Poems on the Menu

Poet Lisa Hammond

One of Ed Madden's goals these past eight years as the city's poet laureate has been to put poetry in public places. As his term nears an end, drop by Pawley's Front Porch to celebrate one of his last projects, Poetry On the Menu. The winning poem, "Eating Out" by Columbia poet Lisa Hammond, appears on the Pawley's menu, and she will be reading it (and maybe a couple of other food-related poems!) November 2nd. Pawley's Front Porch is located at 827 Harden Street in the Five Points district. Pawley's is the first restaurant in the city to participate in this project, and we hope that the next poet laureate will get others to join in! Small celebratory gathering starting at 6:30, on the porch if the weather is good. Stop by, have dinner or a drink, and join us in celebrating poetry as a public art! More details on the Facebook Event page.

Eating Out

by Lisa Hammond

I can make it at home, my mother says. Biscuits,

yes, mac and cheese. She shells butterbeans,

and there is joy in that—but also in the restaurant,

linen covered table or not, the dishes you don't wash,

the first time you taste chimichurri or grilled Mahi-Mahi,

fried green tomatoes with homemade Boursin cheese.

Good red wine and small plates, prosciutto and arugula pizza—

even just tossing peanut shells on a bar floor—doors wide

open, aproned wait staff smiling, welcome in, welcome in.

A Look in the Mirror: Black Nerd Mafia Talks Identity and Black Opportunity in the Columbia Music Scene

Black Nerd Mafia was born out of frustration– frustration with stereotypes and people’s ignorance about Black people. Choosing to not be named or be the focus of this article, the creator and founder desired to showcase the diversity within the Black community and provide a place for those who don’t fit in society’s boxes– a safe and inviting space for independent Black artists and fans. Originally started as a Facebook group in 2014 for Black people tired of being typecast, Black Nerd Mafia has grown into so much more.

JASPER: Best dad joke you've heard? 

BNM: A dyslexic man walks into a bra. 

JASPER: So, the Facebook group was the original manifestation of it, but how did Black Nerd Mafia come to be what it is today? 

BNM: I always pushed entrepreneurship on my sons and then one day in 2021 I’m talking to my son and I’m pressing upon him to be an entrepreneur and he very frankly just asked me, “Well, you always tell us to own our own business, why don't you own your own?” He said it just like that, and I said, son, you're right. The next day we went and did the LLC paperwork and that's how Black Nerd Mafia came to be. 

JASPER: You do lots of things today: you have merch, you organize shows, poetry readings, and trivia just to name a few. Where did you start?  

BNM: The first year it was completely different than what it looks like now. We were doing website building for people, we were doing interviews, we were doing photography, videography – doing just a lot of things that I knew how to do and pretty much anything that I knew how to do to try to make it a business.  

It really didn't start becoming what you see it as now until about a year ago. In 2021 we had our first shows in November after I met Greg at Curiosity… I went to Greg with the idea that I wanted to host shows for independent local artists. He loved the idea, and he pretty much just gave me like carte blanche to do whatever I wanted to do. 

JASPER: Tell us a little more about the logo you sent in place of a photo.  

BNM: The little person isn't like a little mascot… it isn't just something that looks cool—it's all intentional. The very first thing you see he's holding like a big water gun. The water gun is a Super Soaker and Super Soaker was invented by a Black person, a Black scientist; his name is Lonnie Johnson. A lot of times people associate Black people with violence and guns and everything. I wanted to take a spin on that and have a gun but a gun that was created to be this amazing child’s toy that was created by a Black person, so that's where the little gun thing comes in. He also has a mirror face… basically that says there's no face to Black Nerd Mafia. He has a mask on so you can't see his face, but also, it’s a reflective mask so if you did look at the character, all you would see is yourself in the reflection. This is to say that Black Nerd Mafia is all of us.

JASPER: Tell us about some of the shows and events you have put on. Any that were particularly special to you?  

BNM: It's going to be hard to say, and this is gonna sound like cliché, but all the shows that we've had are dope. I will say that that's the one thing that I do well. I can curate shows well, and I know how to match artists together well, so I quite frankly think that all of our shows have been really dope– really talented people.  

I don't want to like single any of the guys out either, but I would say our first show. It was Eezy Olah and Tam The Viibe. MidiMarc and Airborne Audio did beat sets. It was our first show, so it was really dope and that's always gonna be special to me.

JASPER: What do you look for when putting together a lineup for a show, what is your process?  

BNM: I don't pick artists because they have a name. I don't pick artists because they have a lot of followers. I pick artists because I watch, I listen to their music, and I watch their Instagram profiles, and I see their energy, you know, and I go off that. I look for just dopeness first, like I'll come first and foremost… That’s the first thing I look for– the talent. Once I find that and it's easier than you would think, there's a lot of very talented people here in Columbia and the surrounding areas.  

I also listen to the subject matter of the music. I don't want to censor people, but I also just don't 

want to promote music that has just arbitrary violence, just random doesn't make any sense violence. If you can make it artistic, if you can make it great art about your life and why it’s so hard and why you had to do these things, I’ll listen to it and I'll put you on stage.

JASPER: What are you looking forward to? What does success look like for Black Nerd Mafia? 

BNM: I'm looking forward to people becoming more aware of the artists that perform at our shows… and Black artist getting to perform comfortably at any venue in Columbia just like anybody else. I want to be a non-biased, platform where the only thing that matters is if you're dope, no politics, nothing. 

JASPER: What advice do you have for other artists? 

BNM: Make the music that you love, make the music that you like. Don't try to copy what's cool on the radio. Don't try to sound like Drake. Don't try to sound like anybody else. Make the music that you like and talk about the things that are in your life. You don't have to live some kind of fake lifestyle in your music. Write the music that you know and write about the things that you are passionate about. Just don't give up. I come from a different generation, and it was like if you turned 30 and you were still rapping at 30 years old, you were a loser. I let that type of thing stop me from making music and I want to say if you really really love it and it's really really in you, you gotta dedicate yourself to it and not listen to anybody else. 

