Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, Participates in Blue Star Museum Initiative

The Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, announces participation in the Blue Star Museum initiative, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and more than 1,800 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day, May 27 through Labor Day, September 2, 2013.

“We are so grateful to all military families for their service and sacrifice. Free admission is our way to say thank you and to encourage a connection between the Museum and these families that can continue throughout the year,” Karen Brosius, CMA executive director, said.

This year, more than 1,800 museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative, including more than 450 new museums this year. This year, Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also science museums, history museums, nature centers and 75 children’s museums.

After May 21, 2013, check this link for participating museums (http://www.nea.gov/national/bluestarmuseums/index-ongoing.php#list).

Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, Offers Free Admission on Sunday, May 19, 2013

The Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, announces free admission on Sunday, May 19, 2013, from noon until 5pm as part of the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD) Art Museum Day. Last year, the CMA-along with more than 120 other AAMD member museums across North America-participated in Art Museum Day.

In 2012, AAMD launched an initiative encouraging visitors of all ages to share their experiences of Art Museum Day through social media. Last year’s event prompted an outpouring of responses with tweets, check-ins and personal responses from across North America. The CMA invites visitors to continue the conversation this year by sharing their perspectives via social media with the hashtag #artmuseumday.

The new exhibition, “Found in Translation: The Art of Steven Naifeh” will be on view and the catalogue is available in the Museum Shop. Ask for the TAP tour at the check-in desk for a fun and new multimedia experience to immerse yourself in the works. Guided tours of the CMA collection begin at 2pm. Details available at (www.columbiamuseum.org).

“Art museums bring communities together and engage people of every background in the shared exploration of human expression across time and cultures,” Chris Anagnos, Executive Director of AAMD, said. “AAMD is so pleased that the Columbia Museum of Art is joining us in celebrating Art Museum Day and is encouraging everyone in Columbia to participate and share their experiences in a public forum.”

Art Museum Day emphasizes the essential role that art museums play in their communities, highlights the value of the visual arts in society and provides new opportunities for audiences to participate in the wide-ranging programs offered by AAMD member museums. These member institutions-located across the United States, Canada, and Mexico-include regional museums as well as large international museums.

For further information call the Museum at 803/799-2810 or visit (www.columbiamuseum.org).

Columbia Museum of Art Contemporaries Host 10th Annual Artist of the Year Soirée and Silent Auction in Columbia, SC – Apr. 26, 2013

The Columbia Museum of Art Contemporaries host the 10th annual Contemporaries’ Artist of the Year Soirée and Silent Auction, in Columbia, SC, on Friday, Apr. 26, 2013, at 7pm. The event, established in 2004, is designed to increase awareness of and support for nearly 60 emerging artists in South Carolina. Tickets for the CAY Soirée and Silent Auction are $40 / $20 for Contemporaries members and includes artwork by SC artists, a silent auction, music, food, open bar and live entertainment. To purchase tickets, visit columbiamuseum.org.

This year, the jury includes – Dr. Will South, CMA chief curator, Tom Stanley, artist and chair of the Winthrop University Department of Fine Arts and Mary Walker, a painter and printmaker.

The jury selects the artwork for the silent auction and selects one winner, the Contemporaries’ Artist of the Year, based upon the following criteria: originality of concept, technical execution, consistency, professionalism and the degree to which the work is aesthetically interesting.

The CAY award is supported by Anne and Alex Postic and a matching gift from the Contemporaries. The winner receives a cash prize of $2,500. Event guests vote on the People’s Choice award, and the winner is presented with an award and a cash prize of $300. “Jasper Magazine” is sponsoring the “State-of-the-Art” award, which includes a $200 cash prize and a feature in an upcoming issue of “Jasper”.

The Contemporaries mission is to provide an opportunity to support the Museum through: promoting the Museum and its programs, diversifying the Museum’s membership, and leading the next generation of Museum supporters. A portion of the proceeds from the Artist of the Year Soirée goes toward the Contemporaries’ Art Acquisition Fund, designed to acquire a significant piece of art for the Museum.

For more information about Contemporaries’ membership, visit (www.columbiacontemporaries.com) or call 803/343-2197.

Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, Calls for Entries for ONE x 100: Creating within Constraints a CMA Crowd-Sourced Exhibition – Deadline May 11, 2013

The Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, announces a Calls for Entries for a crowd-sourced Community Gallery exhibition celebrating Dorothy and Herbert Vogel and the anniversary of their gift of 594 works to the Museum. The Vogels, internationally recognized collectors of contemporary art, built a collection of over 4,500 objects spanning all media and covering the most innovative art movements of the late 20th century. Devoting Herb’s salary as a postal clerk to purchase art, and living on Dorothy’s paycheck as a librarian, they collected mostly minimalist and conceptual artworks. They followed their own rules: the piece had to be affordable and small enough to fit in their one-bedroom Manhattan apartment, city transportation, and be easily carried. With these limitations, they proved to be curatorial visionaries.

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Submit artwork in the spirit of the Vogel’s collecting criteria, but with a unique twist: the work must fit within a 1-foot by 1-foot space. Submissions can be flat, three-dimensional or in video format, but must demonstrate enthusiasm for contemporary, minimalist or conceptual art practices. The first 100 works will be selected to be on view in this Community Gallery exhibition from June 7 – September 8, 2013.

DEADLINE: Art must be submitted on Saturday, May 11, 2013, between 10am and 5pm at the Columbia Museum of Art. The first 100 art works that follow the provided criteria will be accepted into the exhibition.

For more information, including submission criteria, visit (www.columbiamuseum.org).

Runaway Runway: A Recycled Fashion Show Hosted by the Columbia Design League at the Township Auditorium in Columbia, SC, Takes Place – Apr. 6, 2013

The Columbia Design League, a Columbia Museum of Art membership affiliate group, in Columbia, SC, hosts the sixth annual Runaway Runway, a competitive fashion show featuring designs assembled from recycled materials, on Saturday, Apr. 6, 2013, starting at 8pm at the Township Auditorium.

Runaway Runway is a competition that brings together talented designers who turn trash into sustainable fashion treasures. Over 50 models strut fashions created by designers who used materials like coffee filters, bottle caps, empty containers, industrial scraps, newspapers and plastic bags. While the world is serious about being green, Columbia’s premiere fashion show proves green can be fun, fabulous, fashionable and funky!

Doors open at 7pm for a party with DJ Perry A and bars sponsored by American Harvest Organic Spirit and Fetzer Organic Wines. Co-hosts Cyrus Frakes and Chelsea Washington begin the show at 8pm. The Runaway Runway After Party begins at 10pm on the lower level of the Township Auditorium.

General admission tickets are $15 / $10 for Students with ID / $50 for VIP with drink tickets included. After Party tickets are $20 / $15 for VIP ticket holders. A portion of the proceeds goes to fund design education. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Township box office or online through Ticketmaster (additional charges apply).

A diverse panel of judges selects five winners based on Mad Skills (craftsmanship), Eco- Fabulous (green ability), Prêt-à-Porter (wear ability) and Rockin’ the Runway (best model). The best overall 2013 Runaway Runway designer receives the Bruce Bahr Award, created by Christian Thee.

Sponsors of Runaway Runway include PaCE (Palmetto Clean Energy), Companion Global Healthcare, American Harvest Organic Spirit and Fetzer Organic Wines, Skirt!, WXRY Independent Radio, Revente/Sid&Nancy, Van Jean, River Runner, Sejwad Hotels, Abacus Planning Group, Quackenbush Architects + Planners, KD’s Treehouse, Mast General Store, Bohemian, The Shop Tart, Whole Foods, Valet Ventures, Brenda and Rick Wheeler, Karen Brosius and Willson Powell and K. Jillian Fuller.

This fundraiser allows the Columbia Design League to bring speakers from around the nation and around the corner to engage, challenge and inspire us all to appreciate the impact of design on our lives. Join the Columbia Design League and become part of Columbia’s dynamic community of citizens who are working for a brighter future by good design. Design League membership is $15 per adult or $25 per couple in addition to Columbia Museum of Art membership. For more information about Columbia Design League, visit (www.columbiadesignleague.org).

