New Poetry and Songwriter Events from Jasper and Al Black

Jasper Project board member and local poetry event guru, Al Black, is bringing two brand-new, unique events to the Midlands: a poetry salon and an outdoor music concert. Both events are starting this month: poetry month.

Jasper’s Poetry Salon

The mission of Jasper’s Poetry Salon is to give both new and established poets a safe, communal space in which to share their work and connect with other poets.

This is not a workshop, nor is it a simple reading. Everyone at the Salon will be able to share at least one poem, and conversation about the poems read will occur organically. Participants will be able to step into a relaxed environment with like-minded individuals—a space with no judgment where the goal is to hear, share, and appreciate language and story. This event allows any and all poets to enter a singular dwelling space and establish a sense of community with other Columbia-based poets who they may not meet otherwise. This is a wonderful opportunity for poets who feel isolated or who want casual feedback on their work. Whether one has been writing and publishing poetry for decades or has only just written their first poem, they will be welcomed with open arms and warm conversation.  

Occurring on the last Tuesday of every month, the event will hold its first gathering on April 26th at 7:00pm at 1013 Duke Avenue.

Front Porch Swing

The mission of Front Porch Swing is to provide a space for local musicians to showcase their work and for people to share in said work without distraction from what is important: the music.

On the last Sunday of each month, a singular music act will set up on the porch of the co-op on Duke Avenue and play for two hours. Anyone interested can come at their leisure, completely for free, and enjoy the performance. This come-one, come-all experience asks patrons to bring their own chairs, blankets, food, and drink—or whatever they might want to enjoy as they settle under the South Carolina sun with friends, new and old, to hear local music, new and old. Unlike some music-related events, here there is no dance floor, no bar, and no simultaneous events; for the duration of the performance, the focus is on the music itself. Whether a long-term Cola-music lover or brand new to the scene, this relaxed environment is the perfect space for anyone wanting to view local talent. 

The first Front Porch Swing will take place on April 24th at 2:00pm, featuring the band Jazz Dog, also at 1013 Duke Avenue.

 In the coming week, we will feature deep dives with Al Black on each event, so if you aren’t following Jasper’s online magazine, scroll down and enter your email to be updated when the articles come out!

Irmo hosts the 2nd Annual International Festival -- with ART!

From a small, sleepy, rural town of the 1950’s, Irmo South Carolina has grown into a bustling suburb of our capital city and now has some valuable International influences .  As Columbia has grown and stretched its reach across the river, Irmo has become an extension of urban life and with it come the benefits of a small town enjoying big city shopping, cuisine, music and arts, excellent recreational activities, health care, sports, educational opportunities, and economic growth.

The International diversity has significantly added to the quality of life in this community.

The Irmo schools reflect these changes. Seven Oaks Elementary School has students who speak more than 30 languages. Irmo Middle School is an International Academic Magnet School and Irmo High School is an International Arts Magnet. With its many cultural and faith differences, Irmo is a friendly, peaceful place to live.

Irmo is also an economically successful community, and their International residents contribute to that success.

To celebrate this diversity,  Irmo is hosting its second International Festival on April 24 at the Community Park from 10-5 and it is free to the public. There will live entertainment, food, a Story telling tent, art exhibits, vendors, and an opportunity to help build a Rangoli – a beautiful, giant eco-friendly Indigenous art form created on the ground. (If you want to help build the Rangoli bring a small bag of items  to add  pasta, rice, spices, flowers, coffee grounds, beans, bird seed, corn, etc. You can also work on the Rangoli April 18-23 each afternoon beginning at 5pm – a wonderful experience for nature lovers and creative artists of all ages. Supplies will be provided. )

The Irmo International Festival will be a fun day in the park for family members of all ages.

Honoring Kay Thigpen Sunday, April 10th 2 - 5 pm at Trustus Theatre

Celebrate the life of Trustus co-founder Kay Thigpen at Trustus Theatre on Sunday, April 10th from 2:00 to 5:00pm.

The event will include a cocktail hour and a memorial service featuring Trustus Company members hosted by Dewey Scott-Wiley and Chad Henderson.

Kay Kaplan Thigpen was co-founder of Trustus Theatre along with her late husband, Jim. She died on September 20, 2021 at the age of 80. She is succeeded in life by her children Lori Brown (Janet Brabham); Marc Brown (Betsy) ; Erin Thigpen Wilson (Laurens); and grandson Max Brabham.

