Jasper Talks with Sean Rayford on Inspiration, Favorite Photographers, and Tiny Gallery

“I rode my bicycle on Willie Nelson's ranch —” 

This month, we’re showing off some stunning photography from award-winning and Time Magazine Best Photos of 2021 feature photographer Sean Rayford. Hear more about his life and his current show with us below.

JASPER: Did art come to you young, or did you find it later in life? 

RAYFORD: Shortly after my birth in Annapolis, Maryland, my family moved to a small town in the center of the Australian Outback. If you draw crosshairs on the continent, you'll find the town of Alice Springs on the southern edge of the Northern Territory. Downtown, if you might call it that, there was a photo lab, and the print machine was placed in the front window of the storefront. I remember standing on the sidewalk watching with intrigue as tourists’ photos dropped out of the machine. Every errand downtown was highlighted by the opportunity to see this in action, and if there were no photos being printed, it was a disappointment. 

We moved back to Maryland when I was five. My older brother was into art and me, I was into sports. During one stretch, he was processing film in our basement closet. In high school I’d take an intro class to black and white photography, probably the same one that inspired him to process film at home, and I'd join the school newspaper. 

JASPER: Did you continue to study it officially or did it remain more so a personal project? 

RAYFORD: I came to the University of South Carolina in the late nineties as a computer science major and planned a career in that field. During my first week on campus, I joined the Gamecock Newspaper and by the Spring semester I had taken on the role of the photo editor. Here, I had special access to an endless stream of subject matter, a digital film scanner, and most of the time I'd get reimbursed for the film expenses.  

I earned a Bachelor of Media Arts degree from USC, but there's little art background in my education. Early in photography I was just experiencing life, playing (practicing) with a camera, being curious, documenting things, learning, and making mistakes. Art wasn't a concern of mine. I just enjoyed playing with light, shapes and color and experiencing what the world had to offer, in person. I didn't know what I was doing. I probably still don’t, and I guess that's the beauty of it. There’s always a chance to learn and apply it to the next time.

JASPER: What did you do after graduation? 

RAYFORD: After I graduated from USC, I interned and freelanced at The State Newspaper, where I came into regular contact with photojournalists approaching photography with different artistic approaches, definitely more thoughtful than I. They each had their strengths and weaknesses, and those different styles heavily influenced my approach. To my knowledge, I was the last contributing photographer at The State Newspaper who regularly shot assignments on film, processed and scanned negatives. Back then, whenever I processed photos on film, I thought about how I wasn’t making photos. The darkroom was awesome - but cumbersome.  

Here, photo editor Chuck Dye pushed me to look more into the traditional art components of photography. Chuck brought me in with Robert Frank’s American’s and pushed me to look at great painters. I watched a bunch of lectures and presentations on YouTube while I continued to freelance and take on personal projects. This gave me consistent opportunities to apply what I was learning. Now, I’m more likely to be listening to audiobooks about the creative process.

JASPER: And what kind of experimenting do you like to do now? 

RAYFORD: Before I became a full-time photographer in 2015, I bartended at New Brookland Tavern where I occasionally hosted arts and crafts night when we didn't have shows. At the least, most people would color in the weird coloring books I acquired. We’d paint and experiment with all sorts of mixed media in a very social manner. They were typically slow nights, so I had time to participate. But it’s been a while since I’ve consistently done anything like that. I took one of Michael Krajewski’s classes this year though. That was fun. Now, I feel too much pressure as a freelance photographer to find the next paying gig or find the next personal photo project to pick up those types of projects. 

JASPER: What makes photography such a special medium for you? 

RAYFORD: I kinda see photography as a five-dimensional Tetris game, with color and light joining our three standard spatial measurements. Introducing people to the mix, increasing the speed at which your blocks fall. n my primary field of photojournalism, my art form isn’t photography, but rather visual storytelling. And when it's time to "be creative" there is no backing out. You have to perform and deliver. It's somewhat like sports in a way, but there aren't measured winners and losers for each performance. The friendly competitiveness and the continuous repetition using cameras, taking lots of assignments, taught me a lot about photography and especially about photographing humans. However, you won’t see any people in the pieces here in this Tiny Gallery. Most of the photos here are what most folks might call landscapes. I would call them natural "scene setters" in my visual story-telling process. And for much of these, they were made for that purpose. 

JASPER: Along those line, are there any particular ideas you aim to express with your work? 

RAYFORD: I don’t think I’m trying to express many of my ideas with photography, but I can't escape the fact that I'm bringing all of my personal experiences into my photo making process. I'm organizing visual components to tell a story — and my life experiences heavily influence that process. I’m trying to take the viewer to where I’m at, at that time. And if I’m making photos as a photojournalist, I also have to do this within our ethical boundaries — like not moving items and not asking folks to perform for the camera (portraits excluded). 

There are always recurring themes and subject matter with my photography, but it's extremely varied because of what I'm tasked with as a documentarian. And all those different things that I photograph influence one another, both in how I approach it as a human and someone practicing an art form.

JASPER: Tell me a bit about the logistical aspects of your creative process.  

RAYFORD: My creative journey begins when I have my cameras in good working condition, batteries charged, and with appropriate memory cards ready to roll. I should be hydrated and fed. As technology advances so do the tools that I use. Logistics and planning are huge factors. With photography, you physically have to be somewhere at a specific time, and there are no do-overs. It’s typically impossible and would definitely be unethical.  

There's an old adage that luck sits at the intersection of preparedness and opportunity. My creative journey cannot ignore the preparedness aspect. That’s so key because once you get out into the field doing your thing, you shift into your highest gears and need to rely on the brain-hand-camera connection, where fractions of seconds matter.

JASPER: With all these “fractions,” how did you select the photos for this specific show?  

RAYFORD: For the Tiny Gallery I chose photos from recent visual explorations of the natural world here in the Carolinas, from the Midlands to the North Carolina mountains. 

The photos were made as recent as Oct 31st of this, and the oldest about 3 years ago. There is a group of single exposure photographs of "snappy syncs" or synchronous fireflies (photuris frontalis), a rare species that inhabits central South Carolina. 

JASPER: Is there anything specifically you hope people get from viewing these images? 

RAYFORD: I hope the collection will inspire people to explore. We spend a lot of time inside with technology. Go see neat things. Congaree National Park is a time machine. The mountains of North Carolina — epically ancient. 

