THE BEAT: The Living Room Aims for Listening Room Vibe by Kevin Oliver

When the subject of venues in Columbia comes up, the most often repeated “missing link” in the local scene is the presence of a real listening room–a space for music that’s not connected to a bar, or a restaurant, or any other business, really. The last time we had something like that here would be the UU Coffeehouse Series that the Unitarian Universalist Church in Shandon hosted for many years, later shifted to the Tree of Life synagogue for a couple of seasons. It’s an important option, especially for the kind of thoughtful, sometimes quieter folk and acoustic acts that don’t translate as well in a noisy, more boisterous room. 

Inspired in part by those UU shows, the new venue dubbed “The Living Room” aims to provide just such an opportunity at its space on Two Notch Road in northeast Columbia that the spiritual community Jubilee! Circle has called home since 2019.

Rev. Candace Chellew is the pastor at Jubilee! Circle, and she says it was an idea borne of both necessity and also a desire to open up the space to more events.

“As with most businesses that survived the pandemic, we decided to use one of the best assets we have–our space,” She says. We’ve rebranded it as The Living Room because it has that cozy atmosphere, and we added areas with couches and coffee tables to complete the ‘living room’ feel.” 

The goal, she adds, is to mold the space to each performer’s needs. They’ve already hosted singer-songwriter Lang Owen and performances by the Columbia Operatic Laboratory’s “Pirates Of Penzance” sing-along, and this Friday, December 16th, they’ll welcome indie folk and rock singer-songwriter Danielle Howle, performing with her current semi-acoustic trio that includes Josh Roberts on lead guitar.

Lang Owen performing at the Living Room

It’s as much about the attendees for Chellew as it is about the performing artists, she says.
“We intend to make this a space to enhance the lives of people who attend, and to support the local music scene and the artists seeking such a listening room atmosphere to build their audience and share their talents.”

The eventual goal is to replicate what the UU Coffeehouse series did, bringing in national and regional talent in addition to the more local artists, with at least one show per month. 

“Love is what we are, that is what we should always be teaching and projecting into the world. The arts are to us a way to extend that love to the community as a whole; music and arts are healing ministries that bring together people of all political, social, ethnic, and economic stripes, and Jubilee! Circle seeks to remind everyone of our ultimate unity with one another at a spiritual level.” - Candace Chellew

They are also including a charity/nonprofit element to each show, Chellew adds. “With the Danielle Howle show, it’s a silent auction to raise money for Pawmetto Lifeline, but with each event we do, we’d like to find a way to get the crowd to support other organizations within the community with their donations, time, and talent.” 

Chellew sees the Living Room as a natural extension of the mission of Jubilee! Circle in the community. “Unlike many spiritual communities, we don’t evangelize, and we’re not trying to get you to believe anything in particular or adhere to specific doctrine,” She says. “Our message is simple: Love is what we are, that is what we should always be teaching and projecting into the world. The arts are to us a way to extend that love to the community as a whole; music and arts are healing ministries that bring together people of all political, social, ethnic, and economic stripes, and Jubilee! Circle seeks to remind everyone of our ultimate unity with one another at a spiritual level. Everyone who leaves one of our events with a song in their heart becomes a force for love and healing in the world–whether they are conscious of it or not.” 

If you’re interested in putting some of Danielle Howle’s songs in your heart, the show is this Friday, December 16th,  at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 online or at the venue,  6729 Two Notch Road ##70 Columbia, SC 29223.

click for tickets

click for silent auction promo video

 

SC Jazz Masterworks Ensemble Big Band Holiday Concert

South Carolina’s celebrated big band ensemble performs Dec. 17th, 2022

From our friends at SC Philharmonic—

 

The SC Jazz Masterworks Ensemble, under the direction of Music Director Robert Gardiner, continues the 22/23 Season with SWINGIN’ HOLIDAYS on Saturday, December 17, 2022 at 7:30 PM at the W.W. Hootie Johnson Performance Hall at USC (1014 Greene St., Columbia, SC 29201). This special holiday concert features the SC Jazz Masterworks Ensemble, a 20-piece big band that is comprised of some of the most outstanding jazz musicians, soloists, and bandleaders from across the Carolinas. SWINGIN’ HOLIDAYS will feature the return of international touring and recording artist Kobie Watkins (drums) to the ensemble, and Robert Lewis (saxophone), the Director of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra, will be performing with the ensemble as a guest artist. This concert is presented in partnership with USC Jazz. Reserved seating tickets range from $25 to $50, and can be purchased at www.scjazz.org. 

SWINGIN’ HOLIDAYS is presented in partnership with USC Jazz, and will boast a full evening of entertainment with two acts of amazing big-band holiday jazz from the SC Jazz Masterworks Ensemble. Audiences will also enjoy a pre-concert performance by a student combo from USC Jazz in the lobby. The SC Jazz Masterworks Ensemble set will also include performances from USC Jazz faculty Lauren Meccia (saxophone/vocalist), Matthew White (trumpet), Michael Wilkinson (trombone), and Bert Ligon (piano/composer, Distinguished Prof. Emeritus). 

SWINGIN’ HOLIDAYS will feature time-cherished holiday jazz classics. The program includes arrangements of “Jingle Bells”, “All I Want for Christmas,” “Let it Snow,” “What Child is This?” and many other jazzy tunes of the season that will leave audiences’ toes tapping. 

