Artist - Adam Corbett
Join the Jasper Project on Friday, April 17th from 6 - 9 at Coal Powered Filmworks (1217 Lincoln Street, right across from Blue Marlin) for an evening of visual arts, music, and many more surprises as we celebrate Artista Vista.
Check out art by Adam Corbett outside and pop inside for music and a copy of Jasper Magazine.
Find out about everything happening in Columbia’s Historic Congaree Vista for the whole weekend by visiting Artista Vista.
On Saturday, March 21st, The Board of Governors of the SC Academy of Authors, in partnership with USC Aiken, presented the 2026 Induction Ceremony honoring the newest members of the SC Literary Hall of Fame at USCA’s Etherredge Center in Aiken.
The event included a lovely, sold-out dinner for the attendees, followed by an intimate induction ceremony at which individual members of the SCAA Board of Governors had the honor of speaking about the new members before the inductees warmly addressed the audience themselves.
The newest members of the SCAA’s SC Literary Hall of Fame are Claudia Smith Brinson, Dr. Dianne Johnson-Feelings, Augustus Jenkins Farmer, and J. Drew Lanham.
SCAA Board of Governor’s member Betsy Teter inducts J. Drew Lanham into the Academy’s SC Literary Hall of Fame
A native of Edgefield, SC, J. Drew Lanham is a poet, memoirist, naturalist, playwright, professor, and a recipient of the 2022 MacArthur Fellowship “genius” grant. He is the author of The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature (2016), Sparrow Envy: A Field Guide to Birds and Lesser Beasts (2021), and Joy is the Justice We Give Ourselves (2024). He is the Poet Laureate of Edgefield County and a Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Master Teacher at Clemson University.
SCAA Board of Governors member Tom Mack Inducts Jenks Farmer into the Academy’s SC Literary Hall of Fame
Augustus “Jenks” Farmer has created two of the largest botanical gardens in SC, building and elevating the Riverbanks Botanical Gardens in Columbia to national acclaim. He is the author of Deep-Rooted Wisdom: Skills and Stories from Generations of Gardeners (2014), Funky Little Flower Farm (2019), Crinum: Unearthing the History and Culture of the Biggest Bulbs in the World (2022), Garden Disrupters: The Rebel Misfits Who Turned Southern Horticulture on Its Head (2023), and Secrets of Southern Gardening (2025).
SCAA Board of Governors member Aida Rogers (right) inducts Dianne Johnson-Feelings into the Academy’s SC Literary Hall of Fame
Dr. Dianne Johnson-Feelings (Dinah Johnson) is a professor of English at the University of SC and has written ten books for children, all celebrating African American culture and community. She earned her undergraduate degree in English and creative writing from Princeton University and master's and doctoral degrees from Yale University, in Afro-American Studies and American Studies, respectively. Johnson's first published book was called Telling Tales: The Pedagogy and Promise of African American Literature for Youth (1990) was deemed “a much needed resource for children's literature" and was considered for several years as "the only book-length critical study of early black children's literature." She also edited The Best of The Brownies' Book, an anthology published in 1996 with texts from The Brownies Book a 1920s magazine aimed at African-American children which is considered "a major contribution to the field of children's literature."
SCAA Board of Governors member Cindi Boiter (left) inducts Claudia Smith Brinson into the Academy’s SC Literary Hall of Fame
Claudia Smith Brinson worked as a journalist for more than 30 years and was a national columnist for Knight-Ridder. Her reporting at The State newspaper won more than three dozen awards and she was the first person to win Knight-Ridder’s Award of Excellence in Journalism twice. She was a member of the newspaper team whose Hurricane Hugo coverage was a Pulitzer finalist and her short story “Einstein’s Daughter” received the O. Henry Award. She is the author of Stories of Struggle: The Clash Over Civil Rights in South Carolina (2020) and Injustice in Focus: The Civil Rights Photography of Cecil Williams (2024).
The SCAA selects new inductees whose works have been judged culturally important. Each inductee, whether living or deceased, has added to South Carolina’s literary legacy by illuminating some aspect of South Carolina culture and gaining a reputation that transcends the borders of our state. Including this year’s induction, the SCAA, founded in 1986, will have officially inducted more than 100 authors into its literary hall of fame.
