Palmetto Opera, Lowe, Lenz, Krajewski & McClendon all help Jasper celebrate its fourth year of publication - Thursday Night!

We’re starting our fourth year of bringing Columbia in-depth local arts coverage in theatre, dance, visual arts, literary arts, music, and film, (and we’ll be adding design soon), and we’re celebrating with a multi-disciplinary release celebration to kick the year and the arts season off right.

Please join us on Thursday, September 18^th at 5 pm at Vista Studios – Gallery 80808 at 808 Lady Street as we welcome the new issue of Jasper Magazine.

Classical oil paintings by internationally renowned realist Tish Lowe will set the stage in the main gallery.  Palmetto Opera’s artistic director, Walter Cuttino, will lead a one-night-only performance of highlights from Puccini’s La Bohème, hits from familiar musicals such as Phantom of the Opera and Carousel. .

The atrium will showcase a collaborative installation by fiber and installation artist Susan Lenz, who was Jasper’s 2012 Visual Artist of the Year and artist Michael Krajewski, who was Jasper’s first centerfold.  Their work, Threads: Gathering My Thoughts, will be a manifestation of the mental images and ideas that naturally flow through the human mind while engaged in the viewing of La Bohème.  Lenz’s tangle of unraveled, old threads will cascade in and out of suspended baskets mimicking the colors, complex plots, and emotions of a performance. Krajewski’s bohemian, pencil graffiti will literally express the connections between the visual, musical, dramatic, literary, and poetic world of a bygone, operatic world still dancing in the twenty-first century mind.  The arts exhibition will remain on view through Tuesday, September 30^th.

Jasper adores the film Wade Sellers, our beloved film editor, made for Susan Lenz -- you can watch it here - and you should because it's really lovely.

Following the presentations by Palmetto Opera, multi-talented musical artist Tim McClendon, who is also featured in this issue of Jasper Magazine for his design work, will perform an impromptu set of music.  One Columbia will also be on hand to kick off their Cultural Passport program as will the Rosewood Arts Festival and the Jam Room Music Festival to share information about their upcoming events. The event is free and open to the public.

Show Preview: Washed Out Plays Benefit Show for Aaron Graves at the Columbia Music Farm by Caitlyn McGuire

To the dreamers, the explorers, those who sink their minds fully into what’s coming out of their headphones and let the music take them to an entirely different place, we’ve got the soundtrack to your life. The music of Georgia-based artist Ernest Greene, who records under the name Washed Out, is a unique blend of soothing vocals and flowing rhythms along with cool electronics and the sounds of almost unrecognizable instruments.  The title of Washed Out’s most recent effort, Paracosm, references an imaginary world that’s created inside one’s mind, takes listeners on a full journey to escape reality. It’s an appropriate allusion given the immersive effects of the music contained within.  Although each song is brilliantly different than another, the theme of escaping is apparent in every carefully written lyrics and tune, allowing the listener to continuously drift away. Even the music video for their single “Weightless” maintains this aesthetic, allowing listeners to completely disconnect from the real world and delve into the one created by Greene.

And if we haven’t obsessed over Washed Out enough, his upcoming show on September 16 at the Music Farm Columbia is full of additional good local vibes and connections. Greene and his live band, which features Columbia musicians Chris Gardner (bass), Cameron Gardner (drums), and Dylan Lee (guitar), is paired with the quirky indie folk-pop of Those Lavender Whales and the sly singer/songwriter Keith Mead, two of the city’s finest young talents. The show is also for a good cause as well. Earlier in 2014, Those Lavender Whales front man Aaron Graves was diagnosed with a grade 2 brain tumor, causing the Columbia music scene to band together to help Graves and his family. All the proceeds from Tuesdays show will go to Tumor-Schumor, Graves’ effort to raise funds and support for his life-threatening illness. On tumorschumor.com, fans and friends can keep track of Graves’s progress through his blog, donate and learn more about the cause. If there’s one show to go see at the Music Farm in the near future, this is probably it. Good music plus a great cause is reason enough to see these musical minds in action.

Tuesday’s show is at the Music Farm, 1022 Senate Street. Tickets are $15-$20, doors open at 8 p.m. and anyone 16 years and older is welcome.

To donate to Tumor-Schumer or follow along with Aaron Graves’ journey, please visit tumorschumor.com

--Jasper Intern, Caitlyn McGuire

Five Guys Named Moe: Workshop Theatre Opens New Season at 701 Whaley - by Haley Sprankle

New beginnings spark for Workshop Theatre as they open their 2014-2015 season with the  jukebox musical Five Guys Named Moe.   The biggest change the company is facing is their new  performance location in The Market Space at 701 Whaley Street.

"Five Guys Named Moe is the first production in this new space," says the show's director, Lou Boeschen.  "No precedents have been set indicating how we should transform this completely empty space into an intimate theatre. This  can be both good and bad. You are open to think outside the box and set the stage any way you  like, but you don't have the experiences of a prior production to show what works or doesn't  work in the space.”

This new space opens up vast opportunities for inventive, fresh new staging opportunities, which add a new level of artistry that audiences may not have seen at Workshop before. Each director is able  to completely create his or her desired environment, allowing a lot of liberties with blocking and  staging.

“When I first started to visualize Five Guys Named Moe, it was difficult not to see it in the  familiar setting of Craft Auditorium at the corner of Bull and Gervais Streets," said Boeschen.  "After meeting with  set designer, Lee Shepherd, I was able to quickly adjust my thinking. I came to Lee with several  ideas about how I wanted the stage area to be arranged with different levels and a dedicated  place for the band. He took those ideas and, using his expertise for building a set off-site and  moving it into a performance space, came up with a fantastic design.”

Not only will the new space be created to fit the musical and the vision that Boeschen has, but it also  must accommodate a live band, which is not always the case with every theatre.   “There will be a live band led by our musical director, Roland Haynes, Jr. He's assembled a quintet of  talented musicians, a few of whom he plays jazz gigs with regularly," explained Boeschen. "The music is the core of this  piece, a character in a sense. It is important to me that the band be a part of the action on stage.  From their bandstand on the right side of the stage area, the cast members are able to interact  with Roland and the other musicians.”

The cast has been rehearsing in the Workshop Theatre rehearsal space on Elmwood Avenue, and will be able to  move into the theatre just a short four days before they open.

“Throughout the rehearsal process, I referred to the ground plan design often when explaining  blocking and spacing to the cast," Boeschen recalls.  "The cast is using some of the smaller set pieces already in the  rehearsal space, which is not much smaller than the area that will be set as a stage at 701  Whaley.  Joy Alexander, the choreographer, has worked hard to create perfect choreography for  this style of show, but she has also kept it very flexible. The first night on the set, Sunday, will  be used for blocking and adjusting choreography spacing. I am anticipating needing to  make a few adjustments, but nothing major,” said Boeschen.

Along with all the adjustments and accommodations that the theatre faces as they debut in their  new performance space, Boeschen will also debut as a director.

“I felt it was time to get my feet wet and direct a show. I didn't want to tackle a huge musical  production my first time at the helm, however, so a small revue-style show seemed like a good  starting point. I submitted my interest to direct and was chosen by the play selection committee  at Workshop to direct Five Guys Named Moe. I love Louis Jordan's music, and the story written  by Clarke Peters that connects the songs is genuine,” said Boeschen.

Although Workshop has produced Five Guys Named Moe before, this new cast brings a fresh  take on the musical.  “There are a couple of names and faces in the cast that audiences will recognize from previous  productions at Workshop, Town Theatre, Trustus and even Opera USC, but we have some  newcomers as well. The guys all have rich musical backgrounds, which is a blessing for a show  like Five Guys Named Moe. I've enjoyed working with both the seasoned performers and the  first-timers, as they each bring a distinct energy and eagerness to the process,” Boeschen said.

Five Guys Named Moe runs September 18-21 in The Market Space at 701 Whaley. Regular priced adult tickets are $22, senior and active military tickets are $20, student tickets are $16,  and children (12 & under) are $12.  Come out for a new experience at a new location with an old friend, Workshop  Theatre.

~ Haley Sprankle, Jasper intern

From press material:

The Story: His woman left him, he’s broke, and it’s almost five o’clock in the mornin’. But don’t be worryin’ ’bout our hero, Nomax. Out of Nomax’s ’30s-style radio pop Five Guys Named Moe. They cajole, wheedle, comfort and jazz him with the whimsical hit songs of Louis Jordan, one of the most beloved songwriting talents of the twentieth century. With more than fifty top ten singles on the rhythm and blues charts, this great composer and saxophonist brought a popular new slant to jazz that paved the way for the rock-and-roll of the 1950’s.

Five Guys Named Moe show dates and times: Thursday, September 18 @ 8 pm Friday, September 19 @ 8 pm Saturday, September 20 @ 3 pm and 8 pm Sunday, September 21 @ 3 pm and 8 pm

Go to workshoptheatre.com to purchase tickets online or call the Box Office at 803-799-6551 between noon and 5:30 pm. Workshop Theatre’s Box Office is located at 635 Elmwood Ave., Columbia, SC, 29201. Box Office hours are from noon to 5:30 pm. Reservations can be made online 24 hours a day through the website.

Coloring the City: The Rosewood Arts Festival by Haley Sprankle

Throughout history, art has defined culture.  Art exhibited the grandeur of empires and kingdoms, depicting their great struggles and triumphs.  Art evolved over time through different techniques and perspectives.  Art brought people together and encouraged community.

Four years ago, Arik Bjorn and Forest Whitlark spawned an idea to create an artistic festival that would bring the community together to celebrate local artists’ work, and so the Rosewood Arts Festival was born. “Our intent from day one has been to create a family-friendly, easily accessible arts festival, which is why we don’t charge admission and only charge a nominal fee for booth,” Bjorn says.