The ensemble for SWINGIN’ HOLIDAYS will feature the following musicians: VOCALS: Kristi Hood (Dick Goodwin Big Band), Edwin Hamilton (Freelance musician, Minister of Music, Augusta, Ga); SAXOPHONES: Robert Lewis (Director, Charleston Jazz Orchestra), Bill King (King William Jazz Collective, USAF), Tracy Patterson (Assoc. Professor/Woodwind Chair, Winthrop Univ.), Mark Sterbank (Charleston Jazz Orchestra, Prof. Charleston Southern), Lauren Meccia (Instructor of Jazz Studies at USC); TRUMPETS: Charlie Polk (SC Philharmonic Orchestra), Matthew White (Assoc. Professor of Jazz Studies, USC), Chip Crotts (Director of Jazz Studies, Georgia Tech), Tim Leahey (USAF Airmen of Note, retired) TROMBONES: Michael Wilkinson (Asst. Professor of Trombone, USC), Brad Jepson (Co-Founder, Greenville Jazz Collective), Major Bailey (Assistant Director of Bands at SC State University); Robert Slade (Commander and Conductor of the 208th Army Band) RHYTHM: Bert Ligon, (piano, composer, Distinguished Prof. Emeritus, USC), Shannon Hoover (bass, Co-founder of the Greenville Jazz Collective) and Kobie Watkins (drums, international touring and recording artist). 

SWINGIN’ HOLIDAYS is a one-night only performance on December 17, 2022 at 7:30 PM at the W.W. Hootie Johnson Performance Hall at USC. Reserved seating tickets range from $25 to $50, and can be purchased at www.scjazz.org.

This program is supported in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and collaborates in its work with the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and South Arts.


Christmas at Redbank: A Night of Traditional and Not-So-Traditional Songs of the Season

Leading the sing-along at Christmas at Red Bank — all photos by Leslie Ann Smith

If you’re a fan of local music and have lived in the midlands a while you are likely familiar with Christmas at Redbank. For seventeen years Redbank Methodist Church in Lexington has hosted an array of local musicians presenting their unique take on classic and sometimes completely original Christmas songs. Jasper Magazine’s music editor Kevin Oliver is the creator and founder of the concert and shares some inside baseball about the event, “Most of the acts perform acoustic, but some add electric instruments and bigger arrangements. We started acoustic simply due to logistical concerns with getting a dozen or more acts on and off a stage in two hours’ time, and it just became what we did.”  

Along with music the audience can also now expect poetry and scripture readings. Oliver notes that last year the readings, “really tied the show together as less a string of performances punctuated by me talking, and more of a fluid, almost theatrical story.” They have chosen to do them again this year with Jasper board member, poet Al Black, narrating.

Al Black

Along with the new format Oliver says that what makes the event so successful and keeps the night fresh is, “outside of the requirement that songs be ‘sacred’ and not ‘Santa’ in theme/content, I allow the artists involved to pick what they want to sing. That usually includes familiar carols and hymns, but they can also throw me for a loop with a left field or unexpected selection. I try not to reveal too many of the song choices ahead of time, because that's part of the magic of the show--you know who's about to sing, but not WHAT they will come up with.” 

Throughout the years the lineup has included an assortment of popular local musicians and bigger names who are just passing through or are returning home like Ryan Monroe, who is now in Band of Horses. Johnny Irion and Sarah Lee Guthrie, daughter of Arlo Guthrie, Mark Bryan, Jake Etheridge, Hannah Miller, and Danielle Howle are frequent performers, as well.

Todd Mathis

This year’s lineup includes Brent Lundy, Band of Pilgrims, Admiral Radio, Todd Mathis, The Water Kickers, Ashleigh Morse with Jim Morse, Chris Reed, Prettier Than Matt, Buck and Rhonda Mooneyhan, James Etheridge, Jr., Matt and Becky Goudelock, and Al Black. Oliver mentions that this year there are a few new names on the bill, “Chris Reed is a local musician that's burning up the local bar and restaurant scene but also performing original rock with his band The Bad Kids, and I'm glad to have him aboard this year as our rookie. The Water Kickers are a new group name, but the duo has both appeared at CARB before with other ensembles. Brodie Porterfield was in the Dawn Key Shotguns, while Kelley McLachlan Douglas Porterfield was in both Post Timey String Band and The Prairie Willows. Ashleigh Morse will be expanding the CARB family as well, bringing her father Jim Morse along for a song–he's been a Columbia musician for a long time himself.”

Kevin Oliver, founder of Christmas at Red Bank and Music Editor for Jasper Magazine

The show is Sunday, December 4th from 6:30pm-9pm. It is free to attend, but an offering will be collected for Mission Lexington (formerly LICS). This opportunity to give has been a part of the event from the start and each year they raise an average of $1,200 for the organization with last year's total reaching over $1,500. Find more details and get directions to the church from the Facebook event.

That Gentle Nudge -- CALL for SCRIPTS for Jasper's Play Right Series

DEADLINE DECEMBER 31, 2022

In an effort to enlighten and empower audiences with information about the process involved in creating theatrical arts, at the same time that we engineer and increase opportunities for SC theatre artists to create and perform new works of theatre arts , the Jasper Project is pleased to announce a new series of audience-friendly plays called the Play Right Series.

The play submission window is now open; it will close on December  31, 2022 at which time the Play Right Series committee will select a play for the next round of development. 

Read submission details →

“Development,” in this case, means round-table readings and discussions with paid professional director, cast, and crew, and attended by Community Producers and other professionals, followed by rehearsals, and a public presentation of a fully realized staged reading.