The SCAA Board of Governors “believes in the extraordinary creativity of the human spirit and the value of multicultural diversity displayed in the work of all South Carolina writers. It is deeply committed to creating and sustaining practices that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion and strives to support these beliefs and holds itself accountable to these intentions.”
In addition to hosting this literary hall of fame, the SCAA also sponsors annual fellowships and student prizes in poetry and prose through support from the Penelope Coker Hall/Eliza Wilson Ingle Fund of Central Carolina Community Foundation. The SCAA is also grateful to the South Carolina Arts Commission for their sponsorship and support.
For more information about the South Carolina Academy of Authors visit the website.
New SC Literary Hall of Fame Inductees Drew Lanham and Dinah Johnson relax during a closing brunch at the home of Tom Mack and Michael Budd
(Full Disclosure: Cindi Boiter is a member of the Jasper Project’s board of directors and the author of this piece)
(Photo Credit - Tom Mack and event attendees)
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The Jasper Project is pleased to present artist Cait Maloney in our Nook Gallery at Koger Center for the Arts with an opening reception Friday March 20th from 5:30 - 7 pm.
From her engaging color pallet to her nostalgic and evocative imagery, Cait Maloney has made her mark all over Columbia, SC and beyond. The Jasper Project is thrilled to work, once again, with Maloney by featuring her in our Jasper-curated gallery space, The Nook, at the Koger Center.
Cait Maloney - photo by Cait Patel
In her Artist’s Statement Maloney writes, “I help businesses and individuals visually communicate through thoughtful, engaging and effective design.
I have had a passion for visual communication and carbohydrates as long as I can remember. Growing up in a small town in upstate New York, I was one of few with a serious interest in art and design, but I knew I could make a career of it when one of my early works were stealthily heisted from a maximum security bulletin board in high school. I went on to navigate the waters of art school and earned a BFA in illustration from Syracuse University.
I’m currently based in Columbia, South Carolina, working as senior art director for Flock and Rally while also doing specialty illustration, design and mural projects; creating new things every day and slowly sweating to death.
When I’m not brainstorming a new brand concept or inking a drawing, I’m working on art for myself, reading a magazine on the beach or seeing some live music.”
Maloney has worked nationally and internationally with clients like Abita Brewing Company, Diesel Fragrance, the YMCA, TD Bank and PGA Junior League Golf and locally with clients like the Central Midlands Council of Government, The City of Columbia, Charleston County, and the South Carolina Asphalt Pavement Association. Cait serves on the board of the Columbia Design League, an affiliate of the Columbia Museum of Art. Her mural, “Lady Vista,” was commissioned by the Congaree Vista Guild and is located on the east wall of 916 Gervais Street in downtown Columbia, S.C.
Join The Jasper Project at the Nook Gallery on the second tier of the Koger Center for the Arts for our opening reception where you can meet and chat with the artist, and view and purchase her work.
See you there!
The Jasper Project is delighted to partner with USC’s Koger Center for the Arts and all our amazing neighborhood arts groups on this lovely free concert series!
The Koger Center for the Arts has set the headliners for the first Levitt AMP Columbia Music Series, a series of free outdoor concerts sponsored in part by the LevittFoundation. The concerts will take place on the Plaza Stage on the Koger Center’s front lawn from 5 - 7 p.m., with the rain location being indoors in either the Black Box Theater or second floor lobby.
The full lineup features ten concerts split between the spring and fall seasons. All concerts are free, open to the public and will have opportunities for off stage community engagement (that’s Jasper, y’all!) for the audience. The schedule is as follows:
Each concert will feature a local Midlands based opening act! The Levitt AMP Columbia Music Series is dedicated to uplifting Columbia as a cultural hub and destination for accessible entertainment. The series is supported by a variety of community partners, including the Jasper Project, ONE Columbia, ColaJazz, South Carolina Philharmonic, University of South Carolina Student Life, Black Nerd Mafia, the South Carolina Commission for Community Advancement and Engagement, the City of Columbia, the Columbia Chamber, and the Vista Guild.
Geared to towns and cities with populations under 250,000, Levitt AMP grantees reflect the three goals of the LevittAMP Music Series program: Amplify community pride and a city’s unique character; enrich lives through the power of free, live Music; and illustrate the importance of inclusive and vibrant public Places. From rural Alaska to Appalachian Main Streets and Midwestern locales, Levitt AMP is a catalytic opportunity for towns and cities across America to realize a shared mission—building community through music to create a healthy and thriving future for all. Columbia is the only Levitt AMP location in South Carolina.
