Poems on the Menu

Poet Lisa Hammond

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

Eating Out

by Lisa Hammond

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

yes, mac and cheese. She shells butterbeans,

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

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

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

fried green tomatoes with homemade Boursin cheese.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News from 701 CCA

Tarish Pipkins | Isaac Udogwu | Cedric Umoja

Happy to Share this News from our friends at 701 CCA:

n Oppositional Free Gazing Tarish Pipkins, Marcel Taylor, Cedric Umoja and Isaac Udogwu disrupt the power dynamics of American visual culture through traditional portraiture, artificial intelligence and machine learning, Afro futurist visual renderings of Black language, and narrative portraiture through puppetry.

The white gaze has long determined whose stories are seen, what artists' voices are valued. Taylor, Pipkin, Udogwu and Umoja create work that speaks directly to the Black experience from ordinary to the extraordinary. They speak directly to Black audiences in unapologetic fashion, locating their work in largely ignored cultural, historical and political experience that operates outside of a response to white supremacy.

With algorithms and machine learning as the media, Udogwu uses what scholar Nettrice Gaskins describes as “techno-vernacular creativity” Possessed of reappropriation, remixing, and improvisation. With nods to both Francis Bacon and Jacob Lawrence Udogwu centers the Black male figure seen through Black male eyes. In fact Umoja, Taylor, Pipkin and Udogwu each use these tools that form the foundation of America’s two original music forms, Jazz and Hip hop and are firmly rooted in Black cultural and creative practices.

Marcel Taylor uses an interplay of acrylic paint, transparent paper, photographic collage, remixes images of Black people living in urban centers and seeks to capture the vibrancy, joy and life found in these spaces. Taylor’s socially-critical abstract work depicts urban landscapes and portraits inspired by rampant gentrification processes occurring in his home city of Washington DC, and many other cities across the nation. These paintings conjure images of urban dynamism, commotion, pandemonium, and chaos. Tarish Pipkins continues this tradition in performance work that centers Black stories and draws the line between historic calculation and contemporary experience.

This artists conversation will be moderated by Dr. Frank C. Martin, II. Martin is a graduate of Yale University and the City University of New York, Hunter College, with additional study in contemporary art at the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of South Carolina. After working for more than 12 years as an Associate Manager of Education Services for the Department of Education Services in the Uris Center of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Martin transitioned to a position as Curator of Exhibitions and Collections, at South Carolina State University's I. P. Stanback Museum & Planetarium, where Martin currently serves as Director.

Art historian, art theorist, and critic of cultural interpretation, Martin has served as an academic advisor for the PBS documentary, Shared History and as contributing critic in the fine arts for The Charleston Post and Courier, one of the South’s oldest newspapers. Appointed as a Carolina Diversity Professors Doctoral Scholar in the Department of Philosophy at the University of South Carolina, Dr. Martin’s area of specialization is the study of axiology, concentrating in the field of aesthetics.

Martin, Pipkins, Udogwu & Umoja

September 28, 2022

6:30 PM

701 CCA Gallery

701 Whaley Street, 2nd floor

Columbia, SC 29201

Gotta Catch ‘Em All – Artist Trading Cards with Jasper

There’s no better grouping than free live music, free art, and Jasper!

The Jasper Project will be hosting a tent at the Jam Room Music Festival on October 1! At our table, we will be participating in the artist trading card movement! The artist trading cards have been around since the late 1990s but has recently hit a cultural renaissance. With the return of something so great as Jam Room, we’re doing a test run of the artist trading card project at our tent!

This project is targeted towards audiences of all ages who want to make and collect both their own art and art from others around them. The trading cards are 2.5”x3.5”. After creating your piece of art, you can keep your card or trade it in with another artist’s card from our display wall of completed trading cards. Not feeling artistic? Are you short on time? Do you still want to take home some art? In an exchange for a donation to the Jasper Project, you can choose a trading card from the display to keep; several artists from around Columbia will have made trading cards prior to the festival for us to include in the display and make available for trading.

For the Jam Room table, we will provide alcohol markers and potentially pastels for visitors to use on their trading cards. In the future, we aim to feature different media for everyone to use and keep making art with. This is a project we also intend to bring to other events like happy hours or other low-key happenings.

Jasper Project board members and volunteers will be present throughout the day to talk with interested audiences about our upcoming projects and to answer any lingering questions you may have. Stop by, make some art, grab a Jasper magazine, and listen to the music!