For many local artists, fees play a great deal into whether or not they can afford to showcase their work in festivals such as this one.  Fortunately, the low fees and the wonderful time of year creates the perfect environment for this festival.

“He [Bjorn] told me about it and I immediately thought it was a great opportunity for me to share my creations.  It’s the perfect time of year to be outside among so many talented folks from all creative outlets,” local painter Justice Littlejohn says.  “I am looking forward to being surrounded by so much creative energy and hopefully meeting some new friends.”

With over 100 different artists being featured in this festival, tremendous diversity is featured in the artwork.  Artist Sean McGuinness, or That Godzilla Guy, adds an eccentric twist to his photography by featuring Godzilla in his work. “My artwork is very eclectic, but it is also focused, unique, and enthusiastic.  I bring art appreciation through Godzillafication.  Whereas other artists use charcoal or paint, I use photography and toys,” McGuinness says.

As art shapes and influences the community, the community also shapes and influences art.  Local photographer Charles Hite only began taking photos seriously around 2009 and gained an appreciation for the world around him. “Although I’ve seen a lot of changes around here, I’ve been guilty of rushing by things, not paying attention or taking things for granted. In the last 20 years or so, I’ve come to deeply realize we have beauty all around us, and I have a greater appreciation and contentment of my surroundings,” Hite says.  “I hope my photos will encourage people to take a pause, become curious and go out, and experience some of the beautiful and interesting places we have here in the Midlands and across our beautiful state.”

While some artists have hopes of prompting the community to be more involved or influencing the way they view their lives, painter Abstract Alexandra has simpler goals. “I hope my art will bring a bit of color and joy that others may hang on their wall and enjoy for years to come,” Alexandra says.

The festival is cohosted by Rockaways Athletic Club and the Trenholm Artists Guild and will be held at Rockaways (2719 Rosewood Drive) on September 20 from 10 am to 6 pm.  In its fourth consecutive year, the festival has more than doubled its featured artists, making more art directly available to the public while also allowing artists to put themselves out there.  Come on out to experience some color, live music, and great food!

One Columbia Unveils New Public Art Piece on Main Street

Unveiling  on September 17 at 10:00am on 1400 Block of Main

 One Columbia for Arts and History and the City of Columbia are pleased to announce the installation and unveiling of the first sculpture resulting from the public art pilot program.

Commissioned with a generous donation from Sean McCrossin, owner of Drip coffee shops and Scoopy Doo gelato shop, the piece entitled “Hanging” was created by local artists Eileen Blyth and Mark Finley. As Blyth explains, “This sculpture is an invitation to play…to stop and sit and play, or just listen. One Columbia is the force behind the Main Street public art initiative. And without the city's support, this sculpture and many more to come would not happen. It is very exciting to be a part of.”

“I am very happy to be a part and help One Columbia, the City of Columbia and the Mayor in their endeavor to fill the streets with creative, inspired and inspiring art that will hopefully remind us of this colorful city in which we live,” says McCrossin.

The sculpture consists of five tank drums (also known as hank drums) fabricated from propane tanks mounted to painted seats. Each drum is tuned differently to allow for unique harmonies to be played. The piece will be installed in front of 1441 Main Street and will be publically unveiled on September 17 at 10am.

“Public art is inspirational, thought provoking and even more so when it’s interactive. ‘Hanging’ will give the public the opportunity not just to observe but to participate.” says Karel Givens, Vice President of City Center Partnership, the organization that manages the downtown Business Improvement District (BID).

“From increasing funding to our arts and cultural organizations to displaying local artists’ work in City Hall, we have taken several important steps this year toward realizing our vision of Columbia as a true City of Creativity,” said Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin. “This sculpture and the new public art program it represents is a giant leap forward and I couldn’t be more proud.”

The public art program administered by One Columbia for Arts and History represents the joint efforts of multiple departments of the City of Columbia, the City Center Partnership, and the Community Relations Council who all contributed to make the process a success. The framework established by these partners will carry over to the creation of future pieces throughout the City of Columbia.

Lee Snelgrove, Executive Director of One Columbia for Arts and History explains, “Public art can define a place and give it a distinctive and inviting personality. Because of the relationships that have been made in establishing this formal process for commissioning public art, we’ll be able to continue bringing work to Columbia that will demonstrate the level of creativity and talent in this city.”

Artists interested in submitting their qualifications for consideration for future projects can find the call for artists on the One Columbia for Arts and History website at onecolumbiasc.com.

~*~

About One Columbia for Arts and History

One Columbia for Arts and History is a non-profit corporation that works to promote collaboration among citizens, the cultural community, and city government through celebrations of Columbia’s arts and historic treasures. Its goal is to enhance the quality of life for our residents, attract tourist dollars to our city, and further build our vibrant community. In short, it serves as the promotional arm of the City for Columbia’s cultural community. Visit the One Columbia website (http://onecolumbiasc.com) for a continuously updated master list of art and cultural activities occurring throughout the city.

Trustus Theatre's 30th Anniversary Talk Back Schedule

 

Jasper loves back-talk -- and talk back sessions, as well, and Trustus Theatre is kicking off its thirtieth anniversary season with Christopher Durang’s hilarious “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Play, with an intriguing talk back session scheduled the second weekend of the performance. The show runs through September 27th, with the first audience talk-back of the season following the matinee on September 21^st with guest respondent Jemme Stewart who will be discussing the mental health of the stage family, and helping us explore their family dynamics.

Co-founder of Upstream: A Center for Mindfulness Practice and Holistic Mental Health, Jemme has been contributing to the field of mental health for over 40 years. She obtained her Masters of Nursing Science In Psychiatric Nursing from the University of South Carolina and after ten years of working in a local psychiatrist office, she founded Carolina Psychotherapy  Center in 1981.  Jemme, along with co-founder Dr. Hilda White, sees the creation of Upstream as the perfect opportunity to bring a very positive and research-based skill set to a wide range of people in South Carolina. Jemme’s interest in founding Upstream with Dr. White was influenced by her growing awareness that MBSR skills are powerful practices to use as an adjunct to those in therapy, as well as all persons interested in stress management.

The seven-show Mainstage season will also include the return of last season’s sell-out family friendly show, “A Christmas Carol” and two musicals: an update of the hit 70s’ musical “Godspell,” and the award-winning “Dreamgirls.” The Mainstage will also feature two dramas: the first part of a three-part trilogy, “In the Red and Brown Water,” by the young Tarell Alvin McCraney; and “Other Desert Cities,” by Jon Robin Baitz. The season will conclude with the 2014 Trustus New Play winner, “BigCity.”

For each production, one performance will feature a post-show talk-backs with experts in subjects related to the productions, giving audience members the chance to discuss their reactions to each show and ask questions about its content. 

There's more ...

In addition, Trustus will present four plays at its Richard and Debbie Cohn Side Door Theatre, the annual Vista Queen Pageant and Henderson Bros. Burlesque, and several special events.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE FOLLOWING DATES:

“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” through Sept. 27, 2014. By Christopher Durang, directed by Jim O’Connor, with talk-back September 21st. Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play, 2013 Drama Desk Award for Best Play and 2013 Outer Critic’s Award for Best New Broadway Play.

“A Christmas Carol,” Nov. 21–Dec. 20, 2014. Based on the novel by Charles Dickens, A new adaptation by Patrick Barlow, directed by Chad Henderson, with talk-back December 14th.

“In the Red and Brown Water,” Jan. 23–Feb. 7, 2015. By Tarell Alvin McCraney and directed by Chad Henderson, with talk-back February 1st.

“Godspell,”  March 27–Apr. 11, 2015. Based on the gospel according to St. Matthew with music and lyrics by Stephen Sachwartz and book by John-Michael Tebelak, directed by Dewey Scott Wiley, with talk-back March 29th. Nominated for the 1971 Tony Award for Best Original Score, 1971 Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Composer and 1971 Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Lyricist.

“Other Desert Cities,” May 8–23, 2015. By Jon Robin Baitz, directed by Jim Thigpen, with talk-back May 10th. Nominated for the 2012 Tony Award for Best Play and  2012 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama.

“Dreamgirls,” June 26–Aug. 1, 2015. Book and lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger, directed by Terrance Henderson, with talk-back July 26th. Winner of the 1982 Drama Desk Award for Best Book, 1982 Tony Award for Best Book and 1983 Grammy Award for Best Cast Show Album.

“Big City,” Aug 14 –22, 2015. By Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich, winner of the 2014 Trustus New Play Festival. Talk-back TBA

The Richard and Debbie Cohn Side Door Theatre season includes:

”The Other Place,” Oct 17–Nov 1, 2014. By Sharr White, directed by Jim O’Connor with talk-back October 19th.

“Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays,” January 3–17, 2015. A collection of plays by Mo Gaffney, Jordan Harrison, Moisés Kaufman, Neil LaBute, Wendy MacLeod, José Rivera, Paul Rudnick, and Doug Wright and conceived by Brian Shnipper, directed  by Elena Martínez-Vidal with talk-back January 11th.

”You Better Sit Down: Tales from My Parents’ Divorce,” Feb. 27 – Mar. 14, 2015. By Anne Kauffman, Matthew Maher, Caitlin Miller, Jennifer R. Morris, Janice Paran, and Robbie Collier Sublett, directed by Scott Herr with talk-back February 22nd.

“Bill W. and Dr. Bob,” May 29–June 13, 2015. By Samuel Shem and Janet Surrey, directed by Dewey Scott Wiley with talk-back May 31. Winner of the 2010 Regional British Columbia Drama Festival for Best Play.

