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Fun floral fundraiser runs March 21 through 24

Columbia, S.C. – The Columbia Museum of Art presents the return of Art Blossoms, a beautifully botanical exhibition experience and museum fundraiser on view Thursday, March 21, through Sunday, March 24, the first weekend of spring. Over four festive days of flowers, fun, and fine art, Art Blossoms showcases a kaleidoscope of fresh floral arrangements — located throughout CMA galleries, public spaces, and Boyd Plaza — created by local garden clubs, florists, and designers alongside the art that inspired them.

“Join us for the Columbia Museum of Art’s celebration of spring, where garden clubs and floral designers return to bring guests a museum-wide kaleidoscope of breathtaking floral arrangements that are themselves works of art,” says CMA Executive Director Della Watkins. “This four-day exhibition and its packed lineup of events are so much fun, and I hope guests are rejuvenated and inspired by this kickoff to the season.”

Now in its fourth year, Art Blossoms is a moment for the community to come together to celebrate the arts and the beauty of nature. Visitors are invited to marvel at more than 20 living art arrangements and to participate in a full schedule of dynamic events. This year Art Blossoms brings back beloved events like its opening celebration, Roses and Rosé tastings, and art classes. It also includes exciting new events like a demonstration and dialogue with Punk Ikebana author, artist, and acclaimed floral designer Louesa Roebuck and foraging excursions with Matt Kip of Full Belly Foraging.

Art Blossoms is a unique, limited-time exhibition that also serves as a fundraiser for the Columbia Museum of Art. Every ticket purchased for the exhibition and its related events supports the CMA’s award-winning arts education and programming and helps to ensure a thriving creative community in the Midlands.

Art Blossoms general museum admission: $20 / Free for members. General admission tickets are sold at the door and not available for advance purchase. Event tickets are on sale now.

Art Blossoms Events:

Art Blossoms Opening Celebration
Wednesday, March 20 | 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Shake off those winter blues with the Columbia Museum of Art! Celebrate the start of spring and the opening of Art Blossoms, your museum’s annual exhibition fundraiser in which works of art are transformed into stunning floral arrangements. Be the first to experience the breathtaking installations and creative arrangements courtesy of florists, designers, and garden clubs from across the state and enjoy refreshments catered by F2T Productions. Your ticket purchase helps support the mission of the CMA to spark powerful connections through art from around the corner and around the world. $70 / $50 for members.

Floral Flair: Brighten Up Any Space
Thursday, March 21 | 11:00 – 12:00 p.m.
Flowers and plants can make your interior and exterior spaces feel more alive and unique. See firsthand how Steven Ford, residential and commercial interior designer and owner of Steven Ford Interiors, uses fresh floral touches as cost-effective and fashionable mood-boosters for the home and garden. Learn general principles of design and tricks for stylish accessorizing as Ford engages his special dazzle to bring three room vignettes to life right before your eyes. $35 / $20 for members. Admission to Art Blossoms included.

Garden Design with Bill Guess
Thursday, March 21 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Welcome the spring season on Boyd Plaza with Bill Guess, garden coach at B.B. Barns. Florists take into consideration the color and form of the flowers used in a floral arrangement; gardeners use these same design elements but must also account for the water and sun needs of the plants selected. Guess presents several formulas for botanical combinations that successfully incorporate both the aesthetic and horticultural needs of the plants in a garden arrangement. Each participant leaves with a blooming spring annual plant to get them started at home. $35 / $20 for members. Admission to Art Blossoms included.

Roses & Rosé
Thursday, March 21 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 23 | 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Sip into spring with wines paired expertly with Art Blossoms arrangements and nibbles. Hosted by Tim Gardner of the two-time James Beard Award-nominated Lula Drake Wine Parlor. Use the first half hour to mingle, enjoy nibbles, and explore the galleries before the tasting. Ages 21 and up. $100 / $80 for members.

Art Class: Floral Design (SOLD OUT)
Friday, March 22 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Join Sarah Shell, founder of Fern Studio Flowers, for a morning of floral design. Shell guides participants through the steps of designing and arranging a compote in Fern’s signature garden style. This class uses lush, specialty blooms with a concentration on seasonal, local flowers. Ticket includes the compote container and all flowers and mechanics needed to create a stunning centerpiece. Ages 15 and up. $200 / $160 for members.

Art Blossoms Public Tour
Friday, March 22 | 11:00 – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 23 | 11:00 – 12:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 24 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Ann Holtschlag is a CMA docent with her own “Garden of Weedin,” so she has years of experience with both art and flowers. She also works with each and every gardener featured in Art Blossoms to bring this beautiful exhibition together. She brings these two perspectives to a tour of the Art Blossoms art pieces and the arrangements that enhance them. Free with membership or Art Blossoms admission.

Foraging Walks with Matt Kip of Full Belly Foraging
Friday, March 22 | 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 23 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Have you ever considered the edible flora growing wild in the city? Matt Kip of Full Belly Foraging has been doing it for over 30 years and knows just where to go and what to look for. This year, celebrate Art Blossoms a little differently on a nature walk with Kip at the Columbia Riverwalk to explore what’s right here in our city’s natural landscape. Identify and harvest wild edible and medicinal plants, go over species to avoid, and learn about local habitats and what useful species can likely be found there. Kip brings a wild dish to sample before the excursion. This private walk lasts roughly 1.5 hours, so wear comfortable and weather-appropriate clothes and shoes. Limited space available. Meeting location will be included in the confirmation email after registration. $35 / $28 for members.

Matt Kip grew up exploring the woods near his house in the sandhill country of central South Carolina. After witnessing heavy machinery turn the woods near his home into housing developments and shopping centers, Kip began searching for a way to live that didn’t require the destruction of nature. Fascinated by the old ways of generations who lived without the manufactured products and industrial food systems of our modern world, he began reading every book he could find about wild edibles. For 15 years now, Kip has been leading plant walks along the rivers in Columbia through his business, Full Belly Foraging. In that time he has introduced thousands of people to a refreshing way of seeing and connecting with the natural world.

Art Class: Paper Making with Plants
Saturday, March 23 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Create your own handmade paper using plant fibers from cotton, abaca — a plant grown in the Philippines used to make artist paper — and other floral ephemera. Participants can keep their finished paper for enjoyment or plant it and watch their creations grow and evolve. Taught by artist and CMA docent Velvet Underwood. All supplies and equipment provided. Ages 15 and up. $150 / $120 for members.

Velvet Underwood developed a love for making handmade paper and book arts several years ago when she was a fiber arts student at Central Michigan University. Since then, she has taken several university classes and workshops to advance her knowledge of both. Underwood is a resident of Chapin, where she lives with her husband and two rescue dogs. When she isn’t busy making art, she volunteers her time as a docent at the CMA and is involved with community theater at the Chapin Theater Company.