Columbia residents are encouraged to follow along with the development of the series over the next three years by visiting www.KogerCenterForTheArts.com, and following @LevittAmpColumbia and @KogerCenterForTheArts on Instagram.
Janet Kozachek - Pufferfish
Jasper is excited to officially announce the winners of the Degenerate Art Project Artist’s Awards presented Saturday, February 28th at the exhibition’s Closing Party at Stormwater Studios in Columbia.
In a night that included verboten swing dance demonstrations and lessons by Columbia’s Richard Durlach and Breedlove, the launch of Ed Madden’s new book, I Asked Him What He Needed, with a sweet little surprise chapbook titled, My Students Want to Talk About Ice: Political Poems, the reading of a banned children’s book by our favorite Drag King Marty McGuy, freshly spun tunes from Scotty Tempo, and an amazing menu by MidiMarc, the presentation of the awards was an appropriate addition to the fun.
Ivan Segura with Untitled
Congratulations to Ivan Segura for winning the Jasper Degenerate Art Project II ZEITGEIST AWARD for his painting Untitled, presented to the artist whose work best exemplified the socio-political spirit of the times while also exhibiting proficiency in execution, originality, and strong engagement with the viewer.
The Adjudicators for the Zeitgeist Award included Peter Chametzky, Harriett Greene, and Xavier Blake.
Cam Moore with Heavy
Congratulations to Cam Moore for winning the Jasper Degenerate Art Project II ARTISTS’ CHOICE AWARD for his painting HEAVY. The winner of the Artists’ Choice Award was determined by the participating artists, each of whom cast a single vote for their favorite contribution to the show.
In addition to framed certificates the winning artists also received cash prizes made possible by the generosity of our sponsors Bill Schmidt and Muddy Ford Press.
Nolan Wright - Resilient Standing Strong
Ginny Merrett - 100 Worry Dolls
Stephen White - No More Closets
Kirstin Dow - Artist
Janet Kozachek - Liberty Snakes
Thank you to everyone who came out for the Degenerate Art Project II, and thanks to Maya Smith and the welcoming artists at Stormwater Studios for hosting us. Thanks to Curiosity Coffee for keeping our thirsts at bay and to MidiMarc for feeding us so well and to WeCo Bottle & Biergarten for donating the bubbles we used to celebrate our opening night.
Thank you to our Zeitgeist judges: Xavier Blake, Harriett Greene, and Peter Chametzsky.
Hit us up at info@jasperproject.org
The Jasper Project is excited to announce that Ed Madden will launch his latest book of poetry — I Asked What He Needed (Squares and Rebels, 2026) — at our Degenerate Art Project II Closing Party on Saturday, February 28th at Stormwater Studios. Madden will read at 7 pm and sign books immediately after.
In addition to being a book of postcard poems, Madden’s I Asked Him What He Needed is part of the Chaps Poetry Series which is an imprint of the Squares & Rebels publishing house. Madden explains the series on the back cover of the book:
“The morning that I read Mahmoud Khalil had been arrested, I wrote a short meditation on a postcard. I had written postcard poems before, drawn to the brevity and the link between the poem and the image. I asked him what he needed for the journey. I dropped the card in the mail to a friend. But the stories kept coming. My morning meditations, contained by the small message space of the postcard, began to take into their ambit not just the deportation regime but the administration’s broader attacks on history, truth, law, democratic norms—and in the face of such fears, my own mortality. What kind of disaster did I think was coming?”
The title poem follows:
I asked him what he needed
for the journey. He said,
Write down what you saw.
Maybe, someday, the world
will want to know.
Join the Jasper Project Saturday from 3 - 9 for an exciting close to our Degenerate Art Project II at Stormwater Studios, 413 Pendleton, Columbia, SC. In addition to Madden’s book launch and reading we’ll have a banned book reading and performance by Marty McGuy, Swing Dance demonstrations and lessons from The Big Apple’s Richard Durlach and Breedlove, music from DJ Scotty Tempo, beer and wine from Curiosity Coffee, and delicious food prepared by Midi Marc.
We will also be awarding Jasper’s Degenerate Art Project II Zeitgeist Award as well as the Artists’ Choice Award, decided by a vote from the project’s participating artists.
