Meet The Jasper Project's Board of Directors Starting with JENNI BRENNISON

MEET JASPER!

The Jasper Project is dependent upon its hard working board of directors to make our world go ‘round. In addition to sharing a wealth of information from their own experiences, the Jasper Project board is, what is called in the world of non-profits, a “working board.” Emphasis on the word WORK.

You’ll see our board members delivering Jasper Magazines, greeting and ringing up art sales at any of our gallery spaces, hauling bags of ice, cases of wine, and trays of food at our receptions and events, as well as planning, setting up for, and cleaning up after those events. Our board of volunteers also plan and program those events. They schedule art exhibitions, review plays, install art, make labels, read plays, screen films, program musicians, write checks, balance the budget, communicate with their unique contacts, and so much more.

Every board member is attached to at least one of Jasper’s primary projects (the magazine, galleries, Play Right Project, 2nd Act Film Project, or any of our one-off projects like the Degenerate Arts Project we just finished up or our upcoming Peter Lenzo retrospective and remembrance that will be opening at Stormwater Studios on April 3rd.)

New board members are officially elected into their seats at our annual board retreat in January, though when potential new board members come along throughout the year, we invite them “to date” Jasper until the next retreat. This gives the potential director time to learn how Jasper works and decide whether they can see themselves as part of our motley crew. And the reciprocal works for Jasper.

In January 2026, Jasper voted in 7 new directors to join our already existing board of 14 sitting members. Over the next few weeks we will be introducing these amazing people to you via Jasper Online. We invite you to check back here daily to MEET JASPER, and we will introduce you to the hard-working and talented individuals who make up the Jasper Project Board of Directors.

Today we’re starting with NEW board member, Jenni Brennison!

JENNI BRENNISON

Jenni Brennison is a Columbia native who grew up in a family of visual artists, musicians, and the people who love them. It was inevitable she would develop a lifelong love of the arts as both a participant  and observer. She is a graduate of Winthrop University’s political science program, and holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of South Carolina. In 2022 she completed coursework to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) through the Clemson University Center for Applied Behavior Analysis.

Brennison is a passionate advocate for creating a more inclusive society that embraces nuerodiversity as a defining characteristic of the human experience. Before working in education and behavior analysis, she worked as a copywriter in creative services for the OC Tanner Company in Salt Lake City, UT. She is a Girls Rock Columbia volunteer alumnus, served on the editorial board of Unsweetened Magazine, and is also a proud City Year Columbia grad.

Brennison lives downtown with her partner Scott and their two dogs, Gigi and Sammy. In her free time, you’re most likely to find her on a hiking or biking trail, or supporting local music and arts events.

Jenni sits on Jasper’s Membership & Development Committee, our Galleries Committee, and our Magazine Committee.

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REVIEW -- Village Square Theatre's SCHOOL OF ROCK by Jane Turner Peterson

Young Performers Rock the Stage in School of Rock at Village Square Theatre

Get ready for some good rock ’n’ roll…performed on stage by kids! Yes, kids! School of Rock the Musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, kicked off Friday night at Village Square Theatre in Lexington. Along with a superior band in the pit—Patty Boggs (drums), Nigel Grant (guitar), Camille Jones (piano), and Katie Miller (bass)—the young performers who make up the onstage “School of Rock” band absolutely rocked the house.

Directed by David LaTorre, Village Square Theatre’s artistic director, this high-energy rock musical is great fun for audiences of all ages. While the original School of Rock film leaned heavily on the antics of its adult lead, the stage version puts a stronger spotlight on the students and their families. LaTorre’s direction keeps the large production moving smoothly and energetically. With a cast of 35+—and several roles double cast—this was no small undertaking. Yet the ensemble remained fully engaged throughout the show, always in character and clearly listening and reacting to one another onstage.

Though a number of adults appear in the production, the majority of the cast is made up of teenagers and younger performers. If these young actors continue their involvement in community theatre, the future of the art form in our area looks very bright.

Based on the 2003 film School of Rock, this musical (originally based on a book by Julian Fellowes (known for Downton Abbey, and The Gilded Age) was adapted for the stage by Mike White. The show premiered on Broadway in 2015 at the Winter Garden Theatre. The story follows struggling rock singer and guitarist Dewey Finn (Taylor Diveley, who—after being kicked out of his own band—impersonates his geeky friend, Ned Schneebly (John Carter), a seasoned substitute teacher, to land a high paying job at a prestigious prep school. When he discovers his students’ musical talent, Dewey secretly forms a rock band with the students and sets his sights on the winning the Battle of the Bands. Needless to say, he is not your average teacher!

The musical moves at a brisk pace, with numerous scene changes handled efficiently by the cast and crew. Add in live instruments both onstage and in the pit, and the result is a production that demands serious stamina and energy from everyone involved. Thanks to LaTorre’s strong direction, the show hits the mark.

As Dewey Finn, Taylor Diveley is perfectly cast. His energy and enthusiasm propel the show, and his rock ’n’ roll persona—along with some solid vocals—keep the momentum going. Diveley is simply a joy to watch. John Carter fits perfectly in the role of a semi-nerdy friend, whose girlfriend, Sophie (D’Asia White) nags him about his loser friend, Finn.

Shelby Sessler nearly steals the show as the tightly wound principal Rosalie Mullins. Her vocal power and impressive range shine throughout the performance, and she deftly reveals several sides of the character as the story unfolds.

Several young musicians deserve special recognition. Alex Lease, who plays Zack in both casts, portrays the talented young guitarist desperate for his father’s approval, delivering some seriously impressive electric guitar work, better than many adult performers. Leo Portney brings equally strong skills to the drum kit, with drum solos that are a highlight of the show. Keyboardist Westin Black and bassist Allison Wengerd are similarly terrific.

Another standout is Mackenzie Bruder as the delightfully bossy and rule-loving Summer. Her confident stage presence, comedic timing, and sharp characterization add plenty of fun to the production.

Kudos also go to the entire ensemble of band members and classmates, including Lydia Reed, Grace Carlton, Jo Davis, Jack Carlton, Zach Cieri, Jackson Livingston, Catherine Cieri, Scarlett Ellingson, Soph Carlton, Ciara Nash, Kate Bruder, Eliot Stewart, Janely Burgos, Finn Carlton, Selah Lyle, Graham Gibson, Alyssa Presutto, Reese Catalanotto, Mackenzie Miller, Pete Roberts, and Scarlett Powell. Each performer brought strong character work and plenty of enthusiasm to the stage.

The adult roles are capably handled by Andrew Coston, Will Dowd, Eric Jewell, Max Ferro, Zanna Mills, Tracey Lease, Megan Stewart, Chris Bender, and John Carter.

Depending on what night you go, there are a slew of other young actors in the other cast. They include Ethan Schalund, Grace Bender, Aleah Headen, Brighton Dunbar, Rilyn Boehme, Hunter Gibson, Cully Srikanth, Logan Blackledge, Emily Sippel, Charlee Gay, Adalynn Williams, Genevieve Savage, and Emma Grace Simpson.

Choreography by Maggie Pszenny is lively and well suited to the production, adding to the show’s overall energy. The production is produced by Tricia Miller, and musical direction by Julia Turner keeps the rock sound tight and exciting. It’s clear that everyone involved poured their hearts into this production.

If you’re ready for a fun night filled with great rock ’n’ roll—and a chance to see the promising future of community theatre and young performers—make plans to catch School of Rock: The Musical at Village Square Theatre in Lexington. The show runs through March 22. Tickets are available at villagesquaretheatre.com or by phone at 803-359-1436.

Jasper Welcomes First Thursday Artist LUCAS SAMS to the Gallery at Sound Bites Eatery

Jasper is so happy to still have a home for First Thursdays at Sound Bites Eatery, and we’re thrilled to welcome our March First Thursday Artist, Lucas Sams!

The title of Sams’ new exhibition is Drawn & Quartered. In explanation Sams writes, “This show marks my return to my first and favorite medium, drawing. As I learned from my favorite art teacher in college, everything can be drawing, and everything goes back to drawing. Before entering the world of ‘fine arts,’ I was a comic and manga artist. Learning that painting was just drawing with paint helped me become a ‘fine artist,’ but the core was still drawing. Everything is abstraction; all representation is cartooning. It has brought me infinite joy returning to simple tools at this scale, and a challenge to build the biggest worlds I can in the span of a sketchbook page.”

