Rob Shaw Opening Reception at Motor Supply THIS WEDNESDAY 6-8

Rob Shaw

You’re invited to join the Jasper Project and special guest artist Rob Shaw on Wednesday, October 21 from 6 - 8 pm at Motor Supply Bistro for a casual reception celebrating the opening of Jasper’s new Rob Shaw exhibition at the bistro. Motor Supply Bistro is located at 920 Gervais Street, and Shaw’s art will be featured in the space through the end of 2026.

Shaw is an award-winning fine artist from Columbia, SC. A graduate of the University of SC with years of experience in the local art scene, Shaw is highly respected for his palette-knife paintings, custom framing, art handling and hanging services, and monthly palette-knife classes.

When he was 15-years-old, Shaw aspired to become a professional artist and began painting daily. As a studio art major at USC, he studied painting and began selling his work. After college, Shaw managed a large art gallery, and in 2018 he opened Rob Shaw Framing and Gallery.

Shaw began his artistic journey by creating realistic paintings that could take as long as a month to complete. Shifting from paint brushes to palette knives allowed him to paint more loosely and quickly. The results were transformational: not only was he able to create paintings more efficiently, but he also found greater joy in the process and began to sell more of his work. 

Shaw never considers any painting a failure: "Mistakes lend history to the canvas," he says, and he often paints new works over old ones. At times he intentionally alters an image to lend character to a painting; he will, for example, drag a sheet of plexiglass across a wet painting to achieve a certain effect.

What Rob loves most about being an artist is “the challenge of taking a blank canvas and turning it into a work of art that people will enjoy for years to come.” Equally important are his relationships with other artists and art collectors.

Rob Shaw Gallery and Framing is at 2123 Park Street in the Elmwood Park Neighborhood.

Artists for Africa Hosts 9th Annual PostCard Event in Support of Original Art and Kenyan Youth

When Cooper Rust traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, in 2012 as a volunteer dance instructor, she didn’t expect the experience to stick so strongly to her skin. It did, however, and soon after her return to the states, she founded Artists for Africa, a non-profit organization that supports and provides dance, new experiences, education, and shelter to Kenyan youth.

 In the past decade, the organization has grown, led by C. Rust (Executive Director) and her sister Brie Rust (President), and now hosts a plethora of events in both Kenya and South Carolina, such as bringing dancers from Nairobi to study and perform at the University of South Carolina. 

One of these events, almost as old as the organization itself, is the PostCard Art Event, an evening that pairs small, postcard sized art with drinks and finger foods for a collaborative, community-oriented experience. Next week, the 9th annual PostCard will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn. 

The evening begins with a cocktail hour and appetizers in the spacious lobby, and at 7:00pm, the ballroom will open to reveal the art donated from various established and emerging artists across the United States. Patrons can peruse the art for around an hour as they continue to enjoy drinks and snacks. 

Over 50 artists are included in this show, including some familiar Columbia names like Bonnie Goldberg, Bill Davis, Rob Shaw, Rebecca Lynn Horne, and the Honors Art Students at Dreher High School. 

The art is available first come, first serve, for $65 per 4” x 6” piece. While the artists sign each piece, these signatures are on the back. Thus, before purchasing, the artist remains anonymous, and patrons are able to select art based on individual desire and attraction. Beyond the small art, larger pieces will also be available, including jewelry and ceramics, each appropriately priced. 

PostCard Art is one of two major annual fundraisers for Artists for Africa, making it one of the organization’s vital events. “100% of the profit goes to support our mission of providing arts and educational opportunities to vulnerable children in some of the world’s poorest slums in Kenya,” B. Rust shares. 

The organization is particularly looking forward to this year’s event after having to move online during the pandemic. “We are very excited to see everyone and share the evening,” B. Rust says. “We have moved our event to the Hilton Garden Inn downtown and are really excited to share this newly renovated space with everyone.” 

B. Rust credits and thanks the group’s Board of Directors, plus their friends and family, for the time they have and will donate to “organize each detail, set everything up, and get it all wrapped up at the end of the evening.” Further, the expenses of the event are generously covered by sponsors, so all money from ticket sales will go directly to Kenya and C. Rust’s efforts in Nairobi. 

If you want to see unique art and support education and opportunity for African youth, be sure to attend this year’s PostCard Art. The event will be Wednesday, February 16th at 6:00pm at the Hilton Garden Inn in Columbia. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door and can be purchased here: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5344995