This will be your last chance to check out the art exhibition everyone has been talking about. Don’t miss it!
The University of SC’s School of Visual Art and Design is having a birthday - and it’s a big one!
Established in 1925, USC’s School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD) is celebrating it’s 100th birthday this year with two events coming up next week at Columbia Museum of Art’s The Loft, as well as at McKissick Museum on the campus of USC.
On Friday, December 5th you’re invited to help celebrate this auspicious occasion by attending a reception in honor of the museum’s exhibition of art from alumni and professors, current and contemporary, titled Generations: 100 Years of Arts at The University of South Carolina. Curated by students under the direction of Susan Felleman and Lana Burgess last spring. The reception is from 4 - 5:30 and is free.
Later, you may join celebrants at our Columbia Museum of Art’s The Loft (1515 Main Street) for an even bigger bash from 6:30 - 9:30. The evening includes live music, food, drink, opportunities to purchase art, and a short talk by Deborah Solomon, New York art critic and authorized biographer of the artist, former Lake Murray resident and USC student Jasper Johns, the artist for whom our little magazine was named. Tickets are required for this event and may be purchased by clicking this link. Please note: there is a sizeable reduction in ticket prices for artists who are self-employed. (Kudos to the event planners for giving this much-appreciated financial break to working artists!)
Jasper congratulates and honors all the members of the SVAD family!
Like most people in the greater SC Midlands arts community, we’ve known visual artist Regina Langston for a long time. Her work is bright and happy, whimsical, and clever, with a color palette that grabs the viewer and commands them to take notice.
For Jasper, Gina has always been a great go-to artist for our gallery spaces when a previously scheduled artist has to drop out. Of course, we love showing her work during scheduled periods, but we’ve come to rely on her, too. Prolific as hell, Gina is the kind of artist who keeps a large inventory of art despite regularly selling out whenever she shows her work. Yet she has always answered our call when we’ve needed her.
But on July 6th, Regina suffered a spiral fracture of her ankle along with the tearing of essential ligaments. Surgery provided her with a plate, 14 screws, and one pin and forced her to be out of work from her job teaching art for three months. She just got back to walking and driving last month.
The Jasper Project services six gallery spaces, including our monthly exhibitions via Tiny Gallery, The Nook at the Koger Center for the Arts, and our First Thursday exhibition at Sound Bites Eatery on Sumter Street. These three spaces each show the work of one featured artist per month. While it had become a bit of a tradition for us to organize a special group show at Sound Bites in December at which multiple artists offer artworks that make for lovely holiday presents, this year we decided to do things differently. Given Regina’s injury this year and subsequent loss of work, we thought it would be a good thing to offer her a solo show for December to show her our support and appreciation. Regina happily accepted, saying, “This experience has given my heart much-needed mending because my community of amazing artists and friends really showed up and showed out for me.”
This makes us happy.
Please join the Jasper Project, Regina Langston, and our delightful hosts at Sound Bites Eatery on Thursday, December 4th during Main Street’s First Thursday festivities as we celebrate art, the holidays, Regina, and the amazing community we enjoy every day.
It’ll make you happy, too.
Jasper is once again proud to participate in the 2025 Vista Lights celebration and, this year, our featured artist is ceramicist Megan Tapley. A resident artist at Gemini Arts, Tapley will be setting up shop at Coal Powered Filmworks (home of Jasper’s filmmaker extraordinaire and board of directors president Wade Sellers) offering some great items to help you tackle your Holiday gift-buying list. The festivities get under way at 6 pm and Coal Powered Filmworks is located at 1217 Lincoln Street, a couple down from Mike Brown Contemporary and across the street from the Blue Marlin.
Read our article below about Megan Tapley, written by Emily Moffitt, which originally appeared in the fall issue of Jasper Magazine which is on newsstands now.
Following a traditional lifestyle has never been in the cards for Megan Tapley. Living life to the fullest for them means living a bit unconventionally, but that never stood in the way of them pursuing their own aspirations: making a career out of art.
Megan Tapley, pronouns she/they, graduated from Clemson University in 2024 with a B.F.A. in Ceramics. This was not always their medium of choice, though. “I grew up in many accelerated art programs, which introduced me to ceramics at a young age,” says Tapley. “However, I did not pursue ceramics until college.” Tapley finds that her artistic practice is best when they balance their time between multiple disciplines, so they also engage in collaging, filling out their sketchbook, and building sculptures when not focusing on their ceramics. They are inherently driven to be creative, and as such they find any outlet they can to express their creativity.
