Ed Madde — All Posts — The Jasper Project

Join us as we celebrate all the artists honored in the spring 2022 issue of Jasper Magazine for the official release event at 5:30 on Thursday, June 9th at the Black Rooster’s beautiful rooftop bar.

Among the artists we’ll be celebrating are cover artist Lindsay Radford (written by Kristine Hartvigsen) and centerfold Michael Krajewski (which was shot by Brad Martin in the Black Rooster itself!)

In a jam-packed 64 pages you’ll find another piece by Kristine Hartvigsen on Mike Miller’s new novel, The Hip Shot, as well as excerpts from Jane Zenger and Angelo Geter’s new books of poetry from Muddy Ford Press.

Music editor Kevin Oliver put together a detailed section of new music called “10 to Watch” featuring new work from Saul Seibert, Katera, Desiree Richardson, Tam the Vibe, Rex Darling, Space Force, Admiral Radio, Hillmouse, Candy Coffins, and Lang Owen, with contributing writing from Kyle Petersen and Emily Moffitt.

Stephanie Allen writes about Josetra Baxter and Tamara Finkbeiner’s Walking on Water Productions and their new series Secrets in Plain Sight, with photography by Bree Burchfield.

And we highlight Columbia artist Quincy Pugh as well as feature Will South’s interview with Tyrone Geter all the way from Gambia.

USC filmmaker Carleen Maur helps us understand more about the art of experimental filmmaking.

Emily Moffitt profiles visual artists Rebecca Horne, Lucy Bailey, and designer Diko Pekdemir-Lewis.

Ed Madden curates poetry from Juan David Cruz-Duarte and Terri McCord.

Christina Xan details the incredible success of Cooper Rust and her non-profit organization, Artists for Africa.

Cindi Boiter profiles SC Arts Commission executive director David Platts, with photography by Brodie Porterfield, and writes about the new public art, Motherhood by Nora Valdez, with exquisite photography by Stephen Chesley.

*Motherhood* by Nora Valdez, phot by Stephen Chesley

And finally, we memorialize two pillars of the Columbia arts community, Mary Bentz Gilkerson and Wim Roefs, whose loss this spring we are still reeling from.

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We look forward to seeing you Thursday night.

The event is free and Black Rooster’s regular rooftop bar will be serving drinks and food. Come by for happy hour and grab a drink, a magazine, and a hug from your favorite folks. Or plan on staying a while and grabbing dinner or snacks.

Thanks to restauranteur extraordinaire Kristian Niemi for hosting us.

We can’t wait to see you and show off these exceptional artists who call Columbia, SC home!

Would you rather?

Either/or. That game.

Sometimes the options don’t feel very different. Would you rather watch Seinfeld or watch The Simpsons? Would you rather be itchy or scratchy?

Sometimes they are very different, despite the superficial structure of the game. Would you rather be telekinetic or telepathic? Would you rather have the power of invisibility or the power of flight?

My dad and I took one of those little personality tests. I remember one question that clarified things for me. Would you rather have your head in the clouds or be stuck in a rut? That’s easy, I thought: head in the clouds. That’s easy, he thought: stuck in a rut.

For him it was about getting something done, even if it was the same old thing. For me it was about possibility, vision, about doing things better, doing things differently.

So, would you rather have Andy or Howard? Someone emailed me, said here’s the issue: non-arts folks don’t see a lot of difference between Andy Smith and Howard Duvall. Said we got rid of the regressive element on the council, and either of these guys would be good.

Don't see a lot of difference? Really? Are we watching the same news, reading the same webpages, thinking about the same city—and what they think a city could and should be?

Everyone knows Andy Smith is the arts candidate—or to rephrase that, the candidate at the heart of the city’s cultural boom, the candidate with a comprehensive vision for strategic planning. Everyone cites his transformation of the Nickelodeon Theatre from a tiny arts venue to a central cultural venue for the city—and his creation and direction of Indie Grits, one of the most exciting recent developments in our city’s ongoing cultural renaissance. (And don’t say you haven’t noticed this cultural renaissance? Columbia is not the sleepy little self-satisfied city I moved to 20 years ago. It is something better, something more. It is an urban ecology in transformation.) And doesn’t that massive film festival suggest he is more than an arts candidate: he is also the entrepreneurial business and infrastructure and commercialvision candidate? Look at their webpages. Look at Andy’s response to the flood and the infrastructure and local business issues it addresses. What have they done, what can they do? Earlier this year, the Free Times named him one of “50 People Who Get Things Done.”

Would you rather…? There’s a difference.

Happy Hour Release Party for Jasper Magazine Spring 2022 - Thursday, June 9th at Black Rooster Rooftop Bar

"the entrepreneurial business and infrastructure and commercialvision candidate" -- Ed Madden Endorses Andy Smith