About Last Night - A Magical Evening of New Theatre & Unique Visual Art with Chad Henderson & Nate Puza

L to R: Jon Tuttle - PRS director, Chad Henderson - playwright, Marybeth Gorman Craig - director, Kayla Machado - very pregnant actor, Libby Campbell - actor & Jasper Project board member, G. Scott Wild - actor

Last night was a wonderful night for the Jasper Project as we were privileged to celebrate two artists from two different disciplines at Harbison Theatre for a double dose of Jasper goodness. We opened the evening with a reception for our featured visual artist in the Harbison Theatre Gallery, Nate Puza and ended it with the premier staged reading performance of the 2024 Play Right Series winning play, Let It Grow by Chad Henderson.

Visual Artist Nate Puza offers and artist talk at the opening reception for hi exhibition at the Jasper Project’s Harbison Theatre Gallery

Nate Puza is a South Carolina based artist, designer, and illustrator with over a decade of experience working with some of the biggest bands and brands in the world including Jason Isbell, the Avett Brothers, Chris Stapleton, Phish, and more. Internationally known for his meticulous attention to detail and high level of craftmanship, Puza created the new design for the Columbia, SC flag. When not creating art for your favorite band Nate can be found playing music with friends, being outside, wrenching on his motorcycle, mowing the lawn, or drinking a beer on the back porch.

Chad Henderson is a professional theatre artist from South Carolina. He is known for directing contemporary plays, musicals and original works that mix music, movement, imagination and invention to create unforgettable works for the stage. Henderson served as the Artistic Director of Trustus Theatre (2015-2021) in Columbia, SC, and is the current Marketing Director for the South Carolina Philharmonic, where he most recently produced Home for the Holidays at Koger Center for the Arts. Selected Trustus Theatre credits include: The Brother/Sister Plays, Green Day’s American Idiot, Evil Dead, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Last 5 Years, Assassins, The Great Gatsby, Next to Normal, and The Restoration’s Constance - an original musical for which Henderson also authored the book.

Libby Campbell and David Britt on the stage for Let It Grow!

L to R: Libby Campbell, David Britt, G. Scott Wild, Kayla Machado

Jasper expresses our sincerest appreciation to Kristin Cobb, executive director of Harbison Theatre at MTC and her team for welcoming us into their home and supporting our mission. Check out all the exciting performances coming up at Harbison theatre here and support this state-of-the-art performance space the way they support the SC Midlands performing artists!

Kristin Cobb, executive director - Harbison Theatre at MTC welcomes the crowd.

Kelly Bryant Brings Anthropomorphic Animal Whimsy to First Thursday at Sound Bites

Kelly Bryant’s work is the kind that immediately sparks smiles, urging patrons to come in for a closer look: saintly opossums praying, koalas applying lipstick, and lemurs licking lollipops. 

Bryant is a Connecticut-to-South-Carolina transplant who works full time as a legal worker and fills any spare time she has not wrangling her girls and two cats crafting her art. Fully self-taught, Bryant found painting in an attempt to keep her kids occupied during the COVID-19 lockdown when a Pinterest search for mom activities turned up finger painting.

This activity, however, soon became a passion as Bryant brought “animals doing human things or wearing human attire” to life through bright colors and finger strokes. These soon turned to brush strokes as, post-YouTube rabbit hole, experience and joy alike blossomed. Then, and now, Bryant holds to the lesson that “everyone should do more of what makes them happy.” 

As the hobby solidified into a part of Bryant’s everyday life, she joined the Crooked Creek Art League. Since then, she found oils, which have become her go-to, and she has begun officially showing her work. Bryant showed at this past South Carolina State Fair and at Crooked Creek’s Still Hopes Art Exhibition—where she won a Patron Award. 

It has been a whirlwind of a journey that Bryant feels ever grateful for. She is “finding [her] style and solidifying it throughout everything [she] creates,” and she is continuously grateful that she gets to “watch other people smile when they walk by and see [her] animals.” 

Bryant’s work for this show is an amalgamation of her time as an artist thus far: work from her early finger-painting adventures to oil pieces dry just in time for hanging. It is a collection of bright, whimsical, yet comforting creatures that are effortlessly her own. 

“My art is a reflection of my journey—ever-evolving and always having a bit of fun along the way,” Bryant emphasizes. 

To see Kelly Bryant’s work, join Jasper for her Opening Reception during First Thursday at Sound Bites Eatery on 1425 Sumter Street THIS Thursday, September 5th from 5:30pm—8:00pm.

Emily Moffitt Bridges the Abstract and Illustrative for Jasper’s Tiny Gallery

Salted Heron - Emily Moffitt

Emily Moffitt has been a fundamental behind-the-scenes player for the Columbia arts community for years. A graduate of the University of South Carolina holding a BA in both Studio Art and English, Moffitt is both the marketing assistant and gallery curator for the Koger Center as well as the Secretary of the Jasper Project and the visual arts editor for Jasper Magazine. 

Beyond supporting the arts, Moffitt is herself a multimedia artist—an illustrator who works in primarily ink, gouache, and watercolor and whose work and art alike is “dedicated to developing the cultural landscape of Columbia.” 

Creating art as a mode of self-expression has been part of Moffitt’s roots from childhood, whether sharing melodies on her flute or crafting identities through cosplay. She grew up sketching characters and scenes from her favorite cartoons and video games—but in late high school and college, Moffitt began to realize how vital visual art was for her identity. 