Kay was a friend, a mentor, a mom, a guiding light for so many, and she will be dearly missed.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to Trustus Theatre in memory of Kay. Donations are accepted online at www.trustus.org  or by mail. Checks can be mailed to 520 Lady St, Columbia, SC, 29201 and should include “In memory of Kay Thigpen.”

Al Black has Two April Poetry Events Planned featuring Lawrence Rhu, Miho Kinnas, and Lang Owen

Pre-pandemic, it was hard to find Jasper Project Board of Directors Member and Local Open Mic Organizer, Al Black, when he wasn’t sitting in a coffee shop or a church basement with poets and songwriters gathered around him, waiting for their turn at the microphone. But lock-downs and social distancing brought all of Black’s endeavors to a screeching halt once Covid worked its way into the city.

Thankfully (and fingers crossed) those days are over and we can start gathering into our little (and large) tribal enclaves once again to cheer each other on as we explore the assorted paths of the written word.

And Al Black is back at his post, hosting and encouraging Midlands area literary artists as they grow and learn more about themselves and each other by sharing their work.

Two events coming up in Columbia during April’s Poetry Month include:

Words, Words, Words

Saturday, 04/02 at 2 pm

Southeast Branch Richland Library

7421 Garners Ferry Road

Columbia, SC 29209

Singer/songwriter, Lang Owen opens

for Poet, Miho Kinnas

Organized and hosted by Al Black

https://www.richlandlibrary.com/event/2022-04-02/words-words-words-poet-miho-kinnas

SIMPLE GIFTS - poetry & original lyric songs

7-9 pm, Tuesday, 04/05 (Monthly)

Columbia Friends Meeting House

120 Old Pisgah Road

Columbia, SC, 290203

Featuring: Poet, Lawrence Rhu & Singer/songwriter, Lang Owen

Followed by open mic (original poetry and music only)

hosted by Poet, Al Black

Columbia Open Studios April 2nd & 3rd -

By Emily Moffitt

48"x60" oil on canvas, Walking a Tightrope by Christopher Lane

Columbia Open Studios returns on April 2nd and 3rd! The event is a “self-guided, weekend-long, free tour of artists’ studios in the Greater Columbia, South Carolina area, including all of Richland and Lexington Counties” and gives South Carolinians an opportunity to check out some of the most prominent inventive minds Columbia has to offer.  

It is a free event that offers time to meet with the participating artists individually at the Preview Party, and the event aims to create a direct connection between the artists and audiences both in person and on the web through social media promotion and interpersonal marketing.  

Patrons get to have a sneak peek into the individualized studio life of their favorite local artists by touring their studio spaces.  

Many artists who participate in COS are repeat participants; 2022 will be the fourth year that Christopher Lane participates in the event. A highly successful artist with a passion for making large format paintings that make large statements and one who finds beauty in every inch of landscape that South Carolina offers, Lane finds great value in being a part of the COS artists. “I enjoy it immensely as it allows patrons to observe my work in a more intimate setting and connect in a way we can’t always do in galleries.”  

This sentiment is surely shared amongst the other participants, both on the part of the artists and the audiences. The participant roster features a wide variety of artists from multiple disciplines, with painters, ceramicists, and everything in between, creating lots of chances for visitors to find a new artist’s body of work to fall in love with.  

The event will be free to the public and last from 10 AM to 6 PM on Saturday April 2nd, and from 12 PM to 6 PM on Sunday April 3rd.  

For more information, you can check out their website columbiaopenstudios.org and subscribe to their newsletter! The participating artists with pertinent information about their work and locations are all featured on the website.

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.

HAVE YOU MET ... SHARON FUNDERBURK?

• From the beginning I was meant to be an artist. The spark began when I was in first grade, I won an award for my Santa Claus.

• Originally, I am from Pennsylvania and grew up outside of Bucks County, a mecca for artists.

• I went to school for commercial art and worked at a mapping company before computers I did drafting and scribing work.

• My family moved to SC in the late ‘70s and I followed. I worked in different graphic jobs until they merged into the medical field.

• I currently work as a Mixed Media Artist.

• My greatest influence is my grandmother she was the original creature of the trash from treasure artist.

• I show my work through guild shows and festivals. Cotton town art crawl and Melrose art in the yard. Cayce artist guild, SC artists and Trenholm artist guild.

• I am also a certified Bob Ross Instructor and currently hold classes with the city of Columbia, Crooked Creek Park and Kershaw County Art Center.

• Also, for over 15 years I have taught art classes to Seniors at the Rice home. They are my heart.

• Currently my favorite artist is Gerald Erley — his soft colors and subjects create a mood.

• Spirit is what I have been trying to create in my new mixed media pieces.