Lucas Sams is a multi-disciplinary visual artist and experimental musician with works exhibited locally and regionally in major art festivals, galleries, and alternative spaces; he has been featured in Jasper Magazine, The State Newspaper, Garnet and Black Magazine, and the Timber Journal of the University of Colorado, Boulder. Born and raised in Greenwood, SC Sams spent most of his life in SC until his freshman year in college, when he studied painting in Tokyo, Japan and became heavily influenced by contemporary Japanese Pop Art. A graduate of the SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities and the University of SC, his post-graduate work continues explorations of postmodern abstraction and figuration with far-ranging influences, encompassing everything from religious art, alchemy, and the unconscious- to science fiction and anime. He is currently pursuing a graduate degree as an MLIS candidate at the University of SC.

Please join us this Thursday March 5th from 5:30 - 8:30 pm at Sound Bites Eatery at 1425 Sumter Street, just one block off Main. And come hungry! Sound Bites has a delicious menu of sandos, soups, snacks, and salads as well as good beer and wine. Plus, all the cool kids hang out there, so you’ll be right at home!

Announcing the Winners of Jasper's Degenerate Art Project Artist's Awards

Jasper’s Degenerate Art Project II is a wrap!

Janet Kozachek - Pufferfish

Jasper is excited to officially announce the winners of the Degenerate Art Project Artist’s Awards presented Saturday, February 28th at the exhibition’s Closing Party at Stormwater Studios in Columbia.

In a night that included verboten swing dance demonstrations and lessons by Columbia’s Richard Durlach and Breedlove, the launch of Ed Madden’s new book, I Asked Him What He Needed, with a sweet little surprise chapbook titled, My Students Want to Talk About Ice: Political Poems, the reading of a banned children’s book by our favorite Drag King Marty McGuy, freshly spun tunes from Scotty Tempo, and an amazing menu by MidiMarc, the presentation of the awards was an appropriate addition to the fun.

Ivan Segura with Untitled

Congratulations to Ivan Segura for winning the Jasper Degenerate Art Project II ZEITGEIST AWARD for his painting Untitled, presented to the artist whose work best exemplified the socio-political spirit of the times while also exhibiting proficiency in execution, originality, and strong engagement with the viewer.

The Adjudicators for the Zeitgeist Award included Peter Chametzky, Harriett Greene, and Xavier Blake.

Cam Moore with Heavy

Congratulations to Cam Moore for winning the Jasper Degenerate Art Project II ARTISTS’ CHOICE AWARD for his painting HEAVY. The winner of the Artists’ Choice Award was determined by the participating artists, each of whom cast a single vote for their favorite contribution to the show.

In addition to framed certificates the winning artists also received cash prizes made possible by the generosity of our sponsors Bill Schmidt and Muddy Ford Press.

Nolan Wright - Resilient Standing Strong

Ginny Merrett - 100 Worry Dolls

Stephen White - No More Closets

Kirstin Dow - Artist

Janet Kozachek - Liberty Snakes

Thank you to everyone who came out for the Degenerate Art Project II, and thanks to Maya Smith and the welcoming artists at Stormwater Studios for hosting us. Thanks to Curiosity Coffee for keeping our thirsts at bay and to MidiMarc for feeding us so well and to WeCo Bottle & Biergarten for donating the bubbles we used to celebrate our opening night.

Thank you to our Zeitgeist judges: Xavier Blake, Harriett Greene, and Peter Chametzsky.

Sadly, it is highly likely that we will need to do this again in 2027, so please be thinking about ways to make the third iteration different and unique unto itself while still engaging with artists from all disciplines and their patrons.

WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS!

Hit us up at info@jasperproject.org

Ed Madden Launches Newest Book of Poetry at Jasper's Degenerate Art II Closing Party

A new book by Ed Madden, postcard poems against the Trump deportation regime.

The Jasper Project is excited to announce that Ed Madden will launch his latest book of poetry — I Asked What He Needed (Squares and Rebels, 2026) — at our Degenerate Art Project II Closing Party on Saturday, February 28th at Stormwater Studios. Madden will read at 7 pm and sign books immediately after.

In addition to being a book of postcard poems, Madden’s I Asked Him What He Needed is part of the Chaps Poetry Series which is an imprint of the Squares & Rebels publishing house. Madden explains the series on the back cover of the book:

“The morning that I read Mahmoud Khalil had been arrested, I wrote a short meditation on a postcard. I had written postcard poems before, drawn to the brevity and the link between the poem and the image. I asked him what he needed for the journey. I dropped the card in the mail to a friend. But the stories kept coming. My morning meditations, contained by the small message space of the postcard, began to take into their ambit not just the deportation regime but the administration’s broader attacks on history, truth, law, democratic norms—and in the face of such fears, my own mortality. What kind of disaster did I think was coming?”

The title poem follows:

I asked him what he needed

for the journey. He said,

Write down what you saw.

Maybe, someday, the world

will want to know.

Join the Jasper Project Saturday from 3 - 9 for an exciting close to our Degenerate Art Project II at Stormwater Studios, 413 Pendleton, Columbia, SC. In addition to Madden’s book launch and reading we’ll have a banned book reading and performance by Marty McGuy, Swing Dance demonstrations and lessons from The Big Apple’s Richard Durlach and Breedlove, music from DJ Scotty Tempo, beer and wine from Curiosity Coffee, and delicious food prepared by Midi Marc.

We will also be awarding Jasper’s Degenerate Art Project II Zeitgeist Award as well as the Artists’ Choice Award, decided by a vote from the project’s participating artists.

This will be your last chance to check out the art exhibition everyone has been talking about. Don’t miss it!

REVIEW – "A Pointy Reckoning”: Trustus Theatre's The Crucible by Jon Tuttle

In his autobiography, Timebends, playwright Arthur Miller described McCarthyism—the hysteria that gripped postwar America in the 1950s—as “the inexorable march of the cheerful totalitarian patriots” who reprehended “all that was not simple to understand, all that seemed foreign, all that implied something slightly less reassuring than that America stood innocent and pure in a vile and sinister world beyond its borders.”  During the attendant hearings before the House Un-American Activities Committee, Miller “saw the civilities of public life deftly stripped from the body politic like the wings of insects or birds by maniac children, and great and noble citizens branded traitors.” 

During that dark chapter in American history—engineered by Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-WI) on behalf of his party—Miller was called to answer for his involvement with left wing intellectual circles and to surrender the names of his commie comrades.  Whereas some of his contemporaries, including friend and collaborator Elia Kazan, willingly surrendered their integrity, Miller refused to “use the name of another person to bring trouble on him.”  He was therefore convicted, in 1957, of contempt of Congress, a decision whose reversal the following year triggered the dismantling of the HUAC and caused Edward R. Murrow to conclude that “No one can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all accomplices.”  By then, McCarthy had been condemned by the Senate and had died of cirrhosis. 

In the meantime, Miller’s The Crucible (1953) had opened Broadway and won the Tony Award for Best Play.  It was not the first play to compare the HUAC to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692; there were at least three others preceding it, including William Carlos Williams’ Tituba’s Children (1950).  But it was by the far the most commercially successful and the only one we still turn to when we need it most.   

“No one can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all accomplices.” — Edward R. Murrow

Hence Trustus Theatre’s current production, which opened on Friday, February 20, to an utterly thunderstruck audience.  It is magnificent. There is indeed so much to admire here that it’s hard to know where to begin, so much to say about each element that it will be hard to know when to stop.

For instance, the acting. The ensemble of nineteen is perfectly choreographed, wholly worthy of one another, and up to the heady challenge posed by Miller’s dialogue, which on the page can smack of melodrama but becomes in their performances nigh operatic.  Names must be named:  Jason Stokes, as John Proctor, inhabits the play’s moral center of gravity with an authority gradually leavened with vulnerability. Stokes’ delivery of Proctor’s famous speech at the end—the one about names being the last vestiges of legacy—is the pitch perfect crescendo it should be.   As Proctor’s goodwife Elizabeth, Ashley Rose Montondo is the deep well of fortitude from which he has always drawn and, ultimately, marvelously, his jury.  Around them, invisible but powerful social forces constrict like nooses, beginning with the Puritan clergy, namely Reverends Parris (played by William Paul Brown), who is nefarious, and Hale (Asaru Buffalo), whose attempts at honorability demonstrate Miller’s desire not to blame religion for absolutely everything. 