JASPER: Hard question, I know, but could you pick a favorite photo in the show? 

RAYFORD: My favorite photo may be the most recent photo, the only one here from Congaree National Park. That excursion has been on my calendar for several months, and just when I was at the right spot, I was blessed with gorgeous light. So many times, it doesn't work out that way. 

JASPER: Speaking of favorites, who are your favorite photographers, or artists in general? 

RAYFORD: My favorite photographers are William Klein, Henri Cartier Bresson, Jill Freedman and Saul Leiter — to name a few. Outside of photography, Edward Hopper and Goya got my attention as a kid, and they still do. 

JASPER: Do you have any real “wow” moments in terms of recognition? 

RAYFORD: A photo I made covering the Ahmaud Arbery story was included in Time Magazine's "Best Photos of 2021." 

JASPER: Most random moment related to your photography career? 

RAYFORD: At some point in my journey as a photographer, I rode my bicycle on Willie Nelson's ranch. 

See Rayford’s Tiny Gallery show at Jasper’s virtual gallery until the end of November.

The Beat with Kevin Oliver: Review of Automata - Single Sparrow

Single Sparrow

Automata

Self-released

Single Sparrow is the band moniker of Charleston, SC musician Patrick Leitner, and this new album is truly a one-man project–he plays every note, wrote every song, recorded, mixed, and mastered the final product himself. You’d never know it from listening, however, as the playing is seamless, and the production is spotlessly clean. 

Despite the forced sterility of its creation in a kind of artistic bubble, this is not a soulless, automated performance. Leitner has one of those world-weary vocal styles, resigned but still possessing an intensity that belies the non-demonstrative singing. It’s most effective on the pastoral rock of “Peaks and Valleys,” for example, where a loping beat echoes Neil Young as Leitner sings: 

“Take me to the Atlantic Ocean, let me feel the waves

Running over sandy shores that weren’t here yesterday

If I try to hold on tight it still washes away

And time is running out on me in much the same way” 

The sense of loss is palpable in the song’s metaphor for change, something that the narrator sounds at peace with, if not in agreement to it happening. 

There are stories here from Leitner’s own life–”Tiny Metronome” is a reference to his daughter. He draws from history and culture as well, with “Centralia” taken from a coal mining town in Pennsylvania and “Happy Accidents,” pulled from the story of famous still life painter Bob Ross. It’s the songs that invite more universal interpretations, however, that pull one inside this digital audio world. 

The emotional depth of Leitner’s writing rewards repeat listens, and this album will sink into your consciousness in all the best ways, with lines standing out at different moments. This week it might be the distillation of “impostor syndrome” unworthiness into the words of “A Reflection of the Moon,” as he sings over a jittery percussive track and a single acoustic guitar, “I am a ballad out of tune, a perfect harmony too soon, or the reflection of the moon; a copy of something true.” Next week, it will shift to “Nothing On the News Tonight” and its examination of relationships in a dystopian world; “The apocalypse is over now, just listening still to the static; something in the way you hold my hand that slows down time …”  

Whatever part of Automata connects with an individual listener, the original concept of AI that can think like humans may have been achieved here by Leitner, accidentally or not. The solitary man in a studio created something that connects almost instantly with other humans, through the miracle of digital tech. 

Announcing Tiny Gallery’s 2022 Ornament Show

Last year, Jasper had its first Tiny Gallery Ornament Show, and this year we’re doing it again with five artists across disciplines. From ceramics to acrylic to trolls, these handmade works make a perfect gift or addition to your own holiday decorations.

Check out our lineup and mark your calendars for when their work goes on sale December 1st!

Adam Corbett

Photo by David Russell Stringer

Adam Corbett is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and visual artist from Lexington, South Carolina. After releasing numerous records, helping to produce a musical, and taking a break from his career as a music teacher, Adam branched out into visual art as a way to cope with the COVID-19 lockdown. Throughout that period, he has experimented with various mediums in a variety of formats focusing always on exploration, play, and following his muse.

Tennyson Corley

Tennyson Corley is a contemporary artist from the heart of South Carolina. Her current work is what she describes as "ceramic illustration." Sculptural story-book creatures with a healthy dose of Beatrice Potter and Orwellian Animal Farm influence, each with their own, at times, humorous back story.

You can check out her work on Instagram @tennyson_corley_art and on her website: https://www.tennysoncorleyart.com/

Michael Krajewski

Michael Krajewski is a self-taught artist who has shown in numerous galleries, collaborated on large, commissioned pieces for museums, painted live at art events and been the subject of magazine and newspaper profiles. He was Jasper Magazine’s first centerfold in 2011. His style has been called neo-expressionist and compared to Jean-Michel Basquiat's, though Krajewski says he is less interested in defining, more interested in producing. He’s had solo shows at the HoFP Gallery, Frame of Mind, and Anastasia & Friends in Columbia, SC, and participated in a two-person show at the Waterfront Gallery in Charleston and in a group show at 701 Whaley.

Holly Rauch

Holly has always had a creative streak, starting as a child sketching characters from the Sunday comics, and enjoying cross-stitch needlework and paper crafts as an adult. Her recent interest in acrylic painting began by attending “paint parties” with friends. With no formal art education but wanting to learn more, she used online tutorials to teach herself dot art, palette knife work, fluid acrylics, one-stroke, and other acrylic techniques. She’s most enthusiastic about abstract designs, but also enjoys painting landscapes, scenes of nature, flora, and fauna. In 2006, Holly lost her only child, Lyssa, to cancer. Lyssa was 20 years old and a sophomore at Winthrop University in Rock Hill SC, studying technical theater when she passed away. The Lyssa Rauch Memorial Scholarship was established in Winthrop’s Department of Theater and Dance, funded entirely by private donations. But when the scholarship experienced financial difficulties, Holly decided to start selling her art and use her hobby to benefit a worthy cause. Now the proceeds from the sale of Holly’s art directly funds this scholarship. A $1,000 award is presented each spring to a rising 4th or 5th year student, keeping Lyssa’s memory alive, and helping future artists follow their own passions in the arts. Holly is a member of the Cayce Arts Guild. She lives in Lexington SC with her husband Todd Leger, Alexandra the Golden Retriever, and three crazy cats: Jaime, Tyrion, and Cercei. You can view Holly’s entire body of work at her Facebook page “Heartisan Love”: htps://www.facebook.com/HeartisanLove

Lucas Sams

Lucas Sams is an award-winning Columbia, SC multi-media artist working in painting, sculpture, film, digital/multimedia, and installation art. Sams works have been exhibited locally and regionally in major art festivals, galleries, and alternative spaces, and featured in Jasper Magazine, the SC State Newspaper, Garnet and Black Magazine, and the Timber Journal of the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Jasper Reviews Workshop Theatre’s Production of Death of a Salesman

Nearly 75 years after its original premiere, what many consider to be the defining play of modernism comes anew to Columbia. While he may not be Willy Loman, Patrick Michael Kelly (Director) certainly seeks to make his intangible tangible as he brings Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman to a 2022 Columbia, South Carolina, audience.

