Visit Sound Bites Eatery on Sumter Street for Delicious Food, Welcoming Vibes, and this month, Art from the Jasper Project's Board of Directors Visual Artists!

One of the great joys of working with the Jasper Project is becoming warm friends with members of our hard-working board of directors as well as the owner/operators of the institutions that work with us and the venues that host us. A perfect example would be the good people at Sound Bites Eatery who welcomed Jasper as soon as their doors were opened and invited us to make use of their walls to hang art by local artists. This month we are combining our appreciation for both by featuring the art of Jasper Project Board Artists, Emily Moffitt, Laura Garner Hine, Keith Tolen, and Kimber Carpenter in the Jasper Gallery Space at Sound Bites Eatery.

Curated by a committee chaired by Christina Xan who serves as the Jasper Project’s gallery manager, Jasper hangs local art throughout the city at Motor Supply Bistro, Koger Center for the Arts, Harbison Theatre, the Meridian Sidewalk Gallery Space as well as Sound Bites Eatery. But we’re always looking for new permanent or temporary spaces to feature the work of Columbia-based artists.

While we enjoy celebrating new shows with receptions, one of the advantages of showing art in these public spaces is that the art is available for purchase any time day or night by accessing a QR code attached to every piece of art. So if you’re still looking for the perfect gift for someone you love, consider giving art by visiting one of the Jasper Gallery spaces easily accessible in the greater Columbia area!

Marius Valdes Mounts Massive Exhibition of JOYOUS CREATURES at Koger Center for the Arts

The Koger Center for the Arts’ Upstairs Gallery is now home to the wonderous, whimsical works of Marius Valdes. The featured exhibition is aptly titled “Joyous Creatures,” and will reside in the Upstairs Gallery from December 1, 2023, to March 11, 2024.

Marius Valdes is an artist currently based in Columbia, South Carolina. Valdes has been recognized by design publications such as Graphic Design USA, HOW, Print, Communication Arts, Creative Boom, Creative Quarterly, Step, and industry competitions including American Illustration, and The World Illustration Awards. In 2022, the UK's Creative Boom Website named Valdes as one of its "20 Most Exciting Illustrators" to follow. This recent creative endeavor of Valdes’ holds over 200 paintings on both canvas and paper bags. Those familiar with his work can expect to see big, bright-eyed creatures of all kinds, shapes, and sizes amidst boldly colored backgrounds. Anyone interested in getting a sneak peek at the featured work can visit the exhibit’s website, www.joyouscreatures.com. This website functions as a digital catalog as well as the site to use for any artwork purchases.

Joyous Creatures Artist Statement: Joyous Creatures aims to make you smile or laugh if only for a moment. I celebrate characters and creatures from the imagination whether they are dogs, frogs, blobs, or aliens. Character-based art has the capacity to create memorable and engaging visual language that speaks to people of all ages and nationalities. I use my characters to educate, inform, and entertain.

There will be an opening reception for the exhibition on December 6, 2023, from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. at the Koger Center’s Upstairs Gallery. The event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact the Koger Center at kogercenter@sc.edu, or 803-777-7500.

David West Closes Out the 2023 Nook Lineup – Jasper Galleries

Our last resident artist of 2023 in the Koger Center’s Nook Gallery is David West. West is currently a visual arts teacher and the Fine Arts Department Dean at White Knoll High School in Lexington, SC. West’s formal education in the arts includes a year of Commercial Art training in a vocational school, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, and a Master of Arts in Teaching with a focus on Art Education. For 13 years, West worked as a graphic designer, relishing the challenge of crafting designs that met the needs of diverse clients.

His journey into teaching art began when he took on the role of organizing and conducting figure drawing sessions for the “About Face” figure study group at the Columbia Museum of Art. Encouragement from fellow art educators within the group led him to explore a career in art education.

Art has been a constant companion for West throughout his life, operating as “an enduring source of inspiration and fascination.” His artistic journey was shaped by the influential figures in his family, particularly his mother, who loved painting, and his grandfather, whom he calls “a true Renaissance man” due to his background in architecture and talent for engineering, drawing, painting, and designing. While harboring an interest in multiple forms of visual art, West has been enamored with woodcut printmaking ever since he participated in the printmaking program at the University of South Carolina.