People making cards at Artists Showing Artists (May 2023)

Cards made at the Jam Room Music Festival (October 2022)

Cards made at the Jam Room Music Festival (October 2022)

Jasper Talks with femme x About Story Slam -- in the Flesh -- September 14th

Looking for something in Columbia to itch that performing arts scratch, but with more of an edge and authenticity to it? femme x, a notable social gathering and coworking space in Columbia will be bringing back in person Story Slams, with the support and collaboration of the #whatshesaidproject. We talked to Nell Fuller, co-founder and managing partner of femme x, about the story slam and what audiences can expect from attending one of these recurring nights. 

 

Jasper: Have you partnered with the #whatshesaidproject before?

Fuller: Although we hadn’t partnered before, I have long admired the #whatshesaidproject and remember Shannon Ivey (founder of the #whatshesaidproject) winning a giveaway when we first opened. When Shannon and her business partner, Katie Zenger, pitched their Inspired Speaking Curriculum, it was a natural fit for our growing community of women, many growing their own companies and refining their storytelling skill sets. We saw an exciting need for a storytelling platform, particularly in a space that centers women. This story slam is a mix of seasoned and new storytellers, some of whom are in our Fall Inspired Speaking cohort. I am over the moon to collaborate with Ivey!

 

Jasper: What should audience members expect from the Story Slam? Does everyone in the audience have to participate, or can you attend to listen and offer love/support?

Fuller: Audience members can expect around 10 local storytellers to tell a 5–8-minute personal story connecting to the theme “In the Flesh.” Unless there’s rain, we will have it outside in the courtyard and all are welcome to attend and enjoy the community. The bar at femme will be open for drinks and snacks. 

 

Jasper: How does the Story Slam align with the aims and goals of femme x?

Fuller: Story Slams (and Shannon Ivey’s work in personal storytelling) aim to give women the opportunity and experience of crafting a personal story and then sharing it with a warm audience. These opportunities are rare, and femme x is a community that is aware of this and how it negatively impacts women and their quality of life. 

 

Jasper: Do you plan to have reoccurring Story Slams, or other live events with #whatshesaidproject?

Fuller: Yes! We will continue Story Slams on the second Wednesday of each month. The bar will open at 6 PM and the stories will start at 7 PM.

 

Jasper: Are there any other collectives like femme x in Columbia?

Fuller: Columbia has so much to offer, including a growing network of cowork spaces for entrepreneurs and creatives! NoMa Warehouse and SOCO both offer incredibly innovative, community-centered spaces. It’s been so energizing to come out of COVID and see the entrepreneurial community growing and thriving as we make space for one another to contribute to the larger ecosystem.

 

Fuller described femme x as a “social club and cowork space dedicated to changing the traditional systems of capital distribution.” The collective aims to nurture and create a safe, accessible, and empowering space for entrepreneurial women through “social events, peer engagement and programming tailored to their unique needs.” If you are interested in checking out their membership options, visit their website

The Story Slam is $5 for femme members and $15 for non members. You can register for the event online.

 

Coming Up at CMA--Adia Victoria and More than Rhythm: A Black Musical Experience

It’s nice when successful artists come home. Sure, there are sometimes sour grapes in the back (what some like to call the anti-Hooties), but for the most part South Carolinians welcome their success stories back with pride and grace. That will be easy to do on Friday, August 26th when Columbia Museum of Art welcomes Adia Victoria to their Conversation and Concert titled More Than Rhythm: A Black Music Series Featuring Adia Victoria.

Singer-songwriter and poet, Adia Victoria, was born in Spartanburg, SC and lived in the upstate until she left high school and moved from New York City to Atlanta and finally to Nashville where she resides today. She released her first album, Beyond the Bloodhounds, a reference to Harriet Jacob’s autobiography, Incident in the Life of a Slave Girl, in 2016, followed by Silences in 2019 and A Southern Gothic in 2021, which was written mostly in Paris.

Having toured internationally for the past few years and performing some gigs in the US with Jason Isbell and the 400 unit, Victoria is performing in Columbia as part of a multidisciplinary event that will include song, poetry, dance, and discourse. Dr. Mason Hickman, musician and civil engineer with a uniquely math and science approach to his guitar work, will be performing with Victoria and Dr. Birgitta Johnson, professor and ethnomusicologist at the University of SC will be performing host duties.