Coral Cluster - Emily Moffitt

Specifically, visual art became a way for Moffitt to connect to her Puerto Rican heritage and, with this realization, she unlocked a path where she could create with intention and within overarching themes. These sinews keep her grounded as she explores the endless possibilities art allows, “combining [her] love for illustration and for abstract art in different ways, allowing [herself] to grow outside of the box and to experiment with different styles.” 

Though her first solo show, in a way, this Tiny Gallery serves as a way of coming home for the young artist. “This collection of work is a combination of getting back into the groove of creating, learning what works best for me, and work that I know I love to do,” Moffitt shares.

For this show, Moffitt has created a cast of characters in an almost visual linked-story collection. Here, fine line harpies gaze into the distance, mysterious jesters dance for an unseen audience, and fish sit in brightly colored tins and swim throughout thoughts alike.

“For this show I found myself drawn to comfortable colors like blue, and I wanted to use as many of my materials I already owned as I could,” Moffitt says. “I typically am the type of person who loves to control things, so using wet media like watercolor pushes me out of that boundary and makes me relax and let the medium work itself, rather than me overworking it.”

Fish for Thought - Emily Moffitt

Moffitt’s Tiny Gallery show will be up until September 30th and can be viewed 24/7 via Jasper’s virtual gallery page. Patrons can also follow her work on her Instagram @thewildflowermural.

Large-Scale Urban Canvas Art Tapestry Unveiling at Todd & Moore Sporting Goods

A new Urban Canvas tapestry, a component of the Columbia Streams Art public art program is scheduled to unveil on Tuesday, August 20 at 11:30 am by Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, representatives from Todd & Moore, the host of the new piece of public art, and the artists themselves.

*The featured artists include:

Jennifer Bartell Boykin

Diane Condon

Wilma King

Tabitha Ott

Kristine Hartvigsen

Michael Cassidy

Lori Starnes

Michael Dwyer

Austin Sheppard

Anna Redwine

The tapestry measures 15 feet wide by 10 feet tall, and is comprised of images and artistic expressions by ten different local visual artists, poets, and jewelry designers.

The City of Columbia will also recognize the 20’ wide by 15’ tall Urban Canvas which was recently unfurled in the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, which mirrors the original 10’ by 10’ original canvas first exhibited outside of Art Bar in The Vista in November 2022.

*The Jasper Project Congratulates and Appreciates All the Artists Involved in this Project and Wants to Make Sure Your Names are Heard, Known, and Celebrated!

Todd & Moore Sporting Goods exterior

(Back of the building facing Blossom St.)

620 Huger Street

Alex Ruskell Creates Whimsical Friends for Jasper’s Tiny Gallery

Nighthawks by Alex Ruskell

Alex Ruskell is a man who wears many hats, serving as the Director of Academic Success for the University of South Carolina’s Law School by day and parading around stages with his band, the Merry Chevaliers, at night. 

All the while, strange little figures plague his mind, and fortunately for those who call Columbia home, those whimsical dudes materialize into joyful paintings patrons can hang on their own walls.

Crooner by Alex Ruskell

“When I started painting, all I really wanted to do was make people happy,” Ruskell shares. “I know that sounds dopey and saccharine, but that was it—along with making enough money per art show that I could take my family out to dinner without feeling guilty about it.” 

For his Tiny Gallery show (which has made his work available to those nearly as far-and-wide as the outer space dwellers he often paints), Ruskell has put together 8 new works alongside prints of 2 popular pieces.  

On the gallery site, patrons will see dinos and dragons floating in space (with astronaut helmets for their tails, of course); crooning, karaoke monsters; and kings and goths alike just trying to get by. Essentially? The usual.

Spaced by Alex Ruskell

“The painting thing has worked out better than I could hope for,” Ruskell says. “I've got paintings in my yard that the neighborhood children have named; I see my paintings in the backgrounds of college dorm photos; and I get asked to do commissioned paintings for family birthdays, baby nurseries, and wedding gifts.” 

Alex Ruskell’s Tiny Gallery show will be live until August 31st, so be sure to check out his funky friends filled with heart before then on Jasper’s virtual gallery space. 

“Life is wonderful, but everyone has their down moments,” Ruskell says. “I like to think that a person might buy an alien eating a slice of pizza, stick it on his or her wall, and get a chuckle out of it now and again."

Click Here to Shop Jasper’s TINY GALLERY

CALL for Visual Artists -- Jasper is Accepting Applicants for the 2025 Jasper Galleries Series

We’re looking for a few good artists!

It’s already time for Jasper to plan our schedule for the 2025 Jasper Galleries Series and we want to hear from YOU! Just follow the instructions on the handy graphic above to let us know you are interested in sharing your work with the Jasper Project and your adoring fans.

In addition to our online 24/7 Tiny Gallery, Jasper has gallery spaces at Motor Supply Bistro, Sound Bites Eatery, The Nook at the Koger Center for Arts, the Lobby Gallery at Harbison Theatre, and at the Sidewalk Gallery in the Meridian Building Windows at Washington and Sumter Streets in downtown Columbia.

Application Deadline is October 15th.

We’re looking forward to hearing from YOU!