The development process will be facilitated by Community Producers—audience members invested in the development process and supportive of the state’s theatrical and literary talent who exchange a modest financial contribution for the experience.*

A final version of the winning play will be published and filed with the Library of Congress, with copies distributed to the winning playwright as well as industry leaders in the area and beyond.

Professor Jon Tuttle will serve as the Project Manager for the Jasper Project’s Play Right Series again in 2023.

NoMa Warehouse has a Holiday Weekend Planned for YOU!

2222 Sumter Street

in the

Heart of the North Main Cultural District!

From our friends at NoMa Warehouse:

It's the most wonderful time of the year at and we can't wait to spend it with you! 

Mark your calendars and plan to join us for a full weekend of festive fun!  This year’s holiday market highlights local art, culture, food, and of course, the fun of holiday shopping.  

The market kicks off on Friday evening, December 16, at 6pm during the normal NoMa Flea from 6-9pm, and will run again on Saturday, Dec 17 from 3-6pm and Sunday, December 18 from 12-3.   

There's something for the entire family; including free photos with Santa Claus, an ornament making station, a caricaturist, live music, food trucks, baked goods, hot cocoa, holiday spirits, gift wrapping, a preview of a Christmas Carol by Calliope Stage Company, and indoor and outdoor vendors who will be rotating throughout the weekend, so you can come all 3 days and visit different vendors each day!  

The event is free to attend. 

Giving Thanks: The Jasper Project Board of Directors Share What They Are Thankful for in the Midlands Arts Community

“Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: It must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.”

- William Faulkner

We asked the Jasper Project Board of Directors and Jasper Magazine Editorial Staff to share what they are most thankful for from the Midlands Area Arts community and here’s what some of them said.

I will be forever grateful to Anastasia Chernoff for encouraging me when I thought "I'm not good enough" and for Bohumila Augustinova's continued encouragement and inclusion in all things art. Columbia has a wonderful arts community with amazing talent and I am happy to know so many of them.

-          Diane Hare, Jasper Board Secretary

  

I am thankful for the USC art department annual holiday art sell - I always get something really cool from the art students and staff. 

I am thankful for the restaurants and businesses that let Jasper Galleries show artwork in their spaces.  Shout out to:  Motor Supply, Harbison Theatre, Sounds Bites, Bourbon, and the Meridian building.  

I am thankful for Cindi and Bob who are very generous all year with their time, talents, and donations to keep Jasper Project going for the Midlands.

-          Bert Easter, Jasper Galleries and Projects

 

This is such an easy question that it’s difficult.  I am thankful first and foremost for having so many gifted friends who are so easy to admire.  Sometimes I forget that not all lives are filled with rich conversations and deep laughter, so I must take this moment to heartily congratulate myself on the quality of my associations.  But if I have to be specific, and I feel I do, I must thank Trustus Theatre for opening their arms and hearts and doors to me—doors to opportunity, to a life in the theater, to a wider arts community, to moments of great joy.  I’m thankful for Trustus Theatre who continually strives to bring lively and poignant shows to Columbia. I’m grateful for both the ridiculously talented actors who bring these performances to life and to the passionate staff & crew who make Trustus so perpetually welcoming and warm. Without Trustus my life would have been very different and much, much, much smaller.  But now, in my second act, it’s Jasper and Muddy Ford Press who have given me a sense of validation and Things To Do that I find worth doing.   If you’re reading this—and you cannot deny that you are—you are very likely one of the people who has made my life a good one, and I’m thankful for you. 

-          Jon Tuttle, Jasper Play Right Series Manager

 

I am thankful for First Thursdays. Being able to go to a free monthly art and music event is really special. 

-          Bekah Rice, Jasper Digital Manager, Sundays with Jasper, Projects

 

I am truly thankful for the vibrant arts scene in Columbia SC which ranges from classical to cutting edge!  For a city of this size, the breadth, depth, and quality of our arts and entertainment industry is truly amazing. I am grateful to Jasper Magazine for the way it covers all of what’s going on in this space.  And of course, I am grateful that The Palmetto Opera can be part of it all!

-          Paul Leo. PRS Community Producer and Opera Liaison

 

I’m thankful for Trustus Theatre who continually strives to bring lively and poignant shows to Columbia. I’m grateful for both the ridiculously talented actors who bring these performances to life and to the passionate staff & crew who make Trustus so perpetually welcoming and warm. 

-          Christina Xan, Jasper Board Treasurer, Galleries and Projects

 

I’m thankful for this job at Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College, a place that allows me to be a creative programmer as well as to support the local arts community. What a gift when your work brings you so much joy. 

I’m thankful for Jasper Magazine.  Jasper has introduced me to so many new friends and artists.  People who I now consider my chosen family.  What a gift to have this beautiful publication to showcase the myriad of artists and arts opportunities in the area. 

I’m thankful for my latest theatrical opportunity and the NiA Company for taking a chance on me with their production of Riff Raff.  What a gift to perform and to challenge yourself as an actor. 

-          Kristin Cobb. Jasper Board VP, Harbison Theatre ED 


I'm thankful for the vibrant and active venues in our local music scene; from the locals-friendly mainstay Art Bar to the seemingly endless supply of touring acts (with local support, yay) that Carlin Thompson has been booking into New Brookland Tavern, the opportunity to see even bigger acts at The Senate and even smaller ones at Uncle Festers, Foxfield, Curiosity Coffee, and more. In my 30 years of being involved in the local scene, I think this may be the most active period I've ever seen. 