 Through the courts’ machinations, the play reveals the worst of America’s timeworn banes: superstition, ignorance, hypocrisy, litigiousness, sanctimony, greed, jingoism, and above all, the threat to bodily autonomy, which starts with the women but comes, like vengeance, for everyone. 

That blame lies largely with his magistrates. Cameron Muccio portrays Judge Hawthorne as an embarrassingly sycophantic Lindsey Graham-like jurist made tumescent by his new power, and this, lest it reads otherwise, is a high compliment.  Muccio proves an apt intern for Steve Harley’s Judge Danforth, whom Miller, in his research, found so sadistic as to be a primary evil. As a primary evil, Harley is superb, primarily because he’s not playing evil at all.  Rather, his Danforth is a man so blindly committed to Puritan jurisprudence that he would gladly “hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law, and an ocean of salt tears could not melt the resolution of the statutes.”  As unfortunate stooges of the court, Logan Keller (as bailiff Ezekiel Cheever) and Adam Hobbs (as marshall John Willard) ably demonstrate the depths to which good men might sink in order to save their own skins.  Through the courts’ machinations, the play reveals the worst of America’s timeworn banes: superstition, ignorance, hypocrisy, litigiousness, sanctimony, greed, jingoism, and above all, the threat to bodily autonomy, which starts with the women but comes, like vengeance, for everyone.  

At stake in all of this is civilization itself, represented here by the townsfolk of Salem, to whom we’ll turn in a minute.  First, though, we must admire the writing. Miller’s legacy needs no championing; he is arguably the foremost American dramatist of the past hundred years—superior, yes, to Eugene O’Neill, owing to the latter’s hopelessness.  Miller is, conversely, very hopeful.  He believes in America’s virtue, and so many of his plays (see also Death of a Salesman, All My Sons, The Price, The American Clock, A View From the Bridge), are embodied warnings about the menace America poses to itself. When you go see The Crucible, which you must (it runs through March 15), watch the way menace metastasizes from rumors and abstractions in the world outside to visitors standing in our dining room.

And so now to the townsfolk, beginning with the least able to defend themselves, like the dispossessed Martha Corey and Sarah Good, (both played by Catherine Bailey); or Ann and Thomas Putnam (Brittany Hammock and Adam Hobbs again) as parishioners so desperately devout they’ll swallow anything; or Francis and Rebecca Nurse (Stann Gwynn and Ilene Fins), he a man powerless to stop the murders sanctioned by his neighbors, she an unreproachable pillar of the community and the best gauge of the magistrates’ bloodlust. 

This reviewer cannot explain how [Hunter] Boyle manages to create such a complex, compelling and complete character, and so concludes it must be sorcery.

Here, a whole paragraph must be devoted to Giles Corey, in history a savvy farmer versed (after much experience) in courtroom protocol, in the play a sometimes comic but ultimately wily and triumphant martyr for the growing resistance against the court.   Corey’s execution and last words, though reported only indirectly onstage, still somehow linger long after the play is over, which testifies to the authority Hunter Boyle brings to the role. This reviewer cannot explain how Boyle manages to create such a complex, compelling and complete character, and so concludes it must be sorcery.

Which brings us, at last, to the witches. The witches are not witches, sorry, they’re just girls, but they writhe exquisitely and do creepy things and are responsible for the most unnerving scene this reviewer has ever witnessed on any stage.   They are Mercy Lewis (played by Meagan Aubuchon), Betty Paris (Chloe Newport), Susanna Walcott (Maryssa Drake), and their Jamaican squad leader Tituba (Nicole Perez).   Particular mention must be made of Kate Anderson’s portrayal of Mary Warren and Kaeleigh Miller’s of Abigail Williams.  Abby is, in history as in the play, the primary architect of the horror visited upon Salem, a girl motivated less by piety than puberty, but made somehow remarkably beguiling in Miller’s portrayal.  Mary begins the play as Abby’s accomplice, but then bravely attempts to save Salem from itself until she is undone by the most unnerving scene this reviewer has ever witnessed on any stage.  The actors playing these five witches, though younger, rise to the level of professionalism evinced by their more experienced castmates and complete an ensemble that is collectively and unequivocally the star of the show. 

Credit for this magic trick goes to director Jayce Tromsness, a Trustus veteran from the Thigpen era and a well-traveled actor/playwright/designer/educator/musician/maybe a witch.  In his hands, The Crucible is a perfectly realized theatrical event.  It begins with a barely audible but still disturbing audio of an interrogation, and ends with a devastating tableau you will not see coming and will never unsee.  Each scene along the way begins with characters staring at us accusingly, which frankly we deserve.  When you go see it, which you must, watch the way lighting designer Marc Hurst deploys shadows, silhouettes, even apparitions to cast a spell, but also explosive flashes to shock us out of it.  Watch the way costumer Adai’Shun Cook transports us from the 17th century into the 21st.   Watch the scene design, particularly the eerily Kandinsky-esque  scrims and flats (Tromsness again) manipulate atmosphere.  Listen to the sounds (Tromsness again, he’s a witch) particularly the cheerful non-existent bird in the most unnerving scene this reviewer has ever witnessed on any stage. And oh: pay close attention to the color red.

And consider, when you go, which you must, Eric Bentley’s observation, in The Dramatic Event, about the timelessness of The Crucible:  “One sits before this play with anything but intellectual detachment. At a moment when we are all being ‘investigated,’ or imagining that we shall be, it is vastly disturbing to see indignant images of investigation on the other side of the footlights. Why one wonders aren't there dozens of plays each season offering such a critical account of the state of the nation?”

NB: As The Crucible includes triggering images/social issues, it is not appropriate for all ages.  Tickets are $35, or $32 for seniors/students/military. 

Jon Tuttle is a member of the Jasper Project’s Board of Directors and the author of The Trustus Collection and South Carolina Onstage. 

The Jasper Project Welcomes Trahern Cook -- "Easel Cathedral" -- to the Nook Gallery at Koger Center

Born in 1970 in Columbia,  SC, Trahern Cook, aka Easel Cathedral, has been drawing and painting and telling stories his entire life. In 1992, Cook graduated from the Ringling College of Art and Design with a focus on Illustration and worked as a full-time freelance illustrator from 1993 until the 2000s. When he moved back to Columbia in 2006, he took his easel outside and has been painting all over the southeast and abroad ever since. His work is shown in private galleries, homes, and businesses throughout the country. 

Dubbing his style of painting as relational and experiential, Easel Cathedral has coined himself a “Jam Painter” given that so much of his subject matter is musicians from various genres performing everywhere from small taverns to large outdoor festivals, exploring brush strokes and colors, and matching the rhythm of the music he hears. 

As a “live painter” of events and weddings, Cook creates visual stories of his surroundings in his own unique painterly style, marrying a free folk recklessness with a trained and practiced deliberateness. This performance shares the space with everyone in attendance, enhancing the moment and using the moment to inform the painting itself. 

As The Jasper Project’s featured Third Thursday artist for the month of February, Cook’s art will be exhibited from Thursday February 19th until the third week of March in Jasper’s Nook Gallery on the 2nd tier of the Koger Center for the Arts.

An opening reception will be held Thursday February 19th from 5:30 - 7 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

SC Chapter of Authors Against Banned Books Joins Jasper’s Degenerate Art Project II with a Banned Books Free Library

The Jasper Project is excited to welcome the SC chapter of Authors Against Banned Books (AABB) to the Degenerate Art Project II opening Thursday Feb. 12th at Stormwater Studios. Headed up in SC by Columbia Poet Laureate Jennifer Bartell and Jonathan Haupt, founder of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, AABB SC is supporting Jasper's Degenerate Art Project II by providing a Banned Books Free Library that will be available at the exhibit.  

Authors Against Book Bans, a single-issue anti-censorship collaboration among published writers, poets, illustrators, editors, anthology contributors, and other book content creators engaged in protecting our freedoms to read and to write. AABB now has more than 3,500 members nationwide, and over 80 of them are here in South Carolina. 

In 2024, Jonathan Haupt and Jennifer Bartell Boykin took on the responsibility of serving as co-leads for the SC chapter of AABB. They work with the AABB national leaders, other state chapter leaders, and with our AABB members across SC to share information and resources, and to coordinate pro-literacy service activities and anti-censorship advocacy.  