Special thanks to the good people at Motor Supply Bistro, Sound Bites Eatery, Koger Center for the Arts, Harbison Theatre, and the Meridian Building for supporting Columbia’s visual arts community by opening their walls to the Jasper Project for programming. We encourage you to support these businesses with your patronage. And if the walls need some love in your place of business, please contact our

Galleries Manager, Christina Xan at cxan@JasperProject.org,

to make plans for a Jasper Galleries arrangement custom created for you and your clientele.

Elisabeth LaRose Paints the Floral and the Spiritual for Jasper Galleries at Sound Bites

Elisabeth LaRose is a multimedia artist with a distinct love for watercolor. In the month of July, she will be the featured artist for Jasper Galleries at Sound Bites Eatery. 

LaRose has never been a stranger to art, with her earliest memory being of her mother—an artist herself—showing a young LaRose how to create shading with crayons: “I always knew from those early days that being a creative was my passion,” she shares. 

LaRose would go on to study art at the University of South Carolina, while working a full-time job. After school, she would focus on her job and raising her family, but she still continued to fill her spare time with making art. Her watercolors of historic homes from this time can still be seen hanging in various businesses and homes in Winnsboro. 

It was during this that LaRose expanded her techniques across a variety of media and began to teach art lessons—though some mediums have remained favorites. 

“I have always loved the versatility of watercolor. It can be loose and impressionistic or controlled and detailed which is my favorite,” LaRose shares. “Acrylic is next on my list of favorites because I love to paint on wood and glass.” 

LaRose would continue to hone in on her skills during her time living in Charlotte, North Carolina—painting murals in homes on Lake Norman—and upon returning to Columbia—painting on rocks, windows, and wood at Mill Creek Greenhouses.

Throughout all these places, LaRose continued to be inspired by her own feelings and experiences: “For as long as I can remember, every time I see something that touches me deeply, I automatically start to think about how I can portray those feelings creatively,” she shares. 

Specifically, her time working with plants opened an avenue that has become one of the clearest and most striking repeating images in her work. 

“Nature is my muse along with a love of spiritual symbols; so much of my work contains these elements,” LaRose details. “The garden is my happy place, and my hope is that my paintings evoke a feeling of peace and foster a love of all things natural in our beautiful world.” 

Recently, LaRose joined the South Carolina Artist Guild and has enjoyed the opportunity to show her work with local businesses and shows in Columbia. As she says, “My enthusiasm for my work is greater than ever, and I look forward to finding new inspirations to integrate into my craft.” 

One of these inspirations is her ever-shifting spirituality—most recently the “Native American practice of Shamanic journeying”—which takes forefront in LaRose’s show for Jasper Galleries at Sound Bites. 

“My style just has always been detailed and realistic. I love all things mythical and spiritual, both Native American and Eastern (Buddhism),” she details. “I have become fascinated with Adinkras in the last couple of years. They are African symbols. They are in many of my paintings chosen for this [Sound Bites] show.” 

Elisabeth LaRose’s show opens at Sound Bites Eatery on 1425 Sumter Street on Thursday, July 11th. The opening will take place from 5:30pm—8:00pm, with the restaurant’s full menu available.

Darren Young Creates Textured Familiar Paintings for Jasper Galleries at Motor Supply Bistro

Opening reception Friday July 12 6 pm

Local painter Darren Young is Jasper’s newest featured artist for Jasper Galleries at Motor Supply Co. Bistro, where for the next three months, patrons can enjoy their farm-to-table meals alongside a curated selection of beautiful oil paintings.  

Young received his BFA in Painting at East Carolina University and his MFA in Painting at Indiana University before studying with Wolf Kahn and Janet Fish at Vermont Studio Center. Now a resident of South Carolina, he paints and draws from observation. Specifically, he is “primarily concerned with creating interesting compositions with shape, color, and light” and his “subject matter is usually of places and people [he is] familiar with.”

“The way that I think of style is it’s basically a person’s point of view on how they want to express their feelings on a canvas,” Young shares. “Years of looking at other great painters does have an effect on an artist, but at the end of the day, you go within yourself and let the mind in the heart express your point of view of how you relate to the world.”

Young’s work—mostly oil, but some acrylic—shifts as the viewer walks across its line of sight. Wide brushstrokes and thick layers create unique texture, causing the images to shift and take shape as one strides up to, and walks back from, the painting.

“I want a painting to look like it was painted, and impasto or building up layer after shows that process very clearly—much the same way that an artist like Frank Auerbach does,” Young details. “Artists like Paul Gauguin and [Henri] Matisse excite me for their color use, and I think about using that kind of an expressionist palette for the most part because it feels natural as a reflection of who I am”

Viewers of Young’s current show will find both natural landscapes intimate to Young—like sunsets and lighthouses—as well as spaces he traverses in his day-to-day life—like he and his family’s living rooms, dining rooms, and porches. 

“What others consider ‘mundane’ I try to exalt to a ‘higher level,’ amplifying those things around me that I live with day-to-day similar to how an artist like Edward Hopper did,” Young shares.

Darren Young’s work is now up at Motor Supply in the Vista and will be up until the end of September. Join us for his Opening Reception on Friday, July12th from 6:00pm—8:00pm.

EXCLUSIVE JASPER INTERVIEW: OLGA YUKHNO & NEW PUBLIC ART -- CHERISHED

“I wanted to create a piece that symbolizes love, care, and inclusion.”