It's surely nearly impossible to predict the audience for this particular production of Miller’s 1949 work—in this city you could draw anyone from curious supporters unfamiliar with the play to longtime lovers and scholars who have chased it to Broadway and published work on it. What’s pervasive though is the tale itself and what it says about the America we live in. 

As Kelly asserted in our show preview, his goal was to tap into this relatability of the play through the act of  “decoloniz[ing] and deconstruct[ing]” it, which he did through diverse casting and a simple, shifting stage. The casting of the actor that performs best versus the one who may be expected is always refreshing—and this cast certainly is incredible. The stage design highlights this cast, with the small stage (designed by Patrick Faulds) being used smartly, its minimalism emphasizing the failure of the house—an image so important to the story—with rooms feeling collapsed and seemingly every space and place in the play existing on top of itself. At the same time, some added claustrophobia to the apartment or some more emphasis on the monolith that is New York City could have added to the character of the piece, and some set choices, like the decision to use a briefcase in lieu of a headstone in the closing scene, feel a bit on the nose.

Right on the money are the costumes, led by Andie Nicks, which fit the period while also having a somewhat timeless quality. All-in-all, though, they are understated and wisely don’t overwhelm the characters. Characters and outfits alike were clear in the lighting (also led by Faulds), which was consistent throughout the show, with the occasional flourish, though some variation in the opening scene would have been apt; for instance, going lights down on the bedroom with inactive parties and lights up on the bedroom with active dialogue could have added dimension.   

Fortunately, character dimension is not something this production is lacking. Deon Turner and Jon Whit play convincing brothers as they step into the shoes of Biff and Happy, respectively. Potentially recognized by Columbia audiences as recent lead and supporting actors in Trustus’ True Crime Rep, Turner and Whit bring heart and passion into the Loman sons. Turner, specifically, aptly embodies the bubbling rage threatening to spill over on his father at any given moment.

Libby Campbell is a tour-de-force as Linda, not surprising giving her varied, lengthy background as a performer in the city. She is gentle and firm, protective of her husband to a fault, but still very much her own person. Campbell has a distinct control and mastery of her facial expressions that are both easily readable and consistently poignant. And stepping into the shoes of Willy Loman himself is Paul Kaufmann, another Columbia acting veteran who convincingly throws himself into the desperation of a man losing every ounce of hope and possibility he once saw in the world. Kaufmann plays Loman loud but delicately; he has a presence on stage that is electric though not exactly nameable—he’s one of those figures you can’t really look away from, which is perfect for portraying the failing salesman.

Rounding out the cast is a delight of supporting characters, who each hold their own in a script of individually perceived larger-than-life figures. Jeff Smith plays an almost mythical Uncle Ben; Ripley Thames and Jonathan Yi excel as the neighboring father-son duo; and Roderick Haynes Jr., Emily Meadows, and Caroline McGee succeed at making individual their multiple characters each.

The four main cast members play well off of each other, feeling very much like a family, though one in which there is disconnect. This disconnect, for the most part, does feel intentional, as this is a story about people who just can’t see each other regardless of how hard they try. What the audience is left longing for, though, is added nuance in the performances. Whether a result of directorial decisions or simply logistics of performing without mics, there isn’t much variation in the level/tenor of speaking. Sure, during the arguments and climactic moments the yelling is quite distinct—and quite good—but there’s a certain consistent bravado to everyone’s performances that doesn’t quite seem earned.

This is a play about four people who are constantly struggling to know who they are, who are building themselves from foundations that were never stable, and over the course of only a day (about 2.5 hours sans intermission in real time), slowly hurtle (oxymoron intended) towards the reckoning of their foundational façades. This movement asks for a similar movement in the performances, which is not always present. Happy, for instance, is a little too, well, happy. Happy Loman is an ironic figure because he is so desperate to please that he doesn’t even realize how inherently unhappy he is, which is pervasive throughout the script, but only comes out in glimpses in the production. More quiet movements and comfort with silence and pauses in all the Lomans may have created a more apt tone. In fact, there are few plays where the tone is as important as this one.

And, ultimately, even amidst the strong acting, the tone is where the play falls short. There appears a desire in this production to make the play humorous—not to make it a comedy, but to lean into potential comedic moments and emphasize tone and brief beats as if to elicit and expect laughter. Willy’s comments on arresting those who cut down his trees or his anger at Charley for playing a card that he thinks is his aren’t meant to be funny. Of course, this is completely up to the director to interpret; however, it’s disconcerting hearing the audience laughing along when you know what’s to come, and although this isn’t inherently problematic, the humor minimizes the bone-chilling persistent longing and desperation throughout the script. These moments feel in conflict even with elements of the production itself, like the sound design, also led by Kelly, which keenly upholds the eerie nature of the script.

Perhaps the director and cast wanted new audiences who enjoy various genres to have multiple avenues of entry into the story. Perhaps the goal was to highlight the humor to make even starker the dark moments. However, this is a play about a man who has given all of himself away for a dream that never existed, a reality that never was or will be. He has projected it onto his wife and his children, created a rot that seeped into the house and that this family may never be fully free from—mortgage paid or not. This play ends with Willy Loman’s final attempt to make his way ‘into the jungle,’ to make tangible its distant diamonds by giving away the only thing he ever really had a stake in: his own life. The script knows this. The family knows this. This rooted rot has not just now begun to seep. Every word spoken by a member of this household is speaking with the pervasive, inherent knowledge that disillusion can no longer be staved off—regardless of to what degree they explicitly recognize it. The continued distractions of this through making light of certain lines of dialogue or interactions may make the play appear dynamic on the surface but, in the end, misses the mark. Even whipped cheese and bad flirting cannot cut through the tendrils wrapped thick around this family, which makes these decisions feel out of place.