The Columbia Museum of Art showcases designs from the 2012 Runaway Runway event in the Community Gallery. Meet the Designers: Runaway Runway features wild eco-friendly fashions including a wedding gown made of discarded ballet shoe ribbons and a dress created from car parts. The installation is on view through Sunday, May 5.

For more information, visit (www.columbiadesignleague.org), e-mail to (info@ColumbiaDesignLeague.org) or call the CMA at 803/799-2810.

Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, Collection Increases by More Than 600 Works in 2012

The Columbia Museum of Art collection grew by 619 works from gifts by 12 generous collectors and funders in 2012, which represents a 10 percent increase in size. The growth of the collection in such a significant way reflects the commitment of individuals who understand the value of a museum to the cultural life of a community. The gifts include American paintings and photographs, contemporary works on paper, Asian porcelain and an Old Master etching by Rembrandt, “The Raising of Lazarus”.

Major gifts from collectors around the country, including New York, Texas, Los Angeles, North Carolina and South Carolina, build upon the CMA’s strengths in American, European, Asian, and modern and contemporary art.

The CMA collection now encompasses approximately 7,000 works and spans thousands of years of history. As the only public museum in the state with an extensive collection of international art, the CMA is fortunate in having at its nucleus significant holdings of Renaissance and Baroque works of art. Thanks, in large part, to the important gifts made to the CMA by the Kress Foundation in 1954 and 1962, the CMA is known in scholarly circles for its rich collection of European paintings and bronzes.

“We are indebted to these generous art collectors and funders who have given these works of art and support to the museum that raises our visibility on a local, state and national level,” CMA Executive Director Karen Brosius said. “The heart of our museum is the collection, and these gifts to the CMA will inspire, educate and entertain future generations.”

Most notable in size was the gift of 594 works by Herb and Dorothy Vogel, two of America’s leading collectors of contemporary art in New York. This was the Vogel’s second largest donation, after the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. This substantial collection represents work in various media by 27 different artists including Richard Artschwager, Michael Lucero, Pat Steir, Richard Tuttle, among others, along with a large number of works by Lucio Pozzi and Daryl Trivieri.

In addition, the CMA’s American art collection further grew in size and importance. The following highlights several of the new acquisitions.

George Tooker’s “Girl in the Window” from 1978 adds a new important portrait to the mix. “‘Girl in the Window’ could be the CMA’s version of the Mona Lisa: a beautiful, slightly strange, work of art that impresses viewers and generates lively debates,” CMA Chief Curator Will South said. “It is memorable in the same deft way and yet utterly different in its pervasive ambiguity.” This portrait was purchased with funds from an anonymous donor and the CMA affiliate membership group, the Contemporaries. It will be on view beginning in April.

In 2012, Dwight H. and Sue Emanuelson from Hilton Head Island, SC, gave five more works of modern and contemporary art to the CMA, including work by James Brooks, Malcolm Morley, and a triptych by Syd Solomon. Their willingness and desire to share their passion with the community are genuinely inspiring. To date, the couple has donated 44 works to the CMA.

“The Emanuelsons recognize a spectrum of artistic achievement, from objects that compel us to know more, to objects that reveal how little we really can know,” South said. “Their collecting is a pursuit that expands their experience of leading full lives, just as their generosity to the CMA expands ours.”

Another acquisition was a work by American artist Luigi Lucioni entitled “Still Life (Porcelain Dog Vase with Flowers)” from 1932 that was given by a North Carolina collector. Lucioni’s colorful painting is typical of his precisionist manner and gives the CMA’s American collection a representative piece of this artistic approach.

The CMA also received gifts in 2012 in honor of its membership affiliate group, Friends of African American Art and Culture. Charlotte Sherman, the director of the Heritage Gallery in Los Angeles, gave two photographs and one work on paper by Charles White, one of America’s most renowned 20th-century African-American artists.

For further info call the Museum at 803/799-2810 or visit (www.columbiamuseum.org).

Friends of African-American Art and Culture Celebrates First Year at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC – Mar. 12, 2013

The Columbia Museum of Art membership affiliate group, Friends of African-American Art and Culture (FAAAC) celebrates its first anniversary at an annual meeting on Tuesday, Mar. 12, 2013, beginning at 5:30pm. The meeting is open to everyone and features speaker Dr. Terry K. Hunter, an artist and educator from Orangeburg, SC. Admission is $5 or free for FAAAC members. Details available here.