Punk Ikebana Demonstration and Dialogue
Saturday, March 23 | 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Join us on day three of Art Blossoms as acclaimed artist, author, and floral designer Louesa Roebuck celebrates the early spring flora of South Carolina. In her critically acclaimed books Punk Ikebana and Foraged Flora, Roebuck explains classic rules of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, and demonstrates how to bend those rules in her distinctive style. See how her work unites the cultural meanings and wise elegance of a traditional perspective with an exhilarating freedom from convention. Audience interaction is encouraged as Roebuck shares how she has created transcendent, eco-luxe compositions with seasonal flora foraged and composed in situ from the San Francisco Botanical Gardens and elsewhere. Following the demonstration and dialogue, enjoy a book signing and a chance to meet the artist. Admission to the Art Blossoms galleries, sparkling wine, and sweet treats included. $45 / $36 for members. Books available for purchase.

Louesa Roebuck, author of the critically acclaimed Foraged Flora and Punk Ikebana, is a printmaker, painter, and floral artist. She has created flora installations from foraged and gleaned materials for high-end clients such as Michelle Obama, Vivienne Westwood, John Baldessari, Todd Selby, House Beautiful, Michael Pollan, and Alice Waters of Chez Panisse. Her work has been featured in a number of national and international magazines and media including Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, Los Angeles Times, Remodelista, Wired, C Magazine, Bare Journal, and Sunset. Aligning her deep commitment to the environment with her love of foraging, gleaning, and sourcing locally, Roebuck offers this very simple mantra: if you only forage, glean, or source local and micro-seasonal flora, you’ll have a perfectly symbiotic and harmonious practice, one that is intrinsically whole and abundant, full of more yeses than nos. She lives in Ojai, California.

Art Class: Ikebana Essentials and Aesthetics
Sunday, March 24 | 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Learn the essentials and aesthetics of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. Build your own arrangement after a brief history of the art and a demonstration. Taught by ikebana instructor Lucy Spence. All supplies and equipment provided. $200 / $160 for members.

A certified ikebana instructor in Columbia, SC, Lucy Spence is a member of Ikebana International and Sogetsu Teachers Association. She has been practicing Japanese flower arranging for 10 years. She has traveled extensively in Japan over the past 27 years and has studied Japanese language for 11 years.

Art Blossoms Sunday Teatime
Sunday, March 24 | 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Celebrate the final day of Art Blossoms with a relaxing afternoon featuring botanical teas and a-la-carte desserts. Sit and chat with loved ones or take part in family-friendly activities like fascinator and fan making stations or a teatime selfie station. Throughout the afternoon, guests are encouraged to drop by and visit the beautiful Art Blossoms galleries one last time. Activities free with membership or admission. Tea and desserts and other bites from Main Street Bakery available for purchase.

Art Class: Punk Ikebana Mono Prints
Sunday, March 24 | 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Acclaimed artist, author, and floral designer Louesa Roebuck leads participants in the creation of botanical mono prints from a range of seasonal flora materials foraged and gleaned. Use nontoxic water-based pigments and inks including walnut ink, sumi ink, gouache, water-based oil paints, and floral pigments to create botanical prints on paper and textiles. All supplies and equipment provided. Ages 15 and up. $200 / $160 for members.

Louesa Roebuck, author of the critically acclaimed Foraged Flora and Punk Ikebana, is a printmaker, painter, and floral artist. She has created flora installations from foraged and gleaned materials for high-end clients such as Michelle Obama, Vivienne Westwood, John Baldessari, Todd Selby, House Beautiful, Michael Pollan, and Alice Waters of Chez Panisse. Her work has been featured in a number of national and international magazines and media including Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, Los Angeles Times, Remodelista, Wired, C Magazine, Bare Journal, and Sunset. Aligning her deep commitment to the environment with her love of foraging, gleaning, and sourcing locally, Roebuck offers this very simple mantra: if you only forage, glean, or source local and micro-seasonal flora, you’ll have a perfectly symbiotic and harmonious practice, one that is intrinsically whole and abundant, full of more yeses than nos. She lives in Ojai, California.
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Art Blossoms is presented through the support of our generous sponsors and grantors. Magnolia Sponsors: Hannah and Ron Rogers. Camellia Sponsors: BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. Hydrangea Sponsors: Maynard Nexsen; Prisma Health. Azalea Sponsors: Joyce and George Hill; Dr. Michelle O’Brien and Dr. Todd Lefkowitz; Dr. Suzanne R. Thorpe and Dr. John W. Baynes; Linda and Michael Edwards; Ann and Steve Holtschlag. Daffodil Sponsors: Beth and Matthew Richardson; Elliott Davis; Cathy and Mike Love; Robert and Sara Peckham; E. Katherine Wells and James Flanagan; Sarah and Albert Reed; Susan B. and C. Carroll Heyward. Grantors: City of Columbia; Experience Columbia SC; Richland County Government; South Carolina Arts Commission; Discover South Carolina. Vendors: B.B. Barns of Columbia.

EXHIBITIONS

Darrel Ellis: Regeneration
On view through May 12, 2024
Over the course of his career, Darrel Ellis developed a distinct studio practice that merged the formal vocabularies of drawing, photography, painting, and printmaking to redefine Black male identity and family within the constructs of art history and mainstream culture.

Ellis was influential during his life, inspiring the work of other artists and participating in more than 20 group exhibitions in New York and Europe before his career was cut short in 1992 by his death at the age of 33 due to an AIDS-related illness. To produce his groundbreaking images, Ellis shifted across a wide range of media, employing painting, printmaking, drawing, sculpture, and collage to generate endless variations on a single image. This often involved projecting photographic negatives onto sculpted reliefs and re-photographing the results.

This exhibition examines the full arc of Ellis’s career through approximately 55 works on paper, including a historically significant body of work that captures the experiences and public perceptions of Black men living with the AIDS virus, as well as an expansive group of portraits of his family members that offer a record of Black domestic life.

Darrel Ellis: Regeneration is co-organized by the Baltimore Museum of Art and The Bronx Museum of the Arts. Silver Sponsors: Dr. Suzanne R. Thorpe and Dr. John W. Baynes. Bronze Sponsors: Councilwoman Allison Terracio, Richland County Council; Colonial Life. Friend Sponsor: Hotel Trundle. Patron Sponsors: Barbara B. Boyd; Joseph Bruce; Haynsworth, Sinkler, Boyd; Suzi and Robert Clawson; Beth and Matthew Richardson; Cool Care Heating, Air, Plumbing & Refrigeration; Prisma Health; Lefkowitz Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics; Cathy and Mike Love. Grantors: City of Columbia; Experience Columbia SC; Richland County Government; South Carolina Arts Commission; Discover South Carolina.