The attempts to bring this story into 2022 are best done through the moments that stay the truest to the script itself. Willy and Biff’s climactic shouting and crying match strikes right to the heart of the audience. Happy’s assertion that he will be able to avenge his father’s death fills the viewer with dread and unease. And Linda’s echoing, closing “we’re free” only convinces the audience that they certainly are not. In these moments, the production shines—it’s effervescent.

The fact of the matter is, though Death of a Salesman may be a relic of its time, it is simultaneously timeless. It doesn’t need tonal flourishes to bring it into an era it is still so reflective of. We all already are the “dime-a-dozen” Willy Lomans whose only potential way forward is to accept who we are—and even in that there is no promise. There is nothing bigger than that. There doesn’t need to be.

Miller’s play has and continues to speak for itself, and Kelly’s production at times aptly emphasizes this, and at times undermines it. The strength of its actors is sure to strike pride in Columbia audiences, and it’s a feat that, even with its occasional moments asking for more nuance, locals should not miss out on. For those new to the play, it is likely to be an experience rife with passion that fills viewers with a spectrum of emotions. For Death of a Salesman lovers, however, the heart of Miller’s script, though there, remains, in part, intangible.

ColaJazz and the Koger Center Team Up for a Groovy Good Time – Motown Live

If you missed a chance to see Columbia City Ballet’s premiere of their brand-new production Motown Ballet back in March of this year, you have another chance to check out a new Motown event at the Koger Center: “Onstage with Rod Foster and Company’s Motown Live” on November 10. This concert is the second of a newer series presented by the Koger Center, bridging the physical and metaphorical gaps between performers and their audience. The performance sees the return of Brittany Turnipseed to the Koger Center as well as Brandon Stevens. We talked to Rod Foster himself about the concert itself, the impact of Motown and the power of music altogether.

Jasper: How would you explain the Motown label/genre to those who have never heard Motown songs, or those who have heard them without knowing the name “Motown”?

Foster: Motown is the rhythm and blues that makes you want to dance and reminisce over your first broken heart or first kiss. It is the feeling of good times and good people. It's the melody and cry of a turning point in America. When you hear the downbeat, you know you are taking part in a special time in history and music.

Jasper: What was that “a-ha” moment that made you want to bring back a Motown event to the Koger Center?

Foster: The a-ha moment that made us want to bring back Motown to the Koger Center was the response from the audience. The people who attended the ballet told us how much they enjoyed the vocalist and the band and how they would love to come to hear it again. My philosophy is to give the people what they want.

Jasper: What sort of elements will you be incorporating from the ballet performance back in March of this year? Will dance still be a big component of the performance?

Foster: It will still highlight some of the dance numbers from the ballet, but the spotlight will focus more on our amazing vocalists: Brittany Turnipseed, Brandon Stevens and the Rod Foster and Company band. We will be able to stretch and really allow the songs to keep you grooving stronger and longer.

Jasper: Do you hope to continue any performances like this through the “Onstage with...” series in particular? Do you have any ideas for future performances?

Foster: I would love to continue doing performances like this in the future. I am still trying to think of what would be attractive, but maybe a tribute to a musical legend, group, or time. There are so many things that can be done. It would just take putting the great minds of ColaJazz, the Koger Center, and myself to create something that will be a good time for everyone.

Jasper: What brought Rod Foster and Company to fruition? How did everyone in the company meet and decide to create the group?

Foster: Me and the guys have been playing together for years before there was ever a name put to the band. Me and some of the guys in the band went to high school together. We already had a lot of chemistry and experience with each other and have been able to grow together as musicians. I have to say that what brought Rod Foster and Company to fruition was Chaye Alexander of Chayz Lounge. Long story short, a performer could not make it to Chayz Lounge to perform and she asked me to fill in and do a show. She had confidence in me that I could step out from the background, stand up front, and lead a band. She came up with it being called Rod Foster and Company to promote the show and it stuck. Luckily, we did well enough to continue doing shows and become the house band there. Even though I do not particularly love having my name up front, the opportunity to perform at the lounge was the start that got us here to perform in the Koger Center. I have been able to grow a lot while becoming a band leader.

Jasper: If there is one thing you want audiences to know or keep in mind for this performance, what would it be?

Foster: Come out to enjoy yourself and have a good time. We are honored to play for you. Thank you for listening.

General admission tickets are available to purchase at the Koger Center box office or For more information, check out the Koger Center or ColaJazz Foundation websites.

Jasper Presents A Tabitha Ott Trunk Show & Community Caroling for Vista Lights

You’re invited to kick off your holidays with the Jasper Project at Vista Lights!

Join all the friends and family of the Jasper Project at Coal Powered Filmworks for Vista Lights as we celebrate artist Tabitha Ott with an exciting trunk show of her innovative jewelry and wearable art. We’ll be decked out for the holidays, singing Christmas carols on Lincoln Street (led by Adam Corbett and Bekha Rice!), sipping warm cider (have some, please!) and waiting for you!

Tabitha Ott received her MFA in Jewelry and Metals from Kent State University and her BFA in Sculpture with a concentration in Jewelry and Metals from Winthrop University. Originally from Orangeburg, she now resides in Cayce, SC with her partner Gil. For eight years Tabitha served as a faculty member at Claflin University and from 2020-2022 she was the Interim Chair of the Department of Art there. She recently completed a month-long artist residency in rural Nebraska at Art Farm. For three years her studio was located at Tapp’s Arts Center on Main Street in Columbia. After the center closed in 2019, she relocated to her current studio at Tapp’s Outpost, located in Five Points in Columbia, SC.

Artist Statement: My current research involves investigations into metaphysics and philosophy. In my work, I use symbolism and unconventional material relationships to spark the imagination. In my creative practice, I aim to further understand myself, others, my environment, and the meaning of existence. My work is a communication of this journey toward enlightenment, understanding, and peace.

Coal Powered Filmworks is located at 1217 Lincoln Street in the Vista, across from the Blue Marlin. No unaccompanied children please!