According to Bartell, “Authors Against Book Bans SC has sponsored this Banned Books Free Library in support of Jasper's Degenerate Art Project II. Nazis banned and burned books. South Carolina currently leads the country in banned books.  

“Books in this library have been banned in SC and are books commonly banned across the country. This library will operate on a ‘take a book, share a book’ honor system, allowing anyone to take books for free without needing to return them, though replacing them is encouraged. Please limit yourself to taking only one book. When you have finished reading the book, please pass it on. Consider placing the book in a free library in your community for another reader to experience. You are welcomed to come back with a banned book to help us keep the library stocked.”

Banned Books List 2025 (National)

Books Banned in SC

 

Authors Against Banned Books SC needs your help! We encourage you to donate a book or money towards the purchase of banned books. We are looking for books banned in SC and books that are commonly banned across the country. See the list above to see if you have any copies of these books on your shelves that you are willing to part with: 

·  You can bring a banned book to contribute to the library when you visit the exhibit

·  You can mail a copy of the book to Bartell and she will drop it off

·  You can donate money and Bartell will purchase a banned book on your behalf. CashApp: jenniB2005; Zelle: jennifer.sharain@gmail.com; Venmo & PayPal: jennib55.

“We hope you’ll consider joining us in these efforts,” Bartell says. To learn more about AABB—and to join yourself (at no cost), please click here.     

For more about book bans in South Carolina and nationwide, Bartell recommends that you take the opportunity to stream the documentary film Banned Together, featuring many of SC’s DAYLO students alongside authors and advocates from across the country. 

Announcing the Jasper Degenerate Art Project II Zeitgeist Award Panel of Judges

The Jasper Zeitgeist Award is presented to the participating and eligible artist in Jasper’s Degenerate Art Project II whose work best exemplifies the socio-political spirit of the times while also exhibiting proficiency in execution, originality, and strong engagement with the viewer.

The Jasper Zeitgeist Award will be presented at 7 pm on Saturday February 28th during Jasper’s Degenerate Art Project II Closing Party at Stormwater Studios, 413 Pendleton Street in Columbia SC.

The Jasper Project is indebted to our esteemed panel of Jasper Zeitgeist Award Jurors for sharing their expertise with us and the more than 40 participating artists in the Jasper Degenerate Art Project II.

They are Harriett Green, Peter Chametzky, and Xavier Blake.

Harriett Green

Harriett Green is a visual arts consultant with over 32 years of experience in arts administration. Green was the visual arts director for the SC Arts Commission from 1993-2021. Currently, she serves on the advisory committee for the 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia, SC, which she co-founded in 2006. Additionally, she is a member of the board of trustees for the Columbia Music Festival Association, American Craft Council, and Central Carolina Community Foundation. Green has curated or co-curated exhibitions in both SC and New York City. From 1980-1988, she was the registrar and assistant curator at the Columbia Museum of Art. Subsequently, she was the project coordinator for collaborative efforts with other state arts agencies and arts organizations across SC for the two-year project, Views from the Edge of the Century. Furthermore, she produced a multi-state arts agency partnership exhibition entitled Thresholds: Expressions of Art & Spiritual Life, and for the SC Arts Commission 50th Anniversary Visual Arts & Craft Fellows exhibition in 2017-18.

Peter Chametzky

Peter Chametzky is Professor of Art History and has been on the SVAD faculty since 2012. His research focuses on 20th and 21st century German art and culture. From 1998 to 2012 he taught at Southern Illinois University, first as Associate Professor and then as Professor, and served as Director of the School of Art and Design on the Carbondale campus from 2008-12. He served as Director of the USC SVAD from January 2013 to January 2018. From 2022 to 2024 he served as Interim Director of USC’s School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment. Previously, he taught at Adelphi University (1990-98), the School of Visual Arts, New York (1984-88), and in the School of Continuing Education at New York University (1986-88). He earned his Ph.D. in Art History from the City University of New York Graduate Center in 1991. His B.A., also in Art History, is from Cornell University. He has also studied in Freiburg iBr, and Stuttgart, Germany.

Xavier Blake

Xavier Blake has spent more than 20 years championing arts, culture, and public media through his work with SCETV, the Nickelodeon Theater, and WMHT in New York, collaborating with artists to amplify diverse voices and support emerging talent. A native of Bamberg, SC, he is a frequent INPUT Conference participant and holds a B.A. in Communication from Newberry College, a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from the University of South Florida, and fellowships from the BIPOC Leadership Program and WESTAF Leaders of Color.

Photos courtesy of the subjects.

REVIEW: Chapin Theatre Company's HOW TO SUPERVISE WOMEN

By Cindi Boiter

At the Jasper Project, we are committed to supporting, promoting, and celebrating new art wherever we can find it. Last night I found an outstanding example of new theatre just down the road from me at Chapin Theatre Company in the dress rehearsal for Lou Clyde’s new play, How to Supervise Women.

A tight two-act comedy, How to Supervise Women features an equally tight ensemble cast of loveable characters who make one of the most important cultural changes in the history of American women cogently understandable even for folks who might be hesitant to identify as feminists. Set in an aircraft assembly plant in San Diego in 1942, the play introduces us to four women who, though demographically different, find commonality and community during World War II. The women are answering the call to leave their lives as homemakers and take on the responsibilities of the men in the workforce who left to fight in the war.

The playwright does a fine job of representing four recognizable domestic situations in the backgrounds of her lead characters. Shirley Kaminski, played by Debra Haines Kiser, is a widow with three sons serving overseas. The wisdom of knowing what is at stake in the country weighs heavily on Shirley, but Clyde gives her the defense mechanism of humor, which she readily shares with her cohort, helping them all to cope. Loretta Beutel, played by the perpetually cute Zanna Mills, is a young woman with a secret reflective of the limited options available to women at the time. Millie Kram, played by Jill Brantley, is a young mother with a third baby on the way and a husband overseas.

But my favorite character was Joyce Johnson,  a young Black woman who starts out relegated to the role of custodian but clearly has much more to offer Consolidated Electronics, if not the world. Played by poet, singer, songwriter, and now actor, Alyssa Stewart, Joyce is aware of the power her almost invisibility in the workplace affords her and uses it to her and her work mates’ advantage. But Joyce is all-seeing. Her smirks, chuckles, and knowing glances are priceless. Having worked for years at Consolidated Electronics, her awareness that poor women and women of color were already a part of the labor force long before the war even started, informs her approach to her job and to dealing with the men in supervisory positions. Let’s hope Alyssa Stewart, the actor, finds herself on another stage soon!

Speaking of the men, the characters Herman Mueller, played adorably by Jack Bingham, and his supervisor and the play’s antagonist George Perroni, played by CTC executive director Jim DeFelice, served the play’s narrative well. While George’s character is somewhat informed by the stereotypical mid-century husband, who offers much sound and fury on the job but ultimately submits to his powerful wife, DeFelice gives his role the kind of humility that makes his character receptive to growth and change. George’s long-awaited epiphany that women are strong, capable, and let’s face it, amazing is facilitated by the pure kindness of Herman’s character. In his words and actions, Herman consistently conveys the message that everyone is really just doing the best that they can under world-altering conditions. In this role, Bingham could not have been more authentically open and vulnerable. I look forward to seeing Bingham on a local stage again, as well.

The cast is rounded out by Samantha Hansford playing the role of Phyllis and Barry Smith as the announcer/messenger, both of whom took smaller roles and made them meaningful. Jamie Carr Harrington directed the play with sound and lights by Simon Marchant. Tiffany Dinsmore and Abby Mathias did an excellent job with costume design, not only remembering to make the characters’ shoes fit the time period but giving some of the characters charming spectator styles that made even a non-shoe person like me swoon a little.

Similarly, Jane Peterson took no short-cuts with the show’s props, putting her graphic design skills to good use wherever she could. To that end, don’t miss the pin-up calendar she designed for the first act! (Full disclosure, Peterson is a member of the Jasper Project board of directors and theatre editor for Jasper Magazine.) And kudos again to DeFelice and Dinsmore for creating an appropriately industrial set complete with uncomfortable aluminum chairs à la The Whig.