Interior Lives: Modern American Spaces, 1890–1945
On view through May 12, 2024
Through the lenses of interior scenes and material culture, Interior Lives explores the ways everyday Americans lived, worked, played, and evolved their identities in the first half of the 20th century. Homes, workplaces, and the spaces between were newly envisioned in response to socioeconomic and technological shifts. American artists, many of whom continued to work in a representational style, bore witness to the inception of a modern world and interpreted it as it manifested before them. The works on view in this exhibition — primarily portraits, genre scenes, and still lifes — are often modest in scale and humble in subject yet penetrating in their cultural and psychological implications.

The exhibition takes the 1890s as its starting point, a decade that encompassed the late Gilded Age and saw the beginnings of the Progressive Era reform movement. It extends through the end of World War II, when the United States entered a new period of global influence and when abstraction took over as the dominant artistic style. Over the course of these six decades, the widespread implementation of the telephone, the building of mass transit systems, and the proliferation of industrially manufactured goods inspired a new, rapid pace of life.

Interior Lives features more than 50 paintings, photographs, works on paper, and decorative arts, and is organized into four thematic sections: “How the Upper Half Lives,” “Labor, Leisure, and Liminal Space,” “Objects and Personas,” and “Faith, Family, and Community.” This multi-lender exhibition includes works by Milton Avery, Cecilia Beaux, Hilda Belcher, William Merritt Chase, Walter Gay, Edwin Harleston, Childe Hassam, and Richard Samuel Roberts, among others.

Interior Lives: Modern American Spaces, 1890–1945 is organized by the Columbia Museum of Art and presented through the support of our generous sponsors and grantors. Silver Sponsors: Hannah and Ron Rogers; Dr. Suzanne R. Thorpe and Dr. John W. Baynes. Bronze Sponsors: Councilwoman Allison Terracio, Richland County Council; Joyce and George Hill; William Bodine; Colonial Life. Friend Sponsor: Hotel Trundle. Patron Sponsors: Haynsworth, Sinkler, Boyd; Suzi and Robert Clawson; Beth and Matthew Richardson; Barbara B. Boyd; Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin M. Gimarc; Joseph Bruce; Cool Care Heating, Air, Plumbing & Refrigeration; Prisma Health; Lefkowitz Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics; Cathy and Mike Love. Grantors: City of Columbia; Experience Columbia SC; Richland County Government; South Carolina Arts Commission; Discover South Carolina. Additional support from The Nord Family Foundation.

Sergio Hudson: Focused on the Fit
On view through June 30, 2024
This exhibition showcases the remarkable moments of a designer who fell in love with fashion at 4 years old while living in Ridgeway, South Carolina, and has become one of the biggest names in the industry. Sergio Hudson’s high-profile clients include Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, Jessica Chastain, Rihanna, Kamala Harris, Blake Lively, Kendall Jenner, Issa Rae, Rachel Brosnahan, and Keke Palmer, a close friend whom he has called a muse.

Hudson’s philosophy is that fashion should be for everyone and include everyone. He designs to empower the wearer and often includes a nod to the ’90s of his youth. See eight signature garments from key moments in his revolutionary career alongside more than 20 sketches and drawings exploring his career from the early days winning Bravo’s Styled to Rock in 2013 up through the present day.

Sergio Hudson: Focused on the Fit is organized by the Columbia Museum of Art, South Carolina, in partnership with Sergio Hudson Collections, LLC and Community Curator Megan Pinckney Rutherford. Bronze Sponsors: First Citizens Bank; Dr. Suzanne R. Thorpe and Dr. John W. Baynes. Patron Sponsors: Gina Trippi and John Kerr; Barbara B. Boyd; Friends of African American Art & Culture; Midlands Medical Wellness Center, LLC; Columbia Design League; The Rutherford Law Firm. Friend Sponsors: Hotel Trundle; Representative Todd Rutherford. Grantors: City of Columbia; Experience Columbia SC; Richland County Government; South Carolina Arts Commission; Discover South Carolina; and a grant from the Coastal Community Foundation at the request of CMA member Bonnie Adams Kapp.

PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
To purchase tickets or register for classes, visit columbiamuseum.org or call 803-799-2810.

Book a Tour and Save
Gather some friends and enjoy discounted admission as you get an inside look at our exhibitions or collection with a docent-led tour. Details at columbiamuseum.org/tours.

Touch Tours
Touch Tours provide an opportunity for visitors who are blind or have low vision to experience the diverse 3D work in the CMA Collection. Explore the galleries with a skilled museum educator trained to provide detailed verbal description of the work on view, while experiencing a selection of objects through touch and other senses.

Touch Tours are available to visitors who are blind or partially sighted in groups of 5 to 10. These 90-minute tours take place when the galleries are closed to the general public and require four weeks’ advance notice to schedule. To book a tour call 803-343-2163 or email tours@columbiamuseum.org.

Yoga in the Galleries
Mondays, April 1 and 15 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and holistic well-being with a unique class that seamlessly integrates yoga, movement, and sound healing. Led by experienced instructor Dre Drummond, this class offers a harmonious blend of ancient practices and modern insights, creating a space for profound connection and rejuvenation. Mats provided, but guests are welcome to bring their own mats and props. Ages 13 and up. No unaccompanied minors. $15 / $12 for members.

Drummond is a dedicated and highly experienced yoga facilitator with over 700 RYT hours of comprehensive yoga training and a versatile skill set encompassing prenatal yoga, Bikram yoga, vinyasa, trauma-informed, yoga course creation, and teacher training facilitation. Drummond has worked with major brands such as Nike, Lululemon Athletica, Peerspace Inc., and Bud Light. Drummond invites individuals from all walks of life to embark on a journey of holistic well-being and self-expression.

Gladys’ Gang Toddler Edition: Around the House
Wednesday, April 3 | 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
What makes a home? People! But houses are also filled with things — from clocks to socks and chairs to stairs, houses have all kinds of objects inside. See what you can spy as we explore featured exhibition Interior Lives together and then make ourselves at home in the studios. Key topic: houses. This program is specially designed for 2- to 3-year-old participants and their adult companions to explore art through movement and play. Gladys’ Gang includes story time, gallery exploration, and a creative studio activity related to the art exploration theme. Siblings welcome. Free. Registration required for all participants as space is limited.

