Catching Up with Katie Fox

By Katie Fox A year and a half ago, after a fifteen-year professional career in the arts, I was given the opportunity to open a new performing arts center for Midlands Technical College – a tremendous opportunity for me, personally, and for our community. Beginning in September, Harbison Theatre will present world premier productions by Columbia-based artists as well as touring productions by internationally-recognized companies. We will host performances... Read More

Can Art Make a Difference?

By Chris Robinson Columbia has a lot to be proud of. When I arrived here many years ago, there were few good restaurants and little to do, but promise of much more. One of Columbia’s greatest assets then was being reasonably close to the beach and history of the low country, or the mountains and progress of the upstate. The city has made good on its promises with a thriving Vista and re-emerging downtown, and the arts have played a significant role... Read More

Women Artists

By Virginia Scotchie Professor of Art University of South Carolina In 1992 I moved to Columbia from Indiana to serve as Head of the Ceramic Area Studio at USC. The tenure track position was very interesting to me for many reasons. First, it would give me the opportunity to develop an international program in the ceramic arts. Secondly, I grew up in Asheville so being closer to my family and the many artists I know in the Southeast was a plus. During... Read More

Columbia, SC

By Mayor Steve Benjamin There is something special about Columbia. Since its creation 225 years ago, our city has continued to attract men and women of unparalleled talent and passion to explore new horizons or creativity and push the boundaries of human expression. Our streets are filled with these remarkable individuals leading their disciplines as painters, writers, musicians, dancers and performers of the highest caliber. Earlier this month, we... Read More

Aaron Pelzek – Lighting Designer

By Alex Smith One of the least visible, yet most integral positions in the theatre is that of the lighting designer. The theatre is an artistic medium that requires, in its fruition, the ability to both see and hear what is happening on the stage in order to fully comprehend what the playwright has written without looking at the page. Quite simply, without the work of the lighting designer, fully half of the theatrical experience would be missing. Not... Read More

Matthew Kramer

By Kristine Hartvigsen Metal sculptor Matthew Kramer, 36, looks every bit the stereotypical blacksmith – burly, strong, and, well, kinda hairy. But look again. When the work gloves come off, those man-hands are sporting some pretty serious nail polish. Some days he goes with a glittery green or dark blue. He also likes lilac and the old stand-by, black. And though he looks somewhat like a bouncer in a biker bar, his buddies back in Milwaukee just... Read More

Design and Process with Clark Ellefson

By Kristine Hartvigsen Clark Ellefson has an idea − but instead of the figurative light bulb hovering over his head, imagine one of the artist’s glowing tin perforated Incredible Hulk lunchboxes instead. Or how about a charming postmodern “Mini Mojo” lamp with and artisanal paper shade. Ellefson is full of ideas, in fact, and you can bet there’s a unique fixture shedding light on every one of them. It’s not unusual to spot Ellefson making... Read More

Ernest Lee: A Man and His Chickens

By William Garland The Lorraine Wind pours down the street while Ernest Lee frantically tries to pick up the fallen sheets of painted plywood that are strewn across the lot. The scene is almost comical. Lee has an unkempt look about him. There are flecks of white hair scattered throughout his two-day stubble that stand in stark contrast to his black hair and dark amber skin. He is a tall man, but his playful mannerisms and soft-spoken voice prevent... Read More

Marina Lomazov

By Cynthia Boiter Tall and elegant, her poise and demeanor reflecting the discipline of the Soviet culture into which she was born, Marina Lomazov takes the stage with all the finesse of the piano diva she is widely recognized to be. Described by reviewers as “a mesmerizing risk-taker” and “one of the most passionate and charismatic performers on the international concert scene today,” there are many other places on the planet that an artist... Read More

Women Creating / Creating Women

By Kristine Hartvigsen Three women’s creative cycles will sync up for a new art show coming to Vista Studios Gallery 80808 in April. Titled “Women Creating Women,” the show will bring together the works of painters Kirkland Smith and Bonnie Goldberg with the poetry of Cassie Premo Steele. The title concept, the brainchild of Premo Steele, has a double meaning, with “creating” being both a verb and an adjective. There’s... Read More

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