How to Supervise Women is more than a comedic play. Lou Clyde has created a rich narrative full of grace notes that subtly pepper the play with hints that give nuance to the culture in which the story is set. Whether it be an off-the-cuff comment by a female character that after working a double shift she still works a third shift when she gets home, or notes left in the women’s un-locked lockers with messages like, “Broads belong on their backs,” or the bathroom signage that changes from MEN to WOMEN to POWDER ROOM, How to Supervise Women is a portrait of a period in American history that spurred changes in gender roles, workplace dynamics, the way women viewed their value, and so much more.

In her Playwright’s Note, Lou Clyde writes, “My mom was one of the six million women who worked in a factory while my dad served in World War II. … This play is meant to honor these trail-blazing women who proved they could not only do the jobs of men but do them well.” Not only does How to Supervise Women accomplish Clyde’s mission, but it does so with an abundance of humor and theatre artists who bring their meticulously designed characters to life with sensitivity and finesse.

Go see How to Supervise Women at Chapin Theatre Company

February 7,12,13,19, and 20 at 7:30 pm

and February 8, 14, 15, 21, and 22 at 3 pm.

Visit Chapin Theatre Company for tickets.

REVIEW: Village Square Theatre’s 12 Angry Jurors Demonstrates the Power of Diversity in the Live Theatre Experience

by Amanda McSwine with Cindi Boiter

Village Square Theatre’s current production of 12 Angry Jurors  has a storied past. Originally written by Reginald Rose as a teleplay titled Twelve Angry Men that premiered on CBS in 1954, the now well-known tale of the power and contagion of reasonable doubt was adapted as a stage play, a film, and a different stage play written by a different writer during the first decade of its life. While many viewers think of Twelve Angry Men as the 1957 film directed by Sidney Lumet featuring an ensemble cast that included Henry Fonda and Jack Warden, the loose premise of the play has inspired everything from parodies likeTwelve Angry Elvises to TV shows like Sesame Street, Murder She Wrote, and Happy Days (“12 Angry Fonzies”) that used the practice of entertaining reasonable doubt as the loose structure for a weekly episode. A 2015 star-studded, sketch parody written by Amy Schumer for her series, Inside Amy Schumer, garnered rave reviews as it debated the question of whether Schumer was “hot enough” to have her own show. Village Square Theatre’s straight production of 12 Angry Jurors is a thoughtful and inclusive update to the original that better resonates with a contemporary audience. 

The show opens in the jury room of a seemingly clear-cut murder case—so clear-cut, in fact, that before we even meet the jury, the bailiff tells the audience that the defendant “doesn’t stand a chance.” As our jurors enter, we see the intentionality of director Glenn Farr in his selection of a diverse cast. Almost any member of the audience may see themselves represented. 

As the jurors begin to deliberate, we witness a clash of perspectives and an unveiling of biases. We see how the jurors negotiate with each other—and themselves-–as their worldviews are put to the test. In this age of echo chambers and curated algorithms, 12 Angry Jurors invites us to sit with the discomfort of differing opinions.

Katie Mixon’s compelling performance as Juror #3 (played in the original film by Lee J. Cobb) captures the defensiveness, anger, and desperation that surfaces when deeply held beliefs are challenged. Charles Zuber’s heated monologue as Juror #10 (played in the film by Ed Begley, Sr.), exposes the danger of how using rhetoric that includes terms like “those people” can turn bias into blind prejudice and discrimination.

The VST ensemble included LaQuana Aldridge, Tristan Brown, Beth DeHart, Will Frierson, Pat Gagliano, Kathleen Godwin, Rae Kostal, Kyle Mason, Jeff Sigley, and Brian Teusink. And, while all of the performers give their characters life with feeling and depth, as well as diversity, there were some production elements that were lacking. While many of the costume choices supported the director’s intention to set the piece “outside the normal timestream,” a handful of accessories distracted from this illusion due to their distinct association with a specific time period. 

I appreciated the minimalist set which kept the focus on the exchanges between the jurors and the system in which they existed. But pacing was awkward at times. I would have liked for the cast to have found a smoother rhythm in order to better build tension during heated exchanges. 

Overall, Village Square Theatre’s production of 12 Angry Jurors is a timely examination of the strength it takes to stand alone in the face of overwhelming odds, and the courage it takes to put aside one's pride and change one’s mind.

12 Angry Jurors runs through February 1. An additional show has been added on Thursday, Jan. 29 to accommodate the cancellation last week due to weather. For tickets call 803-359-1436 or visit the theatre’s website online.

REVIEW: A Deadly Good Time - Over My Dead Body Delivers Laughs at Town Theatre By Jane Turner Peterson

Town Theatre’s production of Over My Dead Body by Michael Sutton and Anthony Fingleton is a delightful throwback to some of Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries. While it takes place in the 1990s, it evokes the feel of old-school whodunit plays. Skillfully directed by Allison McNeely, Over My Dead Body is a comedy-mystery that borders on farce, with some wonderful physical and situational comedy moments. There are several great twists in the plot that make the production even more fun. The entire cast was fun to watch.

The story is set in England and revolves around three elderly founding members of a mystery/crime writers’ literary club: Dora Winslow (Kathy Hartzog), Trevor Foyle (Bill DeWitt), and Bartie Cruikshank (Clayton King)—collectively known as the “Murder League.” A new, young writer, Simon Vale, has joined their ranks, and they are not fond of him. Vale makes fun of their old-fashioned style of writing, while the League mocks his inappropriate language used to describe his murders. The play spoofs the whodunit genre as the three members of the “Murder League” attempt to plan and execute the perfect crime to boost their careers—only to have their old-fashioned methods go comically wrong.

As the married couple Trevor Foyle and Dora Winslow, DeWitt and Hartzog bring their wonderful chemistry to full force. Having played opposite one another many times over the years, the pair are always a delight to watch. Their timing and delivery are spot-on. Clayton King’s Bartie adds a delightful dose of eccentric energy to a character who is shrewder than he first appears.

Wayne Wright’s portrayal of Vale strikes just the right mix of snobbery and cockiness to make you distrust—and dislike—his character. The club’s butler, played by Steve Reeves, adds another layer of comedy to the production. His slow-moving, dim-witted portrayal of the aging servant is fun, and even more commitment to the character would have been welcome. The murder victim—Simon Vale’s utterly despicable American literary agent, Leo Sharpe—is played by the imposing Sam Chamberlain, who dives into the role with great enthusiasm and makes you dislike him from the moment he appears.

Rounding out the production is the star-struck detective, Chris Kruzner, whose portrayal of the slightly dim-witted investigator, reminiscent of Jacques Clouseau (The Pink Panther), is spot-on. His self-assured partner, Sergeant Trask, portrayed by Chavous Camp, is also fun to watch. Together, the two make a strong comedic pairing.

Big kudos to the entire set, costume, and prop crew—Nathan Jackson, Jeremy Hansard, Julian Harley, Shannon Willis Scruggs, and Jodie Harris—whose work was very well done and served the production beautifully. Town Theatre is lucky to have such a wonderful space. A few technical elements could be tightened up, but it is live theatre, after all.

If you’re looking for a fun, lively evening at the theatre, this one is for you. Over My Dead Body runs Thursdays through Sundays until Feb. 1. For tickets or more information, visit towntheatre.org.

REVIEW: The Comeuppance Delivers a Fearless, Ensemble-Fueled Night By Jane Turner Peterson

Trustus Theatre’s Side Door production of The Comeuppance, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, is a modern-day dramedy set in Washington, DC. It’s an intense evening of angst, truths, secrets, and lasting friendships, as a group of five diverse millennials gather for a pre–20th high school reunion party for their “gang” of misfits—known as MERG (Multi-Ethnic Reject Group). Think of the play as a grown-up The Big Chill. This particular group of friends has faced a lot in their lifetimes so far, including 9/11 and COVID, to name just a couple. Some of these friends see each other on a fairly regular basis; others have not been together in nearly 13 years.

While alcohol—and a little pot—soothe some, others find themselves stuck in the past with doubts, unrequited love, anger, and regret. Each character has been shaped by history and by time itself. The group’s anchor, Ursula, has lost an eye due to diabetes and has endured tremendous loss; Kristina, a doctor and vet, numbs herself with alcohol to escape the pressures of being a mother of five stuck in a suffocating marriage; Emilio is a bitter, brilliant artist who has self-exiled to Europe; and Paco, a veteran suffering from PTSD, is treated as an outsider and haunted by abuse from his high school years. Each character breaks the fourth wall, speaking directly to the audience about mortality and the stories they tell themselves to survive.