Shutter Stories: A Student Photography Workshop
Wednesday, April 3 | 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
The USC Center for Civil Rights History and Research and the Columbia Museum of Art partner on this hands-on photography workshop for middle-school aged students. Participants learn about the work of esteemed photographer Richard Samuel Roberts, whose work from the 1920s and ’30s is featured in the Our Story Matters Gallery exhibition Intersections on Main Street: African American Life in Columbia as well as the CMA-organized exhibition Interior Lives: Modern American Spaces, 1890–1945. Following a tour of the galleries, students learn more about the art of composition and practice portrait photography in a recreation of Roberts’ Washington Street studio, with instruction led by photographer and CMA Communications Assistant Victor Johnson. Participants provide their own digital camera; all other equipment provided. Free with registration courtesy of Columbia SC 63: Our Story Matters.

A self-taught photographer, Victor Johnson considers himself a visual storyteller and capturer of memories. He can remember documenting family vacations and moments with friends with disposable cameras during his adolescent years and began to take serious interest in photography once purchasing a camera in late 2014. While enjoying different genres of photography, Johnson has primarily focused on candidly documenting people and moments while creating visual stories. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he collaborated with local artists, models, and other creatives in sharing their stories and worked alongside nonprofits including Our Next Generation, Unity in Motion, and Project Kindred to document and assist with photography-based community building programs. Johnson became a Columbia resident in 2022 and works at the CMA as communications assistant with a major role in media production. He has also worked with CMA affinity group Friends of African American Art & Culture as well as the USC Department of African American Studies. Johnson’s work has been published in Obsidian Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora Magazine volume 46.2.

Free First Thursday at the CMA
Thursday, April 4 | 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Enjoy free admission and extended hours. Take a guided tour of featured exhibitions Darrel Ellis: Regeneration and Interior Lives: Modern American Spaces, 1890–1945 at 6:00 p.m. Last gallery entry at 7:30 p.m. Be on Boyd Plaza in the evening for live music, food vendors, and a beer garden. Free. Plaza events by First Thursday on Main. Free admission courtesy of Dominion Energy. Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.

Public Tour: Darrel Ellis and Interior Lives
Thursdays, April 4 and 18 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 14 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Take a guided tour of two featured exhibitions that explore identity, domesticity, and family through various lenses. Darrel Ellis: Regeneration features an underrecognized but innovative artist, a Black man living with AIDS in the 1980s who experimented with new multimedia techniques. In Interior Lives: Modern American Spaces, 1890–1945, artists from the turn of the century to World War II examine both psychological and physical interiors in a changing world. Free with membership or admission.

CMA Chamber Music on Main
Monday, April 8 | Happy Hour and Galleries at 6:00 p.m. | Concert 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
For the final program of the season, artistic director Andrew Armstrong advises concertgoers to expect the unexpected. Consider these questions: what happens when a jazz alto saxophonist also plays classical and composes music at the intersection of the two genres with the added inspiration of Hindustani ragas? What happens when that same saxophonist picks up a flute to reveal she plays it equally well? What happens when a giant of 20th-century late Romanticism pulls back from the public one of his great works, so that it is only reborn in the music world 81 years later, in 1999? What does the sound of the double bass do to the more standard piano quintet instrumentation, and what depths and extremes of emotional narrative does it make possible? This far-ranging program explores these questions and other surprises.

With selections from Rachmaninov and Ralph Vaughn Williams, Armstrong welcomes featured artists Abigél Králik and Karl Stobbe on violins, Joan DerHovsepian on viola, Marguerite Cox on double bass, Ani Aznavoorian on cello, and Alison Shearer on alto saxophone and flute. Presented by April C. Lucas and John J. Stucker. $46 / $39 for members / $5 for students.

Read With Art: Silent Book Club at the CMA
Thursday, April 11 | 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Silent reading hour 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Join Jemia Williams, avid reader and Columbia’s Silent Book Club official host, for an evening celebrating literature and art. Whether you’re seeking solitude for quiet reflection or eager to connect with fellow bookworms, this event offers a welcoming space to come together and share your love for the written word. There is no assigned reading — simply bring along your current book and enjoy reading in the museum with art. Take the first half hour to settle in with light refreshments and then spend the next hour in silent reading. During the last half hour, attendees are welcome to continue reading, explore the galleries, socialize, or take a look at some CMA staff picks to find a new read connected to the visual arts. Free. Registration required as space is limited. Gallery admission included.

A grant from the Knight Foundation Fund at Central Carolina Community Foundation supported this project. Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.

Arts & Draughts
Friday, April 12 | 7:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Celebrate spring with your favorite museum party! Groove to live music from Powder Horns and Daikaiju, sets from DJ VooDoo Child, a silent disco featuring sets by Maya Wang, and Debbieoke (karaoke hosted by Deborah Adedokun). Take a Unique Perspective Tour through Darrel Ellis: Regeneration and Interior Lives: Modern American Spaces, 1890-1945 with photographer and Experience Columbia SC Ambassador Crush Rush. Go on a scavenger hunt through the CMA Collection with prizes from Mast General Store. Check out live screenprinting from Turn90 of the official Arts & Draughts t-shirt designed by Cait Maloney. Plus take part in art activities including a diorama design station inspired by Interior Lives and a printmaking station with USC Printmaking inspired by the experimental work of Darrel Ellis. Food for purchase from Cheese and Thank You, Los Chicanos, and Babcha Korean Food. Cash bar with beer and wine from Weco Bottle and Biergarten featuring selections from Creature Comforts Brewing Co. $15 / $8 for members. Join or renew membership that night or volunteer for a short shift and get in free. Sponsored by Weco Bottle & Biergarten, Mast General Store, Prisma Health, and WXRY 99.3 FM.

The Last Saturday in America: Book Launch with Ray McManus
Sunday, April 14 | Reading and Conversation 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. | Reception 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Celebrate National Poetry Month and the release of Ray McManus’ newest work, The Last Saturday in America, with a lively reading and reception. McManus reads from his collection confronting the long shadow of Southern masculinity, then holds a conversation with USC professor and former Columbia poet laureate Ed Madden. Reception and book signing to follow. Books available for purchase courtesy of All Good Books. Free; gallery admission not included.

The Last Saturday in America is set in a nation on the precipice of great change. Through examinations of suburban neighbors, bullies, gun violence, and vasectomy appointments, McManus draws a portrait of American masculinity in the face of political division, pandemic, and cultural warfare. McManus’ speaker is caught between the way he was raised and the future he wants to see for who he is raising. He can no longer rely on what he thought he knew, nor does he know what to do about it. The man rendered in these pages is a father, a son, a Southerner. And he is willing to burn it all down and start something new, only to see that the new start he is looking for has been with him the whole time.

