Dec. 1, 2011 is the first Thursday of the month and in Columbia, SC, that means First Thursday on Main Street and also for this month, the annual Mingle and Jingle event. I know this from experience and I know of some of the events only from an e-mail from Susan Lenz. It seems the people who usually provide info on such events in Columbia are holiday challenged this month. They’re not too forthcoming with advanced info as it is any month, but here’s what we know.
Editor’s Note: Artists who leave the promotion of their activities to the media are fools and often sorry they did so. That’s my experience in doing an arts newspaper for 24 years. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this question – “They didn’t send you a press release?”
On Dec. 1, 2011, from 5-9pm, S & S Art Supply, at 1633 Main Street will present, Hung By the Chimney With Care Window Installation and Art Exhibition.
Using socks, buttons, photographs, and Christmas decorations from the old SC Department of Mental Health Hospital, Lenz has created a window installation to remember those who cannot celebrate the holidays in traditional ways.
Lenz’s “Muses Series” is featured inside S & S. The artwork was created on book pages published in 1655. Most includes at least one button from the State Mental Hospital floor. Ink washes, collaged ephemera, machine embroidery and hand beading also embellish these antique pages.
Fiber Christmas ornaments ($12) and bookmarks ($4) are also available.
On Dec. 1, 2011, from 6-9pm, Anastasia and Friends, located inside the Free-Times building at 1534 Main Street.
This month the exhibition includes five of Susan Lenz’s “Window Series” as well as work by: Bohumila Augustinova, Lucy Bailey, Leslie Bennett, Rachel Borgman, Anastasia Chernoff, Candace Engel, Kara Gunter, Jennifer Stephens Hill, Paul Kaufmann, Michael Krajewski, Matthew Kramer, Whitney LeJeune, Paul Moore, Paula Riddle, Virginia Scotchie, Mallane Stanbury, Lyra Stephens, Woodie Wentworth, Lindsay Wiggins, and Roe Young. There will be performances too!
From “Window Series”
On Dec. 1, 2011, from 6-9pm, Tapps Center for the Arts, 1644 Main Street, Two Hours at the Beach Art Quilt and Window Installation by Susan Lenz.
Lenz’s unique art quilt, Two Hours at the Beach, inspired this window installation currently on view at the Tapps Art Center.
Last spring Lenz spent a mere two hours along South Carolina’s coastline collecting beach trash at Folly Beach, SC. She resisted cigarette butts, aluminum cans, dog poop, and debris of enormous size. In June, Lenz combined her “trash stash” with recycled acrylic felt, netting, and thread. She called this unique art quilt Two Hours at the Beach.
For further info visit Lenz’s website at (http://www.susanlenz.com/) or her blog at (http://artbysusanlenz.blogspot.com/).