For Trustus ticket prices and reservations as well as information on other happenings, please see trustus.org or call the box office at (803) 254-973.

USC’s Southern Exposure Music Series announces 2014-15 season

 

The award-winning series of

free, innovative concerts

opens on Sept. 26

The University of South Carolina’s Southern Exposure Music Series season is a star-studded year filled with the superb artistic quality and innovative programming that Columbia has come to expect from the Southeast’s most adventurous music series. The award-winning series, in its 13th year, continues to offer concerts for free.

This year is a typically diverse season, featuring a hip, hot string quartet (Brooklyn Rider, Sept. 26), a world music giant (the return to Columbia of sitar great Kartik Seshadri, Nov. 14), a classical music legend (soprano Lucy Shelton, with the esteemed Dolce Suono Ensemble, Feb. 25), and ending with the series’ first-ever foray into USC’s brand new music space, the W.W. Hootie Johnson Performance Hall in the Darla Moore School of Business (1014 Greene St) – a rare performance of Louis Andriessen’s gigantic masterpiece De Staat (March 20), featuring USC students and faculty and conducted by Scott Weiss, director of bands.

These popular free concerts fill to capacity, but patrons can reserve a seat and support the series for the entire season for $100.

Southern Exposure New Music Series, 2014-15 Season

Brooklyn Rider Fri., Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m.

USC School of Music Recital Hall (813 Assembly St)

The Brooklyn-based string quartet has been called “one of the wonders of classical music,” by the LA Times.  They tour and record regularly with the likes of Bela Fleck and Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, and in recent years have performed in one of the more diverse lineups of venues imaginable, including the Ojai Music Festival, the Cologne Philharmonie, the U.S. Open Tennis tournament, Lincoln Center, and Austin’s South by Southwest, where the quartet was the only classical group with an official invitation to play. Their Southern Exposure program will include Philip Glass’s second string quartet, as well works from their latest recording project, the ambitious, cross-disciplinary Brooklyn Rider Almanac (Mercury Classics). http://www.brooklynrider.com/

~~~

Music from India: Kartik Seshadri, sitar and Abhijit Banerjee, table Fri., Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m. USC School of Music Recital Hall (813 Assembly St)

If one can say that any of Southern Exposure’s past concerts deserves the epithet “legendary,” sitar virtuoso Kartik Seshadri’s Southern Exposure performance nearly 10 years ago would surely be among the first mentioned, remembered by those in attendance as a magical, emotionally-charged, unforgettable evening. He is joined by another major figure in Indian classical music, the tabla player Abhijit Banerjee.  http://kartikseshadri.com/

http://www.abhijitbanerjee.com/

~~~

Dolce Suono Ensemble and Soprano Lucy Shelton Wed., Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.

USC School of Music Recital Hall (813 Assembly St)

Acclaimed singer Lucy Shelton, perhaps contemporary classical’s leading soprano, a “new music diva” with “musicianship, technique and intelligence that are unfailing,” (Boston Globe), Shelton has premiered more than 100 major works by composers that comprise a who’s who of 20^th- and 21^st-century music, including Elliott Carter, Oliver Knussen, Joseph Schwantner, Charles Wuorinen, Gerard Grisey, David Del Tredici and Ned Rorem. An evening with Philadelphia-based stars Dolce Suono, with a core group of artists from world-renowned Philly institutions like the Curtis Institute of Music and Philadelphia Orchestra, led by flutist Mimi Stillman, is certain to be equally astounding. This concert is comprised of two works that set ancient Chinese poetry, by Pulitzer-prize winner Shulamit Ran and USC’s own Fang Man, and will be preceded by a 6:30 p.m. presentation by Joseph Lam, chair of the Department of Musicology at the University of Michigan.