POETRY FOR THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE - Premonition by Ellen Malphrus

This poem originally appeared in Fall Lines - a literary convergence volume VII-VIII

Premonition: January 2, 2020

by Ellen Malphrus

A castover hush of a day.

White tulips bend

to where there is no sun

as the dog naps

and the cat naps harder.

Little winter birds flit and flash,

awakened now from their own

long morning quiet

as a flicker drills at an oak.

The low growl of a Sunday plane

drifts back into silence and

the miles-away road buzz

goes entirely un-hummed.

I have lit a candle against the bleakness  

but why it seems like gloom

I cannot say.

Here on the cusp of the oncoming

year of perfect vision

maybe I’m afraid of

what I might see,

what I might not see.

Today I’d rather lie here in the porch swing

with my eyes closed

and listen to the dog snore,

the heedless woodpecker laughing.

You’re invited to share your poems and prose, dedicated to peace in Ukraine, with the Jasper Project.

Send to editor@JasperProject.com

THE BEAT: Warfare Check - Now That's What I Call Art (River Monster Records) by Kevin Oliver

“Punk was never just about raging against the machine, …“

Punk rock has a long and storied history in Columbia’s music scene, from the original punk era of Nick Pagan and the Fanatics through the positive hardcore of Bedlam Hour, the unhinged crust punk of Antischism and into the more focused assault of Stretch Armstrong, Self, Assfactor 4, and more.  

Lately the genre has seen something of a resurgence, with strong showings by Soda City Riot, Brandy and the Butcher, and now Warfare Check.  

This far down the line, anyone playing punk rock is usually self-selecting for what subgenre or sound they are going to deliver. Warfare Check falls squarely into the California punk of The Circle Jerks and Black Flag, with a bit of screamo angst and grunge bluster thrown in to keep things interesting. Frontman Bubs Rubella is more shouter than singer, a useful trait when one is barking out lyrics to songs such as “Violence Breeds Violence,” or “Go Fucking Die,” with complete seriousness.  

There are nods to the silly comedic side of hardcore on songs such as “Lord Shatterling’s Dildo Collection,” and “Mary Jane Rottencrotch,” but more often than not, the band deals in societal outrage that echoes the frustrations of the past two years plus of pandemic era issues. “2021 (Ain’t No Fun),” may state the obvious, but it does so in under two minutes with a lyrical riff that’s about as good an anthem for last year as there could be.  

“Aryan Garbage” pulls no punches, musically or lyrically. Coming across like a profane version of a Naked Raygun polemic, the song condemns the current trend of rising white supremacy with a string of mostly unprintable epithets over an unstoppable barrage of riffs.  

Punk was never just about raging against the machine, however. The community, camaraderie and belonging that punk subculture introduced was just as important in the long run, and Warfare Check’s catchiest, most memorable tune here, “I Hate This,” wraps up that “we’re all in this together” sentiment in just a few short lines: 

“We all suffer 

We all need a buffer 

What's the latest fashion,

What’s your goddamn passion?”

…Now that’s what I call a great question. How you answer it, that’s up to you.

ARTIST PROFILE: Paul Moore and Congaree Pottery

An artist of few words, Paul Moore’s medium of choice is earth.

“It’s old, but it’s versatile,” he says.

JASPER: When did you first begin to pursue visual art? Where and when did you train, or are you self-taught?

 MOORE: I was lucky to have opportunities as a child to create at home, even before elementary school. A beginning pottery class at the City of Columbia Art Center in 2003 was my introduction to ceramics.

JASPER: What mediums in visual arts do you typically use and why?

 MOORE: Earth. It’s old but versatile.

JASPER: Where do you work now and where do you show your work?

 MOORE: Mostly at Southern Pottery Studio.

JASPER: Who have been your greatest influences as an artist?

 MOORE: My parents and my 5th Grade art teacher, Mrs. Norris.

JASPER: What do you feel makes your art unique?

 MOORE: My eyes. My hands.

JASPER: Who is your favorite SC-based visual artist and why?

 MOORE: Dianne Gilbert. She creates with joy.

JASPER:  What are you working on now, will w get to see it, and if so, where, and when?

MOORE: Ending the “Congaree Swamp” carved series. At the Cottontown Art Crawl of course!

8 Fascinating Things About Metalsmith Artist Valerie Lamott

“Mother Earth is my greatest influence as an artist.”