McManus is the author of four books of poetry: Punch., Red Dirt Jesus, and Driving through the country before you are born, and a chapbook called Left Behind. He is the co-editor for the anthology Found Anew with notable contributors with South Carolina ties. His poems have been published in numerous journals such as Crazyhorse, Prairie Schooner, and POETRY magazine. McManus teaches for USC Sumter and serves as Writer-in-Residence for the CMA.

Art Class: Artistic Journaling
Saturdays, April 13 and 20 | 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Push the boundaries of journaling by adding color, texture, patterns, doodling, and collage to your pages. Explore various ways to create a hand-bound journal and learn to use mixed-media techniques and materials to embellish the pages of your newly created book — or art journal. Since there are no rules to art journaling, a playful attitude is recommended! Taught by Marlena Crovatt-Bagwell. All materials and equipment provided. Ages 15 and up. $120 / $96 for members.

Marlena Crovatt-Bagwell, a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, is an accomplished graphic designer with more than 30 years of experience. In the face of the pandemic, she discovered the power of art journaling and meditation as a leveling creative outlet. Crovatt-Bagwell has since filled dozens of journals, finding balance, harmony, and peace of mind within them.

Art Class: Framing 101
Tuesdays, April 16 and 30 | 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Participants learn the basics of framing two-dimensional works and frame their own artwork or document. This two-day class covers basic mat cutting, assembly, and hanging for a proper frame job. No prior framing experience required — perfect for beginners! All supplies and equipment provided. Ages 15 and up. Taught by artist and conservator Laura Garner Hine. $200 / $160 for members.

Hine resides in Columbia, South Carolina. Her art education consists of degrees and certifications from the University of South Carolina, the Rijksuniversiteit in Groningen, the Netherlands, and Accademia Riaci in Florence, Italy. Her work has been shown in numerous locations both nationally and internationally. Hine holds memberships with the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN), the Southeast Regional Conservation Association (SERCA), and the Contemporaries of the Columbia Museum of Art. She currently serves as a board member for the nonprofit arts organizations Bullets and Bandaids and The Jasper Project. Aside from her passion for cultural heritage and fine art in general, she enjoys traveling, the outdoors, cooking, gardening, and strumming the ukulele.

Gladys’ Gang Preschool Edition: Around the House
Wednesday, April 17 | 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
What makes a home? People! But houses are also filled with things — from clocks to socks and chairs to stairs, houses have all kinds of objects inside. See what you can spy as we explore featured exhibition Interior Lives together and then make ourselves at home in the studios. Free with registration. Key topic: houses. This program is specially designed for 4- to 5-year-old participants and their adult companions to explore art through play and inquiry. Gladys’ Gang builds skills for kindergarten readiness through story time, gallery conversations, and a creative studio project related to the art exploration theme. Siblings welcome. Free. Registration is required for all participants as space is limited.

Art Class: Fashion Illustration
Saturday, April 20 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Learn the basics of fashion illustration while taking inspiration from featured exhibition Sergio Hudson: Focused on the Fit. Taught by Diko Pekdemir-Lewis, founder and designer of Anton & Maxine, a handmade slow fashion brand based in Columbia. Pekdemir-Lewis holds an apprenticeship degree in bespoke tailoring and a bachelor’s in fashion arts at Modeschule Schloss Eller in Duesseldorf, Germany. Ages 15 and up. All supplies and equipment provided. Some familiarity in drawing is recommended but not required. $120 / $96 for members.

Stroller Tour: Featured Exhibitions
Saturday, April 20 | 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Take a tour of featured exhibitions Interior Lives: Modern American Spaces, 1890 – 1945 and Darrel Ellis: Regeneration with infants in tow. Bring your little ones along for the ride on a stroller-friendly tour for caregivers with babies up to age two. Fussy, crying, or wiggly babies welcome! Baby wearing is encouraged. Free with membership or admission. Registration required as space is limited.

Accessible Yoga in the Galleries
Monday, April 22 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Head to the CMA for a gentle, slow, and mindful movement practice for those who want to enjoy yoga that’s accessible to everybody and everybody. The class can be taken on a mat or sitting in a chair; both are provided. Students are welcome to bring their own mats and props. The session takes place in the CMA Collection galleries. Taught by Kate Murphy, a local yoga teacher with training in accessible yoga and mindful resilience for trauma recovery. Ages 13 and up. No unaccompanied minors. $15 / $12 for members.

Film Screening: Liquor Store Dreams
Tuesday, April 23 | Reception at 5:00 p.m. | Film Screening and Discussion 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
The CMA and South Carolina ETV and Public Radio team up for a screening of Liquor Store Dreams followed by a discussion. In this 2022 documentary, two Korean American children of liquor store owners reconcile their own dreams with those of their immigrant parents. They confront the complex legacies of L.A.’s racial landscape — including the 1991 murder of Latasha Harlins and the 1992 uprisings sparked by the police beating of Rodney King — while engaged in current struggles for social and economic justice. Free with registration. Run time: 1 hour 22 minutes.

UnFramed Art: The Spit Hits the Fan
Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28 | Seating starts at 2:00 p.m. | Play 2:30 – 3:15 p.m. | Reception 3:15 – 4:00 p.m.
What do you get when you mix up visual art, two wacky playwrights, and five performers with too much time on their hands? You get UnFramed Art: The Spit Hits the Fan, a short original adult comedy brought to you by the Stars of Politically Correct Theatre (SPIT) Players. It’s a bizarre companion piece to Interior Lives: Modern American Spaces, 1890-1945, loosely inspired by works in the CMA-exclusive exhibition. The zany cast of characters — performed by Nick Good, Emily Harrill, Tiffany James, Perry Simpson, and Kathy Sykes — comically interprets how the art speaks to them and gives voice to what possibly might be the story behind the art. The 45-minute play is produced by Larry Hembree, cowritten by award-winning playwright Lou Clyde and Perry Simpson, and directed by Emily Harrill. Please note that the production is sponsored by no one. UnFramed Art contains some mature language and themes, so discretion is advised. Arrive early to enjoy the galleries prior to the performance. Beer, wine, and light snacks for sale. Brief reception with light refreshments to follow. $20 / $16 for members.

Public Tour: Carolina in the Collection
Sunday, April 28 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Discover the rich artistic tapestry of South Carolina. See works by artists in our state and treasures that once adorned local homes. Learn about the Charleston Renaissance, Catawba pottery, and artists right here in Columbia while you explore works by Michaela Pilar Brown, Georgia Henrietta Harris, Steven Naifeh, and more. Free with membership or admission.