Be prepared: the play runs two and a half hours with no intermission. Yet it never feels indulgent or slow. The momentum of the piece is part of its power, and it is difficult to imagine where an intermission could even exist without disrupting the emotional current. Ginny Ives’ direction honors the depth and complexity of this script. Her fluid use of the intimate Side Door Theatre at Trustus (a 50-seat space) allows the audience to feel like silent members of the group, fully immersed in their reunion.

Patrick Dodds delivers a riveting performance as Emilio, capturing both the character’s caustic wit and profound ache. His opening monologue—where he reveals that we may know him as Death—is haunting, intimate, and immediately pulls the audience into the world of the play. Dodds sustains this emotional precision throughout the evening with a richly layered performance.

Jessica Francis Fichter shines as Caitlin, bringing emotional clarity and vulnerability to a character torn between nostalgia and disappointment. Her performance is filled with subtle shifts that reveal Caitlin’s longing, regret, and unresolved affection, grounding the play with honesty and heart.

Tashera Pravato brings warmth, strength, and a deeply human gentleness to Ursula. As the emotional center of the group, she radiates compassion and quiet resilience, giving the production its moral and emotional anchor.

Ellen Rodillo-Fowler fully commits to the chaos of Kristina, delivering a fearless performance that is at once biting, funny, and heartbreaking. Her portrayal captures both the bravado and the devastation of a woman unraveling, making Kristina’s pain impossible to ignore.

Mario Haynes gives Paco a moving sense of restraint and inner conflict. His performance thoughtfully conveys the weight of PTSD and long-held wounds, allowing Paco’s vulnerability and dignity to emerge with authenticity and care.

Jonathan Adriel adds resonance and gravitas as Simon, the friend who is only heard on the phone and who cancelled on them at the last moment. His rich voice and grounded presence bring an unexpected depth to the ensemble and underscore the themes of erasure, reinvention, and accountability.

The chemistry among the cast is exceptional. Their relationships feel lived-in, volatile, and deeply rooted, creating an ensemble that is emotionally transparent and compelling from start to finish.

The set, designed by Trustus company member Dewey Scott Wiley, is ideally suited to the space and supports the storytelling beautifully. Costumes and props are equally strong and specific. I highly recommend seeing this powerful and affecting production. The Comeuppance runs Thursdays-Sundays through Feb. 1 at the Side Door Theatre. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at trustus.org or by calling 803-254-9732.

Columbia-based Artist MICHAEL KRAJEWSKI Partners with CORIN WIGGINS to Present METAPLASIA: A CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE OF BUTOH & PAINT

The Jasper Project is excited to help spread the word about a new project presented by Columbia-based visual artist Michael Krajewski and theatre/performance artist Corin Wiggins, who returns to Columbia, SC after a ten-year absence. METAPLASIA: A Contemporary Performance of Butoh and Paint – A Ten Year Homecoming will be presented on Saturday, February 7th, at 7:30 PM at Gemini Arts, in Columbia, SC.

Krajewski, who has earned a reputation as a bravely experimental artist, has a history of engaging in painting as performance, often partnering with dancers and other performing artists. This time he will be partnering with Corin Wiggins who has mastered the Japanese art of Butoh Dance. According to the Butoh Institute of New York, “Butoh is an avant-garde art form born in Japan in the 1950s. Butoh developed at the height of the Japanese Counter Culture Movement and was influenced by surrealism, neo dada, French mime techniques, ballet, flamenco, Neue Tanz (German Expressionist dance) as well as French and European literature.”

Traditionally performed in white body makeup, butoh is considered an avant garde dance form and typically involves hyper-realized, grotesque imagery, and “slow and arrhythmic body contortions expressing a confluence of anguish and rapture, and a dedication to form and improvisation that is deeply connected to the nature of being.” https://japanobjects.com/features/butoh) Many practitioners and patrons of the artform consider butoh to be more of a dance experience than a performance, often saying the experience is undefinable.

In the press release for this event Wiggins states that, “METAPLASIA represents more than just a performance; it is a compelling fusion of visual and performing arts. Following a decade-long journey away from his hometown, Wiggins returns to Columbia for this significant homecoming event. Notably, this performance is poised to be the first professional butoh performance in South Carolina’s history, showcasing the depth and evolution of this unique art form.

“The term "Metaplasia," derived from Greek, signifies "change in form," reflecting the transformative processes that occur in nature and art. The performance will delve into themes of nonconsensual existence, chaos and control, cryptobiosis, and mindfulness in contemporary society. Accompanying the performance will be an original musical soundscape, meticulously crafted by Wiggins, enhancing the immersive experience for the audience.”

Krajewski will paint as Wiggins performs.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to enjoy thought-provoking performance art ephemerally created amongst the visual art exhibited at Gemini Arts. Tickets are only $10 and may be purchased in advance via Eventbrite. Doors open at 7:10 and the performance begins at 7:30.

For more information about what to expect, please visit the Eventbrite site.

Click here to learn more about Butoh.

About Michael Krajewski: Michael Krajewski is an artist-in-residence at Gemini Arts Collective. He is a self-taught artist described as neo-expressionist, although he is less concerned with labeling than with creating from an authentic, mindful space and expressing what he is feeling and experiencing in the moment. He works in various mediums including painting, drawing, clay, and video.

Krajewski has been commissioned to provide artwork for film and art festivals, set design for Trustus Theatre, and art for the Columbia City Ballet. He painted a mural in the Greenville Children’s Museum, and a mural in the Columbia Museum of Art, one of only two artists ever invited to paint on the walls there.

Of his many contributions to the culture of Columbia and greater South Carolina is Michael’s freehand composition on the walls of Black Rooster, a restaurant in West Columbia, where he is using the entire restaurant as his canvas to create a one-of-a-kind installation that so far is four years in the making.

About Corin Wiggins: Corin Wiggins is an actor, director, and deviser of theatre. Their training and performance experience encompasses forms from the entirety of theatre history, with particular emphasis on classical verse, contemporary realism, commedia dell’arte, butoh (舞踏), and new devised work.

Raised in Columbia, South Carolina by a family of civil engineers, Corin first discovered the stage at age eight through the Columbia Children’s Theatre. Growing up in community musical theatre and child actor film agencies, including work undertaken on and off stage at both Town Theatre and Trustus Theatre, Corin began their professional actor training at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Drama program. They hold a B.F.A. in Physical Theatre from a joint program between Coastal Carolina University and the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy.

Alongside a national presence, Corin has lived and travelled extensively outside the United States and has created and performed in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Czechia, Kazakhstan, and for audiences from all over the world via numerous international festivals. To date, they have contributed to well over one hundred projects, collectively seen by tens of thousands.

The liberation of the human is the primary goal behind Corin’s work. Corin’s original performances generally concern themselves with humans and human relationships, the conscious vs. subconscious vs. superconscious mind, and dark psychedelia.

Corin has booked work throughout the United States in 2026, as well as a butoh performance tour of Japan in the latter half of the year.

Call for Sponsors of Jasper's Degenerate Art Project II - Please Spread the Word

The Jasper Project is in search of sponsors for our upcoming Jasper Degenerate Art Project II exhibition at Stormwater Studios, February 11 – 28, 2026.

We are asking for sponsors to help us defray the costs of facility rental, promotions, refreshments for attendees, performing artist stipends, and a cash prize for the juried Zeitgeist Award which will be given to the artwork that “most accurately represents the socio-political spirit of the times while also being technically well executed, engaging, and highly original.”  We are in need of a total of $2000 in contributions of any size.

To show our appreciation, sponsors and their guests will be invited to join us for Jasper’s Degenerate Art Project II Preview Event for Sponsors, Jasper Guild members, and Participating Artists. Our Preview Event will take place February 12 from 5 – 6:30 prior to the official opening reception from 6:30 – 8:30 the same evening. This puts you first in line to see and purchase all the art included in the exhibition as well as to toast and chat with the artists themselves.

With your permission, we will also show our appreciation at all events with a public thank you and you, or the name/logo of your business, will be listed in the following locations:

·         The Jasper Project Website

·         The printed Degenerate Art Project II Calendar of Events which will be distributed throughout the city

·         and, in a special Thank You Ad in the spring 2026 issue of Jasper Magazine. You, or your organization, may also remain anonymous if you prefer.

