One Columbia and Congaree Vista Guild Seek Artists for New Public Sculpture on Senate Street

From our Friends at One Columbia …

One Columbia for Arts and Culture, in partnership with the Congaree Vista Guild, is accepting qualifications from professional artists and artist teams for a new public sculpture to be installed in the median of the 900 block of Senate Street in Columbia's Congaree Vista district.

The selected artist will design, fabricate, and install a permanent sculpture that serves as a visual landmark along Senate Street. The artwork should be appropriate for a highly visible roadway setting and designed for long-term outdoor installation. Artists are encouraged to consider scale, visibility, safety, and durability in their designs.

The project has a budget of $18,000, which includes artist fees, design, engineering, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, and insurance.

"This project is an opportunity to add another significant work of public art to Columbia while supporting artists and contributing to the continued growth of the Vista as an arts and cultural district," said Pamela Zeljak, Public Art Administrator for One Columbia for Arts and Culture.

Professional visual artists and artist teams with experience creating public art or large-scale outdoor artwork are encouraged to apply. At this stage, applicants are asked to submit a statement of interest and a portfolio of up to six images of previous work. Concept proposals are not required with the initial submission.

Applications are available through CallForEntry.org (CaFÉ), an online application system for artists. Qualifications must be submitted by August 20, 2026.

A selection panel made up of representatives from One Columbia for Arts and Culture, the Congaree Vista Guild, community stakeholders, and local arts professionals will review qualifications. Three finalists will be selected to develop conceptual proposals and will each receive a $250 stipend.

Project Timeline

  • RFQ Release: July 20, 2026

  • Qualifications Deadline: August 20, 2026

  • Finalists Announced: August 31, 2026

  • Proposal Presentations: October 5–9, 2026

  • Installation: April 2027


Lee Snelgrove Leaving ED Post at One Columbia

From our Friends at One Columbia:

One Columbia for Arts and Culture, the nonprofit arts agency for the City of Columbia, has hired Margie Johnson Reese — an arts management professional with 35 years of experience who has led arts projects in Dallas, Los Angeles and West Africa — as interim executive director. 

Reese will serve in an interim capacity beginning April 1. She replaces founding executive director Lee Snelgrove, who has accepted the position of arts and culture manager at Richland Library, where he will lead efforts to raise the visibility of the arts throughout the library system and Richland County. 

“It has been an honor to work with Columbia’s many talented artists and arts organizations in increasing the vibrancy and broad recognition of the city’s cultural community,” said Snelgrove, who has led One Columbia since 2013. “One Columbia is stronger than ever, and I’m excited to see a new leader build on the progress that we’ve made over the last ten years.” 

During his time as executive director, Snelgrove established One Columbia as a vital resource for the city and for the local arts community, particularly in the area of public art projects. Over the past decade, the organization facilitated 60 public art projects, created a poet laureate position for the city, established the 1013 Co-Op cultural space in North Columbia, developed the Amplify cultural plan and launched the Stephen G. Morrison Visionary Award. 

One Columbia’s efforts were recognized recently with the 2022 Governor’s Award for the Arts, the highest statewide honor for achievement in the arts. 

“We are forever grateful for the progress made under Lee’s leadership,” said Kristin Morris, One Columbia board president. “He has been an important voice in the local arts community, and the city is better off for the tireless leadership he has shown.” 

As interim director, Reese will bring steady leadership to the organization and assist in its search for a permanent director. She brings a deep understanding of the mission of One Columbia, having already worked with the organization in developing its Amplify plan, which calls for a citywide policy to set priorities and guidelines for public funding of the arts.  

“It’s been my joy to work with Lee and the artists and arts groups in Columbia for the past several years,” Reese said. “I’m honored to have been asked by the board to provide guidance during this period of transition to help keep the momentum moving forward.” 

With One Columbia’s success so far — and numerous projects in development — the organization is positioned to play a key role in the next phase of growth in the city’s cultural sector, advancing policies that strengthen arts organizations, boost tourism, support local artists, encourage investment and promote equity.