Vista Lights at Stormwater Studios

Thursday, November 16, 2023
6 PM to 9 PM

Join Stormwater Studios for an evening of art, lights, and entertainment during the 38th
Annual Vista Lights.

This evening will mark the opening of Stormwater Resident Artists’ Semi-Annual Exhibition in our gallery. In addition to a live performance from local drummers, Namu Drum Company, underneath our massive Christmas tree, and you can view our new container adorned with lights.

Their neighbors Lewis + Clark and One Eared Cow Glass will also be participating in this event. Their spaces will be open for everyone to see where they create using metal and flames.

You will be able to stop at all of these locations to see a variety of creative workspaces, meet local artists, and purchase the perfect present, an original piece of art.

You don’t want to miss out on this great family event. All are welcome. Please invite your friends, family, and community to 413 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC 29201.

RIVER POETS Poetry Reading Sunday Afternoon at Stormwater Studios

The public is invited to attend a poetry reading Sunday afternoon featuring Jasper Magazine Poetry Editor Ed Madden at Stormwater Studios, 413 Pendleton Street, behind One Eared Cow Glass.

Organized by Libby Bernardin and Susan Craig, the reading will also feature Nadine Ellsworth-Moran, Ann-Chadwell Humphries, Ruth Nicholson, and (in adsentia) Mary O’Keefe Brady, as well as Bernardin and Craig themselves.

Madden, who is the former poet laureate for the city of Columbia, will be reading from his newest collection, A Pooka in Arkansas.

The event begins at 4 pm and will conclude with a Talk-Back session with the poets.

Lucy Bailey and K. Wayne Thornley Challenge the Boundaries of Form in LIFE.FORMS

Lucy Bailey and K. Wayne Thornley are no strangers to making and testing the limits of their art—separate and together—but their new exhibition is a deep dive into experimentation for both of them. LIFE.FORMS: Interpretations in Mixed Media is inspired by the “what if” conversations we all have about how our life ended up being, well, our life. 

“Last summer we [Wayne and Lucy] were having a conversation about the vast range and incredible impact of those variables [that affect life]: heredity, time in history, societal context, environment, family, geography, individual choices, etc.,” the pair share, “We both had separately been thinking about how these ideas might be expressed in our art and the conversation led us to explore it together. We signed on the line for this show before we had produced a single piece, which lit the motivational fire we needed.”  

As they began creating, some ideas and influences kept repeating, particularly nature versus nurture and the butterfly effect. Together they kept searching through the tension between these major life moments that permanently define us and the small, seemingly innocuous moments whose ripples we often have no idea alter us so intensely. The title itself came from Thornley, who sees forms as “both a noun and verb, reflecting biological forms of life and the dynamic process of forming a life. The show has remained pretty true to those initial thoughts.”  

Viewers of the exhibit can expect an inventive use of materials and techniques from the experimental duo who both “[took] a great deal of pleasure in the process of pushing materials into unintended uses.” Specifically, Thornley’s work is rooted in biological imagery or, “the essential building blocks of life forms as we know them,” whereas Bailey’s “focus is more rooted in narratives around environmental determinants.” 

Bailey is well-known for her clay sculptures but made an intentional effort to move away from clay while still working with malleable materials. Her main material in this show? Vintage children’s clothes—specifically the unisex baby and toddler gowns popular in the early 1900’s.

“Combining textiles and mixed media invited exploration of new techniques, which was challenging, fun, and messy,” Bailey reveals, “I rust-dyed, embroidered, and burned the clothing. I transferred photographs onto fabric. I worked with silkworm cocoons and cicada wings. I learned some very basic slow stitching and couching techniques and I distressed fabric by pulling out individual threads.”

Bailey’s work is typically rife with personality as faces and figures pervade her work. However, these faceless pieces are no less emotional and full of life in her opinion: “Absent a face or figure, clothing is still highly personal, and it holds an echo or remembrance of the person who once inhabited it, so I feel like this work remains figurative in a sense.”

Thornley agrees that his process has been adaptive and constantly evolving, though in some ways it is almost a natural extension of the branching out into mixed media he has explored recently. Thornley has been painting 2D for decades, but in the past couple of years, he has begun creating more 3D works—specifically houses with miscellaneous objects.

“Some of the outcomes have been successful and inspiring; others have been disastrous. For me, those successes and failures become part of the evolution of my own creativity,” Thornley intimates, “As for my experiments with form, I definitely think our concept for this show served as a catalyst for me to merge my love of wire forms with mixed media.”

With this show, Thornley began with materials familiar to him before incorporating brand new ones—ones he plans to continue his relationship with: “I see many of these new objects as maquettes for much larger pieces. Just as cells divide and multiply, creating matter that can be microscopic or gargantuan, I think the ideas sparked while making these new works will give new life to future creations.”

Regardless of the materials used, both artists are exploring the edges of and pushing the boundaries of form, while crafting narrative around/with ideas and images of life itself. Each piece will present a unique experience for the viewer and no one person will have the same encounter with the show.

“Hopefully, contemplating what forms this ‘one wild and precious life’ (as Mary Oliver says in her poem ‘The Summer Day’) will prompt people to consider not only the influences shaping our own lives but how we effect the lives of those around us,” the duo details, “How people react to the work will actually reflect the LIFE.FORMS theme: each persons’ interpretation will be a result of their own experiences. We hope the art will kindle something unique in everyone.”

LIFE.FORMS will be featured at Stormwater Studios with an Opening Reception on May 11th from 5pm – 8pm. An Artist Talk will take place on Sunday the 21st of May at 2pm. Stormwater Studios is located at 413 Pendleton Street.

“In terms of what it means to be human, we are contemplating the tension between how simultaneously fragile and resilient we are in the face of everything that happens in our lives,” the artists emphasize, “What magic of genetics and epigenetics sets us in motion? How many potential courses might a life take based on what happens or fails to happen for us? How much of this are we aware of as it unfolds and how much is only visible from the vantage point of time?”

