Jasper Talks with Valerie Lamott About Transforming Nature into Wearable Art

That is my intent—to tell a story of a place or an activity outdoors. Everyone has an emotional connection to some place and the memories are a big part of this for me – Lamott

As we move into the spring, we start to see changes in the natural world around us. Particularly attune to these changes is Valerie Lamott, a local artist and jeweler who travels across state and national parks, becoming intimately familiar with nature, and transforming standout images and experiences into jewelry. 

For her Tiny Gallery show, Lamott crafted 17 new pendants from recent trips to SC State Parks. Learn more about her process and inspiration below.

JASPER: Tell me a bit about yourself and where you grew up.  

 LAMOTT: I grew up in Northwest Indiana. It’s a very unique place that’s hard to describe. I learned to drive a tractor at my after-school job picking pumpkins on a farm and then my friends and I would hop on the train to downtown Chicago (only 30 miles away) to spend the money we earned there.

JASPER: That’s so fun! Did you begin working with art back then? 

LAMOTT: Art has always been a part of my life in the sense that I grew up with access to craft materials and was encouraged to use them. My mom taught me to sew as soon as I was big enough to reach the foot pedal (standing!). I could make whatever I wanted with whatever materials were available. And I did.

JASPER: Did you take that ‘playing around with mom’s sewing materials’ with you into your studies? 

LAMOTT: I have a Master of Engineering degree, and while most would say that is not an applicable education, I disagree. Engineers design and build things. My jewelry is something I design and build. I may not be solving differential equations anymore (yay!), but the basic design concepts are the same. I’ve also taken many informal arts classes, any class I can, really. It doesn’t need to be metalsmithing and jewelry—I’m down for a painting class or stained glass or sewing or printmaking or…I love it all.

JASPER: Inside of loving it all, you found a home in jewelry. How did that come about? 

LAMOTT: I had no intention of becoming a jeweler. My sister and I were both 20-something and living in Chicago when she found a jewelry class she wanted to take. I wasn’t really interested, but she’s my sister, so I agreed to go. She thought it’d be beading or something, but it was torches and hammers and saws. She quit after the first class. 10 years later it’s my job.

JASPER: Ha, I love that! Now that you’ve been inundated in this for a while, how do you choose which materials you want to use? How do you source them? 

LAMOTT: You know those kids who have to pick up every pretty rock and are really annoying about learning about what kind it is and how it’s made and all that?  Some of us don’t grow out of it. Using gemstones was never a question in my work.  I love the metalwork, but once I learned to cut and polish gems there was no going back. I’ll source my rocks anywhere I legally can.  I buy a lot at gem shows, but I find a lot on the ground too.  I also find so many at National Parks and they all stay right where I found them because you don’t take things from National Parks.  If I can leave them there, you can too. Thematically, I think this idea of natural scenes really lends itself to metals and gemstones, as those metals and gems all come from Earth in the first place.

JASPER: Beyond using metals and gems, are there specific styles that you lean towards? 

LAMOTT: My style has changed dramatically over time, and I hope it continues to do so.  I’m always learning new techniques and bits of those will always find their way into my work. My work from 5 years ago absolutely makes me cringe now, and I hope today’s work makes me cringe in 5 years. I always want to be creating something new.

JASPER: Thinking about new and old, what kind of ideas or images usually find their way into your work? Has nature always been your primary inspiration? 

LAMOTT: I’ve always done “nature inspired” work, and I’ve always thought that’s so cliche. Who isn’t “inspired by nature”? So, I set out to see all of South Carolina’s state parks and find different inspiration within them. Instead of being inspired by nature in general, perhaps I could find inspiration in specific (natural) places. That snowballed into creating landscapes. For now, I’m sticking to state and national parks, partially because they give me a cohesive body of work, but mostly because I really like state and national parks and now I get to hang out in them and call it work!

JASPER: Tell me about how you create – what goes into the process of moving from idea to a piece of jewelry.

 LAMOTT: The majority of my design work is done on the trail. I’m starting to find myself taking photos with the intention of creating jewelry from them—if I step a little bit that way, that angle on the tree looks better. That kind of thing. For the inlay landscapes, I have a pretty concrete image in my mind, and that’s what I create. I do make some pieces from cabochons and their creation is far more fluid. I have a pile of rocks and some cut out hikers, mountains, trees, and whatnot on my bench and I move them around till something feels right. One thing that’s nice about metalsmithing is once it’s soldered, there’s not much changing it. It forces you to decide it’s done.

JASPER: What did you do for this show, particularly?  

LAMOTT: These pieces were made specifically for this show. I’ve had both the ideas of making some smaller pieces and doing a series based on Columbia in my mind, so when I was approached about this show it seemed like the perfect time to finally do both. These are my first smaller pieces and I’m absolutely thrilled with them. This size is here to stay for me.

JASPER:  You included images with the pendants in this show – is this typical for you? 

LAMOTT: I always show the images if I have them. I think the pendants stand alone as artwork just fine, but one of the comments I hear most is how my work “tells a story.”  And that is my intent—to tell a story of a place or an activity outdoors. Everyone has an emotional connection to some place and the memories are a big part of this for me.  That’s why I only work from my photographs. It’s about a connection with a place at that time.  I think showing my images along with the pendant helps to tell that story.

JASPER: Speaking of memories, do you have any standouts with your art career?  