However, regardless of the medium, Tapley’s work always falls into the category of being socio-political in some aspect. She sees the art scene as a proper catalyst for change, with their art being a factor in facilitating it. Much of Tapley’s portfolio revolves around femininity, thus leading to a body of work that focuses on the female form, reproductive rights, and the role of women in the South. Tapley says, “I feel led to make this work because of my own personal identity as a woman in the South, but I also feel led to make this work to open the conversation up.” The conversations she references are meant to be inviting rather than polarizing, especially among women. Her senior exhibition included a wide variety of vessels that represented different female forms and the desire for bodily autonomy, in a socio-politically charged statement. These differences in form, shape, and size are all meant to bridge gaps and spark up conversations of intersectionality and change as according to Tapley, “I chose to make my work inviting rather than polarizing in hopes that we can all find common ground amongst the issues we face as women.”
Tapley was born and raised in Irmo and found themself returning to the Midlands after finishing their undergraduate degree. The excitement of being a Gen Z artist in a growing community allured her, creating in them a sense of confidence in seeking out a “riskier” life, separate from the stable, 9-to-5 lifestyle other generations seem to encourage the next generation to pursue. “I think being a young artist in a growing community is a good thing,” says Tapley. “I’ve been able to gain a lot of opportunities in the last three months by being willing and able to help grow and foster the arts community here.”
Despite just starting their post-grad career, Tapley has already made great strides by becoming a resident artist at Gemini Arts and has been elected as the inaugural Gemini Arts President. The position comes with a heavy workload but is an optimal role to produce cool opportunities for her fellow artists in the studio. Making the effort to involve themself in the community is the kind of advice that Tapley offers any other young artist trying to participate in Columbia’s creative landscape. “My biggest advice is to apply to everything,” says Tapley. “The worst someone can tell you is no, and you never know where an opportunity will lead you.” Of course, Tapley also warns of the problems with saying “yes” to everything, and that it is okay to only pursue chances that are in your best interest and push your career further forward.
Tapley knows that the path of an artist is not always the easiest to take. Facing the reality of the “starving artist” narrative that many peers still harbor helped Tapley understand the importance of having true allies in your corner, ones that do support you and your craft unconditionally. Tapley says, “I feel that having people around me who question my career choices is just something that will always be an obstacle, so my way of overcoming this has been to unconditionally believe in myself.” Adopting an unwavering sense of confidence is key advice for anyone trying to break into the art scene, especially younger artists. Tapley has proven through their growing role at Gemini Arts and consistent booking of arts exhibitions that they have internalized key experiences and connections and utilized them to further their career.
In-progress art from Megan Tapley
They say, “I have learned to take feedback from those who have pursued a career in the arts, rather than giving too much attention to those who do not understand the life and career I have chosen to lead.”
Tapley is an active member of the Gemini ceramics community, and a staple in bringing awareness to the power of political commentary through art, especially for women of all ages.
You’re invited to join the Jasper Project on Saturday, Nov. 8th at Gemini Arts for a Celebration of the Release of the Fall 2025 Jasper Magazine.
It’ll be a night of music, poetry, prose, visual art, and just hanging out with other like-minded Soda Citizens who believe the arts give us hope, solace, and joy! Plus we’ll be fulfilling a little wish that Cindi and Wade have had for a long time—bringing as many of Columbia’s Scorpio Babies together as possible to celebrate the exhilarating madness of being born a Scorpio!
The evening will start with poetry and prose readings by Carla Damron, Ivan Segura, Rhy Robidoux, and Naya Lanai Jackson, many of whom will be signing and selling their newest books. There’s a rumor that there will be a theatrical performance – we’ll keep you posted. And our musical guest for the evening is JB SamSon!
JB SamSon
And, of course, there will be cake and plenty of freshly baked Jasper Magazines!
Scorpios are invited to wear Black and/or Red and to find Cindi or Wade at the party to get your Official Scorpio pins.
We can’t wait to see you at 6pm at Gemini Arts at 2847 Commerce Drive. And Stay tuned – we have more surprised in store for you as the celebration continues to develop!