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About the CMA
The Columbia Museum of Art is a charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to lifelong learning and community enrichment for all. Located in the heart of downtown Columbia, S.C., the CMA ranks among the leading art institutions in the country and is distinguished by its innovative exhibitions and creative educational programs. At the heart of the CMA and its programs is its collection, which encompasses 7,000 works and spans 5,000 years of art history. Established in 1950, the CMA now welcomes more than 150,000 visitors annually and is a catalyst for community creativity and education, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds. It is the recipient of a National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a National Art Education Association award for its contributions to arts education, a National Park Foundation Award, and two Governor’s Awards for the Arts for outstanding contributions to the arts in South Carolina. In order to serve even more audiences, the CMA underwent a transformation. Funded by a successful capital campaign, the two-year renovation project garnered new collection galleries with a progressive thematic layout, new studios for artmaking, cutting-edge program and event spaces, and an entrance on Main Street. Overall, more than 15,000 square feet of functional space were added to the building’s existing footprint. To learn more, visit columbiamuseum.org.

General Info:
803-799-2810
www.columbiamuseum.org

Location:
1515 Main Street | Columbia, SC 29201

General Admission:
$13 or less.
FREE for members.

Museum Hours:
Open 6 days a week!
Tuesday – Wednesday, Friday – Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursdays: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Closed Mondays and major holidays.

Raising Funds for its Art Acquisition Efforts, the Annual Ball Promises a Night of Artistic Splendor and Social Impact

The Contemporaries of the Columbia Museum of Art (CMA) will convene hundreds of art enthusiasts at its upcoming, “Neon Dreams: A Pop Art Affair,” happening March 2, 7:00 – 11:00 p.m. The event, presented by Certified SC, promises to be a celebration of artistic expression, social engagement, and philanthropy, all in support of the CMA’s mission to enrich our community through the power of art. More details and tickets are on sale at www.columbiamuseum.org/events/neon-dreams-pop-art-affair.

“We are thrilled to present ‘Neon Dreams: A Pop Art Affair,’ an event that encapsulates the spirit of artistic innovation and community support,” says Morgan Watson, the Contemporaries gala chair and
external relations events manager at the University of South Carolina. “This night is not just about celebrating art; it’s about contributing to the cultural landscape of our city and ensuring its vibrancy for generations to come.”

“Neon Dreams” invites attendees to step into a vibrant world where artistic expression collides. Inspired by iconic artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and the spirit of Robert Indiana, the event promises a night where reality and art collide in a neon-infused dream. The atmosphere will be electrified with a celebration of pop art, where guests are encouraged to slip into their most vibrant attire and let the neon lights guide them through a night of creativity and glamour.

The creative-fashion-meets-black-tie-optional event forecasts more than 300 attendees for a night filled with philanthropy and funky fun. Guests will dance all night to the sound of B Muzick Band and D.J. Preach Jacobs. Event amenities include heavy hors d’oeuvres and a full open bar featuring liquor, beer, and wine.

The menu has been custom made to fit the theme, provided by Southern Way Catering. Experience a Peak Drift biergarten, Smoked SC spritz bar, and unique activation stations from vendors around Columbia, which will enchant, stimulate, and entertain. This will truly be a one-of-a-kind event that will have surprises sure to delight.

The heartbeat of the evening lies in the silent art auction, featuring talents from both local and regional artists. With more than 40 pieces available, from oil, acrylic, and mixed media paintings – to state-of-the-art digital printmaking masterpieces.

Most notably, the auction features major S.C.-based artists like Lara Dann, an artist from Greer whose work has been internationally exhibited and collected. Her artwork demands thousands from galleries from San Francisco to NYC, and her Contemporaries auction piece will have an opening bid of under $700.

There is a debutante at the auction with Columbia-based artist, Victoria Rickards. In December 2023, she exhibited at one of the most prestigious events in the world, Art Basel Miami. Rickards has donated multiple paintings that feature her unique style.

Two prominent Columbia muralists, Shelby LeBlanc and Ija Monet Charles, also feature pieces in the art auction. Ija will paint live during the event with the artwork available for bidding. Every bid and contribution directly supports the Contemporaries’ art acquisition fund, dedicated to acquiring new and compelling pieces for the CMA’s award-winning collection.

Recently, the Contemporaries acquired two new museum acquisitions by Columbia-born artist Rodney McMillian. The CMA is the first museum in the Carolinas to acquire McMillian’s work. The McMillian pieces join a list of the Contemporaries’ acquisitions, including the Chihuly Chandelier, Tartara Fire by Henry Mandell, and Phase by Daniel Rozin — all three of which will be viewable during “Neon Dreams.”

More than just a social gathering, “Neon Dreams” stands as a crucial fundraiser, with proceeds contributing to the growth of the museum’s collection. The event underscores the Contemporaries’ commitment to fostering the arts within our community.

The Contemporaries host art-centered events throughout the year — no art background required! The annual ball is one of its most beloved signature events. The group’s goal is to engage new audiences at the museum through programs and networking opportunities.

All are invited to join the Contemporaries at this event of artistic splendor and social impact. As always, Contemporaries members receive a discounted rate for the organization’s events. Purchase tickets and learn more at https://event.gives/neondreams.

About The Contemporaries of the Columbia Museum of Art
Founded in 1994, the Contemporaries are a nonprofit affinity group of the Columbia Museum of Art. Through social and cultural events, the Contemporaries bring a diverse and vibrant network to the museum while raising funds for impactful art acquisitions. To date, the group has contributed to the acquisition of eight artworks in the CMA Collection, including site-specific works such as Dale Chihuly’s Untitled (Chandelier) and Daniel Rozin’s Phase. Earlier acquisitions include works by Sally Mann, Jennifer Bartlett, George Tooker, and Henry Mandell. The Contemporaries have contributed more than $800,000 in art acquisition funds to support the Columbia Museum of Art. To learn more and get involved, visit https://www.columbiamuseum.org/belong/affinity-groups/contemporaries.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colacontemporaries/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColumbiaContemporaries/

About the CMA
The Columbia Museum of Art is a charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to lifelong learning and community enrichment for all. Located in the heart of downtown Columbia, S.C., the CMA ranks among the leading art institutions in the country and is distinguished by its innovative exhibitions and creative educational programs. At the heart of the CMA and its programs is its collection, which encompasses 7,000 works and spans 5,000 years of art history. Established in 1950, the CMA now welcomes more than 150,000 visitors annually and is a catalyst for community creativity and education, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds. It is the recipient of a National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a National Art Education Association award for its contributions to arts education, a National Park Foundation Award, and two Governor’s Awards for the Arts for outstanding contributions to the arts in South Carolina. In order to serve even more audiences, the CMA underwent a transformation. Funded by a successful capital campaign, the two-year renovation project garnered new collection galleries with a progressive thematic layout, new studios for artmaking, cutting-edge program and event spaces, and an entrance on Main Street. Overall, more than 15,000 square feet of functional space were added to the building’s existing footprint. To learn more, visit columbiamuseum.org.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Official Kickoff to St. Pat’s in Five Points, presented by the Fountain Division of W.P. Law, Inc., is set for 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 29, at the main fountain plaza in Five Points, 747 Saluda Ave., in Columbia, South Carolina. Admission is free, and the event is open to the public.