The biggest thing I tell all the artists—you need to have some type of merch. Get T-shirts, get stickers and get something that you can sell to finance the things that you're going to need as a musician. You can pay for your studio time, for photo shoots, for anything else you need to pay for by selling merch, and that's something that you can make yourself for very cheap.

Ultimately, it's not the artist fault, it's the venues and the publications. They just keep regurgitating the same people because they don't want to do the work to go find the real dope artists around here, and that is what I do. So hopefully if people come out on November 4th, they can see that.

JASPER: What are your thoughts on Columbia's Art Scene?  

BNM: I just gotta be honest about this. I wasn't going to do this, but I gotta be honest– not a fan of Columbia's scene. The music scene here, the art scene, it can be very discouraging and anti-Black.

That’s kind of why I like doing what I do, and that's why I'm doing what I do. I've lived in Columbia ever since I was a kid, and It's always been the same thing. A lot of these venues, downtown Vista, Five Points—quite frankly—don't want Black people in their venues. They don't want Black people in their establishments, so they make rules and do their best to try to keep Black people out of these spaces. If you talk to a lot of Black artists around here, they're like it's very hard to get to play downtown or all these other places, because essentially the owners don't want a house full of Black people, and that's really sad.  

I'm sure some people say “no, that's not true, because I saw this and that person.” There are a few that they let through, and it seems to me—not just me; I talk to a lot of other Black artists—that they only pick Black artists that have a primarily white fanbase… Another reason I know venues treat people bad is because after shows, Black people come to me all the time like, “Man, I love Curiosity, I love it here. Everybody was so respectful to us and was so nice to us. Everybody treated us like people.” That very simple thing—“they treated us like people.” That’s why I’ll always love, Greg and Sandra. 'Cause you can tell that it's a culture that they bring top down, that everybody that works there is always nothing but nice, nothing but respectful to any and everybody. No matter if you're gay, Black, white, male, or female like, everybody is treated fair and equally there. ­ 

[Black Nerd Mafia] are creating an environment to where Black indie artists, get to perform “downtown,” and I think that we've been successful at proving their fears wrong– that Black people are going to be there and there is going to be some kind of violence and fighting or something stupid. We've been doing shows for a year…with zero violence, zero fights, zero calling the cops, zero tempers flared. There's not been one person to even get angry at one of our shows. No pushing, no yelling, no throwing a drink or whatever, nothing negative whatsoever has happened at any of these shows, and the majority are black, and the crowds are all majority black, and so I think that if people can see what we do at Curiosity and what Black Nerd Mafia does maybe it'll let these other venue owners know that, hey, we should be more tolerant and we should be more open to black artists.  

Ultimately, it's not the artist fault, it's the venues and the publications. They just keep regurgitating the same people because they don't want to do the work to go find the real dope artists around here, and that is what I do. So hopefully if people come out on November 4th, they can see that. Right here in Columbia, there's dozens of super talented amazing artists that make positive music that's not about killing people or selling drugs or things like that. You can come to our shows and feel safe. You can bring your wife and you can bring your kids. They are people that bring their whole families to our shows, and I take pride in it. 

JASPER: Tell us about the anniversary party. What can we expect?  

BNM: If you've ever seen Dave Chappelle's Block Party, it will be a block party, like a big jam session where we have a bunch of artists that are really good performers lined up and on deck, ready to go. A freestyle type of vibe, but controlled… I like things that just feel organic. They don't just feel like this person is gonna perform and then this person. Let’s do something different here, use some creativity and give the crowd something they haven't seen before.  

I don't wanna talk about some of the artists because I'm just gonna like leave people out, but Midi Marc is a producer from Columbia and he's just amazing and he really is the key to all of this. I've known Midi for a long, over 10 years. The majority of people that you see on this list make all of their own music at home and in a home studio with very cheap equipment, but they’ve mastered it, and they know how to make the music sound good. I feel confident saying that you could pick anybody off this list, and they're dope in their own right. They're all very different, but they're all dope, and that's really all that matters. 

Come to Black Nerd Mafia’s one year anniversary show at Curiosity Coffee Bar Friday November 4th from 5-10pm featuring everyone that has performed for them this past year. Attend the show for free by donating one item from the Oliver Gospel Mission list of winter needs.

A message from Cindi

Look at these amazing Jasper supporters! Every year for Mardi Gras the Krewe de Jasper Arts gathers to celebrate the arts. Like most of our Jasper projects, it costs very little — mostly just time and energy — but it delivers an incredible sense of purpose, community, and joy. Please plan to march with us in 2023.

Hi Friends!

I’m coming to you once again to ask for your help in bringing to fruition a project that I’ve devoted almost twelve years to–the publication of Jasper Magazine.

As you probably know, Jasper is a grass roots non-profit with no paid employees—including me! Every penny that comes into the Jasper Project goes back out to artists either in the form of promotion, sharing their work via events, or actually as remittance for their work. Other than insurance and a few cyber fees, we have no overhead that would suck up any money you might give. No office, no desks, no benefits.

But we do have an amazing working board of directors and helpers and a volunteer staff, made up of your friends and colleagues, all of whom have invested their energy and talent into the Jasper mission.