-Olga Yukhno

Cherished by Olga Yukhno

At the Jasper Project, we were excited to chat with our spring 2023 cover artist, Olga Yukhno, about her newest piece of public art, Cherished. Read on to learn more about the process of creating this beautiful piece of art, then visit Cherished at its new home in Chapin, SC.

JASPER: What is the material content for Cherished?

YUKHNO: The base of my newest public art piece Cherished is made out of concrete. Then the forms were decorated with a combination of ceramic pieces that I made, mirrors and a selection of old china pieces, mostly from old plates. The plates were donated to St. Francis Thrift Shop but couldn’t be sold due to chips or imperfections. I was excited by the idea of once cherished items finding a new life through art.

JASPER: Can you talk about the process of creating Cherished?

YUKHNO: Every step pf this process was fairly new for me which created a lot of additional excitement. First, I made a template that I later used to create a life-size maquette to make sure I liked the overall look. Once I made all the changes based on this initial experience, I created the final template that was used to cut the mold pieces out of thick plywood. Then the molds were assembled and helped determine the best placement for the actual piece.

The next step was to pour the base which was quite challenging as it took more concrete than we had anticipated. Once the base slab cured several days later, we started filling the vertical molds with concrete. We had to do it in small sections to avoid putting too much pressure on the molds. Finding just the right moment before the previous layer of poured concrete got too hard was key. After a few days of curing, the forms were ready to be mosaiced. Meanwhile, I spent several days in my home studio preparing the mosaic bits, breaking plates, cutting mirrors, and developing the design so I wouldn’t have to do it on site.

Every element of the design was carefully marked and transported to the site. It took me several 10-hour workdays to install all the mosaic pieces. Once this process was complete, the art piece was ready for the final step- grouting.

Cherished by Olga Yukhno in progress

JASPER: What was the inspiration for this piece?

YUKHNO: When I first moved to the United States, I had the unique honor to get connected with St. Francis, and the wonderful opportunity to volunteer at the thrift store for over 4 years. The volunteers I met while working there created such a safe and welcoming environment and were always the most supportive and encouraging people. They helped me understand the culture, and I could always tell how much they cared. I have remained close with many of them even now, 15 years later. This has created a very special place in my heart for the thrift store, and the people who are involved with it, and I wanted to have the opportunity to give back through my art to the community who gave me so much.

I wanted to create a piece that symbolizes love, care, and inclusion. The Thrift Shop serves people of all walks of life, backgrounds, and needs. I wanted my piece to say “Welcome” to them and “Thank You” to the volunteers who work so hard to help others.

JASPER: How long did the process of creating the piece take?

YUKHNO: I first came up with this idea in August 2023, and it took about a year to make it happen which is a very quick turn-around when it comes to public art. I started collecting all the materials in January, and it took about 5 months to get enough for the piece. The onsite construction of Cherished lasted another month.

“…it reflects a deep belief that I hold- that art should be where we live our daily lives. So having it in a place that serves a very diverse population is significant for me.”

JASPER: Where is it located?

YUKHNO: Cherished is located in front of St. Francis Community Thrift Shop (114 Courtland Rd) in Chapin.

Its location is very important for me because it reflects a deep belief that I hold- that art should be where we live our daily lives. So having it in a place that serves a very diverse population is significant for me.

JASPER: Did you receive funding for this work – from whom?

YUKHNO: This project is supported by the SC Arts Commission through their Emerging Artist Grant. Public Art is a new artistic discipline for me, and this grant gave me an opportunity to improve my skills, get additional mentorship and professional support.

JASPER: What other pieces of public art have you created?

YUKHNO: Public Art is a very exciting new artistic path for me. I have already created several pieces including Spirit of the Lake that is located in Chapin, In Bloom that was displayed in public spaces in both North and South Carolina, The Rainbow Boat again in Chapin for their Sail Into Chapin event. I also participated in the Vista Power Boxes project.

JASPER: Please tell us about any other pieces of public art you have in the works or hope to create soon.

YUKHNO: Currently, I’m working with the Columbia Peace Committee to create a new sculptural installation, Persimmon Peace Pole, to promote the idea of peace which is particularly crucial right now. It will be a seven-foot tall sculptural mosaiced piece that will have hand sculpted floral elements and tiles.

On a separate note, Cherished is not the only project that has come to fruition recently. I have been working on a special series of multi-media artwork dedicated to dementia for several years now. And, finally, I have an amazing opportunity to share it with the public. I’m participating in a two-person exhibition featuring the work of late Harry Hansen and my new pieces at the Jones-Carter Gallery in Lake City, SC. I love this Gallery and the opportunity to show my work there is a dream come true!

This exhibition, Bridges to Personhood, opens on June 21 and will be on view through August 17.

Sean Madden’s Intimately Familiar Landscapes at Sound Bites Eatery

Sean Madden

is the Jasper Project’s Featured Artist for June at

Sound Bites Eatery

Sean Madden is a multimedia artist who captures landscapes and portraits of Columbia in such a way that makes the images both familiar and fresh at the same time.  

Both Madden’s parents were artists, so creating was never foreign to him. His mother was an accomplished oil painter, and his father was a master carpenter, scratch painter, and sculptor. Though art came naturally, it was music that first captured Madden’s interest. 

“The influence of my parents came full circle in the early 2000s when I began working for a piano and antique restoration company,” Madden says. “And my knowledge of wood carving and ability to work an artist's brush proved invaluable.”