WOW Presents The World You Left Behind – A New Play by Tangie Brickhouse-Beaty

WOW Theatre is back after a three-year absence from the main stage with a new play by Tangie Brickhouse-Beaty premiering November 11th at MTC’s Harbison Theatre.

The World You Left Behind is billed as an inspirational play about trust, reconciliation, and more. WOW’s synopsis reads, “Trusting people hasn't come easy for SC Top Radio Personality, Brian Green, especially since the one person he loved the most, betrayed him. After 6 years of praying, he thinks that his prayers have finally been answered. However, not everyone is sharing in his excitement, especially his 16-year-old daughter, Diamond. After some careful digging, Diamond has found out the true reason for this reunion. Now she has to decide if revealing the truth is worth the expense of breaking her father’s heart.”

Featuring Andre Dorsey, Elicia Moore, Morgan Belton, Arlene Pollock-Salley, Christina Morganelli, Lachelle Shelly Rodriguez, Rob Alton. Kristina Alderman, Shavetta Belton, Gabby Johnson, D’yanna Daniels, Vanzell Haire,  Kyerrah Robinson, Knakea Robinson Macon, Roderick Haynes, Jr., and Joshua Ballard.

Walking on Water Productions, also known as WOW Productions, is an urban inspirational entertainment company founded by Tangie Beaty in Norwalk, CT in 2005. Currently based in Columbia, SC, Tangie (CEO) has created a company that would produce original inspirational productions that empower individuals to rebuild family values, effect change, encourage the lost and restore self-esteem.​

Since 2005, WOW has been performing stage plays, improv, and dinner theaters within 9 cities and 3 states. Directing almost 1200 actors, WOW has held 125 performances in both stage and film projects in front of over 26,000 audience members.  

WOW has been nominated as Best Theatre Production Company, Awarded Black Arts Jazz & Film Best Theatre Company in Atlanta, and Best Stage Play Directors at the Kingdomwood Christian Film Festival. In addition to being affiliated with various associations such as SC Film Commission, SC Theater Association, Urban Playwrights United, and more.

The Jasper Project featured WOW’s Secrets in Plain Site in the Spring 2022 issue of Jasper Magazine.

The World You Left Behind runs from November 11-13 with the following showtimes:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022 @ 7:30pm

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022 @ 3pm & 7:30pm

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 20222 @ 7:30pm

For more information check out this video.

Tickets are available now at www.wowproduction.org

Special Pre-Show Performance on November 11th by Andre Delaine

The Beat with Kevin Oliver: Candy Coffins - Once Do It With Feeling

Candy Coffins

Once Do It With Feeling

Self-released

The decades of experience represented by the veteran members of Candy Coffins comes through in the music on this new full-length album, which hearkens back to “Disintegration”-era Cure, the less abrasive years of the Psychedelic Furs, and lots of David Bowie. The gothic rock edge doesn’t necessarily render the songs dated; there are enough modern touches throughout to peg this as a contemporary work that just pulls from a very specific artistic palette.  

The focus here should really be on the songwriting of singer and guitarist Jame Lathren, however. The liner notes state that the album “Chronicles a relationship from the onset of the first crack to its complete crumbling dissolution,” and there is definitely an emotional arc from beginning to end. 

Midway through, “Tangled Up in Teacups” includes a female voice leaving messages such as “My god, you are the most selfish person I have ever met. If you’re going to be this kind of disaster have fun doing it by yourself…” as bassist Alex Mabrey drives the unsettling melody underneath. 

Lathren shifts back to the male perspective on “French Exit,” singing “I’m not sorry you won’t know what happened, I’m heading out the door…” in a tortured tenor that wails, then drops to a hushed whisper as he sings, “I’m all alone, but it’s better than being with you…” and the band crashes back into a searing musical coda worthy of a Neil Young opus.  

It’s the music that keeps this from being just another self-absorbed breakup album; there are guitar solos here that say much more than any words could, such as the stinging leads on “A Victory Like This.” When the instruments on that song drop completely out at the end, it’s like you just got dropped off an emotional cliff. 

Lathren may lean too far into the goth-rock nostalgia at times, but he does so in service of a set of songs that capture both the euphoria and the angst that exists in volatile relationships.

Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina on view at the MET

… what it means to have and express agency while creating “art through coercion.”  

On view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City until February 5th, 2023, Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield South Carolina features work from African American potters in the 19th-century. The exhibition features roughly 50 items of pottery and stoneware from the Old Edgefield District, a locale for stone masonry in the decades leading up to the Civil War.

Literate enslaved person David Drake, who was a poet as well as a potter, has a couple of storage jars in the collection. Many of his works come from Stony Bluff Manufactory. The collection also features the slightly mysterious face vessels, whose creators are unknown. These vessels speak for themselves, however, with their specific yet enigmatic style.

The uniqueness of this exhibition corroborates the skill, knowledge, and artistic agency of the enslaved people of the American South. Coupled with modern scholarship, this exhibition offers insight into what it means to have and express agency while creating “art through coercion.”  

The exhibition features a catalogue and an audio guide to offer supplemental information on these materials. The audio guide is composed of dialogue from Black artists, scholars of African American history, an archaeologist, and even South Carolina’s own Tonya M. Matthews, CEO and President of the new International African American Museum in Charleston.  

As one unnamed scholar says in the audio guide introduction, “When we don’t interrogate enslaved artisans in the same way we interrogate all of our other artisans and craftspeople, we lose a very big part of the story. Not just the story then, but the story that we’re living now.”   

Visit the MET before February 5th, 2023, to hear this part of our very own South Carolina story.

Pumpkin Art Crawl Results from Friday Night's Fabulous Event

Thank you and congratulations to all the Pumpkin artists who graced our tables on Friday Night at our Curiosity Pumpkin Art Crawl! And thanks to sponsors Gardener’s Outpost and Megan O’Connell State Farm.

~

Winning the award for People’s Choice of the Greatest Pumpkin was Olga Yukhno for this beautiful creation.

The Award for Scariest Pumpkin went to Jennifer Hill for this monstrosity!

J. Michael McGuirt won the award for the Most Fun/Funniest Pumpkin for his candy-centric pumpkin beast!

And Michael Krajewski won the award for most innovative pumpkin for his creation which included a creepy dolly who vomited blood on demand!