-          Kevin Oliver, Jasper Magazine Music Editor

 

I’m incredibly thankful for this cohesive community of artists and arts patrons. I especially appreciate three sets of people including the restaurant owners and managers who allow Jasper to hang the art of Columbia-based artists on their walls, which supports both artists and the Jasper mission. Thank you Motor Supply Bistro, Sound Bites, and Bourbon Columbia.

I’m also very thankful for the advertisers in Jasper Magazine who are, in fact, more sponsors than clients. They recognize that advertising in Jasper is less a business decision and more a decision to support our entire community of artists via the work of Jasper. Believe me, we know who our friends are, and we support them as much as we can, too. Thank you, Columbia Museum of Art, Harbison Theatre, Trustus Theatre, Workshop Theatre, Palmetto Opera, and University of SC Department of Theatre and Dance.

Finally, I’m thankful for the friends and colleagues who have gone to the trouble of joining the Jasper Guild. From the Artist Peer level at $25 all the way up to the Hero level at $1000, your support is a vote of confidence for those of us on the Jasper Project Board and the Jasper Magazine Editorial Staff. The money helps us fulfill our mission, yes, but the gesture continues to us keep going and moving forward for the past 11 years.  

 

-          Cindi Boiter, Jasper Project ED

Phillip Mullen Exhibit of NEW WORK Opens at Rob Shaw Gallery December 2nd

On Friday, Dec. 2, from 6 to 9 p.m., Rob Shaw Framing and Gallery at 324 State Street in West Columbia will host a reception to launch a month-long exhibit of works by internationally renowned artist Philip Mullen.

Since 1969, when Mullen began his career teaching at the University of South Carolina, his works have appeared in numerous exhibitions at galleries and museums across the US, including the David Findlay Galleries on Madison Avenue in New York City, the Dubbins Gallery in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Museum of Art, the Malton Gallery in Cincinnati, and the Eva Cohon Gallery in Chicago and Highland Park, IL. 

Mullen is known for large acrylic paintings, some as wide as fifteen feet. His 1983 8.5-by-12-foot painting Women in the Country (Series 2, No. 5) is part of the James C. Moore, Jr., Collection of the Work of Philip Mullen, which includes most of the 161 Mullen works owned by the University of South Carolina.

The 2020 recipient of the Elizabeth O’Neil Verner lifetime achievement award, Mullen was named a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of South Carolina in 2000. Since 1990, twenty of his paintings have been on permanent display at the Koger Center in Columbia.  

Artist Don Zurlo describes Mullen’s paintings as “very physical, even sensual in the use of color and texture” to draw viewers “into the mystical elements of the works.” By manipulating tactile surfaces and simple forms on a flat plane, he depicts “infinite layers of human experience in a complex interaction between the physical and spiritual worlds.” 

The opening reception honoring Mullen on Dec. 2 is part of a series of first-Friday events sponsored by Rob Shaw Framing and Gallery. Since opening his gallery in April of 2019, Shaw has hosted monthly exhibits to highlight South Carolina’s many talented artists. 

 

A Message from Cindi: 37 Issues of Jasper Later and Thanks for Everything

Thank You!

This is the image that popped up in my Facebook memories this morning.

It’s a bundle shot of our second issue of Jasper Magazine released this week in 2011. The cover art is by Thomas Crouch and was designed by Heyward Sims, our art director when we started Jasper Magazine. A small magazine, it featured a piece on Crouch, one on Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School—Ashleigh Rivers was the president of the Columbia chapter, our centerfold was Chris Bickel, articles on Dre Lopez, Caroline Lewis Jones, Bobby Craft, Lee Ann Kornegay, and a story about the 2011 Biennial written by Jeffrey Day. Mayor Steve Benjamin wrote a guest editorial at the back of the book in which he praised the opening of the new Tapp’s Arts Center on Main Street. His editorial was accompanied by an assemblage of the mayor created by Kirkland Smith.

Sigh.

Time goes by so fast.

When this mag came out I had just turned 53 and was realizing that my 50s might very well be the best decade of my life. It was. And for that I am grateful. I’m even more thankful that, 11 years later, someone stills needs me and feeds me now that I’m 64. And I’m particularly thankful for the artists, staff, board, readers, and supporters who made this most recent issue of Jasper—released on Friday night with a lovely little soiree at Kristian Niemi’s Bourbon Courtyard—possible.

This is a photo of artist Wilma Ruth King by Brad Martin holding the image our art director Brian Harmon made into the cover of the magazine we just released.

This is a big fat magazine full of stories about Columbia-based artists and the films they’ve made—Thaddeus and Tanya Wideman-Davis, Monifa Lemons, Dustin Whitehead and his USC crew, Arischa Connor and her list of TV credits, a big piece on jazz by Kevin Oliver, a centerfold story written by Will South about neighbor artist from Conway, Jim Arendt, and another by South on the Elizabeth Catlett exhibition at the CMA. There’s poetry by Monifa and Jonathan Butler, a review of Carla Damron’s new book by Eric Morris, smaller pieces on exciting people and innovative projects—like Amy Brower, Jamie Blackburn, Seitu Amenwahsu, Steven Chapp and Jerred Metz, and Libby Campbell, record reviews of Jump Little Children and Todd Mathis and really, too many subjects to mention here.