However, it was after the loss of his mother in 2019 that Madden was moved to “return to [his] roots” and begin painting once more. This time, it stuck, and he now finds it hard to pull himself from whatever surface he’s sketching on during any free time. 

Madden’s inspirations come from all around him, from the world he traverses each day. Though he began capturing these scenes with oil, he embraces all mediums, including gouache, acrylic, watercolor, graphite, and ink. 

“My main goal, when I sit down behind the easel, is to find some way of bridging reality with nostalgic fantasy,” he explains. “I tend to be drawn towards images centering around water and the play of light and shadow.”  

Madden has had his work displayed in venues around Columbia and Myrtle Beach, has found success as a part-time commission artist, and is proud to have works in fourteen states and two countries. 

His work for this show features landscapes both familiar and yet intimately personal. The common image of the Lake Murray Dam is interrupted by a buzzard that swooped down only feet from Madden on a visit. Two eerie beach scenes display the view from a quiet walk he and his wife took after Hurricane Ian struck the hotel at which they were vacationing. 

Madden’s work is available to view at Sound Bites Eatery (1425 Sumter St.) until the end of June. Sound Bites is open from 10am–3pm on weekdays and 11am–3pm on weekends. Purchases can be made through scanning QR codes on the paintings’ labels.

Philip Mullen Exhibition -- RED & WHITE -- in Taylors, SC

Wonder on to the SC Upstate for a new exhibition of Philip Mullen Art. Titled RED & WHITE, the show runs from May 10 through June 29, 2024 at the Hampton III Gallery at 3110 Wade Hampton Blvd, Suite 10 in Taylors, SC.

The Artist Reception is scheduled for Friday May 10th from 6 - 8 pm and a special event — Coffee and Conversation will be Saturday May 18th from 11 am - noon.

Jasper's TINY GALLERY Artist, PAT CALLAHAN, Transforms Columbia Scrap Metal into Wearable Works of Art

May’s Tiny Gallery artist is local jeweler and creative Pat Callahan, who some may know by the name Entangled Jewelry.  

Making and fixing objects were staples of Callahan’s childhood, with “creativity, making, and ingenuity always encouraged & patterned at home.”  

“A small hutch was always stocked with colored and plain paper, crayons, glue, and such. My mother & maternal grandmother helped my sisters and I explore embroidery, crewel work, knitting, crocheting, sewing, and baking,” she recalls. “My father, a mechanical engineer, could fix and repair seemingly anything, had an amazing array of tools, and somehow found time to craft furniture and carve miniature-scale US Naval ships.”  

Callahan spent her childhood drawing, and as she grew, she began replicating the life around her in her drawings: livestock on farms, animals from the zoo, and her own family moving around their everyday life. It is no surprise, then, that she would study art—graphic design specifically—in college, receiving a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University.  

After a career in graphic design, Callahan retired from USC Press—the university’s scholarly book publisher. Now having the time, she took her first jewelry class jewelry-making class at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina. At this time, she resumed a sketchbook practice and spent more time than ever in her studio. 

Callahan found her way to jewelry naturally through her figure drawing and sketching. In the 90s, she began figure-drawing with the group About Face, and this was her main form of creation for 15 years. 

“By 2007, I was building shadowboxes, which married my ingenuity with my love of nature findings, metal whatnots, and drawing. As part of this work I learned jewelry techniques to secure items in my boxes,” she shares. “In 2009 I moved my studio home after 13 years at Vista Studios, downtown Columbia, and soon surrendered to making jewelry with recycled, vintage, and metal finds. Through it all, my artistic expression beautifully counterbalanced a computer-based career.”

 This all led to Entangled Jewelry, where Callahan makes her creations through building off a special primary material: metal harvested from the streets of Columbia. She finds these materials to be “beautifully scuffed and abraded and rich with story” and believes “working with recycled and vintage elements honors [her] concern for Mother Earth.” She combines these with additional vintage and repurposed elements—and the rare gemstone—for edgy, industrial statement pieces.

The crafting process itself is organic. Whenever Callahan finds a particularly “tantalizing” piece, she keeps it on her work surface, and from here, pairings begin forming in her mind.

“Some pairings are immediate and assemble quickly; others evolve and demand I learn new skills or discover a tool,” she says. “This assemblage, one-of-a-kind approach feeds my creativity and curiosity. Possibilities are endless!”

 This industrial, innovative assemblage is apparent in her Tiny Gallery show. Washers and watches become wearable pieces of art in her necklaces. Metal you’d think nothing of as you walk over it on Main Street becomes the stunning centerpiece of a pin. Beads interspersed with charms and toolbox necessities transform into earrings.

“My Entangled Jewelry leans industrial style and genderless. This selection includes pins and clip pins as alternatives to necklaces and earrings,” Callahan says. “I believe in adornment!”

Some may be familiar with Callahan’s work from juried artisan markets such as the Rosewood Art & Music Festival, Sesqui Artisan Market, Cottontown Art Crawl, and Artista Vista Live Mart, and patrons can find her after the show as well at Art on State on May 10, 5:30 to 9:30, in West Columbia.

To purchase any of the works in this article, and to view the additional works in the show, head on over to Jasper’s online gallery space: Tiny Gallery.

-Christina Xan

Koger Center Upstairs Gallery to Open a New Group Exhibit - “Beat of the Heart” curated by Keith Tolen

“What is the beat of a heart?”