According to the CMA, the “More Than Rhythm series returns for its second season with a special performance from South Carolina native and globally recognized blues musician Adia Victoria. On break from her world tour, Victoria joins host and ethnomusicologist Dr. Birgitta Johnson to discuss her journey as an eclectic 21st-century blues artist before taking the stage with guitarist Mason Hickman. Their performance includes original poetry paired with dance interpretations by Columbia-based dancer Erin Bailey.”

The CMA galleries and bar will open at 6 pm with a Conversation at 7 pm, followed by an 8 pm concert. The event is free, but seats must be reserved by contacting the museum.

Mark Your Calendars - Future Poetry Events with The Jasper Project and Al Black

For the poetry lovers and art appreciators in the Columbia area, Jasper’s own Al Black will host a plethora of live events for poets and readers to be a part of. Each of the events have their own schedules, allowing for plenty of opportunities to fit everyone’s schedules. 

Mind Gravy Poetry is a weekly event that meets on Wednesdays from 7-9 PM at Cool Beans Coffee Company. The event includes music and poetry features, followed by open mic time, allowing for new voices to let their creativity and written word be heard.

For monthly meetups and activities, the first Tuesday of every month holds Simple Gifts, from 7-9 PM at the Friends Meeting House. The meetup includes music and poetry features and concludes with an open mic session. On the last Tuesdays of every month is the Jasper Poetry Salon, from 7-9 PM. It occurs at 1013 Duke Avenue and encourages poets of all experience levels to come and share their writings and appreciation for the art form. On the last Sunday of each month is Front Porch Swing, an outdoor event with live music; don’t forget your lawn chairs and coolers! Front Porch Swing also takes place at 1013 Duke Avenue, from 2-4 PM.  These monthly events are sure to provide anything you’re looking for in the realm of Columbia’s poetry scene.

Words, Words, Words is a quarterly event hosted on a random Saturday in January, April, July and October from 2-4 PM at the Richland Library Southeast Branch on Garners Ferry Road. This event features a published poet with an original music introduction; the featured poet is often from out of town, providing a great surprise factor for those interested in attending each of the meetings for Words, Words, Words. The next event will be in October, and we’ll update when we know more.

Black often organizes and hosts ekphrastic poetry events that feature galleries and artists from the Southeast—showcasing the appreciation of the combination of the written word and visual accompaniment. 

Stormwater Studios & the Charlotte Art League Gallery present THE EXCHANGE

In the kind of innovative arrangement many of us have been clamoring for, the artists of Stormwater Studios have partnered with those of the Charlotte Art League Gallery for an Artist Exchange and the opening night reception for the Columbia leg of the adventure is

Thursday night, July 14 from 5-7 pm.

In a nutshell, the artists from both galleries—Stormwater Studios and the Charlotte Art League Gallery—swapped galleries, with the Stormwater artists opening their exhibit on July 8th in Charlotte and the artists from CAL opening theirs Thursday night here in Columbia.

CAL Gallery is located at 4237 Raleigh Street in Charlotte. Stormwater is located at 413 Pendleton in the Congaree Vista.

Both exhibitions will run through July 29, 2022.

1980: STUDY OF DEREK RIDGERS' "THE OTHERS"

2,000.00

Artist: Ella Williamson

Medium: Graphite and charcoal

Resilience

Artist: Pat Gilmartin

Medium: Bronze

Dimensions: 5”x22”x4”

Price: $1300

TRUMPET PLAYER

475.00

Artist: Melvin D Nix

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

Dimensions: 18" x 24"

The Supper Table Goes to Jasper County!

THE MORRIS CENTER FOR LOWCOUNTRY HERITAGE

We’re delighted to announce that the Supper Table, the Jasper Project’s most ambitious project to date, is traveling to the South Carolina Lowcountry this summer for a 6-month-long residency at the Morris Center for Low Country Heritage in Ridgeland, Jasper County, South Carolina.

The Supper Table, an homage to the 40th anniversary of Judy Chicago’s 1979 epic feminist art exhibition, is a multidisciplinary arts project celebrating the history and contributions of 12 extraordinary South Carolina women and featuring the work of almost 60 of South Carolina’s most outstanding women artists in the visual, literary, theatrical, and film arts.