As the name indicates, FAAAC is a group of people across genders, ethnicities and ages brought together by their appreciation of the artistic and cultural contributions of African Americans.

“The excitement from the popular Chemistry of Color: Contemporary African-American Artists exhibition sparked a momentum that resulted in the creation of this dynamic group,” CMA Executive Director Karen Brosius said. “Their energetic board kept the spirit alive throughout a very productive first year.”

FAAAC launched with the exhibition, “Our Time, Our Place: Photographs of the Black South by Richard Samuel Roberts,” which opened to a record-breaking crowd eager to learn about the artist and his work. The FAAAC board and members of the community, including Mayor Steve Benjamin, selected the 24 photographs for the exhibition, which showcased a stunning visual history of the 20th-century African-American community in Columbia.

FAAAC’s passion for educating the community continued throughout the year with popular programs featuring and honoring artists like Allen Crite, Leo Twiggs and Cecil Williams.

Most notably, FAAAC explored the vibrant African-American art community in Orangeburg, SC. Members privately toured the I.P. Stanbeck Museum and Planetarium and visited many Orangeburg artists’ homes and studios including Tolulope Filani, Terry Hunter, Kim LeDee, Alving and Bretta Staley, Leo Twiggs and Cecil Williams.

“We experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity to individually ask the artists questions and really understand the intricate details of their processes, what ignites their creativity and how original ideas are developed,” FAAAC president Brandolyn Thomas Pinkston said. “This was a grand experience and a first for all of the participants.”

The first year also inspired a California art collector to give three works to the CMA in honor of FAAAC. Charlotte Sherman, the director of the Heritage Gallery in Los Angeles, gave two photographs and one work on paper by Charles White, one of America’s most renowned 20th-century African-American artists.

“I am so grateful to Charlotte for her generous gifts that will certainly inspire and educate visitors,” Pinkston said. “We are eager to continue providing a variety of programs, lectures and exhibits to educate our community on the importance of African-American art and artists.”

Based on the successes in the first year, FAAAC members are planning several learning opportunities for 2013, including a trip to Sumter, SC, for a gallery tour and artist discussion.

“FAAAC members have the privilege and pleasure of experiencing art in ways that move the body, soul and intellect,” FAAAC Board Member Michaela Pilar Brown said. “In 2013, our visit to Sumter will connect art and artists with art lovers and interesting people with interesting ideas.”

FAAAC board members include: Brandolyn Thomas Pinkston, president; Darion McCloud, vice-president; Suzanne Thorpe, Secretary and Waltene Whitmire, Treasurer. Board members are Michaela Pilar Brown, Allen Coles, Preach Jacobs, Jerry Dell Gimarc, Therese Griffin, Maria Krastsios, Javana Lovett, Karen Rutherford and Chelsea Washington.

For more information or to become a FAAAC member, visit (www.columbiamuseum.org).

Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, Offers Pay-What-You-Wish Admission – Mar. 10, 2013

The Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, will offer a Pay-What-You-Wish admission from noon until 5pm on Sunday, Mar. 10, 2013.

Visit the exhibition “Impressionism from Monet to Matisse” with Pay-What-You-Wish admission for a day of tours, hands-on learning and a French performance. Visitors can enjoy a self-guided tour at anytime during the afternoon with activity-filled gallery backpacks for kids and a TAP multimedia tour for adults.

Pay-What-You-Wish admission allows visitors to pay any amount to see the exhibition, “Impressionism from Monet to Matisse” and participate in any the following programs. Admission to this exhibition is regularly $15 for adults.

Passport to Art: Drop-In between Noon and 3pm.
Families create their own water-filled landscapes with watercolors and crayons based on the swirly skies and misty oceans seen in the paintings by Monet and Renoir.

Guided Family Tour at 1pm.
Be inspired by the magnificent 56 works in the exhibition, “Impressionism from Monet to Matisse”. This 45-minute guided and interactive tour explores the world of art in a way that can be enjoyed by all family members. Discover the CMA in a new way and learn how to talk about art with your children.