Keith Tolen - artist

The Koger Center for the Arts’ next art exhibition in the Upstairs Gallery features five of Columbia’s finest visual artists: Keith Tolen, Fred Townsend, Rodgers Boykin, Jeffrey Miller, and Ryan McClendon. The exhibit opens April 29 and will be housed in the Koger Center until July 1. The exhibit’s opening reception is scheduled for May 23, from 6 – 8 p.m., and is free to the public.

Tolen, a fellow member of the Jasper Project Board of Directors, approached the four other artists with an idea. A group exhibit showcasing artwork that answered the question “what is the beat of a heart?” in connection to the heart of South Carolina. The work engages the viewer to view the artist’s perspective on the idea and reflect on their own interpretations.

Exhibition Statement: “What is the beat of a heart? It is the contraction of your heart as it pumps blood to the rest of your body. One organ--made of valves, chambers, veins and arteries--is responsible for keeping an entire body--movement, consciousness, breathing--in working order. The thumping in our ears, the press of fingers to palm to check pulse, these are how we know our hearts beat, that we are alive. This exhibition features five moments represented by the work of five artists; each artist may be a key part of this show’s artistic body, but what connects them is this beat. Specifically, this heartbeat seeks to infuse the Carolinas with a pulse of new blood as each artist shares their Carolina experience highlighting the richness of living in this area.

Jeffrey Miller - artist

Each artist will share their images based on personal interpretation of the theme: what is art, and how does it serve as a heartbeat living in the Carolinas? The Carolinas pose a beauty that stretches across the terrain from the mountains and foothills to the piedmonts and swamps and, finally, out to the ocean. The diversity of the creative experience will be showcased as these five artists bring to visual light the magic of colors, shapes, and special details to share their stories. The goal of this collection is to engage the viewer with a creative journey into the broad array of expressionism that connects with our rich surroundings. The collective artworks seek to enrich the heart of every viewer as they explore the unique designs displayed in their bold beauty--arteries and veins that run through our state and ourselves. Leaving this body of work will have the viewers longing to purchase a piece in order to continue sharing in the lifeforce of these talented artists. This new blood represents a dose of new energy, pumping throughout not just the show, but each of our bodies, our community. The answer to the question, "what is art?" will become clearer to the audience as they savor each individual image, feeling it beat behind their own chests.”

Ryan McClendon - artist

The Koger Center Upstairs Gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and an hour prior to any Koger Center for the Arts performance

-Emily Moffitt

Two Jasper Events for Artista Vista - Friday April 19th - Big Tiny Gallery at Richland Library & Group Show with Archie, Archie, Krajewski, Tolen & Carpenter at Coal Powered Filmworks

Front Stoop by Kevin Archie

In addition to the closing reception for A Big Tiny Gallery, our collaborative exhibition with Richland Library, Friday night, April19 from 6:30 – 8:30 at the Main branch on Assembly Street, Jasper has another visual arts treat to contribute to this weekend’s Artista Vista celebration.

We’re delighted to welcome artists Laurel Steckel Archie, Kevin Archie, Michael Krajewski, Keith Tolen, and Kimber Carpenter for a group show at Coal Powered Filmworks, 1217 Lincoln Street (across from Blue Marlin) from 6 – 9 pm.

The Bath by Laurel Archie — This piece and more of Archie’s work is currently on display at Motor Supply Company Bistro on Gervais Street.

Corona by Michael Krajewski

Wild West by Keith Tolen

The Surprise by Kimber Carpenter

Please join us to check out these lovely artists’ work, grab a copy of Jasper Magazine, have a little nibble, and visit with us for a while. We’re happy to see you all, and we want to issue a special welcome to other artists from all disciplines to chat with each other as well as patrons and fill us in on what’s coming up in the arts for you. We’ll have a dry erase board set up for you to add any upcoming events you may have going on.

Please also visit our neighbors at Mike Brown Contemporary Gallery, Soulhaus Art next door!

Featured Artist at Jasper's Sidewalk Gallery at the Meridian Building - Gretchen Evans Parker

Gretchen Evans Parker

Gretchen Evans Parker, CPSA/CPX - OTRL/ret., Is a retired pediatric/hippotherapist (horse) occupational therapist. She has embarked on a second career in fine art since retiring. The avant garde medium of colored pencil allows her to achieve great detail and realism in her paintings. In her wildest dreams, Gretchen could never imagine how well-received her art would be nor where it would take her.  

Her commissioned portraits hang in homes around the Midlands and North America. Her work has won many awards and honors including signature status in the Colored Pencil Society of America. She is also a juried member of the International Guild of Realism. Gretchen has written extensively on colored pencil artwork.

Her work has been featured in several publications locally, nationally, and internationally. In the evening, to relax from a day at the easel, Gretchen creates baskets from pine needles and found objects. They can take weeks/months to complete. Many become gifts or commissions.

- Kimber Carpenter

Josef Berliner’s “Black and Blues” Collection Now Featured in the Jasper Galleries’ Nook

Reception

Thursday March 21st

5:30 - 7 pm

The Nook at the Koger Center for the Arts

The Jasper Project is proud to welcome Josef Berliner as our new artist-in-residence in the Nook, our gallery location in the Koger Center for the Arts. The opening reception for his show coincides with March’s Third Thursday—the 21st—and goes from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.

Dedicated to making the world a more beautiful place “one canvas at a time,” Josef has held the drive to create art since he was a child. His artistic journey grew with every gifted sketchpad and drawing pencil, until he got to college where he double majored in Theatre and Studio Art.