Other unofficial awards are as follows:

Bohumila Augustinova for Most Delicate Carving

Tennyson Corley for Best Face in a Pumpkin for her Witch’s Profile

Lauren Chapman for Pumpkin Most Likely to Magically Fly Away

Kimber Carpenter for Pumpkin Most Likely to Find New Home at the Art Bar (and we think it did!)

Thomas Crouch for Scariest Skin Pumpkin

Billy Guess for Best Rendition of the Traditional and Classic Jack-o-Lantern

Abstract Alexandra for Most Mythological Pumpkin with her rendition of the Three Fates

Lucas Sams for Best Deconstructed Pumpkin for this abstract Pumpkin Monster that Bill Schmidt Loved the most!

And Cait Maloney who entered two Pumpkins in the competition — this Punk Ass Pumpkin and …

this incredibly clever creation, unique to Cait — her Signature Pumpkin, if you will — and Cindi’s all-time favorite of the night!

We had a fabulous time enjoying the good food from Mary’s Arepas, good music from DJ Spooky, and all the visitors who loved checking out our Pumpkin Art Crawl!

See you next year and Happy Halloween!

Poems on the Menu

Poet Lisa Hammond

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

Eating Out

by Lisa Hammond

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

yes, mac and cheese. She shells butterbeans,

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

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

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

fried green tomatoes with homemade Boursin cheese.

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

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

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

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

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

JASPER: Best dad joke you've heard? 

BNM: A dyslexic man walks into a bra. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

JASPER: What advice do you have for other artists? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A message from Cindi

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

Hi Friends!