“The Official Kickoff to St. Pat’s in Five Points is an opportunity for the community to gather together and celebrate the start of the St. Pat’s season in Columbia,” says Heather McDonald, executive director of the Five Points Association. “It’s a tradition that families, especially the children who help dye the fountain green, look forward to each year. Seeing families, friends and neighbors join in the Irish festivities and create new memories is truly a highlight of the year for us.”

Official Kickoff Event Details

This family-friendly event is a preview for the fun to come at St. Pat’s in Five Points. The Official Kickoff event will feature:

• Traditional Irish music from Palmetto Pipes and Drums.
• Performances by the Connick School of Irish Dance.
• Dyeing the Five Points Fountain green.
• Special guests, including Gamecock football players Hunter Rogers (#36) and Alex “Boogie” Huntley (#95).
• Children’s activities: Ladybug Face Painting, balloon artistry, crafts and more.
• The Donut Guy and Kona Ice will be onsite with items available for purchase.

For additional information about the Official Kickoff, visit https://stpatscolumbia.com/oko/.

St. Pat’s in Five Points Festival Details

St. Pat’s in Five Points, Columbia’s largest one-day festival, is scheduled for Saturday, March 16. This year’s event will feature its largest lineup ever with more than 40 local, regional and national artists across multiple stages and venues, including headlining performances from Lawrence, The War and Treaty, Futurebirds, Sister Hazel and Conner Smith. For a complete list of bands, visit https://stpatscolumbia.com/live-music. Columbia-based recording artist, producer, entrepreneur and hip-hop activist Master Splnta aka FatRat Da Czar will return as this year’s host.

In addition to live music, the festival also hosts a variety of vendors, food trucks, artisans and family-friendly attractions, including:

• Get to the Green 10K at 7:30 a.m., 5K at 7:45 a.m. and 1-Mile Family Fun Run at 8:00 a.m. All events start and finish on Devine Street near the festival entrance. Registration includes festival entry, a shirt, custom finisher’s medal and post-race refreshments.
• St. Pat’s Parade begins at 10 a.m. and covers a one-mile route that starts at Devine Street and Sims Avenue and ends on College Street.
• Pot O’Gold Playland, a children’s area offering balloon art, face painting, games, rides and more, will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. in the Andy’s Deli parking lot at 2005 Greene St.

Tickets to the festival can be purchased online at StPatsColumbia.com.

• General admission tickets are $30 in advance until midnight on March 15 and will also be available day of the event for $35 online and at the gate.
• The Saluda’s and Tito’s Ultra-Premium VIP Experience will be held at Saluda’s Restaurant, located at 751 Saluda Ave. Tickets are $200 each.
• The Lucky Leprechaun VIP Lounge will be located near the Postcard Mural in Five Points. Tickets are $125 each.

Last year, St. Pat’s in Five Points welcomed approximately 35,000 attendees with more than 35 percent traveling from outside of Columbia, spanning more than 2,000 zip codes and 30+ countries. The festival brings in $12.6 million to the City of Columbia and Richland County, allowing the Five Points Association the opportunity to give back to the community that has been its biggest supporter. To date, the Five Points Association has donated approximately $1.2 million to local charities.

For more information, visit StPatsColumbia.com, download the “St. Pat’s at Five Points” app, or follow the festival on Facebook @StPatsinFivePoints, Instagram @stpatsinfivepoints and TikTok @StPatsinFivePoints. To learn more about sponsorships, vendor or parade applications and/or volunteering, please email info@stpatscolumbia.com.

 

About St. Pat’s in Five Points
Set in the vibrant Five Points district of Columbia S.C., St. Pat’s in Five Points is one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day festivals in the Southeast, drawing 35,000+ attendees of all ages from across the region and beyond. The annual event showcases a diverse lineup of musical acts across multiple stages and also features a variety of vendors, food trucks, artisans and family-friendly attractions, including the Pot O’ Gold Playland, the Get to the Green race and the St. Pat’s Parade. Originally conceived by Duncan MacRae of Yesterday’s Restaurant & Tavern, Steve Gibson of Peddler Steak House, Chuck Pettit of the Columbia Jaycees and Tony Latella of PYA Monarch, St. Pat’s in Five Points is a Columbia tradition known for its fun atmosphere and focus on giving back to the Midlands community. To date, the Five Points Association has donated approximately $1.2 million to local charities.

About the Five Points Association
Founded in 1983, the Five Points Association is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to the growth and evolution of Five Points, a one-of-a-kind commercial and residential district that is home to more than 100 businesses. Led by an executive director and governed by a board of directors, the Five Points Association oversees the efforts to promote, grow and support the Five Points district. The Five Points Association oversees the district’s events, development, clean and safe team and beautification projects. Visit https://fivepointscolumbia.com to learn more.

Dr. Tammy Kernodle opens season 3 with performance of “She Sang Freedom”

Columbia, S.C. – The Columbia Museum of Art presents More Than Rhythm: A Black Music Series Featuring Tammy Kernodle, the season three premiere of the popular free concert and conversation program, on Friday, February 2, at 7:00 p.m. Hosted by ethnomusicologist Dr. Birgitta Johnson, the series takes attendees on a musical journey through multiple eras of Black musical expressions with live performances and intimate educational opportunities.

The evening features musician, musicologist, and Miami University Distinguished Professor of Music Tammy Kernodle, who joins us for a trio performance of “She Sang Freedom,” chronicling the journey of Black women as the producers of great music over the last four centuries. Prior to the concert, she discusses her unique approach and illustrious career with Dr. Johnson.

“I am so happy Dr. Kernodle is coming back to Columbia and bringing her critically acclaimed piece ‘She Sang Freedom’! It is a feast for the ears, mind, and spirit,” says Dr. Johnson. “Tammy holds court at the piano and takes you on a musical journey through the many voices of freedom that have inspired millions to fight for change and a better world.”