Last night at Curiosity Coffee, the Jasper Project and Black Nerd Mafia teamed up with our hosts at Curiosity Coffee for our traditional pumpkin carving contest among local artists. Participants included Gina Langston, Roxanne Mockabee, Sean Krumbolz, Keith Tolen, Ija Charles, Billy Guess, and Cynthia Bowie. We’re excited to announce the winners:
FIRST VIEW, BUT LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER …
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Congrats to all our pumpkin carvers and thanks to our partners in mayhem, Black Nerd Mafia and the always cozy Curiosity Coffee!
Join the Jasper Project and Sound Bites Eatery in welcoming our artist for the month of October, Renea Eshleman, by making Sound Bites one of your first or last stops during First Thursday this week! And while you’re visiting us, why not grab a loaded grilled cheese, a twerky turkey sammy, or some delish spin dip with a glass of vino from the Sound Bites kitchen? It’s always a fun night at Sound Bites when you gather with friends, new and old, to celebrate an evening of art and good times!
Renea Eshleman writes, “I especially enjoy creating nature compositions from photographs I take while traveling around the beautiful state of South Carolina. I strive to lure the viewer into wanting to ‘be there’ in the painting to look for what is not obvious.
“My art includes representational, dream compositions, and some objective abstract. Having begun painting in traditional transparent watercolor, I mostly paint and create collage on non-traditional surfaces using liquid and tube watercolor, gouache, acrylics, and self-printed papers.
“The traditional approach to painting watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media is where I know what the composition will be before I begin the painting. It is predictable. However, many times the process begins with loosely pouring or rolling paint onto the paper or a polypropylene sheet (called Yupo), gently manipulating the paint to blend colors, and making interesting textures, allowing the paint to dry, and developing the composition based on what the first layer suggests.
“This process allows me to combine imagined or suggested flora, fauna, insects, animals, and figures. Sometimes pieces begin with the pouring method hang in my studio for weeks or months before they ‘speak’ for development of the composition.
“This approach to making art provides wonderful opportunities for happy accidents, flexibility to adjust the composition, and intrigue in the work.”
The Southern Gothic Festival is coming back to the cozy Broad Street of Camden, SC this October. For the fans of the spooky and esoteric, and anyone with a sense of morbid curiosity, this festival runs from the night of Friday October 10 through all of Saturday, October 11. A variety of panels featuring discussions of literature, history, and the occasional ghost tour await audiences either for free or for a nominal fee. Authors and journalists make up many of the headliners, and here are some highlights.
USC and Columbia’s own Julia Elliott, the author of beloved short story collection Hellions, novel The New and Improved Romie Futch, and the short story collection The Wilds, is participating in the panel Haunted Landscapes: The Supernatural in Southern Gothic Fiction on Saturday, October 11 at 11 a.m. in the Historic Camden Education Center, alongside other authors Nathan Ballingrud (North American Lake Monsters and Wounds: Six Stories from the Border of Hell) and Lee Mandelo (Summer Sons and The Woods All Black). Topics of this panel will include subverting genre expectations, blending psychological depth with speculative elements, and drawing on regional mythology to create narratives that are as emotionally resonant as they are chilling.
At 2 p.m. on the 11th, award-winning novelist David Joy joins the festival for a conversation on the complexities of modern Southern identity through the lens of his most recent work, Those We Thought We Knew, and his earlier novel, When These Mountains Burn. Known for his stark, lyrical prose and deeply human characters, Joy explores themes of race, rural poverty, family, morality, and place–capturing the contradictions and weight of life in the contemporary South.
And for those more intrigued in the realm of true crime, two of the biggest cases in South Carolina’s history will receive their fair share of attention. Valerie Bauerlein, a Wall Street Journal Reporter and Writer, is conducting a panel about her book The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty at 12 p.m. on the 11th, and at 4 p.m., catch Dick Harpootlian, a veteran of the Columbia courtroom, discuss his experience prosecuting Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins and Harpootlian’s upcoming memoir about the ordeal, Dig Me a Grave.
For a full schedule of events for the two-day festival, visit the festival website at SouthernGothicFestival.com. The majority of the events are free to the public, including an opening street concert with Valentine Wolfe and Wasted Wine on the 10th at 7 p.m.
Tidal Transformations features more than 60 works created using the linocut reduction technique, alongside mixed media pieces composed from the residual cleanup and cast-off materials generated during the printmaking process.