Bits & Pieces by Olga Yukhno and Friends at Stormwater Studios

April 26 - May 7, 2023

Stormwater Studios

Featuring the work of 6 South Carolina artists, Olga Yukhno has curated an exhibition that brings her unique vision to life. Bits & Pieces, which opens on April 26th at Stormwater Studios at 413 Pendleton Street in the Columbia, SC Vista and runs through May 7th, focuses on artists whose work involves multiple parts—think woodworking, quilts, mosaics—hence bits and pieces.

In addition to Yukhno, the artists exhibiting include Cameron Porter, Janet Kozachek, Mary Robinson, Janet Swigler, and Jeri Burdick.

The opening reception is Wednesday April 26th from 5-8 with a public workshop on May 2nd from 6-7 pm, an Artists Talk on Thursday May 4th from 6-8, and a closing celebration on Sunday May 7th from 1-3 pm.

Yukhno also is currently showing an extensive collection of her own work at the Jasper Gallery at Midland Technical College’s Harbison Theatre on College Street in Irmo.

This exhibit was made possible due to the generous sponsorship by Dr. Bill Schmidt.

More About the curator Olga Yukhno:

Olga Yukhno is an artist originally from Pyatigorsk, Russia. It was in Russia her passion for art began. Inspired by the culture of her home country, she started by working with batiques, stained glass and enameling. She studied under world renowned enamellist, Nikolai Vdovkin for several years to hone her skills, before moving to the United States in 2008. 

In the US, she no longer had access to the tools needed to continue with her enameling, and quickly started expanding into any and every new medium she could get access to. What she fell in love with was ceramic sculpting. It allowed her to experiment, and fuse together old-world artistry with her skills and abilities across a wide variety of art forms to create totally new and unique mixed media pieces. 

Over the years, Olga has traveled to over 40 countries across Eastern and Western Europe, Asia and the Americas, and visited museums ranging from the world famous Louvre in France, to the smallest unnamed art displays in towns and villages few outsiders have ever seen. It is in these travels she gets the most inspiration, drawing on the uniqueness and culture of every new place she visits, she finds ways to incorporate those cultural nuances into each new piece she makes. The colors, shapes, and ideas of everything from tribal masks to modern street art can be seen woven into her work. She loves juxtaposition in her art, old and new, lustrous and weathered, and it’s in these contrasts she finds beauty.

Currently her work is a mixture of three dimensional ceramic and mixed media wall pieces, figurative sculpture, and larger scale installation works. The process used to create many of her signature looks is achieved by hand pressing each individual impression into the clay using small custom made metal tools. She hand makes all of these tools herself out of repurposed architectural metal scraps. She also loves to incorporate found objects, as well as utilize techniques from other art forms she’s studied and practiced, such as weaving, encaustic and metal working. The result of this process, different incorporated elements and techniques are what create her unique and visually interesting personal style. Her degree in psychology shapes the ideas and concepts behind many of her pieces, with the intention that observing her work encourages the viewer to think more about what they’re seeing, and the emotions it evokes.

(https://www.olgayukhno.com/about)

Where Photographer and Subject Become Artist Together: A Preview of Gerry Melendez’s Whole

“There’s power in photography.” - Gerry Melendez

In the coming weeks, Stormwater Studios will host Whole, a photography exhibition by award winning photographer Gerry Melendez. There will be an Opening Reception this coming Saturday, February 25th from 6–9 p.m., and a closing reception on Sunday, March 5th from 12–3 p.m. 

Melendez is a Salvadorian photographer and filmmaker with over thirty years of photojournalist experience under his belt. He has won numerous awards and accolades over the span of his career, including the honor of Photographer84 of the Year twice by the South Carolina Press Association and six times by the South Carolina New Photographers Association. Recently, he was awarded a Southeastern Emmy for his short documentary entitled Donna’s Story (2022). 

This exhibit is a stunning collection of black and white photography—stripped down portraits with a focus on the individual subject. With regard to his artistic vision, Melendez says, “The premise of the exhibition is really to bring everyone down to the same level in a technical way.”  

He establishes this base level through not just the choice to shoot in black and white, but through the simplicity of the background of the photographs, the lighting, and the literal “stripping down” of his subjects. In essence, Melendez wants to limit our ability as viewers to make assumptions about the subjects as much as possible, saying, “Here, all you get is this one black and white moment in time. That and bare skin.”

Interestingly, Melendez believes his subjects to be very much a part of the artistic process, almost as if they are artists themselves. “The magic or uniqueness is what each subject brings to the table during their shoot,” he says. “Their personality and pose. The energy they show. What they're feeling at that moment. How they want to be perceived. I try not to direct too much and just allow this to happen organically.”  

He gives his subjects freedom of expression, facial or otherwise. He believes in the power of their stories, and the ability of his camera, in collaboration with his subjects, to capture it effectively and provocatively. 

One of these stories is that of Mary, a woman who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 28 years old and had to have a tumor surgically removed from her chest. 

“It took a few years to be a proud member of the ‘zipper club,’” Mary says, “but the scar from the removal of that tumor is part of my story, my fight to be here, and it reminds me each day how strong I am and that it’s just one part of who I am.” 

As for Melendez’s general artistic attitude, he describes his driving force as such: “I want to create art that makes you feel something. Hopefully, it leaves you feeling good. Maybe it inspires you. Maybe it moves you to tears. Maybe it forces you to act. Whatever it does, I have this gift and I want to use it in the best way possible and hopefully leave this world in a better place. You know, Nick Ut's photo of the napalm girl helped end the Vietnam war. There's power in photography.” 

More information about Whole can be found on the Stormwater website.

Annual Winter Exhibition Featuring Chesley, Yaghjian, Williams and Friends - February 15-March 23

One of the most exciting visual art shows of the year opened on Thursday February 16th at the new Mike Williams art studio in Columbia’s historic Vista and will continue until March 23 with a reception on Saturday, February 25th from 2-5.

Anyone who follows local art closely has come to anticipate the yearly group show that always features Stephen Chesley, David Yaghjian, Mike Williams, usually includes Edward Wimberly, and as of late, has often included Ellen Emerson Yaghjian and Guy Allison. This year, the gang is all present at 1221 Lincoln Street for an extended period.