LAMOTT: I have too many to list, but every single one involves my artist friends. It takes a special kind of person to decide they’re just going to throw up a tent and sell their work. It’s been a fun ride so far. Recently I won an award of distinction at the Fairhope Arts Festival and that absolutely made my day!!  That is a wonderful show filled with incredibly talented artists, and I’m honored to have won an award there.

JASPER: Well, what’s in the future for you? 

LAMOTT: Upcoming shows include Troyfest and Panoply in Alabama, Rockville Arts Festival in Maryland, Chastain Arts Festival in Atlanta, and Tephra Fine Arts Fair in Virginia.  I have a pretty full schedule this year and I’m traveling quite a bit, so perhaps it may be easier to catch me online. I try to update my Instagram (@valerielamottdesigns) daily, and I can email invoices for anything I post on there.

Lamott’s show will be up until April 30th, and you can peruse her stories and purchase one for yourself 24/7 via Jasper’s virtual gallery: https://the-jasper-project.square.site/tiny-gallery

THE BEAT: Review - Henry Luther's Southern Cities

by Kyle Petersen

I’m coming a bit late to local singer/songwriter and raconteur, Henry Luther.

His latest studio record, Southern Cities, was released back in November 2020, but I honestly just came across it recently, after planning (and failing) to make it to a show he was playing at New Brookland Tavern.

Even having missed the show, I’m sure Luther is great live, mostly because he writes in that rowdy but whip-smart troubadour mode that’s built for clubs and honky tonks. “Jesus Christ Second Amendment Blues,” one of the standout tracks from the record, is a great example of this. Riding a dusty lead guitar lick and some simple strumming, Luther drawls out a fabulous yarn with the would-be savior shot down by a racist cop for arriving “Constitution and gun in hand.” It’s a hilarious bit, and one that might get a beer bottle thrown at him in front of the wrong crowd. 

And that blend of gallows humor and sardonic insights is rife throughout, whether he’s working in coded class commentary (“Lifestyles,” “Myrtle Beach Girl”) or tales of substance-based debauchery (“Southern Cities,” “I Love Liquor (But Liquor Don’t Love Me”). His ability to be both funny, direct and philosophical at the same time puts him firmly in the lineage of Jerry Jeff Walker, John Prine and Todd Snider. Not bad company.

But he’s not quite a straight shooter, guitar picker-type–musically, Luther is a hodgepodge of DIY Americana in the vein of early Avett Brothers or Old Crow Medicine Show, with a streak of Jeffrey Lewis-style anti-folk contrarianism and Dave Berman’s droll exasperation.  

For all of its charms, the record very much seems to be catching Luther in transition, torn between the solo troubadour mode and the possibilities of a more rocking alt-country guise. Regardless of which way he leans in the future, he’s clearly a songwriter that can’t help but engage and enrapture.  

New Poetry and Songwriter Events from Jasper and Al Black

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

Jasper’s Poetry Salon

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

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

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

Front Porch Swing

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

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

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

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

THE BEAT: Local All-Star Ramones Tribute Show by Kevin Oliver

Although the Ramones disbanded in 1996 after a 20-year run of albums and legendary live shows, the New York punk band’s influence remains strong. It was that legacy which led bassist Jason Carrion of Isabelle’s Gift to choose their music to pay tribute to in this coming Saturday night’s all-star tribute show at the Art Bar. This isn’t just any tribute act, however. Carrion has enlisted a “Who’s Who” list of local musical luminaries to play and sing together in a rotating cast that will present Ramones tunes from the familiar to the more obscure deep cuts.

“This whole thing grew out of my desire to see more of my music friends that I’d been missing the last couple years because of Covid,” Carrion says. “I had lunch with Jay Matheson (of the Jam Room and multiple local bands), and he was on board immediately, as were the people at the Art Bar.” 

The calls to other musicians came next, and Carrion says almost everyone said ‘yes.’ Logistically the preparations have been tricky, with several players coming in from other cities and even other states. 

“Jay let us use the Jam Room for practice, and Web Hulon of lowercase gods opened up his place for us too, so we had different combinations practicing different places with different people,” Carrion says. “Brian Vogle, who used to be in Drown Mary with me, is coming from Atlanta to play this show.” 

Other participants include Carrion’s bandmates Chris Sutton and Scott Frey from Isabelle’s Gift, Patti Davis, currently of the Transonics but also from the late great punk band Six Ten Split, among others, Claude Spurlock of Gruzer, Billy Riot of Soda City Riot, members of Brandy and the Butcher, and Jeremy Martin. Carrion’s own son, who usually does hip-hop music, is involved as well. 

It’s a real history of local bands,” Carrion says. “Jay started playing here in the 80’s, Chris and I came out of the 1990s along with Patti, and the Gruzer guys and Soda City Riot are more recent, down to Brandy and the Butcher.” Even the bands of more contemporary vintage include members who have been around the local music scene for years. 

The camaraderie of getting together and rehearsing these songs has been the biggest benefit for everyone, he adds. 

“There are no full bands participating in this as a single unit,” Carrion says. “Everyone is mixed up with people from other bands, some of whom they’ve never played music with before–that’s been the fun part.” 

While everyone was mostly familiar with the songs, there were some choices made on songs and who would sing what. Not everyone can do “I Wanna Be Sedated,” after all, and there were some songs that even the musicians didn’t want to have to learn. 