In his upcoming show in the Nook, there is work from West’s past, examples made from high school art lessons, and some of his current work. He often draws from the “canvas of [his] own life experiences” as he weaves personal narratives into universal themes in his work. He aims to create art that resonates with the viewer on an emotional level, avoiding overt or blatant expressions of ideas. He encourages the viewer to bring their unique feelings and experiences to his work, connecting his artistic expression to their own life stories. He views his work as a bridge, inviting others to explore and reflect on the shared human experience while his own artistic journey continues to evolve and inspire.

The opening reception for West’s exhibit is November 17, 2023, from 5:30 – 7 p.m. and will be up until January of 2024. The reception is free and open to the public.

Caroline Hatchell: Full Circle Experiences with Bead Weaving

Our resident Tiny Gallery artist of November is Caroline Hatchell. A jewelry maker known for her intricate traditional bead weaving, we are honored to carry her earrings for the rest of the month to purchase! We spoke to Caroline about her creative tendencies, what drives her to create, and more.

JASPER: Was art in your family/childhood?

HATCHELL: As a child of the seventies, I grew up a latch key kid. I spent most of my time running free along the banks of the Congaree River. I did not have much art influence in my childhood home, but I was always drawn to creative endeavors. I remember I liked making mini bouquets out of the tiniest wildflowers. I also remember art in elementary school was very special and I always tried to make my "make and take projects" unique.

JASPER: Did you go to school for it or are you self-taught?

HATCHELL: I am a self-taught artist. My journey from weaving seed beads led me to eventually owning my own bead and jewelry supply retail store where I continued my journey to explore every facet of jewelry design.

JASPER: What led you to the medium you work with now?

HATCHELL:I picked up some seed beads at a local craft store when I was in high school. At that time, the quality of seed beads was low. I taught myself to weave the beads together, intuitively doing a traditional Native American weaving technique called peyote stitch.  Seed bead weaving was natural, initiative and in tune with my spirit. While I enjoyed other aspects of jewelry design, eventually I came full circle, back to where I began, bead weaving.

JASPER: Tell me about the themes or ideas you usually chase in your work.

HATCHELL: Sometimes the patterns I use, find me, other times I choose things that emotionally engage my spirit. The raven, the snake, and the moon, for example, repeat in various forms and patterns in my work because they call to my spirit. I consider them spirit messengers.

JASPER: Tell me about the journey you embark on when you create, both emotional and literal/mechanical.

HATCHELL: I am continually at play. Beadwork is spirit medicine for me. When your spirit is called, you listen. Bead weaving is a very slow methodical, and meditative process. Hours and hours are spent on each piece, and since I make earrings, when I am done with one, I start over and do it again.

 JASPER: What kind of pieces have you decided to show for Tiny Gallery?

HATCHELL: This showing is a collection of some of my favorite works from the last year. Some simple designs, some more complex designs. I had the highest intention to create a new body of work for this tiny gallery show but the universe had bigger plans for me.  My spirit was suddenly called to make a great transformation. A transition to a new way of living, one that is in tune with my higher purpose.

JASPER: What’s your favorite memory and/or experience as an artist so far? 

HATCHELL: I have a tremendous amount of gratitude surrounding my work. I am grateful for the knowledge I so intuitively possess; I consider that a sacred gift. I am also incredibly grateful that I am afforded the opportunity to do work that is authentic to who I am. I am also grateful that people have responded so positively to my work. My patrons seem to recognize, honor, and respect the skill, tradition and wisdom traditional bead weaving represents.

 JASPER: What’s in the future for you? And where can we see your art after this show?

HATCHELL: Now that spirit has led me down a new path, settling high in Appalachian Mountains of NC, I am excited to see what unfolds for me here. Next up is to learn the traditional art of Appalachian heirloom weaving and learn the stories of the Appalachian women who wove these tiny mountain communities together. I also plan to continue bead weaving and just exploring the botany, and beauty of this place. Everything will happen exactly how it is meant to. If patrons are interested in future offerings, or custom beadwork, that information can be found on my website www.carolinehatchell.com.

Stacy Morgan Brings Beauty to the Everyday with Sgraffito Pottery

Stacy Morgan, a South Carolina native, has explored art from graphic design to oil painting to pottery. Learn more about her process and her current Tiny Gallery show below.

Morgan grew up in Charleston, and the city’s Lowcountry elements have continued to appear in her work over time. Art itself has been a key form of expression for Morgan, one she herself has returned to again and again. 

Morgan studied graphic design at the University of Georgia before actively working as a graphic designer overseas in Germany. Though this connection to art was valuable, after moving back to America – specifically moving to Lexington, SC – Morgan decided to dive deeper into her relationship with art.

