In Memoriam: Leslie Pierce

Photo by Molly Harrell This past Sunday, June 28th, 2015, The Columbia arts community lost one of its best. For nearly two decades, Leslie Pierce, a visual artist herself, worked as a volunteer and staff member at the Columbia Museum of Art, eventually becoming the director of adult programs and partnerships, and became well-known for her passion and dedication to the arts, inspiring  those around her and enriched her community in innumerable ways.... Read More

Spotlight: Julian Ryan And Workshop Theatre’s Lend Me A Tenor

By Haley Sprankle “Well at first I thought ‘this will be like a cakewalk,’ but then reality gave me a big ol’ slap across the head,” says Julian Ryan on his preparation for playing a lead in a nonmusical production for the first time. Ryan steps into the lead role of Max in Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me A Tenor at Workshop Theatre as their season comes to a close. Typically, Ryan can be found working on musicals with Columbia Children’s... Read More

Jasper Magazine – March/April 2015

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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

Let’s Read and Talk!

By Belinda Gergel, City Council District 3 As Jasper readers well know, Columbia residents love to read! Indeed, this past year we joined cities like Seattle, Cambridge, Portland, and Berkeley on Amazon’s “20 Most Well Read Cities in America” coming in at #16 on the list! In an effort to capitalize on all that this love of reading might hold for our community, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and City Council, Richland County Council,... 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

The Domino that Refused to Fall

By Ken May During recent months, the South Carolina Arts Commission has received national media attention. Of course, our state is no stranger to the national spotlight, but the light is usually shining on someone doing something wrong or embarrassing and attracting the attention of late-night TV comedians. This time, however, South Carolina and our state arts agency were in the spotlight because of something good and rather unexpected, and the coverage... 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

Music Director Tom Beard

By Alex Smith The music director in regional repertory theatre wears many hats, and is directly involved in a theatrical production longer than just about anybody aside from the producers and the director. It is a rigorous position for even the most talented musician to hold. Tom Beard, one of Columbia’s great musicians and music directors, came to the job the hard way. “I started out as a theatre undergraduate at USC, but I switched to philosophy... Read More

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