“Ramones songs are more complex than people realize,” says Web Hulon, who will be singing two of the set’s 18 picks. “One of my favorites got voted down because it would have been too hard to do, but it was Jason’s idea for me to sing ‘Do You Wanna Dance,’ an older song that was a cover when the Ramones did it.” 

Carrion sees this as a confirmation of being into playing live music just for the sake of playing, nothing else, and he’s excited to be playing with a group of musicians who feel the same way.

“I went to see Soda City Riot for the first time a while back, since Travis Nicholson is playing with them and now also with us in Isabelle’s Gift,” He recalls. “They just brought it that night, every part of that band is great–that’s the kind of energy and level of fun we want to bring to this.”  

The Ramones Tribute Show happens Friday, April 15th at the Art Bar, doors open at 8:00 with the show starting at 10. $8 cover, 21+ only. 

REVIEW: Emily Moffitt's "Dreamscapes"

Dreamscapes by Emily Moffitt - Passage Gallery, McMaster College at USC, March 20-April 2,2022

Emily Moffitt dreams in the third person.

It is in part these dreams that inspired her recent show, appropriately named Dreamscapes. Combining abstractions with representational figures and landscapes, Moffit explores cultural identity, grief, and family trauma.

A Columbia native, Moffit is a senior English and studio art student at the University of South Carolina. Dreamscapes is the culmination of her work as a student artist.

The exhibition features a variety of approaches—the technique evolved over time as Moffit expanded her thematic goals and widened the range of mediums. Beginning with pieces on mixed media paper, Moffit extended her practice to include collaged bits of mylar and yupo. The latter portion of the show includes works on black canvas.

Regardless of what medium she works with, Moffit likes to start her pieces intuitively, using liquid India inks and spraying them with water to allow the piece to develop organically— marks she calls “meticulously random.” She didn’t put pressure on the images looking perfect in the early stages.

“It was a really random process and I really enjoyed how freeing it started out as, with the ability to get more fine-tuned mark making as the piece progressed,” Moffit says.

Half Puerto Rican, Moffit used these pieces to express and explore her identity. After the recent passing of her abuela, the project helped her pass through stages of grief while navigating healthy ways of coping with trauma.

Pieces feature recurring iconography that stems from symbols of the Taíno people, who resided in what is currently Puerto Rico. Turtles, frogs (coquí), icons for the sun and moon god hide between the color and texture of Moffit’s pieces. These symbols are used heavily in modern life in Puerto Rico and are associated with their culture.

“I remember seeing them growing up since my mom had necklaces of some of them, and I have a coquí sticker on my car.” Moffit says. “It’s little things like that I see that makes me feel that much more connected, so I decided to incorporate them into my pieces.

The shared culture and trauma of the family is an ongoing theme in the work— a complicated subject given Moffit’s mixed heritage and limited fluency in Spanish. This sense of fractured identity is an inspiration for and important facet of Moffit’s recent work.

Moffit always dreamed in the third person, but as her mental health became drained, so her dreams became convoluted and confusing. Already in the practice of processing through her art, Moffit used her work as a way of translating these dreams— and her sense of self.

Moffit’s work was initially illustrative (it was only in college that she learned the difference between illustration and fine art), but Moffit progressed into finding an intentional “fine art” style in the past year. This show was an attempt to blend the joy of creating both.

While Dreamscapes marks the end of Moffit’s work as an undergraduate, she has no intentions of quitting art. Moffit doesn’t know where her process may take her. Whether she will continue mapping out dreams or follow another passion, Moffit’s love for the arts isn’t going anywhere.

Until then, Moffit hopes that viewers can use her show as a “conversation starter” for how their own dreams can be perceived. “I used to think dreams didn’t have much meaning until last year and that’s why I ended up making these works in the first place,” Moffit says.

Dream on, Emily Moffit.

By Stephanie Allen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WELCOME VALERIE LAMOTT to Jasper's TINY Gallery

At Jasper, we can’t get over the work Valerie Lamott has put together for our April Tiny Gallery show!

So many descriptors come to mind when writing about Lamott’s art — grounded in place, meaningful, sentimental, powerful, pristine, Cola-centric — but mostly, exquisite! The detail the artist brings to her jewelry, with each piece being hand-made, unique, and personally inspired, makes the opportunity we have to show and offer this work to Jasper readers a real honor.

Valerie Lamott is a Columbia, SC, based jewelry artisan, but can rarely be found there. She's more likely to be hiking or camping or kayaking in any one of America's state parks. She uses these places as inspiration for her artwork and hopes it inspires others to play outside too.

WE hope you enjoy seeing and perhaps purchasing Lamott’s work as much as we enjoy presenting it.

Visit Tiny Gallery for many more pieces.

Check out the whole lineup of Tiny Gallery Artists for 2022.

Do YOU Have your Birthday Party Tickets Yet?

We have limited the number of attendees to 150 including all the participating artists, so don’t sleep on locking your ticket down!

We have music from Post Timey String Band, pop up art performances from Columbia Reparatory Dance Company & others, live painting by Michael Krajewski & Lucas Sams, an art show featuring work from 20 Soda City - based artists, a raffle like you’ve never seen before, food from Chef Joe Turkaly, a VIP Champagne reception and so much more!