Place setting honoring SC artist Eartha Kitt by Mana Hewitt

The Supper Table was created between 2018 and 2019 and began touring the state in November 2019, traveling from Columbia to Irmo, Camden, Florence, Lake City, and more, but its itinerary was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. For more information on the women honored with seats at the table created by outstanding SC women artists, as well as the writers, filmmakers, theatre artists, visual artists, and portrait artist Kirkland Smith, please visit the Supper Table page on the Jasper Project website.

Place setting honoring SC’s Dr. Matilda Evans by SC artist Rene Rouillier

The Morris Center for Low Country Heritage has a number of educational and interpretive events planned to further explore and celebrate the Supper Table including the following.


7/16/2022

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Table Talk: The Supper Table Opening

Kayleigh Vaughn/Cindi Boiter

Part history lesson, part art installation, all homage. The Supper Table, its origins and impact on South Carolina Women’s History is the topic of conversation with Morris Center Curator Kayleigh Vaughn and Jasper Project Director Cindi Boiter.

https://www.morrisheritagecenter.org/events/table-talk/

 

8/12/2022

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Take a Seat: Visual Artists' Panel

Tonya Gregg, BA Hohman, Flavia Lovatelli

Enjoy some lively table talk as several of the visual artists from The Supper Table discuss their role and process in contributing to the art installation.

https://www.morrisheritagecenter.org/events/take-a-seat-visual-artists-panel/

 

Many of the SC artists involved in the Supper Table project

9/20/2022

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

South Carolina "Herstory"

Dr. Valinda Littlefield

Scores of women have left an indelible mark on “herstory” in the Palmetto State. This inspiring talk connects to The Supper Table.

https://www.morrisheritagecenter.org/events/south-carolina-herstory/

 

10/21/2022

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Take a Seat: Writers' Panel

Christina Xan, Claudia Smith Brinson, Kristine Hartvigsen

Food for thought? In conjunction with The Supper Table, several writers share about their role and process contributing to the exhibition.

 

11/18/2022

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Take a Seat: Filmmakers' Panel

Ebony Wilson, Carleen Maur, LeeAnn Kornegay

Food for thought? In conjunction with The Supper Table, several filmmakers share about their role and process contributing to the exhibition.

 


Launch Announced for Jane Zenger's New Book of Poetry - Night Bloomer from Muddy Ford Press

Saturday, May 21st

5:30 - 8 pm

Stormwater Studios

Muddy Ford Press is pleased to announce the publication of the latest book in the Laureate Series, Night Bloomer by Jane Zenger.

Zinger will welcome guests to Stormwater Studios on Saturday May 21st from 5:30 - 8 pm for readings from her debut poetry collection. Included among the guests will be city of Columbia poet laureate (and Jasper Poetry Editor) Ed Madden, who edited Night Bloomer, working closely with Zenger on the composition and structure of the book. Night Bloomer is the third book in the Laureate Series following works by Tim Conroy and Ann-Chadwell Humphries. Angelo Geter’s More God Than Dead, the fourth in the series, will be published in June.

“It is a delight to see Jane's work coming into print,” Madden says. “I love the way that her voice ranges through memory, from tragic loss to humor and anger (sometimes both at once). The loss of her husband grounds this book, the poems range widely through a lifetime of experience.”

Of Night Bloomer Zenger says, “This book is a compilation of poems written during several distinct periods in my life. Several poems chronicle my early days as a rambunctious student and traveler, others are based on people or events that influenced or upended my life. The book celebrates and reflects both my real life and my imagination. Having a book published is a dream come true for me.”

Night Bloomer is available at Amazon, WOB, Walmart. Books-a-million, and a number of additional outlets. Zenger will be offering the book for sale and signing at the event on Saturday afternoon.

Book Presentation/Discussion--The Verdict: The Christina Boyer Case by Jan Banning @ 701 CCA

Book Presentation & Discussion:

JAN BANNING:

The Verdict: The Christina Boyer Case

Featuring Richland County Chief Public Defender Fielding Pringle

701 Center for Contemporary Art director Michaela Pilar Brown and

world-famous Dutch photographer Jan Banning

Monday, May 16, 2022

7:30 pm

Admission Free

Richland County Chief Public Defender Fielding Pringle and 701 Center for Contemporary Art director Michaela Pilar Brown will lead a conversation at 701 CCA with world-famous Dutch photographer Jan Banning during the first American presentation of his new book, The Verdict: The Christina Boyer Case. The conversation and book presentation will take place Monday, May 16, at 701 CCA.