• I started metalsmithing as a hobby after work maybe 12 years ago. I took classes at the local art center in basic fabrication, enameling, and chain making. My job was essentially to break things all day (I was a Senior Corporate Quality Engineer at an audio electronics company) and the metalsmithing let me create things in the evenings. Gave me some balance.

• I grew up in Northwest Indiana. After college I moved to Tokyo, then Seoul, then I was kind of a hippie living out of a backpack for a while bouncing around Asia and Europe, and settled in Chicago once I made it back to America. Then around 9 years ago I moved to Columbia.

• I work in sterling silver, bronze, and semi-precious gemstones for my jewelry. The whole process, from metals to cutting rocks is messy and gross and the end product turns out so beautiful. I love it.

• I never really grew out of that traveler phase. I work anywhere. I've made a lot of my studio mobile and you can often find me designing or sawing out pieces at a state park picnic table. I sell my work primarily at art shows, from Petoskey, Michigan to Miami, Florida and everywhere in between.

• Mother Earth is my greatest influence as an artist. I hike, I camp, I kayak, and I take these places and moments and immortalize them in metal and rocks.

• I think my work is unique because it's my life. I create miniature landscapes that many people identify with, but they're all from my eyes.

• My favorite SC based artist is TomMac Garrett. Besides being a fantastic potter, he's a good friend and I love that his work incorporates images from his farm. He's an innovative artist sharing his unique voice.

• I am currently working on a series based on a couple Midlands state parks and you will absolutely see it soon, as it's for the Jasper Project’s April Tiny Gallery Series! I also have shows coming up at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe in Greenville, the Cottontown Art Crawl here in Columbia, and the Fairhope Arts Festival in Alabama.

ARTIST PROFILE - Susan Lenz & Found Objects

Mandala CXI Steinway piano keys

JASPER: When did you first begin to pursue visual art? Where and when did you train,
or are you self-taught?

LENZ: I started in 2001 at the age of forty-two. I am self taught.

JASPER: Where did you grow up? If you are not from SC, what brought you here?

LENZ:I am from Columbus, Ohio and came to Columbia in 1987 in order for my husband, Steve Dingman, to work as at a coastal engineering company.  He hated it and quit after three years, but we stayed.

JASPER: What mediums in visual arts do you typically use and why? 

LENZ: I am primarily a fiber and installation artist but will dabble in most visual artists media.

JASPER: Where do you work now and where do you show your work? 

LENZ: My studio is in my legally zoned live/work location, Mouse House.  I am represented by the Grovewood Gallery on the grounds of the historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville.  I show my work in both solo and nationally juried exhibitions and high end fine craft shows including the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Smithsonian Craft Shows.

JASPER: Who has been your greatest influence as an artist? 

LENZ: Stephen Chesley

JASPER: What do you feel makes your art unique? 

LENZ: Using a threaded needle, I work in partnership with my materials and use found objects to express my thoughts on remembrance and mortality. My work is unique in the many ways it pays homage to anonymous ancestors and to those whose voices might otherwise be stilled.

JASPER: Who is your favorite SC-based visual artist and why?

LENZ: Stephen Chesley lives a true “artist life” without compromise and through his example, I have learned and will continue to learn how better to be more myself than I initially knew was possible.

JASPER: What are you working on now, will we get to see it, and if so, where, and when?

LENZ; I am currently working on a pandemic-inspired series influenced by the traditions of Buddhist mandala making.  Repetitive circles of found objects are stitched onto sections of neglected, old quilts.  The series is as much about the hunt for unique, found objects as the actual creation of the artwork. Adventures include dismantling an old, broken Steinway piano for three, commissioned pieces for Carolina Steinway in Charlotte and sourcing Hawai’i stamped golf tees from a cyber friend in Texas. The series now numbers over one-hundred and will be on view at the upcoming Smithsonian Craft Show, April 20 – 24, 2022 but some will be available at the Cottontown Art Crawl. 

The series can be found on-line at: https://foundobjectmandalasbysusanlenz.blogspot.com/

Mandal CXII Susan Lenz

Mandala XCVI - Susan Lenz

Mandala CX - Susan Lenz

Eight Things about Visual Artist Rebecca Lynne Horne

• Growing up with a father who was an artist, I’ve painted off and on my entire life. In 2018 I began to pursue it. In 2021 my art really began to take off. I consider myself a self-taught artist but have taken several courses over the past few years.

•  I grew up on Lake Wateree, S.C. I’ve bounced back and forth from Columbia and Camden and currently live in West Columbia 

• I’m an abstract artist so I love the creativity that Mixed Media allows me to have. With Fluid Acrylics, I love the way the paint moves and creates beautiful shapes and colors.