Mission Statement

The Jasper Project is a project-oriented, multidisciplinary arts facilitator serving the greater Columbia and South Carolina communities by providing collaborative arts engineering and community-wide arts communication.

~~~

The Jasper Project Priorities

The Jasper Project is committed to four integrated priorities:

• Process – illuminating the unique processes endemic to all art forms in order to provide a greater level of understanding and respect for that discipline.

• Community/Collaboration – nurturing community both within and between arts disciplines.

• Narrative – creating a more positive and progressive understanding of SC culture.

• Economy – being efficient stewards of arts funding committed to creating more with less.

But to be honest, because we’re small and facing greater and greater costs of publishing Jasper, we’re finding it harder and harder to keep Jasper free. Call us naïve, but we really hope we can continue to put Jasper into the hands of everyone, no matter what their ability to pay, for as long as we can.

So, I’m coming to you once again, our readers, supporters, colleagues, and friends, to ask for your help in continuing the work of the Jasper Project and publishing Jasper Magazine. The fall 2022 magazine is written and ready to go to the printer. We have stories about the Midlands beloved Jazz scene, artists Jim Arendt, Wilma King, Elizabeth Catlett, Jamie Blackburn, stories about three local films—two of which made it to the Tribeca film festival this year, poetry, book reviews, album reviews, and so much more!

Publishing this issue of Jasper will cost well over $10K. Please donate whatever you can at our website , on Facebook, or by joining the Jasper Guild.

I can’t thank you enough for your generous support over the past 11+ years. It’s because of donors and helpers and good-hearted people who believe in arts at the grass-roots level that the Jasper Project has grown to be the force that it is, impacting thousands of Midlands artists and arts lovers each year with our events, publications, and more than 20 active projects.

Thank you. And remember there is always a place for you at Jasper.

Take care,

Cindi

This is me at the launch of Jasper Magazine in 2011. I’m holding the first ever Jasper featuring one of my favorite artists, David Yaghjian, on the cover. Next month, Jasper will install David’s art in one of our captured galleries at MTC’s Harbison Theatre lobby. We’ve grown a lot in the 11 years since we started, but we’re still here for the arts and the artists we value so highly. Thank you for your continued support of the Jasper Project and Jasper Magazine.

Photog Caleb Brown of Saucewithspoons Photo-Documents Jasper's 1st House Show - October 2022

Last Saturday, Jasper board member and local arts leader Bekah Rice hosted a house show at the One Columbia co-op as a fundraiser for the upcoming issue of Jasper Magazine. Featured bands included Death Ray Robin, Opus and the Frequencies, and Joseph Hunter Duncan, all of whom blew the crowd away. And by the way, let’s send out one more happy birthday to Joseph Hunter Duncan and thank him for spending his special day on our stage.

Featured artists included Gina Langston Brewer, David Dohan, Adam Corbett, Emily Moffitt, and Olivia Pope, who showed their work pop-up style inside the house at 1013 Duke Avenue, the old Indie Grits homeplace. This is the same place where Al Black hosts his monthly Front Porch Swing Sunday afternoon concert series as well as his once-a-month Jasper’s Tuesday night Poetry Salon.

By the way, Gina Langston Brewer is Jasper’s featured artist-in-residence at the Jasper First Thursday Gallery at Sound Bites in November — and David will be in residence in January 2023.

The bands were sponsored by board members Libby Campbell and Paul Leo with Eric Tucker, the wine and popcorn by Coal Powered Filmworks, and the beer by Muddy Ford Press. We also had a boat load of new helpers, most of whom were friends and family of Bekah. We can’t thank all of these sponsors and volunteers enough. You all rock!

But we were also lucky enough to be visited by local photographer Caleb Brown of Saucewithspoons who grabbed some pretty fabulous shots of the night. Caleb shared some of these shots with us; now we happily share them with you.

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.

The Sound of Silence: Mummenschanz at the Koger Center

Mummenschanz is something you need to see to believe.

 You might not recognize them by name, but if someone mentions to you, “that one skit from Sesame Street with the green clam thing” or “the group that was on the last episode of the first season of the Muppet Show” then you will remember who they are.

A silent theatre and performing arts troupe from Switzerland, Mummenschanz was created in 1972. Now, 50 years after its conception, the troupe is taking a celebration tour across the United States and Europe to perform a brand-new production, aptly titled “50 Years.” The group has been to Columbia before, so the Koger Center is ecstatic to host a homecoming of sorts for such a beloved group. “Mummenschanz came to Columbia in 1991 and 1993, and we’re really excited to bring them back,” Koger Center director Nate Terracio said. “It’s a sort of homecoming for us that we’re looking forward to, and it’s great that they’re coming back for such a landmark achievement.” The company is led by the remaining founder, Floriana Frassetto, amongst other Swiss talents. “50 Years” will start touring in New Jersey during mid-October and will conclude next June abroad in Germany. The New York Times has described the troupe as “witty madness...dazzling and delightful,” and it does not take too long to find out you agree with them.

Mummenschanz has cemented itself as one of the most avant-garde performing arts groups in history. Their unique stage direction and costumes bewilder audiences of all ages, often prompting the younger members to verbally respond to the performers, indicating all sorts of engagement and excitement. The silence of the performers beckons audience response as well, allowing the audience to fill in the gaps with their own sense of dialogue or story. The lack of dialogue does not mean that the performance lacks heart; it multiplies as the performance continues. The audience grows to feel attached to the Clay Faces, the Green Clam, and everything else in between. Mummenschanz gives a voice to the creative minds that may prefer to speak in silence.

Mummenschanz’s performance at the Koger Center for the Arts is on Friday, November 4, at 7:30 PM. Tickets are available for purchase in person at the Koger Center box office or online

Drink Small at the Koger Center

Wednesday, October 26th at 7:30 pm

Koger Center for the Arts

Drink Small is famous for many things, not the least of which is his modeling career. Right in the heart of Five Points sits Drink Small in the “V” of the iconic Five Points mural.