With the loss of the late Wim Roefs, Mike Williams and Michaela Pilar Brown, former ED of 701 CCA, divided Wim’s renown If Art gallery into two distinctive studio/galleries. For the past few months, with spaces have been quietly building their presence with Michaela Pilar Brown’s Mike Brown Contemporary Art opening the upstairs  of her multi-level space to a number of community-oriented events and gatherings of artists.

The Mike Williams Gallery operates similarly. While the Williams/Chesley/Yaghjian gang typically offers their annual group exhibition at Stormwater Studios, after having staged the exhibit for years at the former gallery collection know as 80808 on Lady Street, this year Williams is moving the group show to his new home on Lincoln Street.

About the Artists:

Columbia, S.C., native and resident David Yaghjian has exhibited across the Carolinas, including Blue Spiral I Gallery in Asheville, N.C., the Florence (S.C.) Museum of Art, Gallery 80808 and Morris Gallery in Columbia and Hampton III Gallery in Greenville, S.C. In Atlanta, where he used to live, Yaghjian has shown in the Spruill Center Gallery, the Right Brain Gallery, and other venues. He also painted two murals in the Georgia capital. Yaghjian holds a BA from Massachusetts’ Amherst College and studied in New York City at the Art Students League and the School of Visual Art. Among his instructors were Fairfield Porter, Leonard Baskin, Will Barnett and Chaim Koppelman.

David Yaghjian

Stephen Chesley was born in Schenectady New York in 1952. He exhibited a natural proclivity for drawing and art almost as soon as he could hold pastel and pencil which were often Christmas gifts from his family. Growing up in Virginia Beach in the late 1950’s he was exposed to the ‘Beat Generation’ of musicians, artist, and writers when Virginia Beach was still a seasonal seaside resort. Self-motivated, he continued with his drawing and small paintings along with exposure to local artist. Throughout elementary and high school the art spirit continued. Collegiate exposure led to a meld of art and science with degrees in Urban Studies and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning in 1980 from the school of Architecture at Clemson University. Graduating in a deep national economic recession Chesley turned back to his art. Spending 5 years on rivers and sea islands to explore his aesthetic, subject matter, influential painters, and styles, Chesley’s paintings and art work began to move to the fore.

Recognized in 1981 by the Columbia Museum of Art as an emerging talent he went on to win top 100 in the first National Parks competition of 1987,exhibiting at the Smithsonian, and in 1996 a National Endowment for the Arts, Southeast Regional Fellowship, Southeast Center for Contemporary Art. Chesley has continued his work, characterized as poetic realism, along with welded and carved sculptural pieces in addition to joint works illustrating Archibald Rutledge short stories and WS Merwin’s poem, “Palm” for the Thomas Cooper Society’s Thomas Cooper Medal for WS Merwin in 2012. Stephen Chesley continues his creative journey with an art spirit in Columbia, South Carolina.

Stephen Chesley

Mike Williams, born 1963 in Sumter, South Carolina, received his BFA from the University of South Carolina in 1990.  In 1988 he began his professional career as a fine artist and sign painter while finishing his degree.  He has been prolific throughout the past three decades creating more than 4000 works.  

He’s maintained a steady presence in galleries and has had his work exhibited in the South Carolina State Museum, the Columbia Museum of Art, the Lake County Museum, Chicago, Ill., the Carillon Building in Charlotte, NC, the Sun Trust Plaza in Atlanta, GA, and the Volksbank in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Libby Bernardin Book Launch at Stormwater

LIBBY BERNARDIN’S NEW BOOK LAUNCH

HOUSE IN NEED OF MOORING

 

Thursday, November 10; 5:30 – 7:00pm

Fellow poet, Jim Peterson, has written about Libby’s new book:

“These poems by Libby Bernardin are keenly sensitive to nature.  They also embody the losses, fears, sorrows, loves and simple pleasures of life lived deeply—a quiet mind seeing, and yes, reflecting, but never looking away from what has gone so wrong and so right in these times.  Bernardin’s poems reveal without explaining.  They conjure her beloved South Carolina—lowcountry wetlands, city streets and suburbs, mountains, the people and their endeavors—and yet at the same time embrace the unknowable.”

Poetry reading and book signing for her new book, House in need of Mooring:

Libby’s reading will start shortly after 5:30; other invited poets will also present readings.

Book signing: 6:30- 7:00pm.

About the Author:

South Carolina poet Libby Bernardin is the author of Stones Ripe for Sowing (Press 53, 2018) and two chapbooks, The Book of Myth (SC Poetry Initiative, 2009) and Layers of Song (Finishing Line Press, 2011). Journal publications include The Asheville Poetry Review, Southern Poetry Review, Kakalak. She has won poetry awards from the Poetry Society of South Carolina and the North Carolina Poetry Society, and has served as co-director of the highly respected Litchfield Tea & Poetry Series until 2019. Her new book, House in Need of Mooring (Press 53, 2022), is yet another testament to the silver lining of the pandemic. A retired English teacher from the University of South Carolina, she leads poetry workshops for the Georgetown County Library. She is a lifetime member of the Board of Governors of the SC Academy of Authors.

Robert Kennedy - My Life in the Figure at Stormwater Studios

By Meg Carroll

The opening reception for Robert Kennedy’s exhibition My Life in the Figure is at Stormwater Studios on Thursday, October 13th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. The exhibition will be on view at the studio complex from October 12th to the 15th.

My Life in the Figure is the culmination of the last 30 years of Robert Kennedy’s work. His first experience with figure drawing was at the Academia de’Belle Arte in Florence, Italy where he was enrolled at the age of 23. The Academia de’Belle Arte was founded in 1563 by Cosimo I de’ Medici and is associated with many famous artists such as Michelangelo — obviously a very prestigious academy for art.

Kennedy began his studies as a watercolor painter, and eventually moved on to oils, acrylics, and charcoal. He favors using charcoal and conte crayon on paper or acrylic on canvas for his figure drawings. However, Kennedy works in many mediums, listing on his artist page that he sculpts, as well.