THE BEAT - Songs From The Vault: Admiral Radio’s New Album of Very Old Songs

By Kevin Oliver

Before we sat down on their front porch to talk about the release of Admiral Radio’s new album Songs From The Vault, I spied a vintage door leaning on the wall in a side room of Coty Hoover and Becca Smith’s charming Earlewood Park home. Described by Becca as “a project that I haven’t tackled yet,” the door’s flaking paint and unusual upper glass panes certainly appeared to be the bones of something that could be repurposed to great artistic effect. The songs on the new album are like that, worn yet comfortable tunes with the familiarity of an old coat of paint peeling from a door, layers upon layers that reveal older truth underneath. 

“We held on to the concept behind this album for a while, wanting something a little more simple and stripped down,” Smith says.  

The duo’s debut, Sounds Like You, was produced using a full band in the studio, something they rarely have the luxury of having on stage in a live setting. 

“We wanted to have something out there that reflected our pure duo sound,” Hoover admits. “We made a point to have this not be extremely polished.” 

The recording was done with the same production team of Carl Burnitz and Todd Mathis who helmed the debut, but this time around they eschewed the trappings of studio mikes, overdubs, and multiple takes in favor of a single condenser microphone hanging in the middle of a room between the two performers. Every song on the album is a single, complete take in that setting with nothing added–just Coty and Becca singing to each other and playing guitars and banjo.  

“A lot of the songs on this are ones we already play, songs we have collected over the last few years that we are drawn to for different reasons,” Smith says. “Sometimes it’s the lyrics, the story that the song tells, or it could be the way it makes us feel, and the way we sing it together.” 

Hoover and Smith sing together like the married couple they are, with their two voices playing off each other in close harmonies that sound as natural as a spring breeze bending the branches of a live oak tree. The sidewalk that constrains and conceals the tree’s roots is an apt metaphor for modern musical expectations that limit what people know about the history behind what they are hearing.  

Smith and Hoover both have deep connections, personal stories that link them to many of these songs and recording them was a bit of a history lesson for them, too. 

“One of my earliest memories growing up is a stuffed animal that I had,” Smith recalls. “It played ‘You Are My Sunshine,’ which if you really pay attention to the lyrics is pretty morbid.” 

Hoover’s recollection touches on the ancient ballad, “Oh My Darling, Clementine.”

“My uncle used to sing ‘Clementine’ to us while we were swinging in the back yard with the other kids,” He says. “I love songs like that where I have a specific memory of it, but when we play it now, I’m always thinking ‘Man, that’s a really sad song.’” 

Hoover and Smith’s easy familiarity with this material belies their own relatively recent vintage; so, when they decided to reach this far back to find songs for the new album, it took a little thought and some effort to research the sources.  

“With this project has come the recognition that some of our favorite songs span a stretch of time that’s much longer than we realized,” Smith says. “The songs we chose go back as far as the 1800s. To dive into the details of who wrote what, when was it published, and thinking about life then versus life now, and that we are still singing that same song two hundred years later, it’s really powerful. It has been a humbling and enriching experience to bring these into our own light and sing them in our own way.”  

The pandemic forced Hoover and Smith to reassess their musical career and focus on what mattered the most, which for them was the connection with others through making music. 

“Like most other full-time musicians, we were a bit lost in 2020 when the pandemic hit,” Hoover says. “We had plans to put out our debut album and tour behind it the rest of the year, and all of that was gone, suddenly.” 

The duo had to quickly figure out how to make ends meet financially and yet still continue to make music. They filled the gaps musically with livestreams, including a fully produced album release concert filmed professionally at the Sumter Opera House, but it wasn’t quite the same, Smith says. 

“The livestreams we did from home were a way to connect that was very restorative for my sense of community and faith in human connections through those very uncertain times,” She says. “We really, truly needed that, and it was an incredible time of camaraderie and support, even though we weren’t able to see our audiences in person. The Opera House show was a strange experience, in that it felt like a dress rehearsal, not quite the real thing.”  

A little more than two years into marriage and going through a pandemic, Smith says that they have learned a lot in the process about what they really want. 

“We are embracing the bits that aren’t quite perfect,” She says. “The pandemic experience has loosened up our attitude towards performance. Before, I was so serious and wanted everything to be just right every time. Now, I just want to play; I really just want to play.”  

You can hear Admiral Radio play this week when they celebrate the release of Songs From The Vault in concert at Downtown Church, 2030 Gregg Street. Doors open at 6:30, they will play from 7-8. A donation is requested, along with whatever food and beverage you prefer to bring in with you for this casual, communal musical evening. 

Jasper Talks with Fairoozan Art About Modernizing and Personalizing the Paper Quilling Medium and Her Tiny Gallery Show

For March’s Tiny Gallery show, Jasper is hosting local artist Fairoozan Art, whose show “A Warm Welcome to My World of Paper” opened on the 1st and closes on the 31st. 

Fairoozan Art’s modernization of the paper quilling technique has led to recognition across both South Carolina and beyond. She has premiered a plethora of exhibitions and solo shows, including owning her own art gallery at Tapp’s Art Center, participating in Columbia Open Studios and Time for Art, and showing her work at Soda City Market and the Rosewood Art Festival.

Learn more about what led Fairoozan Art to her medium, her artistic process, and her Tiny Gallery show below.

JASPER: It’s evident through your work that you’re passionate about what you do—when did you start getting into art? 

FAIROOZAN: My artistic talents started from a young age and then developed during my studies, in which I received support from both the school and my family. During my university studies in the field of art, I received a lot of encouragement from my professors to pursue the profession of drawing.

JASPER: What did you study in university?

FAIROOZAN: I finished a 4-year bachelor’s degree in art from the Baghdad University of Art. 