I am thankful for this issue of Jasper Magazine and all it represents. An evolving and maturing art community full of grown-ass people who are living the lives they always imagined they’d live, or better. Some of them are stars. Some of them go on brief rides on starlight. And some enjoy basking in the combined and accumulated glow they and their colleagues in the community emit when they make their art and see it received by their fellow humans.

All of this is good.

I’m also thankful for all of you who came out this week to help Jasper celebrate by joining us at Vista Lights.

Jasper Project Board President Wade Sellers at Vista Lights Columbia may, in fact, be Santa.

I’m thankful for all of you who joined us Friday night at Bourbon to welcome this new issue of Jasper to the world.

This is me with Kimber Carpenter and her mom Pat Gillam - both artists - at the Fall 2022 magazine release reception on Friday, November 18th.

I’m thankful for our sponsors, who so generously continue to support Jasper because they recognize it as a gift of art given to the community—not necessarily as just a method media to get the word out about what they alone have to offer. We had 16 sponsors back when issue #2 came out. This issue, we have only 6 — the Palmetto Opera, who have an upcoming concert of Madame Butterfly on January 29th; Harbison Theater who will welcome Tom Papa on January 20th along with a show of Michael Krajewski’s work and who are currently showing an exhibition of David Yaghjian’s work, both sponsored by the Jasper Project Galleries; Trustus Theatre, which opens Hurricane Diane on December 2nd and Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play on January 20th; CMFA who hosted the Jasper Project’s Play Right Series performance in August; arts activist Eric Tucker’s KW Palmetto Realty, and our truly beloved Columbia Museum of Art who has advertised with us and sponsored us since the very beginning.

I’m thankful for our Jasper Guild Members who, with incredible generosity, trust the Jasper Project with their funding to create a magazine, a literary journal, a film festival, and more, knowing that every penny they give goes right back out to the artists, with no one on our end being paid for their volunteer talent and energy.

Thank YOU for indulging me in this lengthy message, and for reading Jasper Magazine and supporting the many facets of The Jasper Project. From all of our houses, to all of yours —