However, since his enrollment some 60 odd years ago, figure drawing has remained Kennedy’s favorite mode of work, and he has worked in many mediums but usually with a live model. He appreciates the diversity of the human face and form, as working with models is never the same. “No two are alike as the movement of the model presents a new image each time,” he says.

This exhibition is collected from a vast amount of work which Kennedy completed both at Gallery 80808 and Stormwater Studios, where he is a resident artist. He has also worked in collaboration with About Face, a studio project which sponsors figure drawing in Columbia.

Stormwater Studios offers space for 10 practicing artists and gallery space for community artists. The space was started through a collaboration between the Columbia Development Corporation and the City of Columbia in order to revitalize InnoVista efforts, the city’s plan to create a diverse and multi-faceted urban landscape.

Stormwater Studios is located at 413 Pendleton Street in Columbia, SC.

Janet Kozachek and the Power of Ekphrasis Within Art and Poetry

“Port in Sicily, World War II”

Janet Kozachek knows a thing or two about the universal connection between all forms of fine art. Not only is she an experienced writer, but Kozachek utilizes the power of written and spoken word to influence her visual art. This body of work, entitled A Rendering of Soliloquies – Figures Painted in Spots of Time, has been frequently displayed in galleries within South Carolina and across the nation; now, it’s coming to Stormwater Studios.  

The Jasper Project highly values fostering connections within the realm of artists to writers, writers to performers, and everything in between. Kozachek’s multidisciplinary work fits perfectly within this circle, and A Rendering of Soliloquies is a connection throughout her own personal, extensive portfolio.  

“I frequently, but not always, use visual art to illustrate specific texts. Although I write about my other work, like my musical instruments, mosaics, and paintings, the writing does not constitute a body of published work,” Kozachek shares. “This exhibition features visual art that accompanies a collection of my poetry from a full-length book, A Rendering of Soliloquies – Figures Painted in Spots of Time.”  

Audience response is crucial for this particular set of paintings. Kozachek describes the relationship of visual image to the written and spoken word in this exhibition as both “ekphrastic and emblematic.” Audiences may be familiar with the concept of ekphrasis through poetry, and Kozachek hopes for audiences to take away that the written word and visual art reinforce each other, explaining the other form in a different manner. This is in part due to both art and writing both existing within her own work, rather than a second party writing a poem about her art. The poems and pieces, however, still leave plenty of room for audience members to respond in their own ways.  

“The truly ekphrastic part of this exhibition/event will be how the guest poets respond to the work,” she says. “There will therefore be two interpretations of the visual art; the original juxtaposition of artist’s word and image, then a reinterpretation based upon outside observations and responses.”  

Her work is extremely ambitious and showcases just how talented Kozachek is within multiple artistic disciplines. If there’s one key takeaway for audiences to know, it’s that “an artist’s intent, while historically significant, does not restrict the art from growing beyond that original intent, and becoming something more universal. Visual art, in this way, becomes a public intellectual property, there being essentially no one ‘correct’ way to understand it.”  

And, of course, Jasper is always eager to hear what artists think the most important thing they took away from their years of creating and exhibiting is, especially when they’re unapologetically in love with what they do. Upon asking Kozachek what the one piece of advice she would tell herself back when she first started getting into art would be, she aptly said, “I suppose it would be to advise having a marketable back-up or skill trade. But I probably would not listen.”

Those interested can see Kozachek’s work at Stormwater (413 Pendleton St.) from September 21st through the 25th. The poetry collection A Rendering of Soliloquies – Figures Painted in Spots of Time is also available for purchase on Finishing Line Press’s website.

Phil Garrett Brings New Mexico Variations to Stormwater Studios

Phil Garrett’s work is informed by nature, a kind of mythical nature. The power of storms, the spiritual quality of the elements, the beauty, grace and ferocity of plants and animals…. Something greater than the artist, something he can’t comprehend. Painting and making monotypes are Garrett’s search for the mystery within the subject, within himself.

About the Artist:

Phil Garrett, a graduate of The San Francisco Art Institute, has completed numerous artist residencies including The Sam and Adele Golden Foundation residency in New Berlin, NY; and taught painting and printmaking nationally and internationally. He joined the Golden Artist Colors Working Artist Program in 1998, and the Williamsburg Oil Independent Artist Program in 2016. Garrett is the founder of King Snake Press, and his prints and paintings are in public and private collections in the USA, Europe and Japan. In 2005, 2006 and 2007 he lectured and taught workshops on Acrylic Painting Methods in Art Schools in the cities of Osaka, Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Fukuoka, Japan sponsored by Golden Acrylic and Turner company of Osaka. Garrett is the author of the book INSIDE ACRYLICS published by North Light Books in August of 2013.

OPENING RECEPTION
OF PHIL GARRETT’S SOLO EXHIBITION NEW MEXICO VARIATIONS PAINTINGS AND MONOTYPES, 2018-2022

Friday, September 9

5-8pm

Join us as we celebrate the opening of Phil Garrett’s Solo Exhibition New Mexico Variations!

A Bit of Introspection through Keith Tolen’s New Exhibition

“Who am I?” 

That’s the question Keith Tolen poses and hopes to answer in his newest exhibition at Stormwater Studios. In an introspective body of work like this, the process of creating each piece relies on the soul and spirit of the artist. Tolen is no stranger to exhibiting his work, as his Stormwater residency is the second of the summer and third of the whole year. A prime example of the sheer talent that resides in the Midlands, Tolen’s methods of creating artwork result in awe-inspiring pieces that stay with audiences for a long time.

With the constant stream of unprecedented events that inevitably affect our day-to-day lives, these particular pieces allow Tolen to maintain a sense of control that effectively functions as a means of catharsis. It also serves as a welcome challenge for Keith. 

“The fact of the matter is that this is very hard,” Tolen says when asked about the difficulty that comes with making art that analyzes himself or his emotions, “In most cases, I usually gravitate to images that attempt to tell stories. Creating art that is personal is still a struggle for me.” 