JASPER: Did you have any opportunities outside of school that allowed you to home in on your abilities?

FAIROOZAN: My former job as an art teacher and the interaction with students over many years helped me improve my skills.

“Flowers Tree”

JASPER: You’ve practiced art for decades, in and out of school, but what led you to this specific medium, to working with paper? 

FAIROOZAN: I have been interested in various forms of papercraft since my school years, but it took me quite a while to find my own way of bringing together my love of paper with my experience in painting. 

JASPER: What kind of styles do you use within this medium, especially now versus when you started? 

FAIROOZAN: I have actually discovered a new way of using the basic paper technique—I am drawing with paper instead of on it. When I started, I had no idea it was called paper quilling, and I soon made the quilling process interesting and modern.

JASPER: What goes into making these works? Do you sketch them out first, or go in straight away with paper?

FAIROOZAN: Before starting to design a painting, I draw the subject that aims at a specific idea with acrylic colors, then start sticking papers on the artboard as if I am drawing with paper, showing shadow and light by laying down the papers in different directions on the artboard. 

JASPER: How do you choose where to start, less mechanically, but more on a creative level?

FAIROOZAN: My thoughts are clashing when choosing a specific topic to begin designing a painting. In the beginning, I focus on the emotional aspect, then I turn it into a realistic style and add an abstract style to it. I choose colors derived from nature and life in the seas. I’ve touched on many topics in my paintings, from portraits, inanimate objects, passion, love, animal images, to contemporary paintings.

“Green Bough”

JASPER: How long does the paper quilling process usually take?

FAIROOZAN: It can take from a few days to a few weeks or even longer – it all depends on the level of details, size, and design. The largest paper artwork I ever made took me around 6 weeks.

JASPER: How did you choose what to make/select for this show specifically?

FAIROOZAN: The goal of Tiny Gallery is to allow artists an opportunity to show a selection of their smaller pieces of art offered at affordable price points attractive to beginning collectors and art patrons with smaller budgets. Based on that, I selected items from my artwork collection that demonstrated different types of subjects.

JASPER: You reflected on your artwork to select pieces for the show; reflecting on your career itself, do you have any favorite memories? 

FAIROOZAN: The most beautiful and greatest memory of me as a painter, which I will never forget, is during my university studies when my professor urged me to continue in the field of painting and told me that I had a talent and that I would become an international artist.

JASPER: What’s in the future for you then? What’s coming next?

FAIROOZAN: My future goal is to open an art institute to teach paper art, specifically how to use different types of paper to create 2d and 3d (sculpture) artworks.

JASPER: And where can people see your work in the immediate aftermath of this show?

FAIROOZAN: Currently, my artwork is displayed on my website on the internet, Etsy, and social media. I am also planning a few art shows for summer and winter 2022.

“Flower Shape”

Fairoozan Art’s show will be up for only a few more days, coming down March 31st. You can access her show via Jasper’s virtual gallery.

If you want to keep up with the artist, check out her website. You can also follow her on Etsy, Instagram, and TikTok @zadcreation or on Facebook @ZADCreationSC.

The Beat: Prettier Than Vinyl

The acoustic pop duo Prettier Than Matt have been on an extended leave of absence from performing together live, but they had a very good reason–the birth of singer Jessica Sims’ first child. They recently returned to local stages, and this Sunday they’ll celebrate this new chapter with the release of their 2021 album Colors on vinyl. You can hear them live, and pick up a copy of this limited vinyl release, on Sunday afternoon when they play Steel Hands Brewing from 1-4 p.m.

Prettier Than Matt return to live performances, release Colors On Vinyl

For a group that had been playing together for over a decade, sometimes four and five nights a week, taking a four month break was a different experience, but for different reasons.

“It has been bittersweet for me as I’ve missed playing,” Sims admits. “But I’ve loved the time I have had to really focus on how to be a new mom. It feels great to be back, but it’s hard to be away from the cutest baby on the planet.”

Her musical partner in Prettier Than Matt, Jeff Pitts, never actually stopped playing. Picking up different gigs became a way to fill the time. 

“I enjoy getting to play music, period, so I did a lot of solo shows and started playing with Charles Riley as the Jeff & Charles Show,” Pitts says. “I’m thankful for having those options during these months, but being back feels great. Jessica and I did an impromptu reunion set at a Jeff Lucero show on my birthday–he asked us to play, so we did a few songs, and the joy I felt hearing Jessica sing again was probably obvious to everyone in the room.”
So what effect will the new arrival have on Prettier Than Matt’s ongoing activity? Both Pitts and Sims acknowledge that the days of everyday gigs are probably in their past. 

“It’ll be much of the same, but just less on the gigging front,” Pitts says. “We will still put out new music, look for licensing opportunities, and continue to play and livestream, but it won’t be as much as we did before. I’ll continue to do the solo stuff and play with Charles, too, but Prettier Than Matt is still my personal creative outlet and passion.” 

Sims says they feel a debt and an obligation to their fans, but that some priorities, understandably, have changed.

“We’ve made so many great relationships with fans, friends, and venues over the years that we’ve been picking our favorites and making sure that we still play those spots,” She says. “I want to focus on being present and being a good mom, though.” 

On an even happier note, Sims says that motherhood has already brought new inspiration to her writing.

“I will say that becoming a mom and going through all of these major life changes has inspired a few new songs that I’m really excited to record soon,” she says. 