 http://www.lucyshelton.com/

http://dolcesuono.com/

~~~

Music and Society:  Hartke’s “Sons of Noah” and Andriessen’s ”De Staat”

Fri., March 20, 2015, 7:30 p.m.

W.W. Hootie Johnson Performance Hall

(Moore School of Business 1014 Greene St.)

Performed by a bevy of USC’s world-class faculty and superb students, these major works take on extra-musical topics relating music and society/politics – and, quite apart from any lessons that might be imparted, are masterful, mesmerizing pieces of music. Stephen Hartke’s “Sons of Noah,” featuring USC soprano Tina Stallard and three highly unusual quartets of instruments – classical guitars, flutes and bassoons – sets a short story written during the Crimean War, the first modern conflict between the Islamic world and Europe: a satirical imagining of three “missing chapters of the Bible.” Hartke’s music has echoes of old and new styles, from the Middle Ages and Renaissance to Igor Stravinsky, and strikes a powerful emotional chord. Dutch post-minimalist icon Louis Andriessen’s De Staat (which, while composed in an entirely different style than Sons of Noah, also owes something to the rhythmic legacy of Stravinsky) sets texts from Plato’s Republic. The big, robust work with a large number of singers, brass, woodwinds, strings, pianos and electric guitars onto the stage will blow the roof off of the new hall!

News & ARTIST CALL from Indie Grits

Indie Grits Film Festival, the Southeast’s premier film and culture festival in Columbia, S.C. for DIY media-makers, will take place April 15-19, 2015, and for the first time, the festival will have a theme: “Future Perfect.” Additionally, 2015’s Indie Grits is calling for visual artists whose work will enhance Columbia’s public spaces during the festival for a multi-faceted exhibit, thanks to funding by an Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The ninth annual Indie Grits, hosted by the Nickelodeon Theatre, South Carolina’s oldest art-house cinema located on Main Street in South Carolina’s capital city, will feature five full days of the best DIY short, experimental, animated and student film, music, food and outside-the-box artistic performances from South Carolina and the Southeast. Indie Grits has twice been named one of MovieMaker magazine’s Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World.

“Forty percent of attendees from last year’s Indie Grits lived outside of Columbia, and we want to do more to attract even more out-of-town participants,” said Seth Gadsden, co-director of Indie Grits Film Festival. “Our participant and attendance numbers are growing each year, but folks tell us again and again that they want to be able to attend more Indie Grits events while they’re in town. So a five-day format will concentrate all the events you’ve come to love about Indie Grits, plus some events we’re adding, like our brand-new call for artists. We’re hoping a jam-packed festival will mean that more people will bring a critical mass to downtown Columbia during Indie Grits.”

Indie Grits Calls for Visual Artists

Indie Grits 2015 will build on the artist-in-residence program sponsored by One Columbia for Arts and History, which began at 2014’s Indie Grits and brought artist Amanda Cassingham-Bardwell and her installation art to the festival. The artist-in-residence program will return to Indie Grits 2015, and thanks to an Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the festival seeks proposals from artists inspired by the Future Perfect theme for the festival.

Indie Grits seeks installations, sculpture, video, photography, mixed media and any kind of art that speaks to the theme of the festival. Indie Grits will accept 15 – 25 artist applicants for exhibition at the festival. Indie Grits will provide accepted artists and collaborations with modest financial support to facilitate materials, shipping, installation and some other incurred costs, and projects will receive up to $1,000. Projects will be displayed throughout the 2015 festival in various locations downtown Columbia, including Tapp’s Center for the Arts. For more information and the application, visit indiegrits.com/submit/art.

As always, Indie Grits Film Festival will continue to focus on offering audiences opportunities to see the best new films coming from independent Southern filmmakers with a far-reaching, experimental scope during the festival. Additionally, festivalgoers will enjoy other favorite events like the Spork in Hand Puppet Slam, a concert at the Columbia Museum of Art and the Slow Food at Indie Grits Sustainable Chefs Showcase.

For more information on Indie Grits, visit www.indiegrits.com or contact Seth Gadsden, festival co-director at Seth@IndieGrits.com, (803) 254-8324.

CMA Jazz on Main kicks off September 12th with Noel Freidline

The Columbia Museum of Art presents the first concert in the new, world-class jazz series, "CMA Jazz on Main," under the artistic direction of internationally renowned band leader Noel Freidline on Friday, September 12, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. The two-concert pilot season last year was a phenomenal success. With the generous support of Dr. Serbin and his partners at Family Medicine Centers of South Carolina, the Museum is proud to present the exciting new series bringing amazing, hot jazz performances to the elegant setting of the DuBose-Poston Reception Hall.

"We are very excited about the coming season of Jazz on Main," says Leslie Pierce, CMA director of adult programs. "The concerts transform the ambience of the Museum into the feel of a cool, laid-back jazz club with soft lighting, a snazzy bar, and wine bottles at nice table seating that really puts the audience in the right mood for exceptional jazz music. The night almost has a velvet feel to it."

The inaugural concert features Nelson Rangell joined by the acclaimed Noel Freidline Trio for an amazing evening of contemporary and straight ahead jazz. Jazziz magazine writes that Nelson Rangell is "an artist of depth, a master of song, and an improviser nonpareil." The Times of London notes "his extraordinary facility on a range of instruments and his undoubted virtuosity," adding that Nelson is "one of fusion's most accomplished exponents."

Such praise is a confirmation of what contemporary jazz fans have known since the Denver-based saxophonist emerged in the late 80s: that Rangell is one of the most exciting and diverse performers in the genre, equally adept at soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone, as well as being a genuine virtuoso on flute and piccolo.

"I'm embarking on a new chapter in my career," says Rangell. "I've been very blessed to have been a participant in the contemporary jazz scene for the past 30 years. The modern and 'popular' jazz scene is undergoing a lot of change. I think for the better. I believe it will be a creative and exciting period for many artists. I hope my performance at 'CMA Jazz on Main' with the excellent Noel Freidline Trio will be a reflection of this. I thank my friend John Baker for bringing me to Columbia for the first time."

Pianist, vocalist, composer, arranger, and educator, Noel Freidline has led his own band since 1992. He is currently a lecturer in music at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is the director of the Lake Norman Big Band (Mooresville, NC), and the artistic director of the new Center City 6th & Tryon Jazz Series in Charlotte, NC.

"I couldn't be happier with how well this series has been received," says Freidline. "And to have the ability to kick off the new season with an artist such as Nelson Rangell is an absolute privilege. The description 'world-class' gets thrown around a lot these days, but Nelson Rangell is truly the embodiment of that phrase. His career speaks for itself, but Nelson is unique in the depth and breadth of musicality and diversity that he can bring to a bandstand. Respect amongst your peers is the hardest-won achievement for performers, and jazz musicians think of Nelson as 'the real deal'."

"I really can't wait to see the 2014-2015 Jazz on Main season unfold," Freidline continues. "We have had such great momentum due in large part to the excellent Columbia audience that has come out and taken part in some spectacular evenings. Every musician who has thus performed has commented to me how great the venue is and especially how wonderful the audiences have been. We simply can't thank Columbia enough for making us feel so welcome."

Based out of Charlotte, N.C., the famous swinging repertoire of Noel Freidline's band mines the best of every genre, from the swing of Duke Ellington to the gritty sincerity of Bonnie Rait, from soulful and edgy reinterpretations of Patti Page to Africanized arrangements of Simon & Garfunkel. Vocally driven, their sound is characterized by sophisticated arrangements that always retain a playful element of spontaneity.

Upcoming concerts in the 2014-2015 season:

• Celebrating the Great American Songbook - Friday, November 14, 2014
• Oscar, Ahmad & George: Three Legends of Piano Jazz - Friday, January 16, 2015
• Tribute to the Swing Bands - Friday, April 17, 2015

Doors open at 7:00 p.m.Concert at 7:30 p.m. Cash Bar.

Season Tickets: $130/ $90 for members

Individual Seats: $35 / $28 for members / $5 students

Premier Table Seating:

$300 6 guests & 2 bottles of wine $200 4 guests & 1 bottle of wine

Tickets and program information can be found at columbiamuseum.org.

First Fridays are about Lowbrow Cinema - Friday September 5th

 

The First Friday Lowbrow Cinema Explosion began in October 2013.  The Nickelodeon invited Bickel to curate a “B movie” series, and he enthusiastically ran with it.  Bickel says, “Rather than do straight ‘B movies,’ I wanted to have the series profile movies which fit a loose set of parameters that I like to call ‘lowbrow.’ We’re mostly dealing with horror and exploitation titles, all with elements that I’d describe as ‘over the top.’”

Past films include Rats: Night of Terror, Pieces, Black Christmas, Hard Ticket to Hawaii, Dolemite, Maniac, Cannibal Ferox, Blood Feast, Bloodsucking Freaks, Pink Flamingos, and MS 45.  Of these films, Bickel says, “Pink Flamingos was the biggest crowd we had.  Black Christmas creeped people out the most.  Hard Ticket to Hawaii had the audience laughing the most.”

While these are all films that Bickel loves, he selects the films in the series “for their authenticity of execution as well as their over-the-top content.”  He tries to pick “the most mind-meltingly oddball films from the golden age of splatter and exploitation.”  Upcoming films include Ilsa She Wolf of the SS, Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41, Cemetery Man, Silent Night Deadly Night, Sleepaway Camp, and My Bloody Valentine.

Screenings take place at 11:00 pm on Friday nights, and the audience is fairly warned about what they are getting themselves into.  While the films undeniably push multiple boundaries, the series has been incredibly well received.  Bickel says, “After the movies I am generally thanked for bringing something to the screen that someone had only ever heard about or showing something someone remembered renting on VHS when they were a teenager and thought they would never get to see in a crowded theatre.”  Bickel would like for attendees to learn something new about this type of cinema that’s most likely quite different from what they’re used to, but he mostly hopes people enjoy the film and have a great time.  The films do go “too far,” but the audience seems to appreciate them for this very reason and be willing to go “too far” along with them.  “Columbia is suddenly more open-minded than we all thought!” says Bickel.

- Abby Davis

Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS will be playing at the Nickelodeon Theatre on Friday, September 5^th at 11:00 pm.  Tickets can be purchased at www.nickelodeon.org.

ONLY YOU CAN START THE FOREST FIRE THAT WILL OCCUR IF DOS MIDLER MEETS CORKY ST. CLAIR by Alex Smith

Last summer I had the pleasure of acting in my friends Chris and Emily White's film CINEMA PURGATORIO. I portrayed a possibly fictional European expatriate living in the southeast U.S. named Dos Midler. I had WAY too much fun, met and worked with an amazing group of people, got to play a role which now ranks among my favorites (and kiss Chris on the mouth MANY times in the process), and the film turned out to be a real gem, a beautiful, hilarious piece of art that speaks extremely well of the state of cinema in our state. I was rewarded for my efforts and time by not only getting to be a part of this wonderful film, but being treated as a VIP at the very first public screening CINEMA PURGATORIO in Columbia back in June.

Chris and Emily have been hauling the film all across the U.S. for screenings, and I've tried to make it to one or two of them, to no avail. When Chris told me that they had secured a screening at one of the nation's premiere independent cinemas, Clinton Street Theater in Portland, Oregon, and that it would open a double bill that would close with a 25th anniversary screening of Christopher Guest's THE BIG PICTURE, I jokingly mentioned to him that if he and Emily could find someone to pay for the flight and hotel, that I would bring Dos to the Portland screening.

Literally, the next day, I received an e-mail from Chris with this link:

www.CinemaPurgatorioFilm.com/dos

...and the amazing news that, per my suggestion, he and Emily had created a page for me (and for other people in the cast and crew who had expressed interest in going to the Portland screening) at the CINEMA PURGATORIO web site to raise money for us to be flown out for the screening and put up for the night! 

WHAT?!?!?

Amazing. I knew Chris and Emily were kind and generous, but this blew my mind ...

So, here's the deal. Follow this link:

www.CinemaPurgatorioFilm.com/dos

...and click on the button that says, "CLICK HERE TO SEND DOS".

You can contribute anywhere from $5 to $500, with some pretty nice incentives in return for your contribution, and once $500 is raised, BAM! Dos is going to Portland (I myself have already put a little bread into the pot, so let's just say I'm already 1/10th of the way there!).

Also, in the odd event that more than $500 is contributed in my name, all the money over $500 goes toward sending another member of the CINEMA PURGATORIO team to the screening! Again, Chris and Emily White are the BEST!

Now, you're probably wondering why you should help send me to this screening. Well, let's start with the personal: I haven't been on a vacation beyond North or South Carolina since August of 2001, and this whirlwind of a trip would be such a lovely little working vacation, and it would also be so beautiful to spend time with my wonderful friends watching their wonderful film ... but that's not the important part.

The important part is that when you send me, you will be sending Dos Midler to the Portland screening of Cinema Purgatorio. Dos and I are very different people, yes, but we are alike in three key ways:

1. Dos and I are both cinematic masters.

2. Dos and I both own tickle bats (I'll tell you about that later).