To serve as a sponsor for the Jasper Project’s Degenerate Art II Project please email Cindi Boiter at cindiboiter@gmail.com or by visit the Jasper Website and click on DONATE.

Thank you for your consideration.

We are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Announcing the Participating Artists in Jasper's 2026 Degenerate Art Project II

The Jasper Project is excited to announce the roster of visual artists who will be participating in our first major project of 2026—Jasper’s Degenerate Art Project II exhibition, February 11 - 28. This year’s exhibition will be held once again at Stormwater Studios at 413 Pendleton Street in Columbia’s historic Congaree Vista, just behind One Eared Cow Glass.

Selected artists underwent critical adjudication by a panel of artists and Jasper Project Board Members, and we are delighted to welcome these 43 participating artists, including guest artist Susan Lenz.

The purpose of Jasper’s Degenerate Art Project II is to answer an overwhelming request by artists and patrons of Jasper’s inaugural Degenerate Art Project (July 2025) for an additional exhibition involving an open call for visual artists and an extended calendar for exhibition.

The title, Degenerate Art Project (I and II), is a contemporary SC-localized reflection of the Nazi Party’s 1937 Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art) exhibition in Munich at which more than 650 pieces of Modernist art were haphazardly displayed alongside graffiti and mocking text labels with the goal of denigrating and ridiculing the art and artists. The exhibition included the work of 112 artists including Picasso, Mondrian, Chagall, Kandinsky, Klee, Dix, and many other groundbreaking artists. The website of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum offers an excellent overview of this period of world history. 

The purpose of the Jasper Degenerate Art Project is threefold:

• To provide a platform for expression and/or protest via art for Midlands area artists

• To bring our local arts community together both physically and in spirit during this challenging time in order to support and encourage one another

• To preserve for posterity, via the Jasper Project website, Columbia, SC’s artistic interpretation and response to our country’s current socio-political situation.

Degenerate Art Project II Artists

Sarah Bauer
Pam Bowers
Jarid Lyfe Brown
Kimber Carpenter
Michael Cassidy
Joe Churchill
Jane Couch-Osmelowski
Thomas Crouch
Corey "Roc Bottom" Davis
Kirstin Dow
Jakeem Da Dream
Sharon Funderburk
Ron Hagell
Betsy Halford
Mary Ann Haven
Leila Heidari
B.A. Hohman
TaJuan "TJ" Huiett
Jordan Johnson
Alexander McDonald Jr
Janet L Kozachek
Dogon Krigga
Regina Langston
Cait Maloney
Harry Arnette McFadden
Tristan McLawler
Ginny Merett
Cam Moore
Trebor Nage
Breezy Norton
Lucas Sams
Ivan Segura
Lucy Kienitz Spence
Megan Tapley
Keith Tolen
Steven White
Barry J. White
Lindsay Radford Wiggins
Nolan Wright
Olga Yukhno
Michael Morris Zamora
Ellen Naomi Zisholtz

Guest Artist: Susan Lenz

As a show of appreciation for the artists and patrons who support The Jasper Project by joining the Jasper Guild we are also excited to announce one of the many new perks of Jasper Guild membership—Advanced entry for special Jasper Projects, such as the 2026 Degenerate Arts Project II, including a Champagne Toast with Participating Artists on Thursday, February 12th. Jasper Guild Members are invited to join us from 5 - 6:30, in advance of the official opening reception from 6:30 - 8:30. Guild memberships range from the Artist Peer level ($25) for working artists through the Hero level ($1000) guaranteeing a level that will satisfy both your pocketbook and your dedication to local arts. (Please remember that all donations to the Jasper Project, a 501C, are tax-deductible, and that Jasper has zero paid employees and no brick and mortar building to maintain. This means that ALL contributions go right back out to supporting the arts via our many projects and Jasper Magazine, which is distributed FOR FREE throughout the SC Midlands! You are not paying anyone’s salary, rent, or overhead costs — PURE Arts Support!)

Come back here as we continue announcing events connected to Jasper’s Degenerate Art Project II in the days to come.

Congratulations and Welcome to All of Jasper’s Participating Artists in Jasper’s 2026 Degenerate Art Project II!

Kudos to Richland Library and Angela Gallo!

photo credit to fotosbyfranco

Kudos to  the Richland Library for expanding their arts horizons by bringing in a nationally recognized Dance Artist as their Artist-in-Residence!

From our friends at Richland Library :

Richland Library is pleased to welcome nationally recognized dance artist, choreographer, and educator Angela M. Gallo as the Spring 2026 Artist-in-Residence, with a residency running January 5 through June 12, 2026.

Gallo brings decades of experience as a dynamic artist and arts educator whose work explores themes of identity, transformation, memory, and resilience. She is the Artistic Director of Sapphire Moon Dance Company and serves as Dean and Professor of Dance Emeritus at Coker University. Her extensive teaching career includes work with the Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensive in Miami, Peridance Center, New York Dance Center, Hartford Ballet School, Greater Hartford Academy for the Arts, the University of Michigan, and Southeastern School of Ballet.

During her residency, Gallo will maintain office hours on Tuesdays and Sundays from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., offering opportunities for community members to connect, ask questions, and engage in creative dialogue.Throughout the residency, Gallo will present a robust lineup of workshops and movement-based experiences designed for participants of all ages and abilities. These offerings will integrate dance, somatics, Pilates, and creative exploration to support physical, mental, and emotional wellness while fostering creativity and self-expression. Planned programs include yoga and creative movement for children and adults, as well as “Choreographing Our Stories,” a workshop focused on creating short dances inspired by personal experiences.

The residency will officially kick off with Meet the Artist: Angela Gallo on January 22, 2026, held in the Richland Library Theater. This introductory event will give attendees the opportunity to learn about Gallo’s artistic journey, creative process, and vision for the residency, followed by an informal conversation with the artist.

Chad Henderson Named Executive Director of Arts Center of Kershaw County

Exciting new from our friends at the Arts Center of Kershaw County …

The Arts Center of Kershaw County has hired Chad Henderson as the new Executive Director. Henderson, the former Trustus Theatre Artistic Director and SC Philharmonic Marketing Director, will begin on January 12th , 2026. The Executive Director provides overall artistic and administrative leadership to the Arts Center, achieving the Arts Center’s goals for artistic excellence, audience development, fundraising, sponsorship and business relations development, financial sustainability and community engagement.

Henderson succeeds Dolly Patton, who resigned from the position in summer of 2025.

The Arts Center of Kershaw County serves as the cultural hub for the region, offering visual arts exhibitions, performing arts events, and educational programming that enriches the community and attracts visitors from across South Carolina.

Chad Henderson, a Spartanburg native and current resident of Columbia, SC, has spent more than 18 years in the non-profit arts sector. At Trustus Theatre, Columbia’s professional theatre, Henderson served as the Marketing Director from 2007 to 2015, and the Artistic Director from 2015 to 2021. He has served as the Marketing Director for the SC Philharmonic from 2021 to 2026.

Known in the SC arts community as a visionary theatre director, Henderson has been awarded the 2018 Founders award from the SC Theatre Association for his work as an arts leader, and the 2012 Artist of the Year in Theatre from the Jasper Project. As a filmmaker, his work took top honors at the Jasper Project’s 2nd Act Film Festival in 2017 and 2024.

Henderson is also an accomplished playwright—his play Let It Grow won the 2024 Jasper Project Play Right Series and is available for purchase on Amazon. He has completed three residencies with the Studios of Key West in Key West, Florida.

Visit his website to learn more about previous projects.

“We are excited to welcome Chad Henderson as the new Executive Director of the Arts Center of Kershaw County,” said Board President Lee Inabinet. “Chad brings tremendous enthusiasm along with extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, marketing, and the arts. We are confident his vision and energy will strengthen the Center’s impact and support its continued growth in our community.”

The appointment also represents an important milestone in the ongoing partnership between the City of Camden and the Arts Center of Kershaw County. “Chad brings a wealth of experience from his work with the Columbia Philharmonic (sic), and we are confident his leadership and vision will strengthen the arts within our community and build and even stronger partnership between the City and the Arts Center” said City Manager Matt DeWitt.

Henderson shares the board’s enthusiasm. “The Arts Center of Kershaw County is a truly special organization in this state, and I couldn’t be more honored to become its next leader.” said Henderson. “I look forward to working with the artists and stakeholders of Kershaw County and beyond to deepen the organization’s impact and to grow the Arts Center’s unique capability to serve the community’s cultural appetite.”