The release of Colors on vinyl is not the duo’s first foray into the newly hip world of LPs, Pitts points out.

“We released a compilation vinyl album in 2019 called Retrograde, which had our favorite songs from our past releases along with one new song,” He says. “When we finished this last one we were proud of it and knew that releasing it on vinyl was something we wanted to do.” For Pitts, vinyl is the preferred medium for listening to such an album-length project.

“We want people to hear the album front to back as it was recorded, and I think vinyl is the best, and most fun, way to do that.”

Jasper's 10th Birthday Party is Finally Happening! April 14th at 701 Whaley

Join us at 701 Whaley’s newly renovated POOL Hall for the long-awaited celebration of the Jasper Project’s 10th Birthday!

Music from Post-Timey String Band, Adam Corbett and more

Dance performance from Columbia Repertory Dance Co.

DJ Preach Jacobs

Food from Chef Joe Turkaly

Art Sale featuring work from some of Columbia’s top visual artist including Thomas Crouch, Lauren Chapman, Dawn Hunter, Caitlin Maloney, Candace Thibeault and MORE!

Raffle featuring items from your favorite businesses in town.

Emcee Eric Tucker.

Many more surprises!

Plus, be among the first to party on the 100-year-old pool at 701 Whaley!

And CAKE!

Party Guests are limited to 150 people and all guests receive 1 free raffle ticket and can purchase additional $5 tickets at the event

---

 Tickets

$20 advance - $25 at the door general admission Or

 A limited number of VIP Sponsor tickets are available in advance and include:

• Early admission at 6 pm for a Champagne reception sponsored by Kristian Niemi (and keep drinking champagne all night if you’d like!)

• Be the first to sample Chef Joe Turkaly’s dining delights

• Reserved table seating

• Recognition from the stage & on social media

• A swag bag Packed to the brim with gifts from your favorite arts organizations & businesses in town

VIP Tickets - $60 each or $100 per couple

Table for 8 - $1000 (includes a private serenade at your table by musician & visual artist Adam Corbett - and surprises)

Midlands Area Music Students Travel with Instructor Marty Fort to Perform at GRACELAND April 6th

Wednesday April 6th, 7 p.m. music students from the Columbia Arts Academy® rock the Guest House at GRACELAND in Memphis, TN.

Home of Elvis, there’s a full two days of music from schools all over the country performing rock, pop, classical music and more April 6th and 7th. They have a 450 seat gorgeous theater on the Graceland property and our students could not be more excited to perform. The Columbia Arts Academy® students will perform Wednesday April 6th 7:00 p.m. ET and a live stream is available at www.columbiaartsacademy.com. The students range in age from 7-18 and include piano, voice, guitar, drums students rocking out classic hits at the birth place of rock and roll. Following the students, the Capital City Playboys and the Columbia Arts Academy® teachers band who performed with Kirk Hammett of Metallica at the Columbia Museum of Art in 2020 perform a full two hour set.

Marty Fort

The Columbia Arts Academy® is dedicated to showcasing their students at the top venues around the country. They’re fresh off of their standing ovation last year at the Foster Theater at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The public is invited to tune in for the live stream and cheer on these upcoming artists as they play the big stage in Memphis.

Jasper reached out to Fort to get a bit more info on the upcoming adventure.

What made you choose Graceland as a destination for your students?

I’m a huge Elvis fan and a few years back they opened a new resort there the Guest House at Graceland. It has an amazing 450 seat theater (photo attached) and they allow student groups to perform. It’s the perfect venue and a part of history, so we’re all very excite about it.

What do you hope they'll take away from this experience?

The thing I didn’t expect, but I learned from the last road trip is that for many of them it’s a resume builder.

They are looking to get into college, have careers in entertainment, so for them, to perform at a venue of this caliber is huge. I would have given anything to have this kind of opportunity when I was there age. At that time in my life we were happy to just play a backyard party. But I do also have to say, Art Boerke was very good at letting high school bands play Rockafellas. My first show playing there was when I was 16

This is your second time taking your students on the road, right?

Yes, played Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foster Theater last year, got a standing ovation from a room largely of strangers from around the country.

Do you have a third setting in mind?

Getting ready to sign the contract and will be doing the big reveal after that. All I can say is, the venue and the city are literally one of the top 3 entertainment capitals, so that can narrow down anyone’s guess.

Jasper Presents First Thursday at Sound Bites with Featured Artist Michael Shepard

We're so happy that Mai Turner & Terri MacLaughlin have invited Jasper in to host First Thursdays for them at Sound Bites Eatery -- And that they are letting us feature a new artist each month!

Join us at 6 pm on Thursday April 7th for dinner, drinks, art from Michael Shepard, and/or a comfy place to gather with your arts-loving friends!

Sound Bites is located at 1425 Sumter Street, one block off Main Street between Hampton and Washington.

About Artist Michael Shepard

Michael Shepard, a South Carolina native and long term resident of Columbia, SC, is an eclectic artist currently working in acrylics, soft pastels and mixed media. His styles, techniques and media change with each piece depending on the subject matter and the inspiration it ensues.

When asked what creating art means to him, Michael responded: “Well, I could say Art is an expression of the feelings and interpretations of my situation in the world around me. It’s a means to escape isolation and means to process emotions. It’s a salvation from adversity and destitution and it is also a celebration of well being and happiness…”

“But really, I’m just a guy painting pictures and hopefully creating works people will enjoy.”