His role as an artist impacts the community as well; Tolen’s role in the art world of Columbia allows him to spend time around the positive energy of other creative minds which only brings him more joy: “My journey has been rich with color, full of imagination, and a constant search through the joys of life.” 

The spark of inspiration needed to get the creativity flowing started with a simple dot. “The dots are currently both my inspiration and fascination,” Tolen shares, “I enjoy the process of making them. I like working with colors and by using the dots, I am able to see how colors act and react with each other.” 

This natural flow of making art causes immense joy in the act of creating within Tolen and helps propel the narratives of his work even further. Everything about creating a new artwork excites him, even if it’s not himself doing the painting: “For thirty years I taught art in public school, and I was always fascinated by what individuals would create especially when given time, materials, and opportunities to freely express themselves.”

If there’s one thing that Tolen hopes the audience takes away from his exhibition, it’s to not have any one specific emotion. He’d rather capture your attention, and let your mind wander to its own conclusion, only to seek more answers by continuing to look at the following artworks in his collection. His art always aims to share a story, and in this particular set of artwork, it’s a deeply personal one. He reiterates how powerful a tool art is to positively communicate and address complex or sensitive topics. Viewing his works as an extension of his own being is what really emphasizes the subtext within each and every piece he makes.

“Who Am I?” will be displayed at Stormwater Studios from August 17th to the 28th. The opening reception is on August 18th from 5:30 to 7:30, and an artist talk on the 28th will conclude the showing. So, for those of you who look to find the answer to that opening question, Keith Tolen’s work might just be the solution you’re looking for. In his own words, “This body of work in many ways is an extension of many ideas that have shaped my life for many years. I enjoy working with colors, so painting these works in many ways fed my soul.”

Stormwater Studios & the Charlotte Art League Gallery present THE EXCHANGE

In the kind of innovative arrangement many of us have been clamoring for, the artists of Stormwater Studios have partnered with those of the Charlotte Art League Gallery for an Artist Exchange and the opening night reception for the Columbia leg of the adventure is

Thursday night, July 14 from 5-7 pm.

In a nutshell, the artists from both galleries—Stormwater Studios and the Charlotte Art League Gallery—swapped galleries, with the Stormwater artists opening their exhibit on July 8th in Charlotte and the artists from CAL opening theirs Thursday night here in Columbia.

CAL Gallery is located at 4237 Raleigh Street in Charlotte. Stormwater is located at 413 Pendleton in the Congaree Vista.

Both exhibitions will run through July 29, 2022.

1980: STUDY OF DEREK RIDGERS' "THE OTHERS"

2,000.00

Artist: Ella Williamson

Medium: Graphite and charcoal

Resilience

Artist: Pat Gilmartin

Medium: Bronze

Dimensions: 5”x22”x4”

Price: $1300

TRUMPET PLAYER

475.00

Artist: Melvin D Nix

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

Dimensions: 18" x 24"

SCENT by Heather LaHaise Opens at Stormwater Studios Wednesday June 15th

In the new Heather LaHaise art show, Scent, opening on Wednesday June 15th at Stormwater Studios in Columbia, SC, the artist says, “Dogs possess an amazing sense of smell and the scents they gravitate to inspired this series. They have the unique capability to analyze smells well beyond any human. Aside from being our best friends, They sniff out bombs and drugs, pursue suspects, find dead bodies, and even help find cures for disease.”

She continues, “In SCENT. I have researched and then selected 20 scents (one per painting) they are drawn to. I hope to acknowledge the scent, while at the same time create a work that appeals to the human visual sense!”

While LaHaise’s portfolio certainly includes her share of abstracts and attractive, inviting interiors, like the one above, it is her collection of canine portraits for which she has become well known.

Macron

The Stormwater show at 413 Pendleton Street runs from June 15-19 with a reception June 16 from 5 - 8 pm.

The public is invited to attend.

Launch Announced for Jane Zenger's New Book of Poetry - Night Bloomer from Muddy Ford Press

Saturday, May 21st

5:30 - 8 pm

Stormwater Studios

Muddy Ford Press is pleased to announce the publication of the latest book in the Laureate Series, Night Bloomer by Jane Zenger.

Zinger will welcome guests to Stormwater Studios on Saturday May 21st from 5:30 - 8 pm for readings from her debut poetry collection. Included among the guests will be city of Columbia poet laureate (and Jasper Poetry Editor) Ed Madden, who edited Night Bloomer, working closely with Zenger on the composition and structure of the book. Night Bloomer is the third book in the Laureate Series following works by Tim Conroy and Ann-Chadwell Humphries. Angelo Geter’s More God Than Dead, the fourth in the series, will be published in June.

“It is a delight to see Jane's work coming into print,” Madden says. “I love the way that her voice ranges through memory, from tragic loss to humor and anger (sometimes both at once). The loss of her husband grounds this book, the poems range widely through a lifetime of experience.”

Of Night Bloomer Zenger says, “This book is a compilation of poems written during several distinct periods in my life. Several poems chronicle my early days as a rambunctious student and traveler, others are based on people or events that influenced or upended my life. The book celebrates and reflects both my real life and my imagination. Having a book published is a dream come true for me.”

Night Bloomer is available at Amazon, WOB, Walmart. Books-a-million, and a number of additional outlets. Zenger will be offering the book for sale and signing at the event on Saturday afternoon.

The Tarot - Alejandro Garcia-Lemos at Stormwater Studios May 17 - 22, 2022

Jasper is delighted to learn that Columbia-based artist Alejandro Garcia-Lemos will be showing his new project, The Tarot, May 17 - 22 at Stormwater Studios, 413 Pendleton Street in Columbia’s Vista. An opening reception will be held Thursday, May 19 from 5:30-8:30 pm.

“The Tarot García-Lemos was entirely conceived and drawn in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Columbia, South Carolina,” Garcia-Lemos says. “I eventually added the four suits to the major arcana to provide additional texture, resulting in a unique 26 card deck. In 2021, the collection was selected to be shown at the pandemic-themed ‘1593’ art exhibit at the Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia, SC. Recently, the deck was presented in the mystic city of New Orleans which provided the perfect environment for the final version. It consists of 27 gouache paintings on panel.”