3. Dos and I are both troublemakers.

You send Dos or me to this screening, and what was already classified as an "event" turns into a full fledged CAPER (and you'd better believe there will be documentation of this caper's unfolding right here in the Jasper blog, minute by minute, as it happens)!

So what do you think? Are you ready to make me Jasper's man (and I use that term very loosely) on the ground in Portland when the deal goes down and CINEMA PURGATORIO premieres there? If so, click the link:

www.CinemaPurgatorioFilm.com/dos

...follow the instructions, and get ready for "ess" to get real!

If you need any other reasons here are some videos that might bolster your confidence:

THE SECRET MAGICAL GREEN SCREEN SESSION

DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH A COLUMN AT 701 WHALEY

DOS IS WILD, TRAILER 1

DOS IS WILD, TRAILER 2

Come Figure Out what Tapp’s is Excited About (Nudes. It’s Nudes.)

Tapp’s Art Center presents the second annual showing of Figure Out: A Figurative Art Show.  The show will open on First Thursday and run through Saturday, September 27.

A mix of painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, and film, all of the pieces will depict the human form in one way or another.  A panel lunch on art and sexuality including artists, educators, and coalition partners will occur on Wednesday, September 17 at noon.

In addition to the artwork, the event on Thursday night will feature live music by Lindsay Holler’s Western Polaroids and an interactive drawing lesson by Said Bouftass, a Moroccan artist who studied in Paris, and is now the artist-in-residence at Redbird Studio.  Bouftass will teach participants how to do large-scale portraits, pictures larger than life-size in an effort to actually use the body while drawing it.

Opening night is September 4, 6 - 10 pm at Tapp’s Art Center on 1644 Main St.

- Kirby Knowlton

A sneak peek at the upcoming Midlands theatre season

School has started, football season has started, annual festivals (SC Pride, Rosewood Arts, Greek Festival) are only weeks away, which can only mean one thing:  Midlands theatres are about to kick off their new seasons as well! That's right - while you were lounging at the lake or the beach, or visiting Disney World or your great-aunt Sophie, several hundred local singers, dancers, actors, musicians, and behind-the-scenes artists and technicians were in rehearsals at the numerous professional and community theatres that fill Columbia, just so that you will have plenty of opportunities for live entertainment this fall.  Here's a very quick, incomplete, and imperfect roster of some of the shows coming up.  (Disclaimer: these are simply some of the local theatre groups that have announced seasons, but this is not meant to represent anything definitive. )

Lexington Arts Association (at the Village Square Theatre)

• Grease - September 26 - October 12

• Cheaper by the Dozen - November 7 - November 16

• Christmas in Lexington (non-season, holiday-themed revue) - December 5 - December 14

• Disney's Peter Pan, Jr. - January 30 - February 15

• Neil Simon's The Odd Couple (female version) - March 20 - March 29

• Annie Get Your Gun - May 1 - May 17

Town Theatre

• Oklahoma! - Sept. 19 - 11 Oct. 11

• White Christmas - November 14 – December 7

• Always...Patsy Cline (non-season show) -  January 8 – 18

• Driving Miss Daisy - January 30 – February 14

• Sugar (the musical version of the film Some Like It Hot) - March 6 – 21

• Spamalot - May 8 – 30

Workshop Theatre  (now performing at the 701 Whaley Market Place, i.e. the one-story structure adjacent to the main event hall, facing Whaley Street)

• Five Guys Named Moe - September 18-21

• The Dining Room - November 6-9

• Neil Simon's Broadway Bound (3rd in the trilogy that has included Biloxi Blues and Brighton Beach Memoirs) - January 15-18

• Stick Fly - March 12-15

• Lend Me a Tenor - May 7-10

South Carolina Shakespeare Company

•  King Lear - October 1 -11 at Finlay Park

• The Taming of the Shrew - May (dates tba)

On Stage Productions (located at 680 Cherokee Lane in West Columbia)

• Legends Country Music Show (a country music revue  from Broadway to the Grand Ole Opry)  - September 19- 28

• A Very Second Samuel Christmas - December 12 -20

• Twelfth Night (yes, the Shakespearean comedy!) - February 13-22

• The Secret Garden - April 17-26

Columbia Children's Theatre  (upstairs in Richland Mall)

• How I Became a Pirate - September 19-28

• Jack Frost - December 5-14

• Bunnicula - Feb. 20 - Mar. 1

• Skippyjon Jones in Cirque de Olé - April 10-19

•  Brer Rabbit - June 12-21

Chapin Theatre Company   (performing at the Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College)

• Last Stop Chapin - Sept. 5 - 20 

• 'Tis the Season - October 31 - November 9 (non-season show, performed at the Firehouse Theatre at the American Legion Post - 102 Lexington Avenue in Chapin)

• Suite Surrender - February 2015

• Into the Woods - June 2015

• Noises Off - Sept 2015

USC's Theatre South Carolina (main stage season)

• Ajax in Iraq - October 3-11 - Longstreet Theatre

• Thornton Wilder's Our Town - November 14-22 - Longstreet Theatre

• Brian Friel's Translations - February 20-28 - Longstreet Theatre

• The Three Musketeers (by Alexandre Dumas; adapted by Ken Ludwig) - April 17-25 - Drayton Hall Theatre

USC's Lab Theatre (at 1400 Wheat Street)

•  Good Boys and True -  October 9-12

• The Women of Lockerbie - November 20-23

• The Trojan Women (by Euripides) - February 26 – March 1

• Player King (original play, written and directed by student Ryan Stevens) - April 23-26

USC's Center for Performance Experiment

• Balance (original play by Robyn Hunt, conceived/directed by Steven Pearson, both faculty members) - February 23 - 28

• Macbeth - April 27 & 29

Theatre Rowe's Southeastern Theatrical Arts Bandits (S.T.A.B.)  (not a traditional season, and presenting shows in alternating venues)

• Going Once, Going Twice...Murder!  - August 22 -  October 3

• Haunting at the Old Mill - October 10 - November 1

• John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men - November 8 - 23

Trustus Theatre - Thigpen Main Stage

•  Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike - Sept. 12 - 27

• A Christmas Carol - Nov. 21  – Dec. 20

• In the Red and Brown Water - Jan. 23  – Feb. 7

• Godspell - Mar. 27– Apr. 11

• Other Desert Cities - May 8- 23

• Dreamgirls - Jun. 26  – Aug. 1

• Big City (Playwrights' Festival winner) - Aug. 15-22

Richard and Debbie Cohn Side Door Theatre at Trustus

• The Other Place -  Oct. 17 -  Nov. 1

• Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays -  Jan. 3 - 17

• You Better Sit Down: Tales from My Parents’ Divorce - Feb. 27 – Mar. 14

• Bill W. and Dr. Bob -  May 29 – June 13

...............

Additionally, there are a number of performing groups that do one or more shows a year, including High Voltage Theatre,  the NiA Company, Blythewood Community Theatre, WOW (Walking on Water Productions), La Tropa, and New Life Productions - click on the links to their sites for details on upcoming productions. WOW, in fact, has an event this coming weekend, Fri. Sept. 5 - Sun. Sept. 7, with scenes from past and future productions; details are here.

~ August Krickel

CALL for Artists: Deadline for 701 CCA Prize 2014 Nears

701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia, S.C., announces the second installment of the 701 CCA Prize, an art competition and exhibition for professional South Carolina artists 40 years and younger occurring every other year. The project will take place this year with a juried process resulting in a October – December exhibition for the competition’s three finalists and an award celebration announcing the winner. Eligible artists are invited to apply for the 701 CCA Prize by completing and submitting the application package by September 8, 2014.

“With this second installment of the 701 CCA Prize, 701 Center for Contemporary Art continues to add a crucial component to the eco-system and infra-structure for artists and the visual arts in South Carolina,” 701 CCA board chair Wim Roefs said. “The 701 CCA Prize is the most important platform to highlight some of the extraordinary young talent in South Carolina, and as such, this competition and exhibition has come to fill a void, not unlike 701 CCA South Carolina Biennial has with respect to a regular overview of contemporary art in our state.”

The project’s purpose is to identify and recognize artists 40 years and younger whose work is exemplary in its originality, shows awareness of artistic developments and is of high artistic merit. The 701 CCA Prize will be awarded to one young professional South Carolina artist for outstanding art production since January 1, 2012. Aside from the age requirement, eligible artists must currently live in South Carolina. They must have or have had a solo exhibition in a museum, art center, regular commercial gallery or a designated gallery space in a cultural facility between September 1, 2012 – September 1, 2014. They also must fulfill several practical requirements outlined in the application guidelines. The application fee is $25.

An independent jury of three art professionals will select three finalists for the 701 CCA Prize. The three finalists will be included in the 701 CCA Prize Exhibition from October 30 – December 21, 2014, at 701 CCA. The exhibition’s opening reception will be October 30. The 701 CCA Prize Winner will be announced during the 701 CCA Prize Celebration on November 27, 2014.

The 701 CCA Prize Winner will receive a six-week, paid residency at 701 CCA; a solo exhibition at 701 CCA; consultation services from a professional advertising and marketing firm; and an ad in a national publication. The jurors for the 701 CCA Prize 2014 will be announced later.

“The 701 CCA Prize is loosely based on the Turner Prize for artists in the United Kingdom,” board chair Roefs said. “The Turner Prize is one of the most prestigious art awards in the world and generates a lot of exposure for and excitement about the finalists. While the 701 CCA Prize differs in several ways from the Turner Prize, we hope that with a South Carolina context, it will trigger similar interest and excitement.”

For further inquiries, contact director@701cca.org or call Sheldon Paschal at (803) 319.9949.

About the 701 CCA Prize:  The 701 CCA Prize, organized by 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia, S.C., is an art competition and exhibition for young professional South Carolina artists. The project’s purpose is to identify and recognize artists 40 years and younger whose work is exemplary in its originality, shows awareness of artistic developments and is of high artistic merit. The 701 CCA Prize will be awarded to one artist for outstanding art production since January 1, 2012. Summary of Procedures Applications must be in the possession of 701 CCA by September 8, 2014, 5:00 p.m. An independent jury of three art professionals will select three finalists for the 701 CCA Prize based on, first, artistic merit as shown through provided images and, second, supporting materials about the applicants’ art production and career. The three finalists will be included in the 701 CCA Prize exhibition at 701 CCA. Works by each finalist for the 701 CCA Prize exhibition will be selected by a 701 CCA curatorial team.   The 701 CCA Prize winner will be selected from the three finalists by the independent jury based on the artists’ applications. The 701 CCA Prize winner will be announced during the 701 CCA Prize Celebration on November 27, 2014. The Prize Package The 701 CCA Prize winner will receive: ■ A six-week, paid residency at 701 CCA; ■  A solo exhibition at 701 CCA; ■  An ad in a national art publication concurrent with the solo exhibition. ■  Consultation services from a professional advertising and marketing firm; Members of the 701 CCA Prize 2014 jury will be announced later. Crucial Dates July 11 – September 8, 2014 Application Period September 16 Public Screening of Selected Prize Applicants September 17 – 19 Jury Selections September 24 Announcement of Three Finalists October 30 Exhibition Opens October 30 Exhibition Opening Reception November 27 Prize Celebration and Announcement of Winner December 21 Exhibition Closes Application Fee The application fee is $25, which must be included with the completed application. Eligible Artists Eligible artists must: ■ Currently live in South Carolina; ■ Be a professional artist 40 years or younger on October 30, 2014; ■ Have had or have a solo exhibition in a museum, art center, commercial gallery or a designated gallery space in a cultural   facility between  September 1, 2012 – September 1, 2014 (exhibitions in venues that are, as determined by 701 CCA, not  professional art institutions and/or primarily an art institution, such as restaurants, coffee shops, stores, bars, etc., are not    eligible); ■ Have by September 24, 2014, available a body of work in one or more visual art medium/media completed after January 1,    2012, substantially enough to fill approximately one-third of the 2,500 square feet gallery space at 701 CCA. In case of    performance art work, high quality DVD representations of past performances must be available.  Performance artists will be    required to provide a schedule of no less than 3 public performances during the exhibition period.  In case of site-specific    installation art, artists must be willing and able to create a site-specific installation at 701 CCA for the 701 CCA Prize exhibition    between October 23 – 28, 2014.  ■ Agree to deliver art works selected for the 701 CCA Prize exhibition with requested paperwork to 701 CCA on Friday or   Saturday, October 19 or 20, 2014.  ■ Be available to attend the opening reception of the 701 CCA Prize exhibition on October 30, 2014, AND the 701 CCA Prize    celebration on November 27, 2014, during which the 701 CCA Prize winner will be announced. Required Application Materials To apply, the following materials must be provided on DVD or CD unless otherwise noted: 1. The completed and signed Application Form. (Hard Copy) 2. Ten (10) high-quality, digital images, 300 dpi or more (visual and craft artists) or 3 videos (media and performance artists) of art works completed since January 1, 2012. The images must show art works strongly related to what would be available for the 701 CCA Prize exhibition. 3. The images or videos must be accompanied by a completed Checklist Form. The information in the image documents headers must first list the artist’s last name, then the number corresponding to the image’s number in the checklist, then the checklist information. 4. Documentation of one solo exhibition fitting the criteria described under “Eligible Artists.”   The solo exhibition documentation MUST include: a).  A completed Solo Exhibition Documentation Form signed by the artist AND the director, curator, board chair, owner or    other person in charge of the art venue where the exhibition took place. (Hard Copy)  b).  An original invitation to the solo exhibition (Hard Copy).                 c).  Gallery installation shots, reviews, exhibition brochures, publications, articles, etc., that document the solo exhibition. 5. A resume/CV. 6. A bio of no more than 300 words. 7. An artist’s statement of no more than 300 words addressing the applicant’s general artistic vision and how this vision applies to   his or her art production since January 1, 2012, as shown in the images included with the application. 8. A check for $25 payable to 701 CCA. Submitting Applications Applications containing the DVD/CD with all required forms and materials, hard copies of other required forms and the artist’s solo exhibition invitation and a check for $25 should be received no later than September 8, 2014, 5:00 p.m., at 701 CCA. Questions: Contact us at director@701cca.org or contact Sheldon Paschal at 803.319.9949. Mail application to: 701 CCA 701 CCA Prize P.O. Box 12822 Columbia, S.C. 29211 Application materials will not be return