Stay tuned for more about Michael Shepard as we approach First Thursday. Mark your calendars and we’ll see you on Sumter Street and Sound Bites Eatery!

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

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

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

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

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

Words, Words, Words

Saturday, 04/02 at 2 pm

Southeast Branch Richland Library

7421 Garners Ferry Road

Columbia, SC 29209

Singer/songwriter, Lang Owen opens

for Poet, Miho Kinnas

Organized and hosted by Al Black

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

SIMPLE GIFTS - poetry & original lyric songs

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

Columbia Friends Meeting House

120 Old Pisgah Road

Columbia, SC, 290203

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

Followed by open mic (original poetry and music only)

hosted by Poet, Al Black

Columbia Open Studios April 2nd & 3rd -

By Emily Moffitt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lee Snelgrove Leaving ED Post at One Columbia

From our Friends at One Columbia:

One Columbia for Arts and Culture, the nonprofit arts agency for the City of Columbia, has hired Margie Johnson Reese — an arts management professional with 35 years of experience who has led arts projects in Dallas, Los Angeles and West Africa — as interim executive director. 

Reese will serve in an interim capacity beginning April 1. She replaces founding executive director Lee Snelgrove, who has accepted the position of arts and culture manager at Richland Library, where he will lead efforts to raise the visibility of the arts throughout the library system and Richland County. 

“It has been an honor to work with Columbia’s many talented artists and arts organizations in increasing the vibrancy and broad recognition of the city’s cultural community,” said Snelgrove, who has led One Columbia since 2013. “One Columbia is stronger than ever, and I’m excited to see a new leader build on the progress that we’ve made over the last ten years.” 

During his time as executive director, Snelgrove established One Columbia as a vital resource for the city and for the local arts community, particularly in the area of public art projects. Over the past decade, the organization facilitated 60 public art projects, created a poet laureate position for the city, established the 1013 Co-Op cultural space in North Columbia, developed the Amplify cultural plan and launched the Stephen G. Morrison Visionary Award. 

One Columbia’s efforts were recognized recently with the 2022 Governor’s Award for the Arts, the highest statewide honor for achievement in the arts. 

“We are forever grateful for the progress made under Lee’s leadership,” said Kristin Morris, One Columbia board president. “He has been an important voice in the local arts community, and the city is better off for the tireless leadership he has shown.” 

As interim director, Reese will bring steady leadership to the organization and assist in its search for a permanent director. She brings a deep understanding of the mission of One Columbia, having already worked with the organization in developing its Amplify plan, which calls for a citywide policy to set priorities and guidelines for public funding of the arts.  

“It’s been my joy to work with Lee and the artists and arts groups in Columbia for the past several years,” Reese said. “I’m honored to have been asked by the board to provide guidance during this period of transition to help keep the momentum moving forward.” 

With One Columbia’s success so far — and numerous projects in development — the organization is positioned to play a key role in the next phase of growth in the city’s cultural sector, advancing policies that strengthen arts organizations, boost tourism, support local artists, encourage investment and promote equity.

THE BEAT: Art Bar Concert Review March 12, 2022 by Emily Moffitt

Video game track covers, electrifying synths, and rock and roll; Art Bar’s live music concert on March 12 had it all.

The night featured performances by Outer Ego, Dead Spring, Harry and the Hootenannies, and Bad Stars, giving the audience a plethora of genres and new music to listen to.

Several of the bands debuted new music they were working on, and some performed excellent covers by other well-known groups, like Outer Ego’s great cover of Daft Punk’s “Something About Us” and Harry and the Hootenannies’ getting the crowd going by performing the original Powerpuff Girls theme song.

With so much variation between each group, there was enough to go around for the crowd to enjoy and dance to. The intimate spacing of the stage to the audience in Art Bar bolstered the mood of the entire room, encouraging conversation between the performers and the crowd through the music and during breaks.

It was a great night and a fantastic concert and gives us plenty to look forward to in terms of future gigs for all of the groups involved here.

Jean-Marie Mauclet and Gwylene Gallimard present DISPLACEMENT, MEMORY, ERASURE Collaborative Challenges in Three Parts at 701 CCA

G & M is not just our favorite place to grab a croque monsieur and a nice Chablis in Charleston, it’s also the initials of the artists who have an exciting installation and program of art at 701 CCA opening next week.

According to our friends at 701 CCA –  

The artist-activist duo Gwylene Gallimard & Jean-Marie Mauclet are back at 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia, SC, with Displacement, Memory, Erasure: Collaborative Challenges in Three Parts. A dozen years after the duo’s memorable, gallery-wide Olympia installation at 701 CAA, the French couple and Charleston, SC, residents present a three-part project at the center, where they are currently in residence. 

The exhibition opens Thursday, March 24, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., with a meet-and-greet-the-artists opening event. On Saturday, April 9, the Charleston collective TINYisPOWERFUL, of which Gallimard and Mauclet are members, will present an all-day communication and learning workshop. On Sunday, April 24, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., the exhibition closing reception will take place. 

Gallimard’s part of the exhibition, called In Progress…, presents large canvases with drawings, collage and artifacts that relay decades of the duo’s unique art-and-activism collaborations with artists and non-artists alike. “The canvases are dedicated to our many collaborations and our explorations of art in and with communities,” Gallimard says. “It also perpetuates and honors those collaborations.” 