There will be a limited edition of 100 printed decks for sale and probably a very special Tarot reader at the opening reception on Thursday, May 19th from 5:30 to 8:30 pm

For more on the creation of the Tarot Garcia-Lemos check out the artist’s narrative and reading instructions here.

Zachary Diaz and the Recycled Parts of Life

“If you’re always following the recipe, that’s as good as it’s ever going to taste.”

Zachary Diaz’s upcoming Stormwater show started with a ball of paper.

Years ago, Diaz wrote (and quickly discarded) an emotional letter to an ex, only to find the wadded paper months later. Capturing the words he had written on the page in a still life, Diaz hesitantly included the drawing of the letter in an earlier exhibition at Stormwater Studios. 

Several people pointed out the piece to him in the show, and Diaz started to realize a point of connection. “If that’s one way that I can connect with total strangers, how many more ways can we connect with other people? What other experiences or memories or reflections do we have that coincide with how someone else has felt?” Diaz asks. From that moment, a residency was born.

Diaz’s residency at 701 Center for Contemporary Art expanded this idea of unsent letters by outsourcing writing. Participants wrote letters to people or experiences, which were published anonymously on Diaz’s website. Several were selected to be the subjects of drawings that will be featured in his upcoming exhibition, which shows at Stormwater Studios from October 8-17.

This show is a combination of work from this residency and an earlier show called Cloudwalker, both of which were partially released online due to the pandemic.

Cloudwalker features clouds, as its title suggests, birds, and varying figures hidden in the compositions. “I like creating narrative stories that the viewer can make up themselves… I sort of lay the groundwork — I give them all the accents— and they can kinda come up with their own imagination what’s really going on,” Diaz says. He likes making work that makes people think.

The Letters portion of the show is ongoing throughout the duration of the exhibition. Viewers will be invited to submit their own letters, all of which will culminate in an installation that will be featured in the show’s closing reception on October 17 from 6-8pm.

While Diaz is still conceptualizing how the installation will look, he plans on ordering the letters in a way that reflects their content, identifying themes such as love, forgiveness, and varying emotions.  

Since starting the Letters project, Diaz says he’s become a lot more interested in how he feels when he’s making. His earlier creative process involved stricter planning and reference sketching. Now, Diaz works more intuitively, which, in turn, has made projects go faster and made him more aware of what he’s creating.

Diaz tends to mix mediums in nontraditional ways, layering oil paint over gessoed paper and drawing on top with charcoal. “I don’t think there’s any concrete way to create something” Diaz says. “If you’re always following the recipe, that’s as good as it’s ever going to taste.”

By making the letters in this show anonymous, Diaz says that he gives people a shield to really be honest. This openness displays his belief that so many experiences in life are shared, whether you know it or not.

Diaz describes the exhibition as a dive into his mind. “If you’re interested in learning more about everyone around you through the eyes of an artist, then come to the show,” Diaz says. “It’s a story in two parts… Cloudwalker is about how I see the world and everything around me. Letters is about how you see the world and learning more about the people around you.”

The opening reception for the exhibition is October 9 from 5-8pm. Whether by attending the show or submitting an anonymous letter yourself, Diaz wants to help create connections.

“Artists are gardeners. We make roses from the recycled parts of life,” Diaz says. To see how one crumpled piece of paper turned into a show, stop by Stormwater Studios before October 17.

 - Stephanie Allen

K. Wayne Thornley Presents Haunting Gallery Show Reflecting Loss, Memory, and What it Means to be Human

“Creating art has always been my…tether to my true self.”

On February 1st, we kicked off our Tiny Gallery show with K. Wayne Thornley. In five days, the show, Figure Studies, sold 9 out of 12 pieces. To learn more about Thornley and the inspiration behind this haunting and stunning collection, keep reading. 

Thornley grew up in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and notes that being an artistic boy in the South was not exactly easy. His talents were acknowledged and appreciated—Thornley recalls family saying, “he can draw real good”—but a career in art was not a viable option.  

“It took a long time for me to realize my parents simply did not have the tools to understand me or my fascination with making things,” Wayne recollects, “Luckily, I had some friends who supported me, and we all hung together until going to college.”

 “he can draw real good”

When it comes to college, his parents were insistent on Thornley getting a degree. While he picked out a handful of colleges he was passionate about, like Parsons and RISD, his parents were not on the same page. They were concerned “art schools” did not promise a real job with security.

“It took a long time for me to realize my parents simply did not have the tools to understand me or my fascination with making things,” 

“I basically said, before the phrase was popular, ‘Uh, hello! Do you know me?’” Thornley jokes, “They had something more practical in mind – like a business degree. Fast forward to them unloading me at UofSC in Columbia, giving me a kiss, wishing me luck, reminding me to make the Dean’s list and driving away.” 

Thornley recalls that he spent the beginning of his time at school trying to find a major that could balance his parents’ wishes and his own desires, which he found in the school of journalism. Graphic design was an integral part of advertising, and upon following that path, Thornley could take several art classes.  

“I graduated with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations and what would equate to a minor in art studio,” he shares, “My first job was as a graphic designer, then art director. Because I could write, I became a creative director, then senior producer, communications director, VP of marketing, and so on.”  

Throughout all these ventures with a variety of positions, Thornley has kept a studio at home for creative work. Even though he has never made a living from art, he has made a life with it: “Creating art has always been my escape, my therapy, the tether to my true self,” he intimates.    

When it comes to what kind of art Thornley creates, he does not like to be limited. In the past four years, he has focused on painting and wire sculpture. However, throughout his creative journey, he has experimented with printmaking, fiber sculpture, painting, drawing, and assemblage.  

“Because I have never made my living from art, I have always felt free to explore and experiment with many mediums, and I love object-making as much as image-making,” he remarks, “I have been fortunate enough to find a few gallerists, jurors and patrons who have found merit in my work over the years.”  