In Columbia, she studied oil with Dale Maestro at the Columbia Museum of Art. This relationship led to her selling her digitizing business and opening Lexington’s Paint & Pour at the Old Mill. Then, as the story goes for so many of us, COVID hit. Having to temporarily close her business, Morgan began painting pet portraits and experimenting on pottery in her personal studio.

Post-COVID, Morgan left Paint & Por behind to open her current personal business: Pottery for Daze. Since opening this, she has been selling her pottery at a plethora of venues. She used to sell at Soda City but now focuses on festivals and markets so that she can dedicate more time to building sufficient inventory.  

Most of Morgan’s work is “embellished with images of Southeastern flora and fauna,” identifying markers of places that have been so dear to her for so long. She uses underglazes to paint on most of her pieces, where “the black and white botanical silhouette pieces reflect [her] graphics background, while the full color illustrated pieces celebrate [her] love of painting organic and natural elements.”

It is a detailed, multi-step process that Morgan follows. After throwing the form on the wheel, she waits two days for the pieces to firm up slightly under plastic sheeting. Once they are “leather hard,” she paints silhouettes with several coats of black underglaze before carving clean edges and details into the underglaze and clay—a technique called sgrafitto.

“Some of the stoneware clay being used fires a creamy white, while others produce earthy speckles, enhancing an organic look to the pieces,” Morgan details, “With clays named Iceman, Dark Star, and White Bear, it is intriguing to see how each reacts to a cone five firing. After the pieces are bisque fired, I lightly sand them down and glaze them with a clear glaze before their final firing.”

For Tiny Gallery, Morgan selected pieces thrown on the wheel with cream colored stoneware clay, enhanced with “graphic black silhouettes of botanical elements.” She asserted that she “wanted the gallery to feature silhouettes of nature to allow the user to experience these shapes and forms without their natural coloring.”   

As with all her work, each piece featured in Tiny Gallery is functional for daily use, “making everyday life a bit more beautiful.”

View Morgan’s pottery show 24/7 during the month of October via Jasper’s online gallery space, and see what she does next by following her on Instagram @pottery_for_daze

Event Featuring Works by Five Artists at Rob Shaw Gallery

On Friday, October 6, from 6 to 9 p.m., Rob Shaw Framing and Gallery will host a reception for a month-long show featuring works by artists Rebecca Horne, Rob Shaw, George Stone, Tianova, and Cody Unkart. The gallery is at 324 State Street in West Columbia.

The show represents an array of styles, from highly representational to eclectic and abstract. At the opening reception, the artists will be on hand to discuss their artwork, which will be available in the gallery for viewing and for sale throughout October.

Ruby River by Rebecca Horne

Since 2018, Horne has focused on mixed media and fluid acrylics, rendering highly textured and multi-dimensional works. In addition to receiving numerous awards in juried shows, Horne was recognized in 2020 by Destig Magazine as one of the top 20 artists of the year. Her work has appeared in a juried Piccolo Spoleto exhibit and in the Vernum Ultimum Gallery international show as well as in other prestigious shows and galleries.

Shaw’s newest works feature large, bright, colorful paintings that represent a bold new direction defined by loose strokes and fresh colors. His art continues to be inspired by iconic South Carolina landscapes and city scenes: “My work has always been impressionistic and, thus, abstract to an extent. Lately I have been pushing the boundaries of the subject matter even further,” says Shaw.

A Stroll Among the Oaks by George Stone

Stone is a representational oil painter focusing primarily on landscapes and still life subjects. Presenting a clear concept, accurate drawing, expressive values and colors, and a well-designed composition, Stone evokes moods in his landscapes by capturing the quality of light present at different times of day, different seasons, and different locations.

The Sun by Tianova

Tianova’s preferred media are oil, acrylics, and watercolor. Using negative spaces to transport the viewer through emotions ranging from nostalgia to present-moment awareness, her work captures the intimacy of solitude and silence and the tension between realism and dreamscape.

Gervais Bridge at Noon by Cody Unkart

Unkart’s paintings depict intimate spaces that he visits daily, including views near his home in the New Brookland Mill Village, the Congaree River, and the Vista. Inspired by colors, shapes, and forms that change with the seasons, he enjoys painting from observation, slowing down and being present to the fleeting beauty and liveliness of ordinary surroundings.

Rob Shaw Framing and Gallery is a full-service frame shop and fine art gallery. Since opening his gallery in April of 2019, Shaw has showcased the work of many South Carolina artists. For the remainder of 2023, the gallery will host First Friday at Rob Shaw Gallery receptions every month.