Banning, a former 701 CCA artist in residence who has had two solo exhibitions at the center, makes the case for Boyer’s innocence in the death of her three-year-old daughter Amber in Carrollton, GA, in 1992. Boyer has been incarcerated for three decades after she accepted – under duress and after receiving poor legal representation – a prison sentence without pleading guilty to avoid a death penalty trial.

“For decades I have admired Jan Banning’s socially focused and engaging portrait projects on menial professions and human conditions otherwise ignored,” said Anne Wilkes Tucker, curator emerita of photography at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, one of many museums that has Banning’s work in its collection. “This moving book calls for what should be and could be done for Christina.”

Boyer’s “heartbreaking case infuriates me,” Tucker wrote, “but came as no surprise. Bullied and abused as a child, she is one of thousands of women without resources who weren’t believed, and had inadequate defense.”

The plight of especially poor defendants in the United States’ judicial system, in which 95 percent of cases never go to trial, will be part of the conversation with Banning. Public attorney Pringle has decades of experience representing indigent defendants.

Banning’s book presents a complex and multi-layered approach to the Boyer case. Two chapters, by Banning and Georgetown University law professor Marc M. Howard, discuss the case and the American judicial system. Photographed pages from the local newspaper provide media context and show the papers’ biased reporting on the case. “The Family Album” shows family photos of Boyer and her daughter, while another section shows hand-written pages from Boyer’s prison diaries. In “Imaginations,” Banning presents interpretive and conceptual photographs, mixing photojournalism and staged art photography, to illustrate aspects of the case, though not literally. “Christina’s Associations” presents Boyer’s written responses to Banning’s photos of the Southern environment, an environment that Boyer has not seen in person in decades.

Banning came across Boyer’s case when he was making portraits of inmates at Georgia’s Pulaski Women’s Prison for his 2016 book Law & Order: The World of Criminal Justice, which examines crime and punishment in five different countries through photos and text. Since then, Banning – by training a historian, with decades of experience as a photojournalist – has spent years researching the Boyer case, spending more than six months in the small town of Carrollton, Carroll County, and elsewhere in Georgia.

New York Emmy-winning production company Latchkey Films, contributors to the Netflix series The Innocence Files, is making a documentary about the Boyer case and Banning. Banning’s and Boyer’s exhibition about the case, The Verdict: Beyond A Reasonable Doubt?, opened in February at the Nederlands Fotomuseum, the national Dutch Photo Museum, in Rotterdam.

Banning was born in 1953, in Almelo, The Netherlands. His work has been exhibited in some 30 countries and is in the collections of many museum, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Atlanta’s High Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Banning has published more than a dozen books of photography. Among his books and exhibitions are Bureaucratics, about government officials in several countries, including the United States; Comfort Women, about Indonesian women forced into sexual slavery by Japan during World War II; Traces of War, about forced laborers who survived the Japanese Burma and Sumatra Railways building project during the same war; and Down and Out in the South, about homeless people in Columbia, SC, Atlanta and the Mississippi Delta. Both Bureaucratics and Down and Out were exhibited at 701 CCA, where a residency for Banning provided the impetus for and beginning of the Southern homeless project.

701 CCA is a non-profit visual arts center that promotes understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of contemporary art, the creative process and the role of art and artists in the community. The center also encourages interaction between visual and other art forms. 701 CCA is located at 701 Whaley Street, 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC 29201.

Jasper Welcomes the Multi-talented Alex Ruskell to First Thursdays (slightly) Off Main at Sound Bites Eatery

After a resounding success at Jasper’s first First Thursday featuring artist Michael Shepard in April, we are thrilled to be back at the new arts downtown dining den, Sound Bites Eatery, for First Thursday in May.

May brings us the bright and whimsical art of Alex Ruskell!

When Ruskell isn’t serving as the director of Academic Success at the UofSC Law School, he is a member of the equally bright and whimsical band, the Merry Chevaliers.

A champion of silliness and advocate of art in all its frivolity, Ruskell’s art offers a dose of something most of us have come to cherish of late — a reason to smile.

Joining Alex for this opening event will be Dick not Richard who will be laying down the groove and keeping our heads bopping and our hips swinging.

Come out for an evening of visual art, music, and fabulous food!

Free and open to the public — See You Thursday at First Thursday (slightly) off Main at Sound Bites Eatery - 1425 Sumter Street.

Jasper presents Line-Up for First Thursday Featured Artists at Sound Bites Eatery

It almost feels like we’re back to normal.