Mauclet’s 3-D constructions in the exhibition are excerpts from A Tale of Charleston, an installation-in-the-making that critiques issues of wealth, class, culture, and race in Charleston. The tale central to the installation, Mauclet says, “actualizes a dream in which the city of Charleston has turned into a living garden. Wealth, class, cultures, race have become assets, a place for all to belong.” Several of Mauclet’s constructions refer to tiny downtown Charleston businesses that are either for sale or no longer exist. 

The project’s third component is the April 9 workshop of TINYisPOWERFUL. The day-long workshop explores art tools and other techniques for collective social engagement, communication, and learning. The workshop, open to the public, will consist of five sessions exploring ways of engaging with and in the community and exploring art as tools for social engagement, activism, and growing communities. The workshop is from 9;30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and will be a hybrid event with an online and in-person component. For more information, go to www.701cca.org.

About the Artists -

Gallimard (b. 1948, Paris, France) and Mauclet (b. 1942, Meru, France), Charleston residents since 1984, have worked independently and collaboratively for some four decades. Their collaborative works include Charleston’s popular community-oriented French café Fast & French, which they owned for decades, and which was conceived to offer “all the features of an art, social justice and economic sustainability project.” The duo has created installations and exhibitions tackling the health insurance industry, fast food, religious beliefs, refugees and how the past is memorialized. A 2006–08 collaboration, You Comin, brought eight artists and educators to the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. Their long-running project The Future Is On The Table between 2001 and 2013 was at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg and in Lexington, KY, Charleston, SC, and Jackson, MS. The project led Gallimard and Mauclet to residencies in India and France and an experimental conference on the Trans-Siberian train. Why do they want to be rich without us? in 2007 was part of the project The Changing Face of Charleston. Gallimard & Mauclet 2009 residency and 2010 exhibition Olympia at 701 CCA explored the history and culture of the historic mill district in Columbia where the center is located. Conversations With Time was a 2011 intergenerational art project in West Baltimore, MD. 

Gallimard & Mauclet’s work has received support from France’s Ministère de la Culture; the South Carolina Arts Commission; Charleston’s Spoleto Festival; Alternate ROOTS; Alternate Visions; the Humanities Foundations; and the National Endowment for the Arts. Mauclet studied at the University of Paris, France; the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he received an MFA; and New York City’s Cooper Union School of Art and Architecture. Gallimard studied at Paris’ Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs and received an MFA from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. 

The TINYisPOWERFUL collective believes that art and tiny businesses are nimble, adaptable, and profitable for the people. The collective argues that belonging means celebrating many histories and cultures and together becoming all we can be. 

701 CCA is located at 701 Whaley Street, 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC 29201.

Dates to Remember: 

Thu, March 24, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Meet The Artist Exhibition Opening

Sat, April 9, 9:30 – 5:00, TINYisPOWERFUL Workshop

Sun, April 24, 3:00 – 5:00 pm, Exhibition Closing Reception

For further inquiries contact Michaela Pilar Brown at director@701cca.org or (803) 319-9949.

RETRO SPACE FUTURISM AND IRMO'S KIMBER CARPENTER

Her Adventure

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

Kimber: About 10 years ago. Then I was re-inspired when my mom discovered her talent and love of art in her retirement. I have been engaged heavily in art for the past 3 years. I am a self-taught artist and am always absorbing new ways to create.

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

Kimber: I use acrylics on canvas, mostly. I love to also combine brush painting with mixed media materials to create interesting abstract pieces. I love the vibrance that acrylics offer, especially the heavy bodied acrylics. I will also use alcohol markers to enhance or create shadows and highlights throughout the paintings.

The Damsel

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

Kimber: I am a graphic artist by trade and have a freelance business, Grassroot Graphics. I am a member of the Cayce Arts Guild and am a Cottontown Art Crawl artist. My work has been featured at the Cottontown Art Crawl, Melrose Art in the Yard, Noma Warehouse, SCA Autumn Faire, SCA Mad Hatters Art Faire, Rob Shaw Gallery, Land Bank Lofts, Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Home, 14 Carrot Foods, Musicians Supply, The Coop in Winnsboro, Nicky's Pizzeria in Lexington, State & Frink, Aloft Downtown Columbia, the Irmo Chamber of Commerce and Carolina Imports.

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

Kimber: I really enjoy Matt Dixon, who has created a robot character that he puts in various environments and stories. I love his style and how his work comes alive with a simple robot trying to find his way through life. I also LOVE Alexander Jansson, who is a digital mixed media illustrator, photographer, and animator. I could stare at his works for hours.

Pod Travel

Jasper: What do you feel makes your art unique? 

Kimber: I feel like my art stands out the most when I am creating my space-futurism series. This series uses colorful backgrounds from my days as an acrylic fluid artist. I love to create new scenes, using vintage imagery from sci-fi posters, graphic novels, coloring books, etc. I love the nostalgia these pieces offer and the unique colorful backgrounds that are one of a kind and have an out-of-this-world vibe.

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

Kimber: Ginny Merett. Her style is incredibly unique and extremely recognizable. Every piece tells a story and I love seeing something different every time I look at her work. I keep a tiny gallery piece on my desk titled "Radical Woman" and it inspires me daily.

Space Prisoner

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

Kimber: I am currently working on more space futurism, specifically a series of paintings of ray guns to compliment my mixed media space pieces. I currently have my space futurism pieces exclusively at NoMa Warehouse and hope to have new work available there soon. I would also like to do a showcase in the future, so I will see about doing that soon.

Ray Gun 2

Ray Gun 1