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

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

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

Mission Statement

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

~~~

The Jasper Project Priorities

The Jasper Project is committed to four integrated priorities:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Take care,

Cindi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Libby Bernardin Book Launch at Stormwater

LIBBY BERNARDIN’S NEW BOOK LAUNCH

HOUSE IN NEED OF MOORING

 

Thursday, November 10; 5:30 – 7:00pm

Fellow poet, Jim Peterson, has written about Libby’s new book:

“These poems by Libby Bernardin are keenly sensitive to nature.  They also embody the losses, fears, sorrows, loves and simple pleasures of life lived deeply—a quiet mind seeing, and yes, reflecting, but never looking away from what has gone so wrong and so right in these times.  Bernardin’s poems reveal without explaining.  They conjure her beloved South Carolina—lowcountry wetlands, city streets and suburbs, mountains, the people and their endeavors—and yet at the same time embrace the unknowable.”

Poetry reading and book signing for her new book, House in need of Mooring:

Libby’s reading will start shortly after 5:30; other invited poets will also present readings.

Book signing: 6:30- 7:00pm.

About the Author:

South Carolina poet Libby Bernardin is the author of Stones Ripe for Sowing (Press 53, 2018) and two chapbooks, The Book of Myth (SC Poetry Initiative, 2009) and Layers of Song (Finishing Line Press, 2011). Journal publications include The Asheville Poetry Review, Southern Poetry Review, Kakalak. She has won poetry awards from the Poetry Society of South Carolina and the North Carolina Poetry Society, and has served as co-director of the highly respected Litchfield Tea & Poetry Series until 2019. Her new book, House in Need of Mooring (Press 53, 2022), is yet another testament to the silver lining of the pandemic. A retired English teacher from the University of South Carolina, she leads poetry workshops for the Georgetown County Library. She is a lifetime member of the Board of Governors of the SC Academy of Authors.

The Sound of Silence: Mummenschanz at the Koger Center

Mummenschanz is something you need to see to believe.

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

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

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

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

Tiny Gallery Artists Debora Life Converges Love for Gardening and Pottery in Her Ceramic Creations

This month, we have been delighted to showcase Debora Martin Life’s ceramics during out October Tiny Gallery show. Learn more about her and her work below! 

Debora Life grew up in Adena, a small coal-mining town in Ohio. She recalls her father having his own trucks and employees—while her mother kept both the books and the home—and cites observing them as one of her early influences: “That may have been an early exposure to seeing how things worked and what it took to keep a business up and running.” 

Though her first real exposure to art, and pottery specifically, would come after a move to Marietta when she was 11. This larger school brought hands-on experience with pottery and various mediums. In terms of training, though, art is not what Life went to school for—on the contrary, she is a trained nurse. 

Her first love of creation was really with plants. Life remembers “early passions include[ing] seeing the country by way of motorcycle riding with our daughters in a sidecar, then progressing to backseat passengers as they grew. We made several cross-country trips, falling in love with the West.” 

After moving to Arizona, Life became a Master Gardner and then became involved with a Cactus Society that met monthly at the Botanical Garden in Phoenix. As she learned about the world and its nature, she came to a conclusion: “with plants you need pottery.” 

Life began taking ceramic classes with every instructor she could at Arizona’s community colleges, and even after she moved to Columbia a few years ago, she continued this new love, working with pottery regularly at the City of Columbia Art Studio, which she still frequents. 

“My work has evolved as I have improved with practice and having the time to explore new avenues. Working a few evenings at the City Studio every week, friendships have grown also,” she shares, adding that her love of gardening and pottery have begun to merge, “Using leaves and textures are often incorporated into my artwork. I also have chickens and vermiculture at my Rosewood home.”  

In this Tiny Gallery show, Life has presented a plethora of practical yet beautiful pieces. Butter dishes and serving trays are lined with bright hues of cerulean or carved with individual faces and cities. The occasional pendant, animal, and even creature makes an appearance too.  

This is only the most recent in South Carolina opportunities Life reflects on as poignant to her. She has attended various conferences, a pottery exhibit at the Chandler Center, and was a vendor at the Phoenix Botanical Garden during a Cactus Society Show and Sale. 

On creating ceramic work, she reflects as such: “While I think of myself as someone who can carry out a task in a prompt fashion, pottery has been the most humbling of crafts that I have taken up.” 

You can view Life’s work until October 31st at Jasper’s virtual gallery: https://the-jasper-project.square.site/tiny-gallery  

In the future, you can see Life’s work at the State Fair (10/12-23), Sesquicentennial State Park (11/6), Melrose Art Crawl (11/20), and Midlands Clay Art Society and Cottontown Art Crawl (11/23).

University of South Carolina and Local Cinema Studios is Seeking Feature & Pilot Scripts for Production

Do you have a feature or pilot script that you can’t wait to see come to life? Are you passionate about collaboration and mentorship? We have a million dollar (okay, realistically ~$100k opportunity) for you!

Local Cinema Studios, with support from the South Carolina Film Commission and the University of South Carolina, is producing their second project in South Carolina during Summer 2023.

They are searching for feature length and pilot scripts that can be shot in roughly six weeks, bringing on professional crews, student interns, mentors, and community members to come together on a professional production.

Entries are due Nov. 1, 2022. View the requirements and submit your script here.

This is an annual initiative that kicked off in 2021 when UofSC and their production team made a feature film called HERO. According to Local Cinema Studios, they see the low budget as an opportunity to problem solve and use passion and grit to get things done on set. They'll also have goals to raise more depending on the script.

Please reach out to Dustin at dwhitehead@localcinemastudios.com with any questions.

Announcing Fall Lines Volume IX Winners and Accepted Authors

The Jasper Project is delighted to announce the winners of the 2022 Fall Lines Awards and the accepted submissions to Fall Lines Volume IX.

The Broad River Prize for Prose goes to Tim Conroy for his short fiction, Nasty Bites and the Saluda River Prize for Poetry goes to Jo Angela Edwins for her poem, Stricken.

Fall Lines volume IX will be released on Sunday, February 5th, 2023, at the Main Branch of the Richland Library, 1431 Assembly Street in Columbia, SC. The event will begin at 3 pm and all contributors are invited to read one poem or approximately one page of their published prose. Contributors are welcome to two copies of the journal and additional copies may be purchased for $10 each. Proceeds from purchased journals will help defray the dramatically increased costs of publication. Watch this space for pre-order information.

Poetry and prose accepted for publication in this year’s Fall Lines journal include the following

Fruit – Gil Allen

The turning – Ken Autry

The last battle in Alabama – Ken Autry

Bachman's Warbler – Ken Autry

Bird – Libby Bernardin

with spoiled fruit – Evelyn Berry

Dear Raphael – Al Black

Porcelain doll – Al Black

If I were a man – Cindi Boiter

Prudent – Cindi Boiter

Seamstress – Carolina Bowden

Signs that say what you want them to say (not signs that say what someone else wants you to say) – Lucia Brown

Before we turn on the table saw – Lucia Brown

walking a half-marathon through your hometown – Lucia Brown

Members of the backyard church – Tim Conroy

Nasty Bites – Tim Conroy

How to cut up a chicken – Susan Craig

Touching Wyse's Ferry Bridge – Susan Craig

The Older Poet Yearns to Carpe the Diem – Debra Daniels

Dream Three – Heather Dearmon

Bring Me Something – Heather Dearmon

Across the River - Marlanda DeKine

talking to themselves -  Marlanda DeKine

For my cat, every Sunday afternoon – Graham Duncan

Ghosts in Poems – Jo Angela Edwins

Stricken – Jo Angela Edwins

Nana Lencha – Vera Gomez

You don't know what you don't know – Vera Gomez

Coattails – Kristine Hartvigsen

River – Kristine Hartvigsen

A Quiet Love – Jammie Huynh

A ghazal to my father – Jammie Huynh

Bad Idea Boyfriend, or White Jesus – Shannon Ivey

D. – Suzanne Kamata

Red Bird / Blue Bird – Bentz Kirby

Hunter's Chapel Road – Len Laurin

I love you 3000 – Len Lawson

Crown – Terri McCord

Space – Terri McCord

For a 20% Tip – Rosalie McCracken

"Yes, please" – Melanie McGhee

Cycles – Joseph Mills

Office hours – Joseph Mills

Those of us with bushy white beards – Joseph Mills

So long, Greenie – Eric Morris

Chopin all over her – Eric Morris

Old photos (for Ahmaud Arbery) – Yvette Murray

Thundering shadows – Frances Pearce

Gone to the birds – Glenis Redmond

"Praise how the ordinary turns sacred" – Glenis Redmond

Strangers in a Strange Field – Aida Rogers

Pre-Columbia Intersections – Lawrence Rhu

Meaningless – Michael Rubin

Small things I notice – Randy Spencer

Next Day Now - Randy Spencer

Above the poplars – Arthur Turfa