Laurie McIntosh is an accomplished South Carolina artist known for large, thematic bodies of work inspired by personal experience and visual exploration. She is the owner of Laurie McIntosh Art in Camden, SC—a working studio she established in 2016—and was formerly a member of Vista Studios/Gallery 80808 in Columbia.
Linocut reduction is a relief printmaking method where the artist carves a reverse image into a linoleum block, inks it, and prints it on paper. Layers are carved and printed sequentially in different colors, with each layer eliminating parts of the previous one. Because earlier layers cannot be changed once removed, the method is often referred to as “suicide printing.”
In 2023 McIntosh began noticing intriguing visual elements in the cleanup process and started creating mixed media works from the leftover paper and fragments generated during the reduction process.
“The design, planning, and execution of linocut reduction is an intricate and deliberate process,” says McIntosh. “Working with its byproducts gives me a chance to create from a more intuitive, spontaneous place.”
A South Carolina native, McIntosh earned a B.A. in Fine Art from the University of South Carolina and continued her training at the Center for Creative Imaging, the Penland School of Crafts, and other prestigious institutions. Her notable exhibitions include All the In-Between: My Story of Agnes, which inspired a companion art book in 2012; the South Carolina State Museum’s 30th Anniversary Juried Exhibition in 2019; and numerous juried, solo, public art projects and group shows throughout the state. In 2019, she was commissioned to design public art for Columbia’s COMET “Art Bus.” She returned to Stormwater Studios in 2023 with the solo exhibition Gatherings: My World in Linocut.
For more information on Laurie McIntosh, visit lauriemcintoshart.com. To learn more about Stormwater Studios, visit stormwaterstudios.org.
1714 Fair St.
Camden SC 29020
Studio -1014 Broad St. Camden, SC
The Koger Center is stacked with a wide array of free and low-cost events and happenings throughout the month of September! The first full work week of the month has plenty going on, so check out what they have to offer.
On Monday, September 8, we are co-hosting a free artist talk with Lori Isom in the Nook, where her artwork is currently on display. The Nook, for anyone who has not had the chance to check it out, is a gallery space located on the second floor of the Koger Center, adjacent to the Gallery at the Koger Center space, that is programmed by the Jasper Project. The talk will last from 6 – 7 p.m. All artwork in Lori’s exhibit is available for purchase.
On Wednesday, September 10, Preach Jacobs will host his second SoulHaus Session in the Gallery at the Koger Center. After the sell-out success of the first session, Preach is returning and this time, bringing renowned chef Amethyst Ganaway and artist Dogon Krigga in for a conversation. Tickets are available for purchase on EventBrite; doors open with a vinyl spinning session at 5 p.m., and the talk begins at 6 p.m.
The evening of Friday the 12th kicks off with another free concert in the “Koger Center Presents: Live Outside” series. Starting at 5 p.m., Charleston-based act She Returns from War will perform, with a to-be-determined opening act accompanying the evening. Hailing from the historically rich city of Charleston, South Carolina, She Returns from War is defining what it means to not only live in the modern south, but to be a trans woman and artist within this landscape. The full Live Outside series runs on Fridays in September and October; check out the whole series on the Koger Center website here. If the weather turns stormy, the concert will still happen, just inside on the Koger Center’s second floor lobby instead!
And mark your calendars for later this month when Jasper welcomes Photo-artist Jeff Amberg to the Nook Gallery —
We’re introducing the cast of Jasper’s 5th annual Play Right Series winning play, Busted Open, directed by Jane Turner Peterson. You’ve met Ella Riley, Zanna Mills, Beth DeHart, Kristin Cobb, and Allison Allgood already. Now meet Clayton King who plays the role of Phil in this brand new play written by SC playwright Ryan Stevens.
Clayton King (Phil) is excited to be part of the Jasper Project play Busted Open. He is a Texas transplant, calling Columbia home for more than a decade. Both a producer and performer, Clayton has more than 75 stage credits to his name and has performed with Midlands Light Opera Society, Broadway Bound Vista Theatre Project, Chapin Community Theatre, Town Theatre, Trustus, Village Square, and Workshop Theatre. Some credits include Pirates of Penzance (Major General Stanley), Secret Garden (Neville), Shrek (Shrek), Into the Woods (Baker), She Loves Me! (Mr. Maraczek); Mamma Mia! (Harry Bright), Arsenic and Old Lace (Teddy), You Can’t Take It With You (Kohlenkov), The Addams Family (Gomez), Guys & Dolls (Nathan Detroit). Clayton was voted Best Actor in the Free-Times Best of Columbia who noted “[Clayton is] a vocal powerhouse who can handle both comedic and dramatic roles with aplomb.”