A native of Bishopville, SC, Small has been playing the guitar since his childhood. He has made a huge name for himself through his stage presence, his vocal tonality, and the ease with which he masters different musical styles. Now approaching his 90th birthday, even after losing his eyesight, Small continues to perform for audiences with aplomb. Small is known for his signature “Drink-isms,” a mixture of aphorism, stage banter, and charm that you cannot find with anyone else.

On October 26 at 7:30 PM, come to the Koger Center for the first of a brand-new concert series: “Koger Center Presents: Onstage With...” which Drink Small will introduce.

The concert is a result of the continued partnership between the Koger Center and the ColaJazz Foundation. South Carolina ETV and Public Radio are also partnering with these groups to record and videotape the entirety of the performance. The concert will include performances from other blues performers like the Randy Newton Trio and Brittany Turnipseed while also featuring the SC State University Choir. The audience will continue to stay on stage for each of these performances so they get an even more intimate concert experience than they may be used to.

“We’re really excited to bring such a legend to the Koger Center,” says Nate Terracio, Director of the Koger Center. “This new concert series is something we have been looking forward to putting on for a while and starting it off with such a musical powerhouse is really encouraging.”

The Koger Center has been dedicating itself to continuing and improving the diversity of its performance catalog. The directorial staff of Koger knows just how diverse the Midlands are (and the rest of South Carolina altogether) and aims to consistently accommodate the interests of everyone involved with the arts or music. The University of South Carolina has been making headway with their own Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion expectations, and Koger hopes to not only fulfill those expectations but exceed them. Supporting the arts of all audiences is integral for the growth of the art industry, and the Koger Center hopes that the celebration of such an important artist as Drink Small will bring in support for both the Columbia jazz scene and Mr. Small himself.

Jasper Partners with Curiosity Coffee and Gardener's Outpost on Pumpkin Carving Contest with Some of the City's Finest Artists

The Jasper Project is excited to host some of the city’s spookiest artists in a pumpkin carving contest and you’re invited to vote on the Greatest Pumpkin People’s Choice Award!

Join us on Friday October 28th from 4 - 8 pm at Curiosity Coffee as more than a dozen local artists bring their scariest, funniest, and most innovative pumpkin creations to Curiosity Coffee to be admired and assessed by a panel of judges and YOU!

Our Artists include:  

 Bohumila Augustinova

Abstract Alexandra

Kimber Carpenter

Lauren Chapman Casassa

Tennyson Corley

Thomas Crouch

Billy Guess

Jennifer Hill

Michael Krajewski

Michael McGuirt

Lucas Sams

Olga Yukhno

Thomas Washington

Cait Maloney     

A panel of judges will select the Scariest, Silliest, and Most Innovative Pumpkins of the night and award them blue ribbons.

But You will determine the grand prize winner by purchasing special Jasper Candy Votes and and placing your votes in the trick-or-treat bag assigned to your favorite pumpkin. Candy votes will be $1 each and sold in $5 bags. At the end of the night, votes will be tallied, prizes will be awarded, and we’ll all divvy up the candy or donate it to sugar-crazy children. All proceeds will go toward publication costs for Jasper Magazine.

Curiosity Coffee has lots more fun planned, too, including Mary’s Arepas, Spooky Vibes by DJ Liv, and you can pick up your “Nightmare in Elmwood 5K Road Race” packet from 4 - 6:30pm.

We can’t wait to see what some of our favorite artists create and share the fun with all of you!

Jasper Welcomes Marius Valdes to October's First Thursday at Sound Bites

We’re delighted to welcome one of Columbia’s most soul-lifting artists, Marius Valdes, to the walls of Sound Bites Eatery for First Thursday, October 6th, starting at 6 pm—no matter what Facebook says!

Happy-hearted Valdes has a reputation for finding and appealing to the child in everyone, and we’ve been excitedly awaiting the day when we could finally hang his art on the walls of one of the happiest places in town to feed your body and spirit, Sound Bites Eatery.

Marius Valdes is an artist currently based in Columbia, South Carolina. He is an Associate Professor in studio art concentrating on design and illustration at The University of South Carolina. He lives in Forest Acres, South Carolina with his wife Beth, daughter Emma, and very lazy but adorable dog, Mary.

Valdes received his BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Georgia and his MFA in Visual Communication from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2005.

Valdes has been recognized by design publications such as HOW, Print, Communication Arts, Creative Quarterly, STEP, and industry competitions including American Illustration, AIGA InShow, AIGA SEED Awards, and The South Carolina Advertising Federation Addy Awards.

Valdes' work has been featured in several books about contemporary graphic design and illustration. He has participated in solo and group exhibitions internationally. Valdes has presented at academic conferences about design and illustration related topics.

In 2017, Valdes completed a one-year residency as the first visual Artist in Residence at the award-winning and innovative Richland Library. Currently, Valdes putting the final touches on a mural installation at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. 

Sound Bites Eatery is the perfect place to begin or end your First Thursday Festivities with food and drink and happily-ever -after art by Marius Valdes!

Gotta Catch ‘Em All – Artist Trading Cards with Jasper

There’s no better grouping than free live music, free art, and Jasper!

The Jasper Project will be hosting a tent at the Jam Room Music Festival on October 1! At our table, we will be participating in the artist trading card movement! The artist trading cards have been around since the late 1990s but has recently hit a cultural renaissance. With the return of something so great as Jam Room, we’re doing a test run of the artist trading card project at our tent!

This project is targeted towards audiences of all ages who want to make and collect both their own art and art from others around them. The trading cards are 2.5”x3.5”. After creating your piece of art, you can keep your card or trade it in with another artist’s card from our display wall of completed trading cards. Not feeling artistic? Are you short on time? Do you still want to take home some art? In an exchange for a donation to the Jasper Project, you can choose a trading card from the display to keep; several artists from around Columbia will have made trading cards prior to the festival for us to include in the display and make available for trading.