But really, what is normal? Will we ever be normal again? Were we ever normal to start with?

You can help answer these questions and more by joining Jasper as we bring back one of our favorite pre-pandemic events - gathering with the Jasper tribe (that’s YOU!) to welcome art from a featured artist to our walls. But now, given that the Jasper Project no longer has walls on Main Street we’ll be gathering for First Thursdays Slightly Off Main at Sound Bites Eatery at 1425 Sumter Street, one block off Main Street between the Taylor and Hampton Street blocks.

After an exciting launch of our new series in April with featured artist Michael Shepard, we’re thrilled to announce our line-up for the season below:

May 5 – Alex Ruskell

June 2 – Kimber Carpenter

July 7 – Ginny Merett

August 4 – Marius Valdes

September 1 – Quincy Pugh

We’ll start at 6 pm and the artists will be in the house to chat with you about their art and maybe grab a photo with you when you pick out a treasure to take home.

Terri Mac and Mai Turner will have the kitchen open so plan on grabbing a delicious dinner or glass of vino or beer to enjoy while you check out new art and either catch up with friends or meet some new ones.

In the meantime, stop by Sound Bites Eatery by the end of April for some yummy food and the art of Michael Shepard!

WELCOME VALERIE LAMOTT to Jasper's TINY Gallery

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

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

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

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

Visit Tiny Gallery for many more pieces.

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

Do YOU Have your Birthday Party Tickets Yet?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Words, Words, Words

Saturday, 04/02 at 2 pm

Southeast Branch Richland Library

7421 Garners Ferry Road

Columbia, SC 29209

Singer/songwriter, Lang Owen opens

for Poet, Miho Kinnas

Organized and hosted by Al Black

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


SIMPLE GIFTS - poetry & original lyric songs

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

Columbia Friends Meeting House

120 Old Pisgah Road

Columbia, SC, 290203

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

Followed by open mic (original poetry and music only)

hosted by Poet, Al Black

THE BEAT: Local Music at St. Pat's in 5 Points by Kevin Oliver

Sure, the hype for the return of the annual St. Pat’s in Five Points festival is focused on the headliners Blues Traveler and national acts such as Surfaces, Laney Wilson, and Big Something, but what often gets lost in the coverage is that St. Pat’s is also one of the biggest local music festival opportunities of the year. Columbia bands are well represented on the main stages in 2022, and every year there are additional acts playing at unofficial side stages, local bars, and restaurants in the area, and more. To help you plan a locals-focused day at the festival, here’s a rundown of area artists and when to find them on what stage:

Villanova 

2:40 pm, Greene and Harden St. Stage 

Possibly the most popular local act to play St. Pat’s multiple times, Villa*Nova brings the noise every year. The current lineup includes founding members Bobby Dredd and DJ Able One alongside singer and guitarist Brian Conner. The band released their first new music since 2015 last year, the single “Vipers,” which revealed a commitment to a heavier sound within their melodic funk roots. There’s still plenty of the funk/rock/hip-hop hybrid left in the band’s back catalog to please their longtime fans, however.

George Fetner and the Strays

1:10 - 2:10 p.m., Greene and Harden St Stage 

George Fetner has corralled his band of musical misfits into a herd of magnanimous proportions that turns any stage into a groove-laden party. Despite the near double-digit number of band members on stage, tight arrangements make the proceedings chug along purposefully. If you’re into bands such as Lake Street Dive, or the classic jams of WAR, there’s plenty to love in the joy-filled, tuneful workouts that Fetner and the Strays produce. 

Stranger Company

12:00-12:50 Harden and Blossom St Stage

A newer presence locally, this young quartet has tapped into a jam band style of rock, blues, and jazz that hearkens back to the 70’s classic rock of acts such as Wet Willie, Santana, and Sea Level, where the grooves and the guitar licks were what mattered. 

Ashley Wright and the Vance Gap Ramblers

12:00-12:50  Saluda and Devine St Stage 

Ashley Wright and her band have managed to create twang-friendly tunes that transcend stereotypes and cut close to the emotional bone. The band’s delicate arrangements juxtaposed with Ashley Wright’s full-throated alto voice bring to mind Gillian Welch and Watchhouse. 