Happy Thanksgiving,

Cindi

~~~

Coming Up from Jasper

December 1st - First Thursday at Sound Bites Eatery with Lindsay Radford Wiggins - 6 pm

December 11th - Reception for David Yaghjian at Harbison Theater - 2:30 pm

December 15th - Santa Crawl with Jasper at the Art Bar - 7 pm

CALL for PLAYS - Play Right Series - deadline December 31st, 2022

The Jasper Project and Art Bar Present Santa Crawl 2022!

It’s time to don your gay apparel and join the Jasper Project on Thursday December 15th at the Art Bar for our first ever (official) Santa Crawl!

Traditionally, a Santa Crawl is a bunch of merry-makers climbing into the Santa Suits we all keep in our closets and pub crawling through the city streets. But working in conjunction with the good folks at the Art Bar, this (official) event will find us just crawling all over the Art Bar instead.

Of course, you are welcome to (unofficially) take your Santa and other Christmas Character Clothes for a drink anywhere you’d like. But we hope you’ll at least start and stop with us at the Art Bar.

To make that invitation even more appealing, the bar staff at Art Bar will be creating a special Jasper Holiday Cocktail list and a portion of the proceeds of those drinks sold between December 15th and Christmas will be donated to the Jasper Project to offset the cost of printing Jasper Magazine, Fall Lines, and the winning submission to the Lizelia Prize Project.

To get you in the spirit for some Santa fun, enjoy these photos from our (unofficial) pre-Covid Santa Crawl in 2019.

Jasper Project ED Cindi Boiter and husband Bob Jolley at a previous non-affiliated Santa Crawl.

Dick Moons and BA Hohman Santa Crawl in 2019

REVIEW: CMA's Baker and Baker present Zion. A Composition by Saul Seibert

Zion. A Composition

Live at Columbia Museum of Art

Thursday, Nov 17th, 2022

Baker & Baker Series

by Kevin Oliver

An ambitious instrumental and visual art piece conceptualized by Saul Seibert with help from artist Virginia Russo, multimedia from Ash Lennox, and a cast of fellow musicians, Zion. A Composition came alive in multiple dimensions on Thursday evening at the Columbia Museum of Art, as part of their ongoing Baker & Baker concert series. 

Seibert opened the evening with a short explanation of the story behind the composition, and as he told the family background in front of multiple members of his own family in the audience, the anticipation in the audience built. The delineation of the three acts: The Diaspora, The Sojourn, and The Ascent, was a useful glossary of sorts for the crowd to reference, but as the piece unfolded, there was no visual division on screen or stage to indicate when one movement ended and a new one began. As such, at several lulls in the program audience members interjected applause and exclamations, seemingly unsure if something was ending or maybe just overwhelmed with appreciation of what had just transpired in a concluded segment.  

With two of the three movements already released for a while prior to this live performance, and the third just completed, it was still a much different experience watching the musicians perform the entire piece live. Left to right, they filled the CMA stage: Seibert’s older brother Zach Seibert (E.Z. Shakes) sat quietly cooking up some sinister electric guitar tones, Marshall Brown contributed keyboard swirls of varying tone and intensity, Kevin Brewer held down the beats even as they came and went throughout, Darren Woodlief, also seated, provided a solid bass presence that asserted itself fully in the final movement. Sean Thomson was the musical wizard of the night, starting on spooky, sensual sitar and moving to steel guitar and some wicked electrified mandolin. Seibert himself stood center stage, hollow body guitar in hand throughout, the ringleader of this spiritual, musical circus troupe.  

Every musical composition has an arc, that up-down movement that gives it an interesting story to tell. Zion’s first movement, Diaspora, came through as a slow-building bundle of potentialities, with the audience a bit on edge, unsure of where it might be headed, perhaps. The preshow preface alluded to one beginning to rid themselves of preconceived ideologies, attitudes, and casting those things out, and the music reflected such a sweeping task. Thomson’s sitar was prominent through the early passages, giving this portion a raga-like intonation that allowed listeners to settle into the aural universe of Zion.  

As the middle section opened up, the music soared, searching for those times of sojourn, as the movement’s title suggests–those places of rest, as one searches for home. At times the band resembled arena rockers on an extended jam, bluesy and blustery and supremely confident. In these sections, the drumming and the guitars evoked the percussive jazz plains of Steve Tibbetts’ 1980s work, or a more democratic take on the guitar orchestras of Rhys Chatham. In between those searing, searching sections the dynamic shifted to hushed tones, leaving sometimes a single instrument moaning, or clicking along softly as the band reloaded for the next swell like a surfer coiling his muscles for the next wave. 

It is in its final movement, however, that Zion finds, well, Zion. The Ascent is a lumbering leviathan of a groove, somewhere between Soundgarden-level grunge and the groaning Krautrock grooves of Can or Neu!, just a beast of a display anchored by Woodlief’s mammoth bass riffing. Again, however, there are interludes, lulls in the action. Life isn’t all one trajectory, after all, and neither is the ascent to Zion, musically speaking. The mountain does eventually get conquered, and in conclusion the music doesn’t so much fade away as plant itself on the peak and say “done.”  

Visually, artist Virginia Russo’s live painting/art added a facet to the proceedings that didn’t have to be there, but the performance was richer and fuller for it. As the band’s musical arc proceeded to rise and fall, so did Russo at the front of the stage, clad in black with a rolled out white canvas in front of her. She proceeded to paint over the entire canvas with her hands, no brushes, and then pick up the fully paint-saturated canvas and cut it into long, increasingly narrow strips. Those, she then rolled up before pulling them back apart, one ripped square at a time. The squares were then arranged on a new, clean white canvas to make a totally different piece of art. It was a perfect visual analogy for the thematic elements of the musical composition and served to reinforce those themes as the audience both listened and watched the proceedings.  

Other parts of her artwork for Zion were projected throughout as sometimes moving images on two large screens behind the musicians, lending a psychedelia gauziness to the already evocative visuals. 

Overall, I’d call this a nearly unqualified success, to write and perform such a challenging piece of multimedia art here in Columbia. I’m not sure I’ve seen anything quite like it locally, and Seibert’s prior resume as a garage rock raconteur certainly wouldn’t have hinted at the possibility of something like this coming forth. Going in, Seibert told me himself that there would be very, very limited live performances of this project, and I understand why–the preparation and commitment of all the participants was fully on display for this one.

Artists Rise Up with Neighborhood Art Shows & Bohumila Augustinova Tells Us Why

Given that the Jasper Project is a full-blooded grass roots arts organization with a penchant for do-it-your-selfers and folks who say screw the system that we didn’t design and take problem solving into their own hands, we love and celebrate the, now, many community-based art shows on the calendar these days.