For the Jam Room table, we will provide alcohol markers and potentially pastels for visitors to use on their trading cards. In the future, we aim to feature different media for everyone to use and keep making art with. This is a project we also intend to bring to other events like happy hours or other low-key happenings.

Jasper Project board members and volunteers will be present throughout the day to talk with interested audiences about our upcoming projects and to answer any lingering questions you may have. Stop by, make some art, grab a Jasper magazine, and listen to the music!

People making cards at Artists Showing Artists (May 2023)

Cards made at the Jam Room Music Festival (October 2022)

Cards made at the Jam Room Music Festival (October 2022)

The Return of the Jam Room Music Festival - A Q & A with Trey Lofton

The Jasper Project is extremely excited for the return of Columbia’s premier free music festival, Jam Room Music Festival on Saturday, October 1st. The Jam Room Music Festival has been a tremendous hit with the city for almost a decade, and this year’s will be the first festival hosted since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We talked to Trey Lofton about the behind-the-scenes action of Jam Room, expectations for the year, and a little bit in between.

Jasper: How did you go about choosing which bands would participate?

Lofton: This is my first year being involved with the Jam Room Music Festival. I thought it was important to have input from the whole board. I reviewed all the previous lineups and generated a list of roughly 75 bands that I thought would fit the template that had been established. I met with several members of the board to go over that list to see if my ideas matched their expectations. They seemed highly enthusiastic about the names I had produced, so I began the process of contacting artists and agents. There is only so much money to go around so you must reach out to bands at different price levels. 

Bailey Road Band

We were fortunate to have several of the first bands we reached out to express interest. Once a few of the pieces were in place the next challenge was to make sure that we were being diverse in our lineup. That narrows down the next wave of inquiries. We also thought in terms of local, regional, and national acts. I think we did particularly well in this regard. We have two acts from here in Columbia (Bailey Road Band, Dear Blanca). We have two local / regional acts in The Explorers Club and The Shaniqua Brown. Both bands originated in Charleston and have played Columbia many times. The Shaniqua Brown is performing after a 10-year hiatus. I saw they were doing a reunion show in Charleston and thought they would be a great addition. The Explorers Club also originated in Charleston but have relocated to Nashville and are primarily a studio project of lead singer Jason Brewer these days.

Titan to Tachyons

Then we have a half dozen national acts. Mourning [A] BLKStar are a collective from Cleveland. I first heard them after their last album was named one of the best of 2020 by The Wire magazine. Shiner is from Kansas City, Missouri. They had some big albums in the college radio world in 90s. They had been on hiatus but put out a new album and planned to tour in 2020. Titan To Tachyons are from NYC. To people familiar with the Avant Garde jazz scene in NYC, the band is something of a super group: most notable is bassist Trevor Dunn who is a member of Mr. Bungle amongst many other groups. But the other members play in dozens of projects that involve luminaries like John Zorn and John Medeski. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Titus Andronicus are two big names to emerge from the indie, punk, college radio scenes of the 2000s. The Sun Ra Arkestra are part of a legacy spanning near 70 years. 

Jasper: How did COVID impact the organizational aspects of the festival? Did you decide to do anything differently or did COVID open any unexpected creative avenues for everyone to explore?

Lofton: I’m new to the board so it is hard for me to compare; I know that there are a few new members. Whenever that happens on a small board like our you lose some institutional memory. Covid has certainly had a major effect on the concert industry in general. Supply is high but demand is through the roof. Most bands and venues were shuttered for two years. While there are a lot of bands looking for an opportunity to perform there are way more venues trying to get back to putting on shows. A lot of bands are booking further out than I have previously dealt with, and I think prices are higher than they have been, along with touring costs. But now that we have a lineup in place, I don’t think we have any current COVID related obstacles to overcome.

Jasper: What would you like newcomers to Jam Room to know about the festival? Anything they should know about or do to prepare for the day?

Lofton: We would like people to know that the Jam Room Music Festival is a free community event that is meant for everyone. We are primarily funded by the generous support of the City of Columbia and Richland County through their h-tax programs. A music scene is an essential part of any community. The Jam Room Music Festival is an opportunity to celebrate that scene but also appreciate varied styles and artists from around the country. This year we feature rock, pop, soul, and jazz with variations of each. Wear comfortable shoes, pack sunscreen, and stay hydrated!

Stay tuned for more about Jam Room through Jasper!

Koger Center Brings Squonk to the New Outside Stage

If you’ve never heard of Squonk, then you’re in for an absolute treat! 

On September 25th and 26th , the Koger Center for the Arts will officially open their brand-new outdoor Plaza Stage with three performances of Hand to Hand. The performances are free to the public, with two performances on Sunday at 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM, and one at 6:00 PM on Monday.  

With a booming sound that has traveled across the United States since the ‘90s, Squonk is a performing arts group based out of Pittsburgh and are known for their extravagant stage presence. 

The group has competed on America’s Got Talent, performed on both Broadway and off- Broadway, and has even opened for prestigious performing arts festivals abroad and in South Korea. Their performances have been met only with critical acclaim, and the colossal interactive elements that always appear within their shows ensure that audiences never forget the first time they ever see Squonk perform. 

The iconic giant purple hands that Squonk brings, along with the rest of the performers in the troupe, are what make this show so distinguishable. The hands constantly move with the musicians on stage and can be manipulated by audience members invited up to the stage.  