• My studio space is at my home. It’s small and packed full of art supplies! I’ve shown my work at various locations in the Midlands. Currently, I have several pieces at Aloft Downtown and several international online exhibits. Beginning in May, I’ll have several pieces on exhibit at the Koger Center. There are shows planned for later this year.

• My greatest influence so far is Ginger Thomas. I’ve taken every course she has offered, and I’ve learned so much from her about Mixed Media art. Then, of course, my father who was a fantastic artist. I don’t make art like he did, but he was the inspiration that sparked my interest in the beginning.

• Unique art is what I’m all about. It’s my personal mission to make art that is different. Like nothing anyone has seen before. It has to be pretty; it has to push the boundaries and it has to be intriguing. In my Mixed Media art, I love to find things to use in the structure that no one that I know of has ever considered. I also enjoy the challenge of applying many different types of texture into one piece. There are so many interesting layers and tiny surprises that someone has to look for to see. 

• Pascale Sexton Bilgis is my favorite SC-based visual artist. Not only is she my friend but she’s an incredibly gifted artist. She has a special way with colors, structure, and composition. Her art is always vibrant, unique, and interesting. You can see her personality come through in her work.

• Currently I’m working on getting art ready for the Cottontown Art Crawl. Also, finishing up several pieces for the Koger Center in May. I’ll have three pieces at the Crooked Creek Art League Spring Show in Chapin. That will take place starting Feb. 28 and run through March 26  After the Cottontown Art Crawl I’ll begin to work on ten to twelve pieces for a solo show this fall!

To see more of Rebecca Horne’s work visit her website.

Eight Things About Artist Ishayda Smith-Hughes

• I started painting at age three years old. I officially legitimized my art business at age 25-years old. Both of my parents were artists when they were younger as well. I naturally got my artistic talents from both of my parents.

• I grew up in Spartanburg, SC

• I typically use acrylic paints and other material in my paintings.

• I currently work as an educator and a mental health professional. I display my work at art shows and other contest in the surrounding areas.

• My greatest influencers in art have been Romero Britto, Andy Warhol, Wak, and Bisa Butler.

• I feel that my use of vibrant colors and subject matters make my artwork unique. I have my own type of style and I do not try to mimic any other artist.

• My favorite SC-based artist is Teil Duncan. I love her use of bright color combinations, brush strokes and abstract imagery.

• I am currently working on a painting of a peacock. I will have it for sale at the Cottontown Art Crawl, March 12,2022 in Columbia, SC.

ARTIST PROFILE: PASCALE BILGIS Brings Turkey and France to her Art

Pascale Bilgis grew up in a small village in Burgundy, France, and later in Dijon for her studies. At the age of 18, she left her homeland to continue her studies at the University of South Carolina where she received her BA in photography. After graduating, she worked as an archaeological photographer in southern Turkey and as an art assistant at the Pierre LOTI French School of Istanbul. While in Turkey she began to pursue a new passion for painting and ceramics. She moved back to the States in 2016 and became very active in the artist community in South Carolina. Her work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions throughout the state and has won numerous awards. She is a member of South Carolina Artists and currently lives in Lexington, SC. Learn more about the artist at her website.

HOME – New work
A multimedia artist focusing on landscapes, in her series Home, Bilgis recalls significant landscapes from her own life: the small French village of her childhood; Turkey, where she worked as an archeological photographer; and her current home, South Carolina. Working in acrylic, Bilgis splits her compositions into geometric sections using different color palettes to show the landscapes in different times of day or different seasons. She adds buildings in ceramic or wood relief. The architecture of the buildings helps identify her landscapes as belonging to specific regions: she creates the simple cottages of rural France, the bustling cityscape of Istanbul, and the nostalgic country houses of South Carolina. She chooses to show the buildings in ceramic relief to emphasize the durability of human habitations in contrast to the natural world, which reflects the changing seasons. “As the landscape is ever changing, homes remain in their original state,” Bilgis says.

Little Flat People – Mixed media
In her exhibition, Little Flat People, Bilgis seamlessly blends two-dimensional and three-dimensional elements to demonstrate the fundamental similarities between people. The artist presents little figures set among pebbles, wood frames, and panels with vibrant abstract expressionist landscapes as backgrounds. “After 2 years creating vivid abstract landscapes with ceramic architectural relief, I wanted to keep working with clay and acrylic colors but in a more meaningful way. One day while collecting pebbles on a beach in southern Turkey, I came up with the “Flat Little People” series,“ Bilgis explains. Made of clay and fired at 2000 degrees, the figures all look alike in that they are flat and uniform, but in truth they are not “flat” at all, they seem to be very lively and interesting. It is up to the viewer to imagine their emotions through their postures and implied actions.