Josef affixes the signature “Jobey” to his paintings; in Josef’s words, “Jobey is the more outgoing and confident alter ego. Behind the mask is a thoughtful, somewhat shy, and introspective artist.” His confidence as an artist shines through with each portrait in the exhibition, all focused on different Black women musicians who helped shape the blues and jazz scenes.

Josef has been recognized as a contributor to many charitable causes, always willing to give of himself as much as possible. He has been cited for his participation in organizations such as Bullets and Band-Aids, the USC Department of Dance Gala (in which he also serves as a board member), the Atlantic Institute, and was most recently honored as a featured artist for the Artists for Africa winter event.

He works predominantly in oil on canvas, with a keen eye for detail and the innate ability to look far deeper than the mere surface, all the while seeking for a level of perfection that, while perhaps unattainable, is indeed his ultimate and far-reaching goal.

Jasper Welcomes "Embracing Your Inner Child: The Art of Cait Patel" to Jasper's Tiny Gallery for March

DOT MATRIX

Cait Patel, also known as “The Blissful Hippie,” has been popping up around the local art scene with her bright, inviting abstract paintings for some time now. Learn more about Jasper’s March Tiny Gallery artist here!

Patel has called South Carolina home for life, growing up around the Cayce area. She has loved art since she was a child, inspired by her father, who is also an artist and one of her biggest supporters. This led to her studying Studio Art at the University of South Carolina and graduating with a degree in 2014.

“I used to love drawing, which was my focus in college, but as I got older, I got more into abstract work,” she recalls. “I was inspired by the great abstract artists of the past like Matisse and Picasso and that has very much influenced the kind of work I do now.”

Once she started painting, Patel couldn’t walk away from it, saying that she “love[s] painting because of how free and colorful it is.”

Mostly, Patel focuses on abstract expressionism, presently inspired by the flowers and plants she collects around her home. Her paintings are an encapsulation of the nature around her everyday life, and this liveliness is key to her work.

“My goal is to create something and nothing at the same time. I love color and want to brighten spaces with my work,” Patel shares. “But I love that everyone can see something different in a heavily abstracted work of art.”

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Patel continuously works to connect to her inner child—something she believes everyone has—and she hopes her work will help others connect to this as well. Part of this connection is letting go of “rules and restrictions” of what her work “should” look like.

“I don’t want to put a lot of restriction on myself when creating a new painting because I want it to be the truest expression of my feelings in that moment,” she says. “However, if I want to create a cohesive set of pieces, I may stick to one color scheme or style for a body of work.”

When it comes to actually putting a piece on canvas, Patel rarely has a concrete plan, instead selecting a color scheme and simply going with the flow. Though ideas may form in her head, she tries to resist any boundaries, following the piece as it grows and shifts organically.

“I also frequently ‘finish’ a piece and hate it and then immediately paint over it. I feel a work isn’t fully finished until I can look at it and say, ‘I love this, and it makes me feel like an artist’, she says. “That’s typically my gauge of when a piece is done. This can take anywhere from three days to three months.”

For this Tiny Gallery show, Patel made a whole new slate of pieces, each rife with the unboundaried colors she loves. On the show, she says:

I like to think of this show as my Summer Love collection. I wanted to evoke feelings of excitement about spring flowers and warm weather. Two things which I dearly love! I want my paintings to be eye catching and bright and to inspire others to their creative pursuits. My favorites are probably “Dot Matrix” and “Boba Party.” I love bright neon colors juxtaposed with black as it tends to really make a piece pop! I also have been experimenting more with having the frame be a part of the artwork, which is why I really love “Dot Matrix.”

Excitingly, this is Patel’s first solo show. Though this is the case, she has participated in other shows, and she recently took part in the Art for Africa fundraiser, which is an experience she holds dear.

“I really love doing fundraisers or gift pieces as an artist,” she says. “I love being able to use my art voice as a way to help others.”

To peruse and purchase her works from this show, check out Jasper’s virtual Tiny Gallery, and to stay updated on Patel as she continues to work towards larger piece and an in-person gallery show, follow her on Instagram @the_blissful_hippie

Jasper Collabs with Richland Library for A BIG TINY GALLERY Art Exhibition March 15th through ARTISTA VISTA

The Jasper Project is delighted to join forces with Richland Library for A BIG TINY GALLERY, an art exhibition inspired by the Jasper Project’s Tiny Gallery series which originated in the Jasper studio at Tapp’s Arts Center in October 2018 and transitioned to an online only project early during the Covid pandemic. A BIG TINY GALLERY will feature a selection of previous Jasper Project Tiny Gallery artists who were invited to show and sell physically smaller pieces of art at affordable price points that would ostensibly be more attractive to beginning art collectors and other artists. No art measures more than 25 inches in any direction or is priced over $250.

The exhibition will open on Friday March 15th  from 7 – 11 pm during Richland Library’s OVERDUE: Curated for the Creative event, with a closing reception on Friday, April 19th from 6:30 – 8:30 as part of Richland Library’s celebration of Artista Vista.  Both events are free and open to the public.

Visual artist and Jasper Project board of directors member, Keith Tolen, is managing this project, working with Ashley Warthen, who is a librarian and arts coordinator at Richland Library.

