Attendees pledge more than 1,600 volunteer hours at Columbia Opportunity Resource’s Time for Art Gala

Columbia Opportunity Resource’s (COR) Fifth Annual Time for Art Gala was held Saturday, December 8 at the Columbia Museum of Art. Attendees pledged 1,679 volunteer hours, the financial equivalent of $41,454 invested back into the Midlands, for pieces of local art.

In addition to pledging volunteer hours, COR invested more than $5,000 in the local arts community. Artists featured at the event included: Fairoozan Abdullah, Kathryn Van Aernum, Jamie Blackburn, Heavenly Edenfield, Patricia Gilmartin, Herman Keith, Michael Krajewski, Sharon Collings Licata, Flavia Lovatelli, Sean McGuinness, Ginny Merett, Sean Rayford, Jan Swanson, Lucas Sams, Shelley Stokes, Keith Tolen, Thomas Washington, and Olga Yukhno.

Curated by The Jasper Project, Ginny Merett was the winner of their inaugural Time for Art Award for her torn paper piece, Corsage. Dr. Linda Salane was the recipient of COR’s 2018 Pillar Award for her longstanding dedication to the organization.

“Time for Art was an incredible success for Columbia Opportunity Resource, as well as the city of Columbia,” said Dave Britt, incoming chair of Columbia Opportunity Resource. “Not only were some of the city’s best emerging artists able to display their work at one of South Carolina’s premier art institutions, but the event also generated hundreds of hours in community service commitments. Those volunteer hours will directly benefit our city, its nonprofit organizations and the important missions they work to achieve. Time for Art highlights COR at its best and shows what can be accomplished when people come together for a good cause.”

Time for Art achieves COR’s mission of community connectivity by highlighting the local arts scene, serving local nonprofits by connecting them with future volunteers, and leading the community by taking action. Attendees bid with volunteer hours for pieces of art and take home their winning piece once service hours are completed.

About Columbia Opportunity Resource (COR)

Columbia Opportunity Resource connects talented professionals in the greater Columbia area to diverse and meaningful networks through leadership development, community service and social connections. COR is a volunteer-driven organization with three focus areas: leadership, service and connectivity. COR is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.