These events have grown organically from the hearts and environs of the artists themselves and been nurtured by their neighbors who know the value of having artists who live next door or just down the street. Those artists tend to live life intentionally, prioritizing beauty and finding their own versions of gods in the tiniest details of their lives. They tend to be kind and respectful of shared spaces. Or they may keep to themselves unless they are needed. In any case, having artists as neighbors usually means lovely yards and porches that bother no one and enhance the world around them, so why wouldn’t non-artist neighbors enjoy participating and encouraging neighborhood arts events like the Cottontown Art Crawl, Melrose Art in the Yard, Keenan Terrace Art in the Yard and more?

Jasper is here to cheer on our local artists as they brave the chilly days ahead and gather under tents (and probably blankets) to show the rest of us how their spirits have manifested into the beautiful art they’ve created and have for sale. We love the lack of a middle person. We love that the artists are turning over the temple tables for themselves. We love the purity of this kind of exchange – value for value. And we love that the artists said We have art for sale, and we need somewhere to sale it, and solved that problem for themselves.

Here's a look at some of the al fresco arts events coming to a neighborhood near you.

THIS SUNDAY 11/20/22

According to their social media, “Historic Melrose Art in the Yard held the first art event in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. The idea was to provide local artists and artisans with a safe place to show and sell their wares while also showcasing the historic neighborhood. The event drew hundreds of people to explore the neighborhood. … The November 20th AITY will be the eighth time the event has been held. This event is entirely outdoors and spread over several city blocks.”

Melrose Art in the Yard welcomes more than 80 artists to show and sell their original work in the historic, downtown Columbia neighborhood. The event also features food and a concert by Admiral Radio, starting at 4:30 pm.

NEXT SATURDAY 11/26/22

Hosts Bohumila Augustinova and Bekah Rice invite you to join them for the third annual Keenan Terrace Art in the Yard with 16 artists selling their handmade, one of a kind creations.


Artist participating in this event include Lucas Sams, Gina Langston Brewer, Adam Corbett, Ginny Merett, Diane Hare, Barbara Howes-Diemer, Michael Krajewski, Wayne Thornley, Valerie Lamott, Flavia Lovatelli, Jennifer Hill, Stan Cummings, Elisabeth Donato-Owens, Ellen Fishburne, Tennyson Corley, and. of course, Bohumila Augustinová.

Bohumila Augustinova Chats About Why She Loves Pop Up Outdoors Art Shows

I was part of Melrose Art in the Yard. It was their second or third year and I was set up next to couple of  my friends. We loved the event. I have a big front yard, so we decided that maybe we could do our own version of the event. Just with all of the artists in the same area.  

Starting the event wasn’t all that difficult. I organized plenty of art events before, so this may have been the easiest event I ever organized. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a lot of work. Just not as stressful.  

There are few things I really like about it. First, I love and adore working with local artists, so showing my work right by their side is always a pleasure. I love that neighbors come on foot, with their dogs and kids. It has a true community feeling to it. I get to know some artists that live right in my neighborhood and so many of my friends come to support the event.  

We have a few artists that been with us since the beginning and few new faces as well. 

We have Michael Krajewski, who’s been selling his work at this event since the beginning. He brings his smaller works of art and sell them at amazing prices. Michael is also a collector of vintage toys, so he always entertains us with different toys he brings.  

This year for the first time Tennyson Corley is bringing her amazing ceramic sculptures. They are really humorous and charming.  

Wayne Thornley, he’s been one of my favorite local artists for years and a good friend. He’s dangerous to me, because I know I’m going to want to buy more of his work. He brings paintings and his wish boxes, and I have the feeling I need another one of those. 

I’m excited because Liz Donato who was my first ever pottery teacher will be joining us. Her pottery is so beautifully made. 

Ellen Fishburne is one of our neighbors and she does amazing watercolor paintings and notecards.  

We are doing this once a year. We settled on the Saturday after Thanksgiving because it’s “shop local day.” 

The only tricky part of this event is that even though our front yard is big, it’s not big enough to grow. We can only have about 17 artists. At this point, the only call for artist we do is on the neighborhood facebook page.

Building The Sound: Q&A with the Guitarist and Bassist of Eighth House

We talked with Gabe Crawford, well-known guitarist for many a local project, and new to the scene bassist, Laurent Duverglas, about their new band Eighth House. Their sound is described by Crawford as “Loud pretty chords, quiet vocals, dub bass, and slo mosh beats,” but you can hear them for yourself at their first show November 16th at New Brookland Tavern with Cathedral Bells, and Surf Rock is Dead.

 

“If there is a sound missing in your town, build it, and they will come!” – Gabe Crawford

JASPER: How did Eighth House come to be?

DUVERGLAS: I like to think of the story of how Eighth House came to fruition as almost like a true love at first sight kind of tale. I'd been playing bass for a couple of years by the time I moved to Columbia in July of 2021, but I never thought Columbia would be home to the kind of band I'd always dreamed of being a part of. Shortly after moving, I became enamored with the Cola queer, alternative, and music scenes. I first became acquainted with Gabe after I learned he designed the poster used to promote The Beautiful Neighborhood's Grunge prom, from then on it seemed as if out paths never failed to cross. I quickly knew him to be the guy in a million bands, something we still joke about, but also to be this really loving and genuine dude. One night we got to talking about music and we suddenly realized that not only did we have the same taste in music, we were both lovers of "the scene that celebrates itself" - shoegaze.

We formed our first lineup which included our wonderful lyricist and vocalist, Heather. The weekend after that, we had our first practice and a show booked at New Brookland Tavern for the 16th of November. Eventually we recruited the enigmatic multi-instrumentalist behind Cloud Repair, Richard, to join Gabe on guitar. Lastly, we were able to enlist the spectacular drummer from many Columbia bands including Gamine, Rugstain (Jenny) to join me on the rhythm section!

 

JASPER: Gabe, what sets Eight House apart from the other bands you are currently in?

CRAWFORD: It’s much different sound compared to the other bands I compose/manage because it’s almost completely new people working towards a different sound.

 

JASPER: Can you talk about all the bands/projects you are involved with?