Bilgis is one of the more than 100 artists whose work will be shown at the Cottontown Art Crawl on March 12th in Columbia, SC.

If Art presents Roger Beebe - Films for One to Eight Projectors - Wednesday March 2nd

Beebe Berlin

Roger Beebe is a filmmaker whose work since 2006 consists primarily of multiple-projector performances and essayistic videos that explore the world of found images and the "found" landscapes of late capitalism. He has screened his films around the globe at such unlikely venues as the CBS Jumbotron in Times Square and McMurdo Station in Antarctica as well as more likely ones including Sundance and the Museum of Modern Art with solo shows at Anthology Film Archives, The Laboratorio Arte Alameda in Mexico City, and Los Angeles Filmforum among many other venues. His work has been supported by residencies at the Headlands Center for the Arts and the MacDowell Colony and elsewhere.

Next week, Wim Roefs welcomes innovative film professor Roger Beebe to the If Art Gallery on Lincoln Street for a performance of Films for One to Eight Projectors and Jasper plans to be in the house. Artists and patrons of all arts disciplines are invited to attend and would be wise to do so. Film has a unique way of spurring creativity that stems from its multi-sensory stimulation, usually presented in an immersive environment, that scholars are still trying to understand. Here’s an opportunity to do some research on your own.

From If Art -

“Roger Beebe's films provide an exciting opportunity to explore new boundaries within film, performance and installation,” University of South Carolina media arts professor Carleen Maur says. “His films provide an experience that asks audiences to explore complex spatial, sonic and image relationships.” Ohio State art professor Beebe will present a film performance at if ART Gallery, Columbia, SC, on Wednesday, March 2, 2002, at 7:00 pm. Suggested donation is $5.

Beebe will operate and perform with several 16mm film projectors, showing several new works alongside some of his best-known projector performances. The latter will include the seven-projector, show-stopping Last Night of the Dying Stars of 2008/2011. Beebe also will include a sampling of recent essayistic videos, presented as live-narrated documentaries. Topics will include a range from the forbidden pleasures of men crying to the racial politics of font choices and the real spaces of virtual economy.

“Beebe’s films are both erudite and punk, lo-fi yet high-brow shorts that wrestle with a disfigured, contemporary American landscape,” Atlanta’s Creative Loafing wrote. The Independent Weekly said that Beebe’s “implicitly and explicitly evoke the work of Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand and Lee Friedlander, all photographers of the atomic age whose Western photographs captured the banalities, cruelties and beauties of imperial America."

Beebe has since 2007 had more than 130 solo exhibitions all over the United States and abroad, the latter in Mexico, Finland, Spain, France, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

7:00 pm

Suggestion Donation: $5

 

For more information, contact Wim Roefs at if ART:

(803) 238-2351 – wroefs@sc.rr.com

 

if ART Gallery

1223 Lincoln St.

Columbia, SC

ARTIST PROFILE -- Rusty Sox and Titanic Alley

Love that paisley!

JASPER: When did you first begin to pursue visual art? Where and when did you train, or are you self-taught?

SOX: I decided to experiment with making bow ties in 2013. I was craving a creative pursuit that combined my love of thrift store shopping and fashion. I decided to use cast-away garments to upcycle into new wearable art in the form of bow ties. I bought an inexpensive sewing machine and made some patterns from old, deconstructed ties. I taught myself how to sew and how to make ties.

JASPER: What mediums in visual arts do you typically use and why? 

SOX: I use vintage and recycled fabrics, mostly acquired from area thrift stores.

JASPER: Where do you work now and where do you show your work? 

SOX: I have a studio at home. I primarily show and sell at local craft shows and through my web site www.titanicalley.com. 

I was included in the 2015  “Carolina Makers” exhibition at the South Carolina State Museum and was runner-up to “Best in Show” at the 2017 Crafty Feast.

JASPER: Who have been your greatest influences as an artist? 

SOX: I am inspired by the creations and philosophies of the early 20th Century Arts and Crafts movement and by the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Locally, I was inspired by the late “Refashionista” Jillian Owens who demonstrated how cast-off clothes could become beautiful and useful again.

JASPER: What do you feel makes your art unique? 

SOX: I think the recycled nature of my materials, as well as the contrast of colors and textures in many of my bow ties makes my pieces unique.

JASPER: Who is your favorite SC-based visual artist and why? 