Performance: Alliance Française at 2pm.
The Club Théåtre of the Alliance Française de Columbia returns to the CMA for its 7th annual French-language theatre production. Celebrating the exhibition, Impressionism from Monet to Matisse, the troupe is collaborating on its own original comic play, Tableaux vivants, tableaux parlants, inspired by and featuring paintings in the collection by Cassatt, Forain, Cals, Chagall and La Touche. The 17-member Club Théåtre is an all-volunteer amateur theatre troupe made up of French-speaking members of the Columbia community from France, Belgium, Cameroon, Russia, Venezuela and the United States. Presented in the French language.

Guided CMA Gallery Tour at 2pm.
Interested in learning more about the CMA collection? A docent-led tour provides an overview of the Museum’s collection of European and American art.

For further information call 803/799-2810 or visit (www.columbiamuseum.org).

Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, Calls for Entries for Craft Bar Happy Weekend – Deadline is Mar. 23, 2013

The Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, announces a call for entries for its second Craft Bar Happy Weekend inspired by the program, Craft Bar Happy Hour. Craft Bar Happy Weekend is a public market on Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8, 2013, that brings together artists and exceptional handmade goods from across the Southeast. All crafters and artisans are encouraged to submit their artwork for consideration.

Accepted categories include: 2D Fine Art (prints and originals), 3D Fine Art (ceramic, glass, wood, metal), Fiber Art (felted, knitted, crocheted, woven), Wearable (jewelry, clothing, purses, hair accessories), Paper Art (stationary, handmade books, paper crafts) and All Else (toys, pet accessories, home goods, garden).

Entries will be judged on quality, originality, uniqueness, if the items are handmade or made elsewhere, how well the work fits into the given categories and the need to diversify the crafts presented at Craft Bar Happy Weekend.

Deadline to enter is Saturday, Mar. 23, 2013.

Applicants must submit an online application, photo of the work and a $20 non-refundable application fee via Google Checkout by midnight on Mar. 23.

Additional details and entry form are available at (www.columbiamuseum.org).

The Contemporaries at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, Call for Entries for Artist of the Year – Deadline Feb. 28, 2013

The Contemporaries, a Columbia Museum of Art, in Columbia, SC, membership affiliate group, announces a Call for Entries for its tenth annual Contemporaries’ Artist of the Year (CAY) Soirée and Silent Auction. The event is designed to increase awareness of and support for emerging artists in South Carolina and to promote the Contemporaries’ membership. Entry is open to all South Carolina residents. Three-dimensional work must weigh less than 50 pounds and two-dimensional work must measure no more than 60 inches in either direction, including the frame. Artists can submit up to two entries.

The deadline is Thursday, February 28 at 5:00 p.m.

To enter your work, visit  (www.columbiacontemporaries.com/CAY) or for more information on submitting artwork, contact Kim Bryson by e-mail at (ContemporariesArtistoftheYear@gmail.com).

The jury will be announced in February 2013. The jury selects the artwork for the silent auction and selects one winner, the Contemporaries’ Artist of the Year, based upon the following criteria: originality of concept, technical execution, consistency, professionalism, and the degree to which the work was aesthetically interesting.

The CAY award is generously supported by Anne and Alex Postic and a matching gift from the Contemporaries. The winner receives a cash prize of $2,500. Event guests vote on the People’s Choice award, and the winner is presented with an award and a cash prize of $300. “Jasper Magazine” is sponsoring the “State-of-the-Art” award which includes a $200 cash prize and a feature in an upcoming issue of “Jasper”.

All awards are presented at the CAY Soirée and Silent Auction on Friday, Apr. 26, 2013, at 7pm at the Columbia Museum of Art. Tickets for the CAY Soirée and Silent Auction are $40 / $20 for Contemporaries members and includes food, drinks and live entertainment.

The Contemporaries mission is to provide an opportunity to support the Museum through: promoting the Museum and its programs, diversifying the Museum’s membership, and leading the next generation of Museum supporters. A portion of the proceeds from the Artist of the Year Soirée goes toward the Contemporaries’ Art Acquisition Fund, designed to acquire a significant piece of art for the Museum.

For more information about Contemporaries’ membership, visit (www.columbiacontemporaries.com) or call 803/343-2197.