 

Sourwood Honey Tribute Band

7:00-8:30, Home Team BBQ Stage 

The beloved Sourwood Honey was a bar-packing mainstay of the regional club circuit in the 1990s, with the dual front of Ryan Goforth and Chris Conner and ace guitarist Herbie Jeffcoat taking on the wingman position. Their brand of jam-friendly southern country rock was always a cut above the rest due largely to Conner’s songwriting skills, showcased on the pair of full-length albums the band issued in their prime. 

Conner passed from cancer back in 2007 but a few years back most of the remaining band members reconvened around Chris’ younger brother Brian Conner (of Villa*Nova), and called it a “tribute,” with Brian taking over his late brother’s parts; the goal is to keep the memory of Chris alive and reintroduce the band’s classic songs to audiences old and new. 

 

The Ramblers

4:10-5:10, Home Team BBQ Stage 

Taylor Nicholson logged plenty of miles as the lead singer for the popular regional rock act Atlas Road Crew; this outfit aims to provide plenty of classic rock and blues vibes on familiar material.

Danielle Howle & the Tantrums

2:40-3:40, Home Team BBQ Stage

 The nostalgic aspect of this year’s St. Pat’s Festival is encapsulated in the fact that Howle, a former Columbia resident and musician who now calls the Charleston area home, was playing the festival as early as the 1990s with her band Lay Quiet Awhile. The Tantrums was her next full rock band, featuring members from another late great local act, Blightobody, and the group recorded several albums for Daemon Records in the late 1990s, gaining airplay locally and regionally with songs such as “She Has A Past.” 

 

Soul Mites

1:10-2:10, Home Team BBQ Stage

The perennial party band for many Columbia natives, The Soul Mites only come out and play any more on special occasions like this.. The gruff, insistent voice of Tim Davis may be the focal point, but his supporting cast gives him a funky soul drenched rock ‘n’ roll machine to carry his crooning to another level.

ARTIST PROFILE -- Rusty Sox and Titanic Alley

Love that paisley!

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

SOX: I decided to experiment with making bow ties in 2013. I was craving a creative pursuit that combined my love of thrift store shopping and fashion. I decided to use cast-away garments to upcycle into new wearable art in the form of bow ties. I bought an inexpensive sewing machine and made some patterns from old, deconstructed ties. I taught myself how to sew and how to make ties.

 

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

SOX: I use vintage and recycled fabrics, mostly acquired from area thrift stores.

 

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

SOX: I have a studio at home. I primarily show and sell at local craft shows and through my web site www.titanicalley.com. 

I was included in the 2015  “Carolina Makers” exhibition at the South Carolina State Museum and was runner-up to “Best in Show” at the 2017 Crafty Feast.

 

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

SOX: I am inspired by the creations and philosophies of the early 20th Century Arts and Crafts movement and by the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Locally, I was inspired by the late “Refashionista” Jillian Owens who demonstrated how cast-off clothes could become beautiful and useful again.

 

JASPER: What do you feel makes your art unique? 

SOX: I think the recycled nature of my materials, as well as the contrast of colors and textures in many of my bow ties makes my pieces unique.

 

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

SOX: I am admittedly biased, but I am a big fan of ceramic artist Paul Moore. I think his work is beautiful and the way he captures the South Carolina landscape in clay is inspiring. I am lucky to share my life with such a great artist and great human being.

 

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

SOX: I am always working on new ties, but I am terrible about updating my website. I promise to try and do better! I am available for private appointments and custom work as well.

FIND RUSTY SOX AT THE COTTONTOWN ART CRAWL, BOOTH 41 AT 2231 WALLACE STREET, AT THE COTTONTOWN ARTS CRAWL ON SATURDAY MARCH 12TH FROM 10-3

Artists for Africa Hosts 9th Annual PostCard Event in Support of Original Art and Kenyan Youth

When Cooper Rust traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, in 2012 as a volunteer dance instructor, she didn’t expect the experience to stick so strongly to her skin. It did, however, and soon after her return to the states, she founded Artists for Africa, a non-profit organization that supports and provides dance, new experiences, education, and shelter to Kenyan youth.

 In the past decade, the organization has grown, led by C. Rust (Executive Director) and her sister Brie Rust (President), and now hosts a plethora of events in both Kenya and South Carolina, such as bringing dancers from Nairobi to study and perform at the University of South Carolina. 

One of these events, almost as old as the organization itself, is the PostCard Art Event, an evening that pairs small, postcard sized art with drinks and finger foods for a collaborative, community-oriented experience. Next week, the 9th annual PostCard will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn. 