For the Love of Mz. Joe – Ceille Welch

Congratulations to

Tim Conroy and Jo Angela Edwins

and all the accepted poets and prose writers for

Fall Lines Volume IX!

PREVIEW: DEATH OF A SALESMAN AT WORKSHOP THEATRE BY JON TUTTLE

The grinding wheel of American capitalism has become a Catherine Wheel: if you’re not helping to turn it, you’ll get lashed to it. This is what Miller called, in his eponymous essay, the tragedy of the common man: “the disaster inherent in being torn away from our chosen image of what and who we are in this world. Among us today this fear is strong, and perhaps stronger, than it ever was.”

The watershed moment for American drama occurred at about 10:30pm on January 22, 1949, at the Locust Street Theatre in downtown Philadelphia. It consisted of a stunned silence.  

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman had been in rehearsals for several weeks but came to Philadelphia for a tryout before opening at the Morosco on Broadway. It would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best play, as well as a raft of other awards, and would be remounted on Broadway five times—including right now at the Hudson Theatre, with an all- African-American cast. There is no official count of such things, but it is surely one of the most-produced plays in history. At any rate, it ranks at or near the top of lists—such as a recent one by the Denver Post—of the most important American plays.  

But when the when the curtain came down on the first public performance of The Great American Play, there was no applause, no response at all. In his autobiography, Timebends, Miller recalls the strange moment: “Strange things began to go on in the audience. With the curtain down, some people stood to put their coats on and then sat down again; some, especially men, were bent forward, covering their faces, and others were openly weeping. People crossed the theatre to stand quietly, talking with one another. It seemed forever before someone remembered to applaud, and then there was no end to it. I was standing at the back and saw a distinguished-looking elderly man being led up the aisle; he was talking excitedly into the ear of what seemed to be his male secretary or assistant. This, I learned, was Bernard Gimbel, head of the department store chain, who that night gave an order that no one in his stores was to be fired for being overage.”

Salesman tells the story, of course, of Willy Loman, the disposable American Everyman who measures his worth only in dollars, and of his wife, Linda, whose every encouragement hastens his suicide. His sons, Biff and Hap, represent the competing halves of his personality and of the American psyche—one a rugged outdoorsman still invested in pre-Depression ideals of hard work and camaraderie, the other a wannabe cut-throat executive who equates price with value. Reunited for twenty-four hours, the Lomans can no longer live together under the same roof. By the end of the play, the family home—the artifact upon which the American mythos is based--is paid for—but empty.

We are living in the fallout from unchecked capitalism and patriarchy - burnout, classism, exploitation, income and wealth inequality, housing shortages, climate crises. We are poorer now than our parents were at our age, and without significant and sustained changes to our system, the future looks more uncertain than ever. Social media has turned many of us into salespeople, selling the version of our lives that we want others to see, angling for as many likes as we can get to increase our self-worth, believing as Willy does that it's important to be well-liked.” - Patrick Michael Kelly

“Attention, attention must be paid,” says Linda of her hapless husband, and by extension of every well-meaning, faceless citizen failing to fulfill their obligations to the economy, and that’s truer now than it was in 1949. The grinding wheel of American capitalism has become a Catherine Wheel: if you’re not helping to turn it, you’ll get lashed to it. This is what Miller called, in his eponymous essay, the tragedy of the common man: “the disaster inherent in being torn away from our chosen image of what and who we are in this world. Among us today this fear is strong, and perhaps stronger, than it ever was.” 

Patrick Michael Kelly, who is directing the Workshop Theatre production opening November 4, concurs. “Salesman speaks to many of the issues we grapple with today,” he says. “Miller sought to deflate the idea of the American Dream - that anyone could achieve anything with hard work and determination. My generation and younger generations believe less and less in that idea, and this play underscores our disillusionment. We are living in the fallout from unchecked capitalism and patriarchy - burnout, classism, exploitation, income and wealth inequality, housing shortages, climate crises. We are poorer now than our parents were at our age, and without significant and sustained changes to our system, the future looks more uncertain than ever. Social media has turned many of us into salespeople, selling the version of our lives that we want others to see, angling for as many likes as we can get to increase our self-worth, believing as Willy does that it's important to be well-liked.”  

Kelly’s production will emphasize, he says, the concept that originally informed the play—the stream of consciousness running through the mind of its protagonist. Miller composed the first act of the play in a single night in his backyard shed in Connecticut—emerging the next morning, he said, aching and exhausted. His working title was The Inside of His Head, and he imagined the setting of the play as an enormous face which would open, like French doors, to reveal the interior of the Loman household. Designer Jo Mielziner prevailed upon Miller to do away with the cranium, but the operative principle that drives the play—that Willy cannot separate his illusions and memories from his realities—remained part of its DNA. It’s that element that Kelly’s production will emphasize. 

“We are highlighting that much of the play takes place in Willy’s mind,” says Kelly, “in his memories, with moveable settings to illustrate the fleeting nature and impermanence of memory and time. Beyond a few period accents, our set largely eschews reality and instead looks to illustrate Willy’s true passion for building things and his desire to get ahead. A skeletal staircase to nowhere is the only permanent fixture - a visual metaphor for his thwarted dreams, which Biff declares in the requiem as being ‘all, all wrong.’” 

What’s different about this production, however, is that Kelly is seeking to “decolonize and deconstruct” it as much as possible. The cast is racially diverse because “we want audience members of all backgrounds to see themselves in this story,” and his set is “somewhat Brechtian” in its minimalism and desire to keep the audience asking the right questions. “Salesman is almost entirely devoid of references to race,” Kelly says, and is primarily “focused more on classism. Racism was very much alive in the ‘40s however, so it cannot be ignored, and casting this play with a diverse group of people presents new dynamics and problems that were not originally intended. At the end of the day, I wanted to work with the best actors I could find, and I believe I found them. We’ve got a stellar team.” 

Veteran Columbia professionals Paul Kaufmann and Libby Campbell as Willy and Linda head that team. “I always love working with my longtime friend and colleague Paul Kaufmann,” says Kelly. “Paul is a wonderful artist and will bring his expertise in creating a more sensitive version of Willy Loman, balancing the ferocity of his fears with his sweetness and sentimentality. This play is the third time I’ve had the pleasure of directing him. [And] Libby is Columbia theatre royalty. This is my first time working with her.” 

Kelly notes that Deon Turner (Biff) and Jon Whit McClinton (Happy) are fresh from Trustus Theatre’s True Crime Rep--Jason Stokes Composure and Charlie Finesilver’s House Calls, and that “Jonathan Yi (Bernard) was one of my students last year at the University of South Carolina, and actually played Biff in scene study in that class, so it’s a treat to work with him on this play. Ripley Thames (Charley) is an actor I’ve admired for some time, but never gotten to work with. Same goes for Emily Meadows (Woman/Letta). Caroline McGee is a 2022 UofSC theatre graduate, and Roderick Haynes, Jr. stepped in late in the process and has been a joy. Mostly, it’s just an honor to get to tell this story - it’s one of the greatest American plays for a reason, and it’s a privilege to get to work on it intensely. It’s intimidating, but I love a challenge, and I hope audiences love what we’re creating for them.” 

Likewise, he relishes the opportunity to work once again—in a new venue--with Workshop, for whom he’s performed in Some Girl(s) (2017) and The Little Foxes (2002). This production is the culmination of conversations he’d been having with Jeni McCaughan, Workshop’s executive director, about remounting American classics. “I don’t think we go back to the dramatic classics enough,” he says. “I am a champion of new work. I think fostering new voices and nurturing new plays is the most important work a theatre can undertake, but we can still learn a lot from producing the plays of Arthur Miller, Lorraine Hansberry, Tennessee Williams, and many others.”   

And he is “thrilled” about Workshop’s partnership with Columbia College. “I know it’s going to benefit both organizations in a big way - and I’m excited to direct a show in the historic Cottingham Theatre. It’s a beautiful space and an actor’s dream as far as acoustics are concerned. I’ve never directed in a true proscenium theatre that has wings and fly space before either, so it’s a real treat.” 

Workshop Theatre’s production of Death of a Salesman will run November 4 through 13 at Cottingham Theatre on the campus of Columbia College. Tickets are available here.