A Train Leaves a Seed - a guest blog by Todd Kemmerling, author of "Last Stop Chapin"

It was January of 2010 and my younger son, Jared, was participating in his first play – Cheaper  By the Dozen - with director Tiffany Dinsmore and the Chapin Theatre Company - CTC’s final production at their long-time venue on Columbia Avenue in downtown Chapin.  Jared was 11 at the time.  Most nights I would be the one to drive him to rehearsal, and typically I would sit near the back of the theatre and read. You might be thinking, “Yeah? So what?”  I know.  Bear with me.

Two things stand out from that time: First, the theatre was unheated, and sometimes the room felt like a winter’s day in New Jersey.  Second, a couple of times each night, a freight train would barge through Chapin, sounding its horn at each and every railroad crossing. As the theatre was located not a hundred yards from the nearest crossing, the rumble of the train – and its horn – would overwhelm all other sounds as it crossed Columbia Avenue.

On one of those nights, when I happened to be standing outside as a train came through, the whisper of a story idea wandered into my mind ... What if?

And so it was on that cold January night that the seed of a story took root in the recesses of my  brain; a seed that wouldn’t begin to grow until the summer of 2012 when I started sketching out the themes, storylines, and characters who would inhabit its world. Upon completion of the first “storyboard,” I quietly shared the premise and scene flowchart with experienced thespian Jim DeFelice. After receiving some quality feedback from Jim and others, I starting writing the story and four weeks later, a clean rough draft of Last Stop Chapin was born.

“So,” you might be thinking, “What is this story about? Will it relate to me?”  Well, the over-arching theme is at the same time simple and complex.  Should I reach for my dreams and risk failure, or should I follow a safer route that provides a more realistic chance for a stable, secure life.  For just about all of us, this is a dilemma that we have faced – or will face – in some form or fashion.

“Okay, but... what’s it about?” Alright -  here’s a synopsis of what you will see and hear on stage:

Since he was a small boy, Tripp Corbett has watched with wonder as the trains powered through his small, rural hometown, all the while dreaming about the amazing places to which they might be headed. Encouraged by his Uncle Mike, Tripp learned to use a battered old guitar and an uncanny ability for songwriting to vocalize those dreams. Now, within weeks of his high school graduation, Tripp’s talents have gained the attention of a major record company. But the promise of travel and a career in music hangs in the balance as Tripp is forced to decide between his dreams and the realities of life – his love for his girlfriend, the demands of a father who lives by a strict code of personal responsibility, and a web of family secrets that threatens to tear the Corbett family apart.

Better?  Good. So, here we are, under two weeks away from the Sept. 5, 2014 world premiere of Last Stop Chapin at the Harbison Theatre on the Midlands Technical College campus in Irmo, SC.  And all I can tell you is that the cast is strong, and, under the directorial leadership of the talented and experienced Jocelyn Sanders, the first edition of the show is coming together nicely. So, for more information and to reserve your tickets,  go to ChapinTheatre.org.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Last Stop Chapin, an original play by Todd Kemmerling, will open Friday, Sept. 5, 2014, at the Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College, 7300 College St., Irmo, SC 29063.

Staged by Chapin Theatre Company and directed by Jocelyn Sanders, this will be the show's debut production after a staged reading last year at Trustus Theatre. Show dates are: Sept. 5-6, 11-14, and 18-20, 2014. All performances are at 8 pm, with the exception of the Sept. 14 performance, which is a 3 pm matinee. Visit www.chapintheatre.org for tickets and more information, and visit the

Cast

Harlan Corbett -- Merritt Vann Abby Corbett -- Cathy Carter Scott Tripp Corbett -- Tyler Kemmerling Rose Pollard -- Shelby Beasley Mike Corbett -- George Dinsmore Walt Harris -- Jim DeFelice Emma Corbett -- Eliza Schneider Cody Bass -- Logan Baldwin Jed Lewis -- Kyle Myers Daryl Matson -- Jared Kemmerling

Production Staff:

Jocelyn Sanders -- Director Jim DeFelice -- Producer Kara Pound -- Stage Manager Tiffany Dinsmore -- Costumer

Show Dates: Sept. 5, 6, 11, 12, 13 (8 pm) Sept. 14 (3 pm) Sept. 18, 19, 20 (8 pm)

CMA Artist Salon with Virginia Scotchie

The Columbia Museum of Art presents the next Artist Salon with Virginia Scotchie, ceramics artist and head of ceramics at the USC Department of Art, at the Museum on Friday, September 5, 2014, at noon. This year, the CMA placed an installation of Scotchie's work entitled Columbia Spheres, consisting of 27 colorful spheres, on display in the entrance of the Dubose-Poston Reception Hall. She discusses the installation and her artistic process.

"The sphere has been a form that I have worked with off and on for the past nine years," says Scotchie. "Its illusive simplicity, economy, and boundless visual associations permit me to work with the sphere in many ways. I respond to the minimal nature and play/humor quality of the sphere. I should also mention that I have three children and the plethora of toys, specifically balls, abounds in my everyday world. 'Play' is significant in this artwork!"

In Columbia Spheres, the sphere is used to create a minimalist repetition through the use of form, color, and arrangement. Within this visual repetition Scotchie pulls the viewer closer to inspect each sphere as they approach the installation. The juxtaposition of color and texture serves to separate, and at the same time, unite each sphere. The colors used for this installation represent Columbia's abundance of lush nature and blue sky.

Scotchie's sphere installations are found in the permanent public collections of the Yingee Ceramic Museum in Taipei, Taiwan; The Trinity Building in Charlotte, N.C.; A Loft in Asheville, N.C., Queens University in Charlotte, N.C., as well as in numerous private collections in the U.S. and Europe. She currently has a year-long exhibition at the South Carolina State Museum.

Free with membership or admission.

For more information visit columbiamuseum.org

LOCAL POET AND ARTS ADVOCATE, AL BLACK, LAUNCHES HIS FIRST BOOK OF POETRY, I ONLY LEFT FOR TEA: POEMS

Local poet, arts advocate, and arts organizer Al Black releases his first book, I only Left for Tea:  Poems, on Friday, August 29^th with a 7 pm party at the historic Equitable Arcade Building at 1332 Main Street.  Edited by Ed Madden, I Only Left for Tea:  Poems is a publication of Muddy Ford Press, underwriter for Jasper Magazine. It is the press’s 11^th publication.

Black, a native of Indiana, moved to the Columbia area in 2008 when his wife accepted a teaching position at Newberry College. A life-long poet, Black, who is also a former coach and athlete, had never shared his work with others—not even his wife, Carol—but he craved the community of writers so he soon began establishing poetry groups to meet various needs in Columbia’s growing writing community. Now, Al leads Mind Gravy, a combination music and poetry group that meets at Drip Coffee in Five Points, as well as two other groups, Bones of the Spirit and Songversation, both of which meet in West Columbia.

The celebration of I Only Left for Tea will feature a signing and reading by Black as well as a musical performance by local music group Daddy Lion, light refreshments, and a cash (donation) bar. The public is invited to attend.

About Al Black

A Hoosier in the land of cotton, Al Black was born and raised in Lafayette, Indiana.  He has been married 42 years to Carol Agnew Black; they have four grown children and nine grandchildren. Black was drafted and served as a Conscientious Objector during the Vietnam era, attended Ball State and Purdue Universities, and is a Baha'i. By day he has worked in various management positions and been a business owner; by night he has been an athlete, coach, community activist, and town gadfly. Black began writing verse at age nine, but kept his poems strictly to himself. In late 2008, he moved to South Carolina so his wife could accept a job as a professor of Sociology. Unemployed for the first time and free from family and community expectations, he publicly shared his first poetry four years ago.  Black considers himself a northern born Southern poet because it was here in the South that he felt free to blossom.

Ed Madden on Al Black's I Only Left for Tea

“We return here often,” says Al Black in the book’s title poem, “to resume mid-sentence our conversation upon my deck.” That’s the feel of this book, a kind of wide-ranging conversation with a friend. Even as the book teases out in confessional poems the relation between the past and the present, the author’s origins in the Midwest and his life now in the American South, and even as it opens out into broader perspective in voices and stories that spin through the heart of the book, it comes back to the quiet intimacy and vulnerability that drives this collection.  Leavetaking and loss haunt the book, but a desire for connection and continuity keeps us coming back to the deck for that “gift of time together.” – Ed Madden, author of Nest

I Only Left For Tea

We return here often

To resume mid-sentence

Our conversation upon my deck

Paisley patterned spinning backward

Then forward – narrowing and swelling into its self

Like designs upon a blanket

Is time a straight line?

Postulated geometry – point A to point B

Or maybe, it is a long and colorful ribbon that ties

Our gift of time together

Moments that are more than anniversaries

To etch upon our gravestones

You and I return here often

To resume our full-flight soaring

On communion’s thermal zephyrs

What is yesterday – today – tomorrow?

I only left for tea

We return here often – wrapped in our paisley blanket

To resume mid-sentence

From I Only Left for Tea:  Poems by Al Black, Muddy Ford Press, 2014.

CALL for NOMINATIONS - Jasper 2014 Artists of the Year

Jasper 2014 Artists of the Year

Nominations close in SIX DAYS!

DEADLINE = SEPTEMBER 21st

The nominations have started coming in!

Jasper Magazine announces the call for nominations for the title “Artist of the Year” in each of the following five categories:

• Dance
• Theatre
• Music
• Visual Arts
• Literary Arts

Artists, 18 and older, working in the greater Columbia arts community are eligible for the title based upon their artistic accomplishments during the period from September 15, 2013 until September 15, 2014.

Nominations should be sent to editor@JasperColumbia.com with the subject heading “Artist of the Year” and should be accompanied by

• a brief but detailed and comprehensive list of work produced or performed during the designated time period

Nominations must be received online by midnight September 21, 2014. Results will be announced in the November issue of Jasper Magazine.

Upon closing of the nomination call, a panel of judges will select the top three candidates in each field, and the public will be invited to vote online for their top choices.

The category Dance includes:  performance, choreography, or direction of any form of dance including, but not limited to ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, ballroom, or folk.

The category Theatre includes: directing or acting in one or more local performances.

The category Music includes: conducting, directing, writing, or performing any style of music in one or more local concerts or recordings; both individuals and groups are eligible.

The category Visual Arts includes: the completion and presentation of any form of non-performing or non-literary arts, such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, print-making, mixed-media, etc.

The category Literary Arts includes: the completion, publication, and/or presentation of any form of prose, poetry, or non-fiction writing, as well as playwriting and the writing of executed screenplays.

Jasper 2014 Artist of the Year Awards will not be awarded based on achievements accomplished prior to September 2013. The purpose of the awards is to recognize artistic achievements accomplished within a calendar year. There is no fee to enter. Artists may nominate themselves. Artists should be made aware of their nomination and agree to participate in the competition. Employees of Jasper Magazine and clients of Muddy Ford Press are not eligible for competition.

5 Playwrights - 5 Directors - 5 Casts of 4 Actors -- 1 Night Only with FEST 24!

FEST 24: 5 playwrights, 5 directors, and 20 actors create and perform 5 new 10-minute plays in 24 hours. Always entertaining, always a whirlwind - and not to be missed! You'll truly have a unique experience at this one-night only performance!

This is how it works --

• 7 pm - Saturday evening (August 23rd):  5 directors show up at Trustus Theatre and pick (from a hat, we can only assume) one of 5 playwrights and 5 casts of 4 actors. A matter of minutes later, the playwrights (not all currently in SC, but all with ties to SC) each receive an email with instructions that they have until 7 am Sunday morning to create an original, 10 minute play that includes 1 specific prop and 1 specific line of dialogue, (which will be announced to the public just before 8 pm on Saturday evening.)

• Night falls, playwrights write, actors and directors sleep - restlessly.

• 7:30 am Sunday morning (August 24th): directors and casts show up once again and meet with artistic/criminal mastermind Chad Henderson who delivers unto them brand new, never performed plays, fresh from the printer and the exhausted imaginations of the now sleeping playwrights.

• 8 am until 7:59 pm Sunday -- directors and casts rehearse tirelessly

• 8 pm Sunday -- YOU show up to Trustus theatre (there are a few seats left, but not many) as the 5 brand new world premiere plays are performed to witness the kind of innovative, cutting edge theatre arts Columbia can now get accustomed to.

BOOM!

This is how we do it now.