The largest influence on Thornley’s work, though, was being a part of his father’s Alzheimer’s experience. Thornley had often worked with images and objects that, in his eyes, mirrored the past, like landscapes of the Lowcountry he was raised in. However, watching his father’s decline was an experience that altered his art as well as his life. 

“Watching my dad slowly fade away, forgetting words, names, and faces changed my perspective on who we are as individuals in this life. Without memories, everything loses its significance. As the mind becomes a blank slate, the body becomes a shell,” he imparts, “That kind of thing changes you. All my work deals with that experience on some level whether in figures that seem to be searching or wire structures that represent cages or containers of fragile elements.”

And these themes move through the lines that trace each figure in Thornley’s Tiny Gallery show. He wanted to “continue [his] investigation of the human form in space, some strong, some weak, some uncertain” and to create works that may serve as inspiration for larger pieces in his upcoming show at Stormwater Studios. 

If you visit Figure Studies, you will see 12 individuals, sketched in graphite and painted with acrylic. Some seem to lean forward from their boards as if to await conversation or whisper almost tangibly. Some look away, just off-stage, or cover their heads, both at something unknown. Some are tethered, to wings and to wrappings. Though all appear as people, they all seem to ask: “What is it that makes us human?”

Those in the Columbia area are likely not new to the staying power of Thornley’s work. He has been on this journey of storytelling for some time now. Full of memories, he recalls that his favorite moment as an artist happened around two years ago, when he spent a week at Arrowmont School in Tennessee.  

“I worked in the fiber studio combining my sculptural forms with abaca fibers and handmade paper,” he reflects, “It was a freeing experience for me, to finally be an artist at ‘art school’ with other artists and no other purpose or agenda than to create.” 

On the note of recent events having a profound effect, 2020 and 2021 have been unlike any other years, for every artist, and Thornley shares that they have shaped his work, building on and contributing layers to the themes he already explored. 

“The things that have happened in our country, mostly beginning with the election of 2016, have only added to my perceptions of what is real, what is important, and what the value of our lives, together, really add up to,” he asserts, “In my opinion, any artist whose work has not been affected in some way by the world events of the last four years might need to reconsider what they are doing.”

As stated above, Thornley’s next exhibition will be in May at Stormwater Studios here in Columbia. He will be showing new figurative paintings alongside the sculptural work of clay artist Lucy Bailey.  

“While our interpretations of the figure are quite different, I think the juxtaposition of the two will make for an interesting show,” Thornley states, “We are not sure about what form the opening of this show will take. We may do a virtual opening. As with everything else in these uncertain times, you must move forward and make your choices as they arise.” 

As for after the show? “I plan to continue painting small works and put more time into exploring my wire structures,” Thornley ruminates, “Maybe I will weave myself a cocoon and reemerge when COVID-19 is not the major focus of each day.”   

You can see Thornley’s show 24/7 via the Jasper website until the final day of February. If you want to be one of the lucky people to snag one of the last 3 pieces in the show, you can also do so at any time: https://the-jasper-project.square.site/tiny-gallery

—Christina Xan

Laurie McIntosh's Beautiful Swimmers at Stormwater Studios

ARTIST LAURIE MCINTOSH OPENS EXHIBITION OF NEW WORK “BEAUTIFUL SWIMMERS” AT COLUMBIA’S STORMWATER STUDIOS

Visual Artist Laurie McIntosh will open a new showing of work called “Beautiful Swimmers” at Columbia’s Stormwater Studios, 413 Pendleton Street, February 27 through March 8, 2020 with an opening reception on February 28 from 5 – 8 pm. “Beautiful Swimmers” is a collection of more than a dozen mostly large-format oil paintings in addition to a brilliant display of papier mâché life from the sea.

Formerly of Vista Studios - Gallery 80808 from 2010 until 2016, McIntosh founded Northlight Studio in Camden, SC in 2016 where she currently works and paints. McIntosh is a SC native who earned a BA in Fine Art from the University of SC in 1982 and went on to train at the Center for Creative Imaging, Penland School of Crafts, and more. Previous noteworthy exhibitions include “All the In-Between: My Story of Agnes,” which served as the inspiration for an annotated art book written by the artist in 2012, the SC State Museum 30th Anniversary Juried Exhibition in 2019, and a number of juried and invitational solo and group shows throughout SC. In 2019 McIntosh was commissioned to create public art for the “Art Bus” for Comet Public Transportation, also in Columbia, and, in 2018, she exhibited a solo show, “Environmental and Poetic Abstractions” at the Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County.

An aquaphile by nature, the artist’s concept for the exhibition “Beautiful Swimmers” came from her passion for weightlessness and the freedom from physical and mental burden it implies. “My mom made me take synchronized swimming when I was a kid in Greenville, SC,” McIntosh says, and images of the art form appear in this collection. Recognizable figures from her 2012 series All the In Between also reappear. “Upon the winding down of my last series, ‘Environmental Abstractions,’ she continues, “I had a strong desire to simplify my images, introduce more pattern and invent more space within the painting. In the process of sketching and pushing these ideas around, figures, pattern, and open spaces began to make the images feel very light and weightless and my swimmers began to immerge.”

McIntosh’s “Beautiful Swimmers” offers the viewer a world of two-legged, four-legged and no-legged creatures expressed through an assortment of art mediums, inviting the viewer to suspend gravity and dive into an art setting where their terrestrial troubles will temporarily float away.

For more information on artist Laurie McIntosh please visit her website at lauriemcintoshart.com and to learn more about Stormwater Studios visit stormwaterstudios.org.

PREVIEW: Eileen Blyth Opens New Show - The Shadow Line - at Stormwater Studios

Cait Patel talks with Eileen Blyth about her show opening this week at

Stormwater Studios

Stormwater Studios is a community gallery and studio space housing 10 resident artists. Among those residents is Eileen Blyth, a staple in the Columbia art scene for close to 30 years. In her upcoming exhibition, she seeks to explore the relationship between line and shadow in her abstract paintings and sculpture. The Shadow Line, at Stormwater. Set to open Tuesday, January 21st, the show will display somewhere between 30 and 40 pieces of her latest work. The opening reception will be held at Stormwater on Wednesday, January 22, from 5-8 pm and the show closes on Sunday, February 2nd at 4:00 pm.