CRAWFORD: Eighth House is the newest project at the moment, earlier this year I started Gamine with friends Cassidy Spencer and Shane Sanders and months before the original Covid Shutdown. I was asked to be in what would become Flippants by Austin Syms, which I now share with him, for the last few years I have played alongside Richard Wells in his Cloud Repair project, and I work with Kat Hammond in their Charlie Boy collective as well. Each band is sooo different, Flippants is punk band where I focus more on dominant 7th melodies and angular guitar devices, Gamine is where I compose with the bassline as the first layer with emphasis on minor keys, synth lines, and 80s Goth tropes, Eighth House is a space dedicated to alternative guitar tunings, different distortion textures, wandering chord progressions, and 90’s pop/rock sensibilities. 

 

JASPER: How do you manage your time? 

DUVERGLAS: Currently the band meets once a week to practice which is more than manageable for me as I devote most of my time to my PhD studies.

CRAWFORD: With a planner, pen, and ink. I am often late to things, but I plan my day as it shows itself to me, unless some event has been written in the planner first.

 

JASPER: What motivates you? 

DUVERGLAS: I would say a culmination of things! The first being my band members and many others within the cola art, fashion, and music scenes. There are a lot of talented creatives in this city and being around them is like an ever-flowing stream of wisdom. Second, I spent so much time in my childhood obsessed with the music and art direction from a lot of video games. Heather and I most recently spoke about our love for the Silent Hill games but particularly their soundtracks. Akira Yamaoka crafted such beautiful testaments to industrial, drone, noise, trip hop, and alternative music with those games, they truly transcend the medium.

CRAWFORD: Columbia lacks certain sounds, we have plenty of stellar metal bands, cover bands, and folksy southern sounds, but we lack the current sounds of the underground, so I just fill in the gaps with the right people and live for the stage, I enjoy booking and the “always-go” lifestyle.

 

JASPER: What does your writing process look like? 

DUVERGLAS: I will listen to a whole bunch of music that is explicitly reminiscent of shoegaze stylings and then start messing around on my bass until I come into any fun sounding basslines. When I first picked up my bass, I was still reeling off my utter infatuation with post-punk and can say that most of my influences come from that vein of musician. I don't know anything about music theory and though I'd like to learn it to enhance my playing, I also enjoy the ignorance I currently possess because I don't seem to be analyzing everything from a set framework.

CRAWFORD: Right now, I demo out most of a song and then give it to the band, it is filtered through the other members into the song that you hear, and I am only composing the chords and possibly the melody as well, with Heather our singer doing the vocals and words, Laurent also composing songs and pieces, Jenni creating the drum parts and Richard working with me to compose the 2nd guitar parts.

 

JASPER: What do you do when you are creatively blocked or just not feelin' it? 

DUVERGLAS: I immerse myself in another world! I love reading novels and watching movies where the focus is on character-driven narratives. I seem to get lost in these movies where "nothing" happens, they in turn always inspire something be it a song idea, lyrics, or a poem.

CRAWFORD: Usually Reference listen, I go and wade in the world of music until the inspiration or drive shows itself to me again.

 

JASPER: Who are some of your favorite local artists? 

DUVERGLAS: There are so many! I feel honored to share space in the Cola scene with artists and groups such as Gamine, Bones Hamilton, Opus & The Frequencies, Flippants, Rex Darling (who just released their first album - Living Room Diaries), Charlie Boy, Cloud Repair, and Death Ray Robin to name a few.

CRAWFORD: Hah! Not locals anymore unfortunately but Melon In was an amazing project that I got to work on, I love them as well as Cloud Repair, which is why I have Richard in the band. And of course, Stagbriar and the like.

 

JASPER: If you could write or play the soundtrack to a movie what would it be and why?

DUVERGLAS: This is such a fun question! What comes to mind is working for queer and shoegaze obsessed Gregg Araki to create yet another shoegaze-filled soundtrack for a movie of his. But I'd equally love for some academic to contract an album designed to test the effects of, say, shoegaze on animal behavior.

CRAWFORD: Been a huge fan of the film Legend (1986) and I have always really enjoyed the Tangerine Dream soundtrack for the movie, but I would love to take a crack at that.

 

JASPER: Do you have a favorite Columbia music moment?

DUVERGLAS: Definitely the first time I saw Flippants at the Museum of Art's Arts and Draughts! As an audience member, seeing Austin prepare a ladder on stage and a table close to the audience with a cake on it was bizarre. It wasn't until I saw him jump onto the cake from the ladder did, I understand what was happening. Further, seeing Gabe hop onto Brad's shoulders to finish the set was hilarious. I'll never forget that show! 

CRAWFORD: There are a couple of Eras that I think on all the time, 2010-2015 was the Shredquarters/Queen Punx Palace/ era 

 

JASPER: What are your thoughts on Columbia's art scene?

CRAWFORD: Columbia’s art scene, everyone knows everyone I think, as much as there are the different groups in town everyone knows everyone, and collaboration is so easy, I think.

 

JASPER: What could make the scene better? 

CRAWFORD: Money haha, Money would make it better and by that, I mean infrastructure for art in Columbia, as well as more venues, and art spaces available to book at. There literally needs to be a venue that bridges the gap between the room size of Art Bar/NBT and The Senate.

 

JASPER: What advice do you have for other artists? 

DUVERGLAS: It seems as if the biggest hesitation a lot of people have when it comes to creating, in this case, music is that they have no "talent". This may be biased coming from my punk and post-punk upbringing, but I don't believe one needs to be a classically trained artist to make something that moves people. So, if you make art and you're afraid to share it - please do! If you want to make art and are afraid to do so - please do! Your voice is unique to you, the world is ready to hear it.

CRAWFORD: If there is a sound missing in your town, build it, and they will come!

 

JASPER: As someone involved in lots of projects, can you offer any advice or thoughts to others hoping to start a band?

CRAWFORD: Find people who are just interested in the idea, look, or sound of the band and then just be ok with the music organically changing as you filter your ideas thru the others.

 

JASPER: What can we expect at the show on the 16th? 

DUVERGLAS: Roughly a 30-minute set, we'll be playing one cover and four originals! But more importantly, we aim to foster a safe and inclusive space at all of our shows. We won't tolerate any harassment of any within the audience and will also be bringing noise-protecting earplugs for any who wants them!

You can follow the band on Instagram and buy tickets for the show online at New Brookland Taverns website.

Mind Gravy Poetry and More Presents Larry Rhu

Wednesday, November 16

7:00 – 9:00 pm

Mind Gravy Presents Poet Larry Rhu and Songsmith, Branhan, Lowther (Slim Pickens)

Cool Beans, 1217 College Street, Columbia, SC 29201

 

This week, Al Black’s Mind Gravy Poetry will be featuring the poetry of Larry Rhu, a USC Emeritus Professor of English and award-winning poet, and Brahan Lowther (aka Slim Pickens) “a picker of great repute.”

 

Mind Gravy is a weekly show an open mic for original content only and hosted by Al Black

 

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 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