By Christina Xan
The Meridian Sidewalk Gallery is Jasper Galleries’ most unique space. While patrons cannot enter the gallery, the sidewalks are accessible to all 24/7. Lining both Sumter and Washington Streets around the historic Meridian Building, the gallery prominently features two 2D artists and one 3D artist each quarter.
For the first quarter of 2025, Jasper Galleries has paired the bright, dynamic paintings of Christopher Lane and Emily Wright with stunning wooden sculptures from Marion Mason. The differing shapes and forms wrap and snake around each other, each piece telling its own part of a grander story together.
Patrons have until the end of March to stop by and view the works, all of which are purchasable via scanning a QR code at the end of each window or contacting jaspergalleries@gmail.com. Learn more about each artist below.
Christopher Lane - artist
Christopher Lane, born in Minnesota in 1968, drew inspiration from notable artists such as Thomas Hart Benton, Andy Warhol, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Roy Lichtenstein during his formative years. His artistic development was further influenced by a period spent in Cairo, Egypt where the architecture, sculpture, symbolism, hieroglyphs and vibrant colors of Egyptian art left a significant mark on his work. Diagnosed with dyslexia, he attended the GOW School in South Wales, New York, which provided him with educational support. Following this, Lane lived in Paris for a year, enriching his creative pursuits. He pursued an art degree at Eastern New Mexico University but left to support his young family while serving in the United States Navy as a submariner. Now residing in South Carolina, Lane focuses on creating visual stories that encourage viewers to reconsider divisive subjects through a gentler perspective. He is actively involved in various group exhibitions nationwide and recently showcased his work at ArtFields.
Lane employs striking imagery to transform life experiences into visual narratives that center on individuals and their interpersonal relationships. He is deeply committed to social justice and environmental protection, illustrating the interconnectedness of these themes in his work. His paintings frequently include elements of nature and often convey historical, political, or spiritual stories, reflecting his enthusiasm for these topics. As a modern surrealist and storyteller, Lane’s artworks can typically be analyzed in multiple scenes while maintaining a unified theme. Using vibrant colors, rich symbolism, and layered imagery, he addresses complex issues, encouraging viewers to perceive them through a new, perhaps softer lens.
Marion Mason - Artist
Marion Mason writes the following:
I am a visual artist who taught high school Art for forty-two years.
I earned the Bachelor of Arts Degree in studio art (sculpture concentration) from the University of South Carolina, and the Master of Fine Arts Degree (in sculpture) from the University of Georgia. In addition, I earned the Master of Education (adult & community education) from Carolina.
Prior to my teaching career I served as an officer in the U.S. Navy for 9 years (5 on active duty) and am a veteran of the Vietnam War.
I began my 42-year HS Art teaching career as the artist-in-residence, and on-site coordinator, at the former Richland District One Artistically Talented and Gifted (ARTAG) High School Program. Many years ago, I was a member of the design and implementation team of the original Tri-District Arts Consortium (Tri-DAC), and I have taught sculpture there for 15 summers. Also, I had the privilege of teaching three summers in the three week Honors Program at the SC Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. I have conducted many art workshops for school, district, community, and state-wide groups, from middle schoolers through adults. In 1982 I was awarded Teacher of the Year recognition at C. A. Johnson High School and was also honored as the Richland District One Teacher of the Year. Currently I teach various visual arts courses and serve as the Fine Arts Department Head at White Knoll High School.
Since retiring from teaching in January 2019, I am now a full-time professional artist again, and exhibit and sell my sculpture, pendants and earrings. Over the years I have shown and won awards at many local, state, regional, and national competitive and invitational exhibits.
Emily Wright - artist
e.lois wright, known by friends and family as Emily Wright, is a lover of Life with all of its small details and rich hues of color that spill into our every day. Emily’s first love is the written language. She began an early love affair with poetry, prose and the theater arts, earning a BA in English with honors at Lander University. With a desire to express the vibrant facets of Self, she discovered her passion for creating visual art and started a journey toward understanding its cathartic impact on her holistic health. Emily, first, was drawn to decoupage with art journaling and, later, engaged all of her free time in jewelry making. A means of “balancing the distractions”, she found solace in piecing together unique and bold wearable art from discarded found objects, taking the broken and making them beautiful, again.
In 1999, Emily began selling her original, up-cycled jewelry under the name “Balanced Distractions”, finding that her patrons connected with her pieces on a very personal, emotional, and, even, spiritual level, which stands true, today. Over the last twenty-five years, hundreds of friends, family, and strangers have donated the fragmented and unwanted—glass, pottery, metal and jewelry—all to this shareable, artful healing. A pivotal point in Emily’s artistic journey appeared with the cresting of Columbia’s “Thousand-Year Flood” (2015). Simple, surprising treasures were unearthed from surrounding Midland rivers, allowing Emily to feel, deeply, the flow of inspiration and creative potential, “taking the broken and making them beautiful, again”.
Emily’s choices of medium and forms of expression continue to expand and unfold before her, as she is fully immersed in the art of authentic self-expression with a “fresh eyes” perception. From tapping mantras into canvases to mindfully transforming watercolor blots into faces to molding faux flowers out of old water bottles and shotgun shells, she is present to create from the heart. Most favorite mediums include acrylic/oil/chalk/pastels on canvas/wood/metal, and her time is lovingly spent on making decor and yard art, up-cycled furniture, handmade paper journals from recyclable goods, photography, and learning more and more about costuming and stage make-up.
Her love for all arts is echoed in her role as “Artist in Residence” (2019-Present) for “Swamp Sessions—‘Off the Grid’ Sustainable Energy Project” in Awendaw, SC, alongside South Carolina’s “Low-Country Hall of Fame” singer/songwriter, Danielle Howle.