Squonk’s performances are a part of a new Koger Presents series that focuses on the incorporation of the Plaza Stage into the already numerous performance spaces the organization has to offer. Audience members will be able to enjoy the stage performance while relaxing on the lawn surrounding the stage, located right in front of the lobby doors and near the University of South Carolina’s School of Music building.  

For those who want a more personalized experience with the members of Squonk, the troupe will offer a free hands-on session from 12-2 PM on September 26 near Russell House at the heart of UofSC’s campus. This will allow students and other attendees to interact with the props and performers before their last performance of the weekend. 

More information about the show can be found at KogerCenterForTheArts.com.

Jasper Talks with femme x About Story Slam -- in the Flesh -- September 14th

Looking for something in Columbia to itch that performing arts scratch, but with more of an edge and authenticity to it? femme x, a notable social gathering and coworking space in Columbia will be bringing back in person Story Slams, with the support and collaboration of the #whatshesaidproject. We talked to Nell Fuller, co-founder and managing partner of femme x, about the story slam and what audiences can expect from attending one of these recurring nights. 

Jasper: Have you partnered with the #whatshesaidproject before?

Fuller: Although we hadn’t partnered before, I have long admired the #whatshesaidproject and remember Shannon Ivey (founder of the #whatshesaidproject) winning a giveaway when we first opened. When Shannon and her business partner, Katie Zenger, pitched their Inspired Speaking Curriculum, it was a natural fit for our growing community of women, many growing their own companies and refining their storytelling skill sets. We saw an exciting need for a storytelling platform, particularly in a space that centers women. This story slam is a mix of seasoned and new storytellers, some of whom are in our Fall Inspired Speaking cohort. I am over the moon to collaborate with Ivey!

Jasper: What should audience members expect from the Story Slam? Does everyone in the audience have to participate, or can you attend to listen and offer love/support?

Fuller: Audience members can expect around 10 local storytellers to tell a 5–8-minute personal story connecting to the theme “In the Flesh.” Unless there’s rain, we will have it outside in the courtyard and all are welcome to attend and enjoy the community. The bar at femme will be open for drinks and snacks. 

Jasper: How does the Story Slam align with the aims and goals of femme x?

Fuller: Story Slams (and Shannon Ivey’s work in personal storytelling) aim to give women the opportunity and experience of crafting a personal story and then sharing it with a warm audience. These opportunities are rare, and femme x is a community that is aware of this and how it negatively impacts women and their quality of life. 

Jasper: Do you plan to have reoccurring Story Slams, or other live events with #whatshesaidproject?

Fuller: Yes! We will continue Story Slams on the second Wednesday of each month. The bar will open at 6 PM and the stories will start at 7 PM.

Jasper: Are there any other collectives like femme x in Columbia?

Fuller: Columbia has so much to offer, including a growing network of cowork spaces for entrepreneurs and creatives! NoMa Warehouse and SOCO both offer incredibly innovative, community-centered spaces. It’s been so energizing to come out of COVID and see the entrepreneurial community growing and thriving as we make space for one another to contribute to the larger ecosystem.

Fuller described femme x as a “social club and cowork space dedicated to changing the traditional systems of capital distribution.” The collective aims to nurture and create a safe, accessible, and empowering space for entrepreneurial women through “social events, peer engagement and programming tailored to their unique needs.” If you are interested in checking out their membership options, visit their website. 

The Story Slam is $5 for femme members and $15 for non members. You can register for the event online.

Small Artists, Big Creativity: Lillian Hauck and NoMa Flea Jr.

“Don't throw the canvas away; change with the mistakes and make it something new”

For those who haven’t already heard, NoMa Flea is going to be a bit different this Friday— all the vendors at this weekly funky and fun evening artisan market will be under 18! Noma Flea Jr. is September 9th, and Jasper got to sit down with one of the featured artists, Lillian Hauck (11), and her mother, Marnnie Hauck, about Lillian’s art, entrepreneurial spirit, and what inspires her. 

Lillian started painting regularly at 8 years old, but it was last year when her identity as an artist really began to blossom. “Lillian’s first public debut was March 2021 and she made content for weeks beforehand, was involved in every detail that day, and has had the bug ever since,” Marnnie says, “This event at NoMa Warehouse will be her 4th.”

Beyond the fun and pizazz of making art for events, Lillian’s mother says that the process calms her, and painting colorful pieces brings her joy: “I like making things I see as colorful as possible,” Lillian shares.

Mother and daughter say that the girl’s paternal grandfathers, all the artists who come to Noma, to the Soda City Market, and their neighbors are Lillian’s greatest inspiration, with a particular emphasis on their community.

“I would honestly say one of the biggest influences for Lillian is the neighborhood that we live in. We moved here in 2017. The overall sense of community that is created here I think, combined with how the kids are intentionally being raised, has been a game changer. Kitty corner to where we live is Flavia Lovatelli, a sustainable materials artist, and she is like our adopted fairy godmother. For years now she would make little trinkets for them, and in turn the kids would make art for her,” Marnnie details, “and then the Art Crawl started here in our neighborhood in 2019. Lily was so blown away. It made a huge impression on her. Then NOMA Warehouse opened in 2021, and even more community and art came into her life.”

As her mother, Marnnie is dedicated to supporting Lillian in her endeavors, emphasizing the hard work her daughter puts into her art: “This, in every way, is all Lillian, a quiet human, though not a wallflower, who doesn't generally like to draw attention to herself, putting herself out there for the world!!!”

Even when Lillian isn’t painting, her activities and hobbies are still rooted in creativity and making. Marnnie shares that, “Outside of painting Lily is at all times crafting fashion wear for everyone, and thing, in the house; her room always looks like confetti fabric land and no one can EVER find scissors.” 

When reflecting on her role, Marnnie thinks about her own childhood and the future ahead. “My influence here is that I believe it is super important to teach kids that they don't have to follow a traditional path to support themselves and be happy in their adulthood,” she intimates, “My generation was rarely taught that we had options. I'm a huge fan of entrepreneurs and self-sourcing in general and the kids getting exposure to that in all forms is invaluable to me.”  