~~~

Introducing the actors:

and the directors:

And the playwrights:

A resident playwright at New Dramatists since 2007, Sarah's plays are Green Girl, The Extinction of Felix Garden, Circus Tracks, Kudzu, and House on Stilts. Honors include the Lippmann Family “New Frontier” Award, Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Heideman Award, commissions from South Coast Repertory and Broadway Across America, and a residency at The Royal National Theatre in London. String, her musical with Adam Gwon, won the Frederick Loewe Award at New Dramatists, a NAMT residency grant, the Weston Playhouse New Musicals Award, and was chosen for the Eugene O'Neill National Music Theatre Conference. Her plays have been produced at the Summer Play Festival at The Public, Trustus Theatre, Hangar Lab, City Theatre Summer Shorts, Live Girls! Theater, Collaboraction, Tulsa New Works for Women, and several universities. Her short plays are published in Ten-Minute Plays for 2 Actors: The Best of 2004 (Smith and Kraus) and Great Short Plays: Volume 6 (Playscripts, Inc.).

A New York-based playwright who originally hails from South Carolina. In recent years he's had two plays premiere Off-Broadway: in 2007, Fate's Imagination opened at the Players Theatre (Entertaining...Tasty plot twists and some very funny lines, The New York Times), and in 2006 Sake with the Haiku Geisha opened at the Perry Street Theatre (Witty, Observant, The New York Times) and was chosen as one of Backstage magazine's Picks of the Week. His one-act play Sushi and Scones was broadcast by the BBC, and his two screenplays (Quintet and Revelation) were both finalists for the Sundance Filmmakers Lab. He is the Resident Playwright of Gotham Stage Company, the writer of the annual Fred and Adele Astaire Awards (for best of dance on Broadway and in film) and an active member of the Dramatists Guild.

A playwright, screenwriter and a graduate of the University of South Carolina and UCLA’s professional screenwriting program. Robbie’s first play, Mina Tonight!, was published by Samuel French Inc. and has been produced in regional theatres across the nation. He is also the writer/director of the musical theatrical production, The Twitty Triplets, which has been produced at Trustus and other local venues over the last two decades years (and set to return in 2015). Robbie’s screenplays have placed in several national contests, and his latest, Sweet Child of Mine, was named one of the top 12 comedy scripts in the Austin Film Festival’s Screenwriting Competition. Last year in NYC, Robertson staged a sold out run of his staged adaptation of the film Satan in High Heels, a work that received its first staged reading at Trustus. In 2013, he was awarded the SC Arts Commission Fellowship in Screenwriting. Robbie thanks Larry Hembree and Chad Henderson for their sincere interest and courage in mounting new works.

An emerging playwright, Dean was selected as a Kennedy Center / ACTF Core Member Apprentice at the Playwrights’ Center (Minneapolis, MN) for the 2010 / 2011 season. His plays include: THE MORE BEYOND (developed with Playwrights' Center, Kennedy Center, The Puzzle Festival NYC, The Flea, Semi-Finalist for the 2011 Princess Grace Award), BELLHAMMER, a modern allegory set in the world of Christian Professional Wrestling (developed at Carnegie Mellon University, Semi-Finalist for the O'Neill Theatre Conference), the full-length drama PARADISE KEY (Winner of the 2010 Trustus Theatre Playwrights' Festival, produced at Arena Players Repertory Theatre in NY, Trustus Theatre, Hyde Park Theatre), the Zombie-thriller H apocalyptus (produced by The Salvage Company at the Cairns Festival, Queensland Australia, and at Piccolo Spoleto Festival, developed at The Garage Theatre in San Francisco, and in residency at The Studios of Key West), the full-length drama, LOSING SLEEP (Winner of the 2008 Helford Prize in Drama, and produced Off-Off Broadway at the American Theatre of Actors), and the full-length, two-person comedy, COMPANY TIME (developed under luxurious circumstances at the Players Theatre, NYC.)Dean's screenplay SALK, the true story of the discovery of the vaccine against Polio, won the 2009 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation student screenplay award. Dean graduated from WheatonCollege, Wheaton, IL, with degrees in Philosophy and Communications, and received his MFA in Dramatic Writing at CarnegieMellonUniversity where he was a two-time recipient of the Shubert Foundation Fellowship. He is a Principle Artist with The Salvage Company (NYC), and a proud member the Playwrights’ Center and the Dramatists Guild of America.

