the boundaries of expression.”  In order to do so, members and affiliates fuse a variety of artistic media (including, among others, visual art, graphic design, tattooing, and music production) and instill in the public a more complex understanding of and appreciation for art.

Izm’s multifaceted approach to creative pursuit is a product of the multitalented individuals that comprise it; each member possesses an impressive resume indicative of trans-genre capability: certified audio engineer DJ B (aka B Sam) boasts an extensive knowledge of music, audio, and video production; Carl “Fahiym” Jones engages in various forms of creative writing, including fiction, poetry, and hip hop; Dalvin "Mustafa" Spann offers expertise in graphics, photography, videography, and web design; Tahirah Spann explores “the blurry line between an art form and a craft”; Uncle Vic contributes as a painter, illustrator, graphic designer, and MC; barber, tattoo artist, and founding member of hip hop group The Shaaw Brothers, Jarrett “Un” Jenkins also expresses himself on canvas, paper, and cardboard.

According to Izms painter, illustrator, and writer Cedric Umoja, Freshniz is an opportunity for the community to “come out and enjoy the arts on different levels.”  He emphasizes that when we think of art, we often think of visual arts.  We forget that acting is art, writing is art, cooking is art.  The Freshniz allows for artists to expose the arts that are too infrequently identified as such.

Cedric admits that the concept of a live magazine did not originate at Izms.  He notes that they’ve been “occurring here and there throughout the country,” popping up sporadically and providing speakers with around five minutes each.  But Izms wants to bring consistency and depth to these intriguing events.  Saturday’s event will feature four speakers from various fields of art.  Speakers will be given twenty to twenty-five minutes to showcase themselves, their unique experiences, and their creative processes.

The Freshniz: Volume 2 will include presentations by: visual artist Infamous JeanClaude; producer, director, and videographer Betsy Newman; music producer Midi Marc; and producer Sufia Giza Amenwahsu of REEL Black Pix.  Conundrum’s doors will open at 6 PM, and tickets will be sold for $5 on arrival.

For more information about the Izms of Art, its members, or its events, visit their website (http://izmsofart.wordpress.com) and Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/Izms.ofArt).  Izms plans to organize two more live magazines this year, so keep an eye out for volumes 3 and 4 of The Freshniz.

-- Austine Blaze, Jasper intern