Congratulations to Chad Henderson and The Arts Center of Kershaw County!

From the Print Issue -- A Prayer for Every Stitch – Memory and Empathy Through the Eyes of Staci Swider By Emily Moffitt

A quick trip down memory lane with a gorgeous Southern night sky and the subtle buzzing of insects. A brief respite from the metaphorical weight a person carries with them. The beauty within Staci Swider’s work goes beyond the visual aesthetic; it encompasses the intentions of the artist, and the potential for powerful conversation with anyone who stops to admire her work. 

Art has been in Swider’s DNA since she was little. Learning how to sew from her grandmother, who happened to work in a children’s clothing factory, she was surrounded by knitting, needlepoint, fabrics, and anything craft oriented. “Growing up in the late 60s and early 70s, that was the resurgence of it as a craft form people were engaging with,” says Swider. “I have started to see artists start to crochet and sew again in our community nowadays, but that was what life was like back then!” Swider then went to school for fabric design and got into the workforce designing home furnishings. What she learned in school and during her career did end up shaping a lot of her practices and principles in terms of creating original work, along with the words of her grandmother: “a prayer for every stitch.” Finding the act of weaving to be very meditative, Swider subconsciously reflects on every loop and stitch beyond what it is creating in the physical plane. “Sometimes it isn’t about the finished product,” said Swider. “The act of doing is the real work. It gives you something to quiet your mind.” 

Swider’s background in textiles taught her to be attuned to finer details. She works with anything and everything fiber: yarn, thread, and fabric, then incorporates other materials like wire into the design to create both two-dimensional and three-dimensional works. These are not the only building blocks, however; Swider finds the exploration of contrast to be a major key in her work. “Contrast is not always just light and dark,” Swider says. “Sometimes, contrast in art focuses on the smooth versus rough, the busy and quiet, and finding the balance within a pair.” Weaving lends itself to be an optimal method of creating contrast, especially through Swider’s mastery of color work. She says, “On the surface, the color work appears as a quick snapshot that you take in, but when you come upon it and look closely it reveals itself further. You must look for the little things, like a piece of pink duct tape or cobalt silk that really sticks out in a section of one of my pieces.” 

The visual building blocks of contrast, color, and the technical skills required of fiber arts all coalesce in works that capture the key theme of spirituality in Swider’s portfolio. Swider’s lens of the world is rooted in introspection and metaphorical conversation. "I express myself through a visual alphabet of symbols,” said Swider. “Not just runes or anything like that, but the actual images themselves in my work, and a lot of artists who tend to work metaphorically do something similar.” One notable example of the symbology is the arc shaped vessel in many pieces of Swider’s art. One may attribute it to being a literal boat at first glance, but the deeper meaning within the symbol goes beyond; rather, it is a vessel for everything one feels and does, a well of experience carried along a path in the work. It functions as a vessel for the other subject in the work as well as the viewer and are aptly referred to as “soul sleds.” 

Conversation is integral to Swider as she aims to evoke a response in the viewer that they may or may not be able to articulate in words. Colors and images like a moody blue against a stark background may evoke a moody or contemplative feeling in the viewer. For Swider, “an image like a quiet night sky brings me to sitting in my backyard and listening to crickets.” As an empathic artist who feels a great sense of tension within her inner person, the imagery that Swider conveys in her work is a way for her to return to a specific moment and take a mental pause, allowing for a clear opportunity for introspection on how to proceed and respond to that tense feeling. The conversation with the viewer still continues through that introspection; after all, the viewer might be feeling the exact same way. 

Having this exchange with the viewer completely remotely is exciting to Swider and feels as rewarding as if they were speaking face to face. “Whether or not a person likes the artwork I make or does not, they are still thinking about the work itself,” says Swider. “Whether they realize it or not, we are having a conversation about the work that way, which is a really beautiful thing to think about.” 

The life that Swider has lived and the years of unique or shared experiences finds ways to express itself in her work. This experience lends itself to the key piece of advice Swider gives to any of her students or fellow artists who experience any sort of creative block: go back to the last place they felt artistically comfortable. Lessen the anxiety of creating something brand new and unfamiliar to themself by letting the creativity flow within familiar territory, like a flower arrangement for an artist who focuses on painting flowers. Set the mind at ease before attempting a new challenge, and the art block is much easier to overcome. 

A life as an educator and full-time artist has paved the way for Swider to express her creativity in a multitude of ways beyond the visual arts. “At this point, my creativity leaks out into everything, like cooking and gardening,” said Swider. “I love to surround myself with beautiful things in my home, and to find beauty in anything and everything.” Living with intention and slowing down in an increasingly fast-paced world appeals greatly to Swider and has impacted her drive to continue interacting with things in her day-to-day life that makes her smile or feel uplifted. 

The uplifting energy in her life carries through and feeds her creativity for the next piece Swider creates. The newest exciting opportunity to come Swider’s way is a grandiose exhibit at the Burroughs Chapin Museum in Myrtle Beach. Seizing the opportunity to work on her art and voice simultaneously, Tide Carriers, as Swider has named the project, focuses on three connected storylines that incorporate many of her new and old techniques along with exploratory discoveries she has made in other new projects, like her Unbuilt Rooms series. 

"This maturity I have as a human and an artist, how does that get reflected in my work?” Swider asks. The optimal way to explore this was to create the three storylines: an expansion of the Unbuilt Rooms, the Soft Architecture of Rain, and the Songs of Becoming. The storylines follow a chronological reflection of Swider’s life, her evolution and where she finds herself now as a woman in her 60s in 2025. Starting with the Unbuilt Rooms, Swider explains these pieces as “the selves and dreams we carry within us but have not been realized.” These are not meant to be opportunities for the viewer to dwell on past choices that have been made, but rather, beacons of hope for them as they realize that their future still holds a great expanse of choices and dreams that can still be made and had. 

The second piece of the narrative puzzle, the Soft Architecture of Rain, heavily incorporates the soul sled image, reiterating the weight of your hopes and dreams, longing, and baggage that they carry. This specific image joined Swider’s rotation in 2020 and is depicted both in two-dimensional and three-dimensional space. The incorporation of the vessels also enables Swider to express her attunement to her own empathy and operate as a moment of self-reflection both in the creation and viewing of the piece. 

The odyssey concludes with the Songs of Becoming, where Swider maintains her agency as an older woman in a society that is so focused on the eternally youthful and naive. “Once upon a time, women of a certain age like me became the elders and leaders of a community,” says Swider. “They were the ones with the knowledge to pass on to the younger members in their community.” Swider poses the question of how she wants to be remembered through this section, and how she can embrace where she finds herself in the present day. The images in this section are filled with symbols of feminine power, such as extravagant headdresses that can even be worn when depicted in three dimensions. Swider’s art is 100% who she is now and continuously nurtures her identity; this dedicated exhibit brings all those feelings to the forefront for audiences to understand and perhaps empathize with. 

Swider’s work must be seen to be fully understood. The intricate interplay of varied colors and materials creates a truly unique presence in the fiber arts realm. It is easy to get lost in the delicate rhythm of each piece, to drift into a long time behind you yet somehow still unfolding before you.

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2025 issue of Jasper Magazine.

Jasper Welcomes Jewelry Designer Clayton King to the Tiny Gallery

Jasper is excited to kick off 2026 in our Tiny Gallery with handcrafted jewelry created by Midlands area artist Clayton King. According to King, whose jewel-art is offered under the title Inspired Chaos Studio, he is “a jewelry artist based in Columbia, SC, whose work resides where fluid lines meet thoughtful structure. Inspired Chaos was born when King ran the art and jewelry gallery, Artizan, in which he offered bespoke fan pulls and crystal sun catchers. The line was expanded to include wearable jewelry and is now offered online. His creative process is guided by the quiet movement found in nature and the Gestalt principles that reveal the beauty of negative space—how what isn’t there can shape what is.

“Clayton is also a performing artist, most notably singing in cabarets and on various Midlands stages. A Texas transplant, he pursues both jewelry and performing as a holdover from his major in Theatre Performance, as well as his years as a gallery owner. Both creative outlets are soul-feeding in different areas of creativity.”

To shop from King’s collection of original artisan jewelry just click here and make your choices!