SOX: I am admittedly biased, but I am a big fan of ceramic artist Paul Moore. I think his work is beautiful and the way he captures the South Carolina landscape in clay is inspiring. I am lucky to share my life with such a great artist and great human being.

JASPER: What are you working on now, will we get to see it, and if so, where, and when? 

SOX: I am always working on new ties, but I am terrible about updating my website. I promise to try and do better! I am available for private appointments and custom work as well.

FIND RUSTY SOX AT THE COTTONTOWN ART CRAWL, BOOTH 41 AT 2231 WALLACE STREET, AT THE COTTONTOWN ARTS CRAWL ON SATURDAY MARCH 12TH FROM 10-3

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  

Don't Miss Complexions Contemporary Ballet at Harbison Theatre!

One thing that anyone who knows anything about professional dance can agree on is that Columbia does not have enough contemporary ballet. Between the Tutu Wars and our dance scene being frozen in a time when full length fairytale ballets ruled the day, (read: the 1980s), we typically only get to see what the rest of the world of dance audiences sees when City Ballet does Body and Movement Explored (coming up soon!) or when the new Columbia Rep Dance Company performs.

Thankfully Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College, under the direction of Kristin Wood Cobb, has a place in its heart for progressive and cutting edge performing arts, including dance!

Coming up on Friday February 19th and for one night only, Complexions Contemporary Dance Company will perform “Stardust: From Bach to Bowie” at Harbison’s state-of-the-art theatre, just off the highway in Irmo.

Rescheduled from the 2019-2020 season, Complexions presents Stardust From Bach to Bowie as a tribute to two fantastic artists who each founded his own musical hemisphere. The show includes "Star Dust," dedicated to the one and only David Bowie, plus an additional repertory set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach. This world-renowned company has been featured on So You Think You Can Dance in the U.S. and Australia.

Complexions was founded in 1994 by Master Choreographer Dwight Rhoden and the legendary Desmond Richardson with a singular approach to reinventing dance through a groundbreaking mix of methods, styles and cultures. Today, Complexions represents one of the most recognized, diverse, inclusive and respected performing arts brands in the World.  Having presented an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement on 5-continents, over 20-countries, to over 20-million television viewers and to well over 300,000 people in live audiences, Complexions is poised to continue its mission to bring unity to the world one dance at a time. 

Complexions has received numerous awards including The New York Times Critics’ Choice Award. It has appeared throughout the US, including the Joyce Theater/NY, Lincoln Center/NY, Brooklyn Academy of Music/NY, Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts/New Orleans, Paramount Theatre/Seattle, The Music Center/Los Angeles, Winspear Opera House/Dallas, Cutler Majestic Theater/Boston, New Victory Theater/NY, and Music Hall/Detroit, The Bolshoi Theater, The Kremlin, The Mikhailovsky Theater, Melbourne Arts Center, and will make it's debut at the Kennedy Center in 2017, as a part of Ballet Across America.​

The Company has appeared at major European dance festivals including Italy’s Festival of Dance ,the Isle De Dance Festival in Paris, the Maison De La Dance Festival in Lyon, the Holland Dance Festival, Steps International Dance Festival in Switzerland, Łódź Biennale, Warsaw Ballet Festival, Kraków Spring Ballet Festival, the Dance Festival of Canary Islands/Spain, and the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur/Canada. 

In addition, Complexions has toured extensively throughout the Baltic Regions, Korea, Brazil, Japan, Egypt, Israel, Russia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Serbia, Jamaica, and Australia. 

The company’s foremost innovation is that dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them. Whether it be the limiting traditions of a single style, period, venue, or culture, Complexions transcends them all, creating an open, continually evolving form of dance that reflects the movement of our world—and all its constituent cultures—as an interrelated whole. 

In 2006, Complexions held their first Summer Intensive program, serving 80 students in its first year. The program has grown to multiple cities and serves over up to 600 students annually. Since 2009, a Winter Intensive was added to the roster, serving an additional 400 students, and CCB added its Pre- Professional Program in 2016.  Complexions’ artistic directors and company members teach master classes throughout the world, sharing the Complexions technique with dancers of all levels.  