Downey has written plays before and he hopes the knowledge of that makes you feel like the two hundred bucks you're shelling out for a celebrity impersonator to join you at the "legitimate theater" tonight isn't going to waste. The important thing to remember is that Mike is getting out there and is no longer aware of his grotesque limitations. Mr. Downey (Janet if you're nasty) likes huffing gin, shouting at cars, and collecting wall hangings that have printings of that footprint dealie about Jesus. He's six foot one inch tall and would love to talk about the 1984 film "2010: The Year We Make Contact" with you over tea and Bavarian sage rugelach. His wife and children tolerate his frequent Finish Jenkka dancing…barely.

FolkFabulous! Festival on the Horseshoe celebrates Native American heritage

The University of South Carolina’s McKissick Museum will present the 2nd annual FOLKFabulous festival on August 23, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in front of the museum on USC’s historic Horseshoe.

This event is free and open to the public.

FOLKFabulous 2014 is the largest gathering of Southeastern Native American artists in the history of the University of South Carolina. The program celebrates the vibrant and diverse traditions of Native American communities in the Southeast by providing Native musicians, artisans, and community leaders a chance to share their stories, songs, and crafts with the interested public. FOLKFabulous is a free, interactive event for the entire family, complementing the exhibit Traditions, Change, and Celebration: Native Artists of the Southeast.  FOLKFabulous is an outdoor festival where Native American musicians, artists, and community leaders from more than ten different Southeastern tribes will share their cultural traditions.  Participating artists include Keith Brown demonstrating Catawba pottery, Tuscarora music by the Deer Clan Singers, and Cherokee storyteller and stonecarver Freeman Owle.

The Deer Clan Singers of the Tuscarora Nation are led by Dave Locklear with Mark Deese and Chad Locklear from North Carolina. The group, which represents the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina, plays complicated harmonies that are distinctive in the Indian genre including the singing Tutelo-Tuscarora and Iroquois Social Dance Songs. They have performed at Merle Fest, Shakori Grassroots Festival, and the River People Festival. Traditional food will be available from the Native American Café and Pollywogs, and attendees will have numerous opportunities for direct dialogue with artists and community leaders.

Cherokee storyteller Freeman Owle will spend the afternoon telling ancient stories of the Cherokee.  Owle was born in 1946 on the Qualla Indian Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. Owle became a Cherokee historian and storyteller in 1990, and he is an authoritative lecturer, Cherokee elder and demonstrator of Cherokee culture. He has received many awards, including the North Carolina Folklorist of the Year award in 2001, and the Preserve America Presidential Award in 2004. He has lectured to many groups of all ages at the community, state and national levels. In December 2008, he taught the art of storytelling at the Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

At FOLKFabulous , enjoy the beauty, skill, and majesty of the flamboyant Fancy Dance, featuring free-style movement with lots of energy, spectacular regalia, and sacred songs from the Northern Plains at this year's FolkFabulous on August 23.  Vibrant-colored headdresses... pulsating drumming... fancy FOLKFabulous 2014 footwork... experience the excitement of a Native American powwow, with the Cultural Arts Ensemble  of the Cherokee Indian Tribe of SC!

Since November 1994, the Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois &  United Tribes Cultural Arts Ensemble have been doing performances and outreach in Columbia. The ensemble, lead by Native folklorist Will Moreau, have been sharing Native American dance, music, art, history, and poetry with audiences around the state of South Carolina as an Approved Artist on the SCAC Roster.  They have performed in Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina and throughout the southeast region. Their programs entertain, educate and foster a contemporary  image of our nation’s first culture. ECSIUT-Cultural Arts Ensemble’s program combines traditions from various nations, help audiences understand the vast differences between Native American Nations. By sharing the origin and history of the dances, as well as the meaning of their traditional regalia, they provide the audience with authentic interpretations. At FolkFabulous, the Cultural Arts Ensemble will feature specialty dances of the SubMerged Cypress Singers and Dancers from the Tuscarora Indians of North Carolina. The Tuscarora, like the Cherokee, are a southern Iroquois people in this southeast.

By combining live singing and drumming with traditional dances, social dances, and articulate verbal interpretation, they are able to create high energy, exciting programs. Inter-tribal Powwow dance traditions and Iroquois Social dances will be the focus of the performance at FOLKFabulous this year for these dancers,  as they dance to the drum beats of the Edisto Rivers Singers from Ridgefield South Carolina. The Edisto River Singers are the premier Native American Indian drum group in South Carolina. The Edisto River Singers are a southern plains style drum group with a unique sound. With lead singer Andy Spell, each member is an enrolled tribal member of the Edisto Indian Tribe from Ridgeville, South Carolina, from Natchez and Kusso cultural heritage. The group started in 1991.

Native American tribal community leaders, and representatives from their respective tribes, will be hosting interpretive tables directly outside of the Museum’s steps at FOLKFabulous. In addition, the following community leaders will be participating in interactive discussions inside the Museum in the 2nd floor gallery at the following times:

11:35 – 11:55 am

•  Ralph Oxendine, Chief – Cheraw Tribe of South Carolina

•  Lynette Allston, Chief and Potter - Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia

12:55 – 1:15 pm

• Lisa Leach Collins, Tribal Chief and Administrator - Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians

• Peggy Scott, Tribal Vice Chief - Santee Indian Tribe

For a full listing of participants, please visit artsandsciences.sc.edu/mckissickmuseum/folkfabulous-2014.

FOLKFabulous will open McKissick’s newest exhibition,  Traditions, Change, and Celebration: Native Artists of the Southeast. This exhibit represents year two of McKissick’s Diverse Voices series, which celebrates the traditional arts and folkways of the Southeastern United States. The South is home to a wide variety of deeply-rooted Native American tribal groups, each with its own dynamic history.

Traditions, Change, and Celebration pays particular attention to five primary culture groups: Iroquoian, Muskogean, Algonquin, Mobilian and Siouan, and features the expressive culture of over forty Native tribes throughout the Southeast.   "As artists we celebrate our tribal culture, the family, our heritage, our ancient symbology, the earth, spirituality and the ancient ones, with works of art that brings celebration and joy. The world today is still ‘Native' in the southeast, and we have vibrant new leaders with artistic roots in Native communities. Artistic expression is necessary for spiritual replenishment, revival, renewal and rebirth within our tribal communities and cultures,” explained Guest Curator and 2008 SC Folk Heritage Awardee, Will Moreau Goins.  The historic "Five Civilized Tribes" are featured in FOLKFabulous 2014, and have significant presence in the exhibition including the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and  Seminole. Over 149 objects from 75 artists of over 29 different tribes from the Southeast on display.

There is also a wonderful collection of Pamunkey Indian Pottery from Virginia, who just recently gained federal recognition, highlighting their Chief Kevin Brown's pottery. There is also art from the Poarch Band Creeks of Alabama, The Alabama Coushatta of Texas, the basketry of John Paul Darden of the Chitimacha Indians of Louisiana, and pottery by Bill Harris of the Catawba Indian Nation.

We hope that you will absorb all these individuals have to offer, and use these experiences as ways to reflect upon the diversity of the American South. FOLKFabulous is the opening ceremony for McKissick Museum’s year-long exhibit, Tradition, Change, and Celebration: Native Artists of the Southeast. All attendees are encouraged to view the exhibit in the 2nd floor  north gallery during your time at FOLKFabulous.

The production team for FOLKFabulous is comprised of:

• Saddler Taylor, Chief Curator of Folklife and Fieldwork, McKissick Museum

• Dr. Will Moreau Goins, CEO of Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois and United Tribes of South Carolina

• Ja-Nae Epps, Visitor Services and Operations Manager, McKissick Museum

• Doug Peach, South Carolina Folklife Program Coordinator, McKissick Museum and the South Carolina Arts Commission

McKissick Museum is located on the University of South Carolina’s historic Horseshoe, with available parking in the garage at the corner of Pendleton and Bull streets. All exhibits are free and open to the public. For more information, call Ja-Nae Epps at 803-777-2876.  This program is funded in part through the support of the South Carolina Arts Commission and the Humanities CouncilSC.

FOLKFabulous 2014 Schedule:

The FOLKFabulous 2014 schedule is as follows! We will be splitting the action between the outdoor stage and the 2nd floor gallery space where you can view our newest exhibit, Traditions, Change and Celebration: Native Artists of the Southeast.

10:00 - 10:30 - Festival Introduction/Freeman Owle Storytelling (outdoor stage)

10:35 - 10:55 - Gallery Talk on Traditions, Change, and Celebration (2nd floor gallery)

11:00 - 11:30 - Edisto River Singers / ECSIUT -Cultural Arts Ensemble (outdoor stage)

11:35 - 11:55 - Conversation with Ralph Oxendine, Cheraw Indians and Lynette Allston, Nottoway

Indians of Virginia (2nd floor gallery)

12:00 - 12:30 - Interview with Roger Amerman (outdoor stage)

12:30 - 12:50 - Storytelling with Freeman Owle (outdoor stage)

12:55 - 1:55 - Conversation with Lisa Collins, Wassamasaw of Varnertown Indians and Peggy Scott,

Santee Indians (2nd floor gallery)

1:20 - 2:00 - Deer Clan Singers (outdoor stage) ....ECSIUT -Cultural Arts Ensemble& SubMerged Cypress

Dancers (outdoor stage)

2:05 - 2:25 - Gallery Talk on Traditions, Change, and Celebration (2nd floor gallery)

2:30 - 3:10 - Welch Family Singers, Cherokee Gospel Music (outdoor stage)

3:30 - 4:00 - Edisto River Singers / ECSIUT -Cultural Arts Ensemble & SubMerged Cypress Dancers (outdoor stage)and Closing of Festival (outdoor stage)