Dr. Tammy L. Kernodle is an arranger, pianist, singer, and scholar whose work concentrates on the contributions of African Americans to classical and popular music. A native of Danville, VA, Kernodle attended Virginia State, where she majored in choral music education with a concentration in piano. Upon graduation, she attended The Ohio State University, where she earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in musicology. Dr. Kernodle has since taught and lectured at institutions including the University of North Carolina Chapel-Hill, University of Kansas, UCLA, and Florida State University. Her scholarship has been featured in a number of anthologies, journals, and encyclopedias.

Considered an expert in African American music, jazz history, and gender studies, Dr. Kernodle has served as scholarly consultant to institutions including the BBC, National Public Radio, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Cleveland), and the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Most recently she was part of the team that constructed the inaugural music exhibitions at the National Museum of African American Culture and History in Washington, DC. She is the president of the Society for American Music.

Dr. Kernodle has served as choir director, instrumentalist, and consultant in the area of gospel performance practice for over 30 years. This work has allowed her to serve on the music ministry teams for congregations of varying denominational affiliations throughout the country, and to collaborate on a number of theater productions, including serving as musical director and arranger for Down in Mississippi: A Gospel Play with Music, written by Guggenheim Fellow and celebrated playwright Carlyle Brown and commissioned by Miami University (2009). Kernodle is the University Distinguished Professor of Musicology at Miami University, where she teaches American music, African American music, and gender studies in music.

“By joining forces with Dr. K, we get to kick off More Than Rhythm season three, Black History Month, and Women’s History Month in multi-genre musical celebration!” adds Dr. Johnson.

Series host Birgitta J. Johnson, Ph.D., is a jointly appointed associate professor of ethnomusicology in the School of Music and African American Studies Program at the University of South Carolina. Her research interests include music in African American churches, musical change and identity in Black popular music, and community archiving. She has published articles in the Black Music Research Journal, Ethnomusicology Forum, Liturgy, Oxford Bibliographies in African American Studies, and the Grove Dictionary of American Music.

Dr. Johnson’s more recent publications include a chapter about 21st-century gospel archiving in The Oxford Handbook of Musical Repatriation, a chapter about gospel remixes of Beyoncé songs in Beyoncé in the World: Making Meaning with Queen Bey in Troubled Times, and sacred themes in the music of Outkast in An OutKast Reader: Essays on Race, Gender, and the Postmodern South. She has been quoted or featured in media and news outlets such as Rolling Stone Magazine, NPR, Vox, Public Radio International, and South Carolina ETV.

A multi-instrumentalist and singer, Dr. Johnson has performed professionally and/or recorded with artists and ensembles from a variety of genres including the Southeast Symphony Orchestra of Metropolitan Los Angeles, the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Francisco Aguabella’s AfroCuban Folkloric Group, and the ESPY Awards with Justin Timberlake, The O’Jays, Yolanda Adams, Talib Kweli, and BeBe Winans. At USC she teaches courses on world music, hip-hop, the blues, African music, Black sacred music, Beyoncé, and the history of ethnomusicology.

More Than Rhythm: A Black Music Series Featuring Tammy Kernodle
Friday, February 2
Galleries and bar open at 6:00 p.m.
Conversation at 7:00 p.m.
Concert at 8:00 p.m.
Free admission

Learn more and register at columbiamuseum.org.

Columbia, S.C. – The Columbia Museum of Art announces Interior Lives: Modern American Spaces, 1890–1945, on view Saturday, February 17, through Sunday, May 12, 2024. Organized by the CMA, Interior Lives examines the relationships between architectural space and inner life during a pivotal period in American history. The new exhibition will be feted with an afternoon of art activities and talks at the opening celebration on Saturday, February 17.

“This exhibition asks a simple question at its core: what can interior scenes, rendered through the eyes of artists, tell us about the lives of those who inhabit them?” says CMA Senior Curator Michael Neumeister. “While Interior Lives does not present a comprehensive view of a time or a nation, the selections reveal something about how people live, adapt, and triumph in the face of trying circumstances.”

Through the lenses of interior scenes and material culture, Interior Lives explores the ways everyday Americans lived, worked, played, and evolved their identities in the first half of the 20th century. Homes, workplaces, and the spaces between were newly envisioned in response to socioeconomic and technological shifts. American artists, many of whom continued to work in a representational style, bore witness to the inception of a modern world and interpreted it as it manifested before them. The works on view in this exhibition — primarily portraits, genre scenes, and still lifes — are often modest in scale and humble in subject yet penetrating in their cultural and psychological implications.

“For so many people, the pandemic changed the relationship between domestic space and the workplace,” says Neumeister. “With this show, we were inspired to look at a different period in history when those kinds of relationships were also evolving in unique ways. Through the eyes of artists, we get a new sense of how our environment shapes us, and also how we shape our environment in response to the world.”

The exhibition takes the 1890s as its starting point, a decade that encompassed the late Gilded Age and saw the beginnings of the Progressive Era. It extends through the end of World War II, when the United States entered a new period of global influence and when abstraction took over as the dominant artistic style. Over the course of these six decades, the widespread implementation of the telephone, the building of mass transit systems, and the proliferation of industrially manufactured goods inspired a new, rapid pace of life.

“In America, we have a unique record of artists synthesizing modern experiences in a realist manner,” adds Neumeister. “It allows us to present a wonderful range of human emotion in this show.”

Interior Lives features more than 50 paintings, photographs, works on paper, and decorative arts, and is organized into four thematic sections: “How the Upper Half Lives,” “Labor, Leisure, and Liminal Space,” “Objects and Personas,” and “Faith, Family, and Community.” This multi-lender exhibition includes works by Milton Avery, Cecilia Beaux, Hilda Belcher, William Merritt Chase, Walter Gay, Edwin Harleston, Childe Hassam, Richard Samuel Roberts, Raphael Soyer, and Walter Ufer, among others.

Learn more at columbiamuseum.org.
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Interior Lives: Modern American Spaces, 1890– 1945 is organized by the Columbia Museum of Art and presented through the support of our generous sponsors and grantors. Bronze Sponsor: Councilwoman Allison Terracio, Richland County Council. Supporting Sponsors: Hannah and Ron Rogers; Dr. Suzanne R. Thorpe and Dr. John W. Baynes. Contributing Sponsor: William Bodine. Friend Sponsors: Barbara B. Boyd; Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin M. Gimarc; Hotel Trundle; Joseph Bruce. Patron Sponsors: Haynsworth, Sinkler, Boyd; Suzi and Robert Clawson; Beth and Matthew Richardson. Grantors: City of Columbia; Experience Columbia SC; Richland County Government; South Carolina Arts Commission; Discover South Carolina. Additional support from The Nord Family Foundation.