Together, Rhoden and Richardson have created in Complexions an institution that embodies its historical moment, a sanctuary where those passionate about dance can celebrate its past while simultaneously building its future. In the 27 years since its inception, the company has born witness to a world that is becoming more fluid, more changeable, and more culturally interconnected than ever before—in other words, a world that is becoming more and more like Complexions itself.

~~~~~

Before they take the stage at Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College on February 18, the phenomenal dancers of Complexions Contemporary Ballet (CCB) will be in residence!
 
Dancers from the internationally renowned company will teach two 90-minute advanced master classes for advanced dancers from 1:30pm - 3pm. HT@MTC has partnered with the University of South Carolina to host the classes at the UofSC dance studios. The two classes will run concurrently and will be taught by Jillian Davis and Simon Plant of CCB. In addition, a workshop relating to Complexions' repertory and performance style, as well as topics such as improvisation and composition will be offered. Classes are open to University of South Carolina dance students.  For more information, please contact the dance program at dance@sc.edu. 

Dancers from CCB will also teach two 90-minute community/intermediate classes for dance school and some high school students from 3:30pm - 5pm. These classes will also take place at the UofSC dance studios. The two classes will run concurrently and will be taught by Timothy Stickney and Larissa Gerszke of Complexions. In addition, a workshop relating to CCB repertory and performance style, as well as topics such as improvisation and composition will be offered. Please sign up using the form below for more information about this class. There is no charge for the classes; however, dancers will need to sign waivers and wear a mask while in class.

Master Class: 1:30pm to 3pm | Friday, February 18

Community/Intermediate Class: 3:30pm to 5pm |  Friday, February 18 (register here)

CALL for Site Specific Visual Art via Our Friends at CCA

701 CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART 

MILL DISTRICT PUBLIC ART TRAIL OPPORTUNITIES 

We were excited to hear about this unique opportunity for visual artists to break into site specific/public art offered by the good folks at 701 CCA that we wanted to help them spread the word.

Here’s what we know —

701 Center for Contemporary Art (CCA) is seeking artists to develop and execute site-specific works for five gate houses located on the grounds of the historic Granby and Olympia Mills as part of CCA’s Mill District Public Art Trail. The mills are twin Romanesque Revival style, four-story structures designed by W.B. Smith Whaley & Company - the leading mill architects of their time. Once considered two of the most architecturally significant textile mills in South Carolina, today the two massive buildings have been repurposed for residential mill living.  

The application deadline is Wednesday, March 9, 2022.

Budget 

The budget for each gate house is $3,000

Public Art Opportunities

Five gate houses located in front of the two mill buildings offer unique opportunities for site-specific works. The structures were built during WWII.  Designed to compliment the architectural elements of the mill buildings, the Olympia Mill gate houses feature arch-shaped windows and a frieze consisting of terracotta arches. The less decorated Granby Mill gate houses feature dentil brick molding and sash windows.  

The gate houses will function as changing exhibition spaces for temporary public art projects. The projects will be installed for a minimum of one year.  Each gate house is 10’x10’ with a modest interior and lighting. Access to the interior is through doors on the rear or side of each structure. The gate houses are not air-conditioned or heated. Artwork must be able to withstand extreme weather conditions. 

The exteriors of the gate houses are protected under the City of Columbia historic preservation ordinance. Attachments to the exterior are not allowed. 

Eligibility 

Artists working in media appropriate for non-conditioned environments and styles are eligible for consideration. Artists may submit individually or as a team. Artist teams must designate one artist as the lead contact. This opportunity is open to professional artists 18 and over. 

Selection Process

A panel of arts professionals will review artists qualifications and make a selection of artists who will be invited to submit a full proposal. Selections will be based on artistic merit, experience with public art commissions and/or installation art and the ability to complete and install the project by June 20, 2022.

RFQ Requirements

1. Images of up to five completed commissions/installations that demonstrate your qualifications for the project. Please include the title, medium, dimensions, year completed, location, and a short description. 

2. Artist resume demonstrating a minimum of five years of professional visual art experience. If submitting as a team, a current resume should be submitted for each team member.  Please compile resumes into one document.

3. Statement of interest in this particular Mill District opportunity

4. References that include the names and current contact information for three individuals with whom you have worked, collaborated, or who have commissioned your work in the past. References may be contacted for artists invited to develop a proposal for the commissions

   Timeline

Call for RFQ - February 9, 2022

Zoom Q&A - February 14

Zoom Q&A - February 28

Deadline for RFQ - March 12 

Panel Review & Selection - March 13

Notification to Artists - March 15

Deadline for Proposals - April 4

Finalist(s) Notification - April 8 

Finalist(s)  Interviews/Presentation of Proposals on Zoom - April 11

Notification to Finalists - April 13

Site Availability - April 14

Deadline for Installed Works - June 20

Please submit questions to Michaela Pilar Brown at director@701cca.org. Questions and answers will be posted on our website at www.701cca.org.