And what advice could a young, creative entrepreneur give to young and old artists alike?

“Don't throw the canvas away; change with the mistakes and make it something new,” Lillian effuses, “And don't worry about what other people might want—paint what you want!”  

You can see more of, and purchase, Lillian’s work at NoMa Flea Jr. this Friday, September 9th at 6pm.

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!

Christian Thee, a Columbia Arts Community Legend, Needs Our Help

Sometimes a community has to rise to the needs of its members and, for us, that time is now.

Trompe l’oeil artist Christian Thee needs his community’s help to stay in the home he so lovingly created for himself and his late partner, Bruce. Through a series of events involving a reverse mortgage and more, Chris’s claim to his own home has been severely compromised. His dearest friends find themselves in a situation they had hoped to avoid — reaching out to the community to ask for financial help.

This morning, I spoke to Joey Vazquez, one of Chris’s closest friends and the host of the GoFundMe campaign we’re asking you to support, to get the full story. Joey shared this information with me and agreed that full transparency about the situation is best. This is what Joey wrote,

“Earlier this year Chris was served papers that the bank who now owns his mortgage would be foreclosing on him, and that he would ultimately be evicted. In that time we have been working on solutions to stay the order, trying to find government assistance programing for seniors in their homes, living facilities, etc.

When Christian's partner Bruce passed in 2014 Christian was left with the burden of their expenses, and to now have to be the "bread-winner". Christian had at that point "retired" as Bruce was the financial means for the couple employed as a realtor. Chris faced uncertainty. So, with bills mounting he signed up for a reverse mortgage. Which, later on we find out is a predatory practice focused on seniors in this type of position. The upfront "benefit" is that they can get a quick sum of money from the equity in their home, and live without a mortgage payment. The stipulation is that the "borrower" in a reverse mortgage pays the taxes and insurance yearly. Upon their death or any other transfer the house reverts back to the bank.

The $26k being asked for on the GoFundMe will satisfy the $25,457 in back taxes/insurance that will reinstate the mortgage that will keep Christian in the home.

A close friend of Christian's put us in contact with a lawyer who has been working on aiding us through this process. Chris's case is sitting in Common Pleas Court. Because it’s a foreclosure, it needs to be moved to the Master-In-Equity. There is a Roster Meeting on Monday, September 12 to set cases for trial that week on the Common Pleas docket. Our lawyer and opposing counsel will likely agree to refer the case to Judge Strickland, the Master-In-Equity. Once it arrives in the Master’s office we will wait again to be put on the roster for the final hearing.”

Joey also reminded me that since Christina and Bruce were not married, Christian did not receive any survivor compensation after his death.

Jasper will continue to stay in touch with Chris’s amazing friends and keep readers up-to-date.

But now it’s time for all of us to do our part to get Chris to that $26K mark to improve his chances of staying in his incredible home. If you can’t afford to donate, then thank you for sharing this message and the link to Chris’s GoFundMe Campaign.

Do this for Chris. Do it for Bruce, who so generously gave of himself especially to the Nickelodeon. And Do it for our community.

COLUMBIA REPERTORY DANCE COMPANY PRESENTS “NEXT” FOR THREE EVENINGS AT CMFA ARTSPACE

The Columbia Repertory Dance Company will present a full evening of dance for three nights at the CMFA Artspace, September 9 -11, 2022.

NEXT

centers on the idea of progress, and features a number of pieces that reflect the nature of life and moving forward in today's climate.

The Columbia Repertory Dance Company will perform NEXT on Friday, September 9th, 2022 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, September 10th 2022, at 7:30 PM and Sunday, September 11th, 2022 at 2PM at CMFA Artspace (914 Pulaski St, Columbia, SC 29201). Admission is $30 for this event, and more info and tickets can be found at www.coladance.com or https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5534979

With NEXT, Columbia Repertory Dance Company presents their third annual summer concert and first as a nonprofit organization. Featuring South Carolina choreographers Angela Gallo, Erin Bailey, Dale Lam, Ashlee Taylor and Artistic Director Stephanie Wilkins, the organization will mount an evening of high caliber entertainment that changes common perceptions of dance in Columbia, and follows their mission

statement in helping to both employ SC dance artists and ultimately aid in their retention in the state. The company will showcase a variety of work that represents snapshots of the emotional and physical world and offers something relatable but elevated as the world learns how to exist post-COVID. By collaborating with local artists and organizations and blending the highly physical with the highly emotional, Columbia

Repertory Dance Company aims to create an experience that draws people in and encourages them to make dance a regular part of their arts consumption.

In 2018 co-founders Bonnie Boiter-Jolley and Stephanie Wilkins founded the Columbia Summer Repertory Dance Company with a desire to offer dancers more options in a city focused heavily on ballet. They started with the financial sponsorship of the Jasper Project, a plan focused on summer performances (Columbia’s dance offseason) and a sold out debut performance in 2019 which was followed by a sold out concert in 2021.

The company has extended their season length and become a 501c3 non-profit organization. The group’s popularity among Columbia natives comes from their commitment to exploring refreshing narratives and styles of dance in their work.

The Columbia Repertory Dance Company will perform NEXT on Friday, September 9th, 2022 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, September 10th 2022, at 7:30 PM and Sunday, September 11th, 2022 at 2PM at CMFA Artspace (914 Pulaski St, Columbia, SC 29201). Admission is $30 for this event, and more info and tickets can be found at www.coladance.com or https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5534979

~ * ~

The Columbia Repertory Dance Company’s mission is to broaden the experience of professional dance artists and patrons in Columbia, SC through multidisciplinary collaborative performances year-round. We aim to retain the talents of South Carolina dance artists and provide a spectrum of professional opportunities while inspiring and developing a broader and deeper understanding of dance in Columbia and surrounding areas.