Before leaving Texas Clayton appeared on stage in productions of Damn Yankees and Chicago at Galveston’s historic The Grand 1894 Opera House, A Fiddler on the Roof at the historic Strand Street Theatre and The Wind and the Willows at Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars.
In addition to character roles on stage, Clayton is a prolific cabaret performer in venues along the Texas Gulf (of Mexico!) coast and across the Midlands. He cut his teeth in this medium while attending the University of Houston and developed his artistry with small venue performance in such notable cabaret spots as Houston’s Baha Sams and the unlikely-named Million Dollar Dump. When not in a production or working at his “day job” as Parish Administrator at St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields Episcopal church, he balances his dual alter egos: 1) a singer as one of ten cabaret artists who perform in The Monthly After Dinner Cabaret, a series he and Vicky Saye [Henderson] produce under the banner of King Henderson Productions, which will relaunch in October, 2025. 2) A jewelry and home accessory designer. Both feed his soul and provide a certain type of therapy in these trying times.
As the Jasper Project moves closer to celebrating the premiere staged reading of our 2025 Play Right Series winning play, Busted Open by Ryan Stevens, we invite you to meet and learn more about this exceptional cast of actors who will be performing for you. You’ve previously met Allison Allgood, Kristin Cobb, and Beth DeHart. Today we’d like you to meet Ella Riley and Zanna Mills.
And mark your calendars for Sunday afternoon, September 14th at 3 pm, at the Columbia Music Festival Association (914 Pulaski Street) and join us for the first ever staged reading of Ryan Jenkins’ Busted Open.
Ella Riley
Ella Riley is 21 years old and is currently pursuing a degree in Special Education at UofSC. She is a teacher with the CAPA program at Chapin Theatre Company and serves on the CTC Board as Advertising and Social Media Manager. Ella has been acting in Columbia since the age of 7 and has an ever-increasing resume of stage productions, including Amorous Ambassador (Debbie), Into The Woods (The Baker’s Wife), and Descendants the Musical (Audrey). Ella has recently discovered a love for the backstage and front of house as well, recently working on Barefoot in the Park and Once Upon a Mattress at Chapin Theatre Company. In her free time (as if), she loves to take her younger brothers on adventures and watch local drag (shout out to Capital Club and The Venue)! Ella is so excited to be a part of Busted Open and so grateful for the opportunity to work with the Jasper Project to help create and push out original works of art!
Zanna Mills
Zanna Mills has been performing in the Columbia community theatre scene for the last 15 years. She also grew up dancing with her mother’s dance studio, SC Music and Dance Academy. Memorable roles include Izzy (Stilt Girl), Joy (Cinderella), Corie (Barefoot in the Park), Shelby (Steele Magnolias), Annie (The Play That Goes Wrong), Rumpleteazer (Cats), and Mary Ann (Gilligan’s Island: The Musical). Zanna is honored and grateful to be a part of the Jasper Project’s 2025 Play Right Series!
From our friends at Richland Library —
Richland Library will serve as the setting for a collaborative artistic experience on Saturday, August 23, 2025, 2:00 p.m. at Richland Library Main (1431 Assembly St., Columbia, SC 29201), as Richland Library’s current Artist-in-Residence and fiber artist, LaToya Thompson facilitates AiR Presents: Community Quilts.
This free, hands-on event welcomes participants of all ages to design individual fabric squares that reflect personal experiences, cultural traditions, or moments from the community’s shared history. Each square, unique in its story and style, will be joined with others to form a single quilt—a living tapestry that celebrates unity and creativity.
No sewing experience is required, and all supplies will be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring an open mind, a willingness to share, and a passion for building something meaningful together. As the quilt grows, so will the connections between neighbors, stories, and generations—stitched together in a work of art that belongs to everyone.
For more information please contact, Tacara Carpenter at 803-351-5616 or tcarpenter@richlandlibrary.com.