The evening begins with a cocktail hour and appetizers in the spacious lobby, and at 7:00pm, the ballroom will open to reveal the art donated from various established and emerging artists across the United States. Patrons can peruse the art for around an hour as they continue to enjoy drinks and snacks. 

Over 50 artists are included in this show, including some familiar Columbia names like Bonnie Goldberg, Bill Davis, Rob Shaw, Rebecca Lynn Horne, and the Honors Art Students at Dreher High School

The art is available first come, first serve, for $65 per 4” x 6” piece. While the artists sign each piece, these signatures are on the back. Thus, before purchasing, the artist remains anonymous, and patrons are able to select art based on individual desire and attraction. Beyond the small art, larger pieces will also be available, including jewelry and ceramics, each appropriately priced. 

PostCard Art is one of two major annual fundraisers for Artists for Africa, making it one of the organization’s vital events. “100% of the profit goes to support our mission of providing arts and educational opportunities to vulnerable children in some of the world’s poorest slums in Kenya,” B. Rust shares. 

The organization is particularly looking forward to this year’s event after having to move online during the pandemic. “We are very excited to see everyone and share the evening,” B. Rust says. “We have moved our event to the Hilton Garden Inn downtown and are really excited to share this newly renovated space with everyone.” 

B. Rust credits and thanks the group’s Board of Directors, plus their friends and family, for the time they have and will donate to “organize each detail, set everything up, and get it all wrapped up at the end of the evening.” Further, the expenses of the event are generously covered by sponsors, so all money from ticket sales will go directly to Kenya and C. Rust’s efforts in Nairobi. 

If you want to see unique art and support education and opportunity for African youth, be sure to attend this year’s PostCard Art. The event will be Wednesday, February 16th at 6:00pm at the Hilton Garden Inn in Columbia. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door and can be purchased here: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5344995  

4th Annual Cottontown Art Crawl is Coming Up - Saturday, March 12, 2022, from 10 am to 3 pm

The fourth annual Cottontown Art Crawl will welcome 115 artists to show and sell their original work in the downtown Columbia neighborhood. The event will be held on Saturday, March 12, 2022, from 10 am to 3 pm with more art, more artists, more food and more fun for visitors.

In 2019, the historic neighborhood in downtown Columbia, S.C. held the first Cottontown Art Crawl. The event drew hundreds of people to explore the neighborhood and its businesses and garnered the 2019 Neighborhood Program of the Year from the Columbia Council of Neighborhoods. The event has seen significant growth since. The 2022 event will be the largest yet sponsored by the neighborhood.

“The Cottontown neighborhood is looking forward to supporting the Columbia arts scene on March 12th,” said organizer Julie Seel. “Artists will be selling their work throughout the entire neighborhood. Some of the artists are emerging, some are quite accomplished, and some are award winning, juried artists. So, we truly have something for every level of art enthusiast,” said Seel.

This event is entirely outdoors and spread over several city blocks, but social distancing and masks are encouraged. The organizers of the event are committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all and providing an opportunity for artists to showcase and sell their work safely.

Due to the success of the last three Art Crawls, this year boasts many more artists than previous years, as well as an accessibility and entertainment corridor on the 2200 block of Sumter Street with artists, food vendors and entertainment. While artists are located throughout the neighborhood, the corridor is intended to be more accessible to individuals with mobility issues. 

The event is FREE and open to the public and will also feature live music featuring local bands and performers at Indah Coffee’s outdoor stage. The main host station will be located at 2200 Sumter Street, where information and maps will be available. Maps will also be available at specially marked post boxes throughout the neighborhood.

For more information about CAC and to see work by artists, please visit the Facebook and Instagram pages, or email jseel1@sc.rr.com.


Fall Lines Volumes VII and VIII FINALLY Releasing on Sunday January 23rd, at 2 pm at Drayton Hall

After too many Covid-related postponements, the Jasper Project is delighted to release the combined Volume VII and VIII issues of Fall Lines- a literary convergence on Sunday, January 23rd at Drayton Hall on the campus of the University of South Carolina. The event will begin at 2 pm.

Strict Covid protocols will be in place. Masks are mandatory except when reading. Only vaccinated contributors and guests are invited to attend.

Contributors to the 2020 and 2021 issues of Fall Lines are invited to choose one piece of their own poetry or prose from the dual-volume journal to read to the public.

Drayton Hall is located at 1214 College Street. Street parking is available. The public is invited to attend.

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