10 More Days to See Judy Bolton Jarrett's Art at Sound Bites Eatery in Downtown Columbia

There’s one more week to catch the art of Judy Bolton Jarrett at Sound Bites Eatery, 1425 Sumter Street, though the good folks at Sound Bites will be sorry to see Jarrett’s beautiful work leave their walls.

A household name in the greater Chapin area, Jarrett opened her own gallery space in 1990 and, on June 1, 2025, the artist celebrated the 35th anniversary of Art Can Studio at 108 Beaufort Street in downtown Chapin. Having served as a high school English teacher for 21 years prior to becoming a professional artist, Jarrett sees the title as her second chapter of life. “My training came from workshops, mostly in watercolor, with local and national instructors,” Jarrett says. “But the experience of picking up a brush and practicing consistently generated a style that was recognizable as mine. As I progressed in confidence, I eventually turned from watercolor into water media, gradually using acrylics and mixed media as my mediums.”

A graduate of Presbyterian College, Jarrett went on to become a juried signature member of the South Carolina Watermedia Society and the Georgia National Watercolor Society. While the artist has abbreviated studio hours of late—Art Can Studio is open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and all other times by appointment only—she still participates in the occasional juried art exhibitions in SC, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Jarrett’s current show at Sound Bites, “Small Works with Large Impact,” is a collection of acrylic and mixed media paintings that the artist says, “represent my love of spontaneity in both color and style, from impressionism to contemporary interpretations. Texture and color are significant elements in every painting. Mixed media works incorporate violin, clock parts, piano hammers, and words.”

Jarrett’s Sound Bites exhibition will be up until the morning of Saturday August 2nd, but if you miss the show, find Jarrett and her work at Art Can Studio in downtown Chapin and visit her website 24/7 to keep up with all this active and still-getting-it-done octogenarian artist is up to!

And mark your calendars for August - October 2026 when Jarrett celebrates her 85th birthday with a solo show at the Botanical Garden at UGA!

City Art presents Judy Bolton Jarrett's "Passages" - opening reception Thursday during Vista Nights

Judy Bolton Jarrett’s solo exhibition “Passages” begins Oct 16 for Vista Nights. The opening reception at City Art will be the next Thursday, Oct 23 from 5-8pm. The artist will be in attendance for both events.

Jarrett comments, “Several years ago, as a pure transparent watercolor purist, I was introduced to the wonderful world of acrylics, especially the endless possibilities of adding and subtracting elements, and thus began a new chapter in my painting life! While I certainly consider my works as interpretations, I am constantly aware of what is not easily seen but is felt. My paintings reflect my love of color, design, pushing the envelope, and satisfying my ever-evolving curiosity of what's next, as art is a continuous flow of creative energy. Most recently I was given a “challenge” by a friend who builds and repairs clocks. He sent me a box of discarded parts and said, ‘Do something creative!’ That is how the Time Series began. Always remembering the power of words, I incorporate inspirational and motivational messages into each painting into each of the Time Series paintings. Also, a recent introduction to high-flow acrylics has added another element to my ever-growing list of favorites!”

Jarrett grew up in Winder, GA, in the north GA foothills and then graduated from Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC, in 1963. For 21 years she taught English in grades 7-12 in South Carolina and Alabama, changing careers in 1986 to pursue her artistic endeavors. Since 1990 she has had a small studio and gallery in the first bank building (circa 1908) in Chapin, SC, and continues to use that as her home base for showing her work and for creating new paintings, a continuous process.

She has originals in collections locally, nationally, and internationally and is a signature member of the South Carolina Watermedia Society and the Georgia Watercolor Society.

Jarrett was also featured in the September 2014 issue of Jasper Magazine.

City Art Gallery is located at 1224 Lincoln St. in the historic Congaree Vista area in Columbia, South Carolina. Gallery hours are Monday – Thursday 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., Friday 10:00 am until 5 p.m., and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information contact Wendyth Wells, City Art Gallery, at 803-252-3613 or email ww@cityartonline.com. Visit online at www.cityartonline.com.