Who is Eileen Blyth?

Eileen graduated from the College of Charleston with a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art. Shortly after graduating, she moved to Columbia, where she pursued coursework at the University of South Carolina in graphic design and illustration. She worked for several years for a local typography company in Columbia. She has had many other exhibitions around South Carolina in galleries such as Gallery 808 in Columbia, Art and Light Gallery in Greenville, and Carolina Gallery in Spartanburg. You may also have seen her metal drum sculptures in Columbia as part of a public art initiative.

 What is the show about?

Her show, The Shadow Line, will display a variety of abstract sculptures and paintings that communicate with one another. Blyth’s sculptures are composed almost entirely of objects extracted from found pieces. She works primarily with wood, metal, and cement. The juxtaposition of the paintings and sculptures are quite visually interesting and leave the viewer wanting to know more. For her, the repeated reflection of shapes and lines throughout her work is almost a subconscious theme. Her paintings are colorful abstracts with fine, elegant lines that echo in her sculptures. The relationship between the two is clear and compelling. Blyth says she’s inspired by the way the light comes through the window of her studio and informs how she views her own work. She seeks to answer questions such as, “How does the lighting and shadow of a piece inform how it is understood?” and “How does the relationship between a painting and a sculpture affect the viewer?” Her goal is to intrigue the viewer to ask themselves what they are truly seeing, whether real or perceived. The simple lines, shapes, colors, and shadows of her work will do just that.

What is one of her favorite “found” objects in the show?

 A few of the sculptures in the exhibition were produced from molds she bought at a garage sale held by the SC State Museum. When asked how the molds were used originally, she says they were likely for small structural pieces of the old cotton mill such as nuts and bolts. She uses them to create castings in cement to fabricate simple and unique shapes that she can use as an individual piece, or in conjunction with metal or wood to create a finished work. The combination of the hearty cement shapes with a delicate metal line produces something that is truly visually fascinating.

How does this show differ from previous exhibitions?

 Blyth says this show could be considered in some ways less intentional than previous shows. She is largely influenced by the stimulus of her surroundings and says this affects how she starts to paint or sculpt from moment to moment. Often times, she may start with an idea that ends up changing and evolving as she goes through the creative process.

 What’s up next for Eileen?

Blyth says she isn’t quite sure what’s up next for her and that excites her. She wants to take a step back and look at the progression of her work over the past year and possibly go back to the basics of drawing and sculpting. She is also exploring the idea of taking time to travel and be open to where that may lead her next.

 by Cait Patel

For more about her show visit

https://www.stormwaterstudios.org/event/eileen-blyth

For more information about her work visit

http://www.eileenblyth.com/

SIX USC MFA Students Bring Ekphrasis to Stormwater Studio's Jan Swanson & Heather LaHaise Exhibit

Jasper welcomes

Dylan Nutter, Katarina Merlini, Trezlen Drake, Victoria Romero, Andrew Green, & Emily Davis

This Thursday evening at the Jasper Project’s Fall 2018 Release Party, six MFAs from the University of South Carolina will be doing a special ekphrastic reading.

The event, which will take place at 6:00 p.m. at Stormwater Studios, will host several activities including live music, $10 refillable drinks, readings from the new issue of Fall Lines, as well as the ekphrasis.

What is ekphrasis? Ekphrasis is a work of literature such as fiction or poetry that stems from and/or is inspired by visual art. As the Poetry Foundation says, “Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the ‘action’ of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning.”

What you may know is last week Stormwater Studios launched its new exhibit, “Year of the Dog” featuring artists Jan Swanson and Heather LaHaise. What you probably don’t know is since the opening, six of USC’s MFA candidates have been working at the studio and choosing paintings that inspire them. All week they have been writing fiction and poetry based on the art of Swanson and LaHaise. This Thursday, they’ll read them for the first time.

Before then, though, you can meet the artists here and get an idea of the treat you’ll be in for Thursday.

Hope to see you there!

Dylan Nutter

Dylan Nutter is a second-year poet in the M.F.A program at the University of South Carolina. He is the Poetry Editor for Yemassee Journal.  He holds a B.A. in English with a concentration in creative writing from Salisbury University. A native of Maryland, his poetry gravitates towards the manipulation of sound and the exploration of the relationships between family, location, and identity

Katarina Merlini

Katarina Merlini is a Samminarinese-American poet born and raised in Michigan. In her poetry, she explores the nature of heritage, inheritance, and Americana. She has earned distinction from both the University of Michigan as well as the University of South Carolina where she is pursuing a MFA in Poetry beginning Fall 2018.

Trezlen Drake

Trezlen Drake is a second-year poetry MFA at the University of South Carolina. A native North Carolinian, she has been writing poetry since elementary school, but is learning skills to craft the kinds of poems she never would have dreamed of at 8 years old. Her writing style favors persona and confessional poems sprinkled with flavors of the South.

Victoria Romero

Victoria Romero is a second-year MFA fiction candidate at the University of South Carolina who writes about the interconnections of societally separated people. She hails from New York and is also mysterious.

Andrew Green

Andrew Green is a fiction writer from Baltimore, Maryland and is currently a second-year MFA candidate in Fiction at the University of South Carolina. His historical fiction examines characters on the margins during periods of technological and cultural change.

Emily Davis

Emily Davis is a MFA candidate in Fiction at the University of South Carolina. She teaches composition and is a reader for Yemassee, USC’s art and literary journal. She's interested in genre-mixing, bending, and breaking, superheroes, contemporary fiction, and narrative structure. She lives and dies by her three dogs.

by Christina Xan

Join Us

Thursday, September 27th at 6 pm

Stormwater Studios on Huger St. behind One Eared Cow Glass

Music by The Witness Marks and more

Buy a $10 souvenir Jasper Cup & drink beer/wine for free