BUY TICKETS HERE!

Sewn Through Time at McKissick Museum Celebrates SC Basketmaking Since the 17th Century

Opening Reception with

Guest Curator Kennedy Bennett

Thursday, August 25, 2022, 5:30-7pm

McKissick Museum, 2nd Floor Diverse Voices Gallery

August 11 to December 10, 2022

Basketmakers have sewn baskets in the South Carolina Lowcountry since the 17th century. The tradition has been preserved at the hands of the Gullah-Geechee people, descendants of enslaved West Africans trafficked to North America. For over 300 years, basketmakers have transformed baskets from a plantation tool into an art form. Today, basketmakers continue to leverage heritage tourism to make a living, to advocate for the preservation of the ecosystem vital to the tradition, and to experiment with scale, form, and materials. This exhibition traces the evolution of sweetgrass baskets in South Carolina, highlighting the innovative work of contemporary makers.

McKissick Museum - Hours of Operation

Monday through Friday - 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday - 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

JAM ROOM MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP FOR OCTOBER 1ST

Jam Room Music Festival returns to Main Street to bring free live music to the streets of Columbia

——— OCTOBER 1 ———

The Jam Room Music Festival returns to Columbia, SC’s Main Street for the first time since 2019. This year’s festival is headlined by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Titus Andronicus, both of whom are celebrating new music releases. The festival will take place on October 1 and feature two stages, one on Main Street and one on Hampton Street in front of the Columbia Museum of Art. 

“It’s great to have the Jam Room Fest back and bringing live indie music to the heart of South Carolina,” says festival Executive Director and owner of the Jam Room Recording Studio Jay Matheson. “After two years off due to the pandemic, we’ve been looking forward to bringing the festival back, and we couldn’t be more excited about this year’s lineup. It’s hard to believe we’ve been doing the festival for nearly a decade, and we’re still looking forward to growing it for years to come.” 

Jay Matheson photo credit Ken Lucas

Now in its 9th year, the Jam Room Music Festival has brought acts such as Superchunk, Blonde Redhead, Justin Townes Earle, Son Volt, Waxahatchee, and Guided by Voices to its stages. 

In addition to venerable headliners CYHSY and Titus Andronicus, the festival will also host Titan to Tachyons, Shiner, Mourning [A] BLKstar, Bailey Road Band, The Explorer’s Club, and Columbia’s own local music champions Dear Blanca. In all, the festival will book up to 12 acts, with several more to be announced. 

ART AT HOME: McKissick Museum Offers Digital Exhibit - Piece by Piece, Quilts from the Permanent Collection

“Some women don’t care how their quilts look. They piece the squares together any sort of way, but she couldn’t stand careless sewing. She wanted her quilts, and Joy’s, made right. Quilts stay a long time after people are gone from this world, and witness about them for good or bad.” ―

Julia Peterkin, Pulitzer Prize winning novelist from Fort Motte, South Carolina, author of Scarlet Sister Mary

Double Irish Chain

Designed by Tabitha Meek Campbell (1822-1889) 
Spartanburg County, SC
ca. 1860
Gift of Sarah M. Norton

The desire to create is a powerful force that will fight its way out of you even when you try to suppress it or pretend it isn’t there. Lord knows that traditionally impoverished Southern women rarely found their way to store bought canvasses on which to paint. But their talent and creativity poured forth in other ways, not the least of which was the way they kept their families warm with homemade quilts fashioned from cast-off clothes and pieces of fabric put aside for a rainy day.

Homemade quilts are more than family heirlooms to store in a linen closet.

Homemade quilts are story tellers and canvasses and books with chapter after chapter to be explored in square after square of their making.

And if the heat or germs or whatever personal reason of your own is keeping you home right now, you can still enjoy an incredibly comprehensive and enlightening virtual trip to the museum right from your own computer screen by visiting McKissick Museum’s Digital Exhibition, Piece by Piece - Quilts from the Permanent Collection.

In Piece by Piece, the exhibition introduces the visitor to a variety of quilts dating as far back as the early 1800s and as recently as 2015 with a quilt crafted by Summerville’s Peggie Hartwell, recipient of the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award presented by the SC Arts Commission. Ms. Hartwell is a founding member of the National Women of Color Quilters Network.

Wisdom 11 “To Thee I Give You Our Past”

Peggie Hartwell (1939-present)
Summerville, SC
2015

McKissick Museum Collection 2017.20.01

The McKissick Museum website writes, “The McKissick Museum collection includes over two hundred quilts, featuring examples of appliquéd, whole cloth, and pieced works from the Southeast. Since the 1980s, McKissick has documented and celebrated quilting traditions, produced several publications, and developed programs exploring the topic. The quilts in this exhibition illustrate the evolution of this textile tradition over the past two hundred years. From the early use of chintz fabrics to the widespread popularity of solid colors, these quilts reflect traditions with roots in Europe, Africa, and the American South.

“Quilting traditions in the Southeast were not uniform. Quilters were influenced by geographic, economic, and cultural circumstances. Many of the quilts displayed here illustrate characteristics distinctive to individual makers, while others reflect the influence of popular styles and trends. Quilts are as varied and diverse as the women and men who make them. They can evoke powerful memories and provide tangible connections to loved ones or specific events. More important, makers often use quilts to express social commentary, communicate personal narratives, or document family or community history.”

The Virtual Exhibit features distinct sections on Southern Quilts, primarily from the Carolinas and Georgia; the Makers’ Voice, which profiles known quiltmakers; the eponymous Crazy Quilt, and the University’s Quilt History Project from 1883-86. Included is a quilt created in 1986 by Hazel Ross depicting scenes from Columbia’s history to celebrate the city’s bicentennial.

Columbia Bicentennial Quilt

Designed by Hazel Rossl
Columbia, SC
1986
Gift of Logan Lap Quilters

McKissick Museum Collection 2012.08.01

For more exhibits at McKissick Museum, both virtual and physical, please visit this link and continue to enjoy the meaningful connection between art and history.

-Cindi Boiter