Artist - Renee Rouillier

Participating artists include Tennyson Corley, Ginny Merritt, Chilly Waters (Richard Hill), Regina Langston, Benji Hicks, Ron Hagell, Christopher Lane, Keith Tolen, Lucas Sams, Lindsay Radford Wiggins, Thomas Washington, K. Wayne Thornley, Jeffrey Miller, Kathryn Van Aernum, Mary Ann Haven, Fred Townsend, Adam Corbett, Crush Rush, Vanessa DeVore, Pascal Bilgis, Michael Krajewski, and Sean Rayford.

Artist - Sean Rayford

The Jasper Project will oversee sales of art via QR codes, scannable with a smart phone anytime the library is open.  Proceeds go directly to the publication of Jasper Magazine.

The Jasper Project is an all-volunteer organization with no paid employees and a working board of directors who manage a number of multidisciplinary projects ranging from the Second Act Film Project to Fall Lines literary journal, the Play Right series, and many more one-off adventures. For more information please visit JasperProject.org.

Opening Friday March 15th  from 7 – 11 pm during Richland Library’s OVERDUE: Curated for the Creative

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Closing Reception on Friday, April 19th from 6:30 – 8:30 during ARTISTA VISTA

Jasper Welcomes Dogon Krigga to the Koger Center’s Nook for February’s Third Thursday

The Jasper Project is proud to present Dogon Krigga as our featured February artist in the Koger Center’s Nook Gallery. The opening reception is February 15, from 5:30 – 7 p.m. in the Grand Tier lobby of the Koger Center. The event is free and open to the public, and features DJ Nori Noir providing live music.

Dogon is known for their mixed media collages and murals printed on vinyl, paper, and other adhesive substrates. They draw inspiration from spiritual principles and esoteric concepts found across the African Diaspora to create surrealist artworks. The viewer can then view their artwork as a kind of portal that allows them to peer into other realms, providing perspectives of Queer and Black people, identities, and cultures in a type of alternate dimension. Dogon’s work aims to challenge the status quo and disrupt the conventions of what we know to be cisgendered, heteronormative, and patriarchal ideologies, while offering something beautiful and uplifting in its place. The featured collection of work in the Nook is a body of work completed from 2021 through 2023. These pieces have also shown at the Columbia Museum of Art, Mike Brown Contemporary Gallery, Tapp’s Outpost, the 1013 Co-Op, The Bakery ATL (Atlanta, GA), and The Space (Charleston, SC).

Even if you can’t make it to the reception, Dogon’s art will be available for viewers to stop by and admire until mid-March. The Koger Center is open from 9 am – 5 pm Monday-Friday, and an hour prior to any Koger Center performance.

Artist Bio: Dogon Krigga (they/them) is a Columbia based multidisciplinary artist. Their interests in journalism and music production brought them into the community with musicians for whom Dogon began creating commissioned works of digital collage. They received early creative mentorship and influence from Tom Feelings and Walter Rutledge.

Krigga evolved their practice from digital art to include hand-cut paper collage and assemblage with printed and cut vinyl on acrylic and metal as well as installations. Krigga is a graphic designer with experience in commercial print, signage design, and signage project management that includes wide-format printing, metal fabrication, and acrylic fabrication. Krigga has created murals, exterior and interior signage displays for the main branch of Richland Library, SC State University, the 1801 Extension of SCSU, and Urban Wok restaurants.

Their works have been shown in several solo and group exhibitions including Tapp's Fine Art Center, The Sumter County Gallery of Art, Columbia Museum of Art, and The Goodall Gallery. Krigga's work can be found in numerous public and private collections, including the IP Stanback Museum. In 2023, they were Artist-in-Residence for Richland Library in Columbia, SC, producing and hosting community-based art programming and an exhibition Time & Time Again: Exploring the Antique Blacks--A Rootworker's Tarot. Dogon's artistic ventures also include the Collaborative Cohort Residency with the Highlander Center in New Market, TN (2020). Krigga is a recipient of grants from the SC Arts Commission.

Publication features of their work include "The African American Dream" by De Volkskrant (Amsterdam, March 2018), Volume 25.1: Yemassee Journal (USC, 2018), and "Dogon Krigga and Afrofuturism" by Jasper Magazine (2017). Krigga has been commissioned to design artwork for the covers of "Black Quantum Futurism" by Rasheedah Philips, and "BloodFresh" by Ebony Stewart. Dogon served as the lead designer for Ingrid LaFleur's 2017 mayoral campaign for Detroit, MI. Krigga has designed album artwork for King Britt, Kyle Bent, Hieroglyphic Being, Monty Luke, and Vibes Records. Dogon currently serves as the Art Director for the Atlanta-based music festival, Camp N Trip.

Jasper's Sidewalk Gallery at The Meridian Building Featured Artist - ANNA HERRERA

I am a local artists originally from Charlotte NC, but I have lived in Columbia for 15 years. I work with acrylic paint mostly, sketch, and use charcoal in my free time. I enjoy the downtown area, going to art events and markets that support locals. I hope to one day have my own show at my mother’s restaurant, Sound Bites Eatery, which is located on Sumter street that regularly hosts art shows and events.

I take art lessons when I can at Painting with a Twist gallery located in the Harbison area, which I’ve been going to for years. I hope to learn more about painting and how to apply different techniques and materials to my work. Expanding my knowledge can benefit my work and allow me to further my potential as an artist as well as become better recognized for more future showing opportunities.