Columbia Museum of Art announces December programs and events

EXHIBITIONS

 

Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous
On view through January 21, 2024

Rendez-Vous offers a rare glimpse into the life and mind of one of the most renowned contemporary fashion designers of our era, Lee Alexander McQueen. Providing unique insight into the creative process of this influential and complex figure, this exhibition features key garments from McQueen’s most celebrated fashion collections along with photographer Ann Ray’s intimate portraits and behind-the-scenes photographs of McQueen’s runway shows, taken over the course of their 13-year friendship. The exhibition includes 50 garments designed by McQueen and over 60 photographs taken by Ray, the only photographer permitted to document the behind-the-scenes culture of his runway shows and atelier.

Lee Alexander McQueen and Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous is organized and produced by Barrett Barrera Projects. Presenting Sponsor: Melissa W. Blanchard. Haute Couture Sponsors: Dr. Suzan D. Boyd & Mr. M. Edward Sellers. Gold Sponsors: Joyce and George Hill. Silver Sponsor: Cool Care Heating, Air, Plumbing & Refrigeration. Bronze Sponsors: Governor and Mrs. James H. Hodges; Truist; Barbara B. Boyd; Loosh Culinaire Fine Catering; Julianne Sojourner; Hotel Trundle. Benefactor Sponsors: Leslie G. and Jeffrey B. Archie; Joseph Bruce; Toni Elkins; Sandy and Sam McGuckin; The Joseph F. Sullivan and Brenda L. Sullivan Foundation; Julie and Mike Brenan. Media Sponsors: Grace Outdoor; WXRY 99.3 FM. Grantors: City of Columbia; Experience Columbia SC; Richland County Government; South Carolina Arts Commission; Discover South Carolina; Town of Lexington SC.

Sergio Hudson: Focused on the Fit
On view November 18, 2023, through June 30, 2024

This exhibition showcases the remarkable moments of a designer who fell in love with fashion at 4 years old while living in Ridgeway, South Carolina, and has become one of the biggest names in the industry. Sergio Hudson’s high-profile clients include Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, Jessica Chastain, Rihanna, Kamala Harris, Blake Lively, Kendall Jenner, Issa Rae, Rachel Brosnahan, and Keke Palmer, a close friend whom he has called a muse.

Hudson’s philosophy is that fashion should be for everyone and include everyone. He designs to empower the wearer and often includes a nod to the ’90s of his youth. See eight signature garments from key moments in his revolutionary career alongside more than 20 sketches and drawings exploring his career from the early days winning Bravo’s Styled to Rock in 2013 up through the present day.

Sergio Hudson: Focused on the Fit is organized by the Columbia Museum of Art, South Carolina, in partnership with Sergio Hudson Collections, LLC and Community Curator Megan Pinckney Rutherford. Bronze Sponsors: First Citizens Bank; Dr. Suzanne R. Thorpe and Dr. John W. Baynes. Patron Sponsors: Gina Trippi and John Kerr; Barbara B. Boyd; Friends of African American Art & Culture; Midlands Medical Wellness Center, LLC; Columbia Design League. Friend Sponsors: Hotel Trundle. Grantors: City of Columbia; Experience Columbia SC; Richland County Government; South Carolina Arts Commission; Discover South Carolina; and a grant from the Coastal Community Foundation at the request of CMA member Bonnie Adams Kapp.

PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
To purchase tickets or register for classes, visit columbiamuseum.org or call 803-799-2810.

Book a Tour and Save
Gather some friends and enjoy discounted admission as you get an inside look at our exhibitions or collection with a docent-led tour. Details at columbiamuseum.org/visit/tours.

Touch Tours
Touch Tours provide an opportunity for visitors who are blind or have low vision to experience the diverse 3D work in the CMA Collection. Explore the galleries with a skilled museum educator trained to provide detailed verbal description of the work on view, while experiencing a selection of objects through touch and other senses.

Touch Tours are available to visitors who are blind or partially sighted in groups of 5 to 10. These 90-minute tours take place when the galleries are closed to the general public and require four weeks’ advance notice to schedule. To book a tour call 803-343-2163 or email [email protected].

Woven Together: A Community Celebration of Alexander Calder
Saturday, December 2 | 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

In honor of Spotlight: Alexander Calder, head to the CMA for a day of warps, wefts, and weaving. Try your hand at weaving on small looms or help contribute to our collaborative weaving project at one of our large hand looms. Learn more about Calder’s process before seeing the tapestry yourself, on view in the collection galleries as part of the Art Bridges Cohort Program’s American South Consortium Spotlight Series. Free. Generous support for this project provided by Art Bridges.

Public Tour: Rendez-Vous
Sundays, December 3, 10, and 17 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Thursdays, December 14, 21, and 28 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Take a guided tour of Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous. Providing unique insight into the creative process of this influential and complex figure, this exhibition features key garments from McQueen’s most celebrated fashion collections along with photographer Ann Ray’s intimate portraits and behind-the-scenes photographs of McQueen’s runway shows, taken over the course of their 13-year friendship. Free with membership or admission.

Members’ Rendez-Vous with the Curator
Monday, December 4 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Take an exclusive after-hours tour through Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous led by exhibition curator Jackie Adams. Enjoy drinks and light refreshments before getting up close and personal with the exhibition in a small group setting with invaluable insights from the person responsible for bringing this exhibition to life at the CMA. $75. Members only.

Art Class: Framing 101
Mondays, December 4 and 18 | 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Participants learn the basics of framing two-dimensional works and frame their own artwork or document. This two-day class covers basic mat cutting, assembly, and hanging for a proper frame job. No prior framing experience required — perfect for beginners! All supplies and equipment provided. Ages 15 and up. Taught by artist and conservator Laura Garner Hine. $200 / $160 for members.

Hine resides in Columbia, South Carolina. Her art education consists of degrees and certifications from the University of South Carolina, the Rijksuniversiteit in Groningen, the Netherlands, and Accademia Riaci in Florence, Italy. Her work has been shown in numerous locations both nationally and internationally. Hine holds memberships with the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN), the Southeast Regional Conservation Association (SERCA), and the Contemporaries of the Columbia Museum of Art. She currently serves as a board member for the nonprofit arts organizations Bullets and Bandaids and The Jasper Project. Aside from her passion for cultural heritage and fine art in general, she enjoys traveling, the outdoors, cooking, gardening, and strumming the ukulele.

Gladys’ Gang Toddler Edition: Over the Moon
Wednesday, December 6 | 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Look up! What do you see? This month we explore the sun, moon, stars, and maybe a few other things we might find in the sky. Key topic: celestial bodies. This program is specially designed for 2- to 3-year-old participants and their adult companions to explore art through movement and play. Gladys’ Gang includes story time, gallery exploration, and a creative studio activity related to the art exploration theme. Siblings welcome. Free. Registration required for all participants as space is limited.

Free First Thursday at the CMA
Thursday, December 7 | 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Enjoy free admission courtesy of Dominion Energy and extended hours. Sip and scribble with the Friends of African American Art & Culture starting at 5:00 p.m. and enjoy student films starting at 6:30 p.m. Last gallery entry at 7:30 p.m. Be on Boyd Plaza in the evening for live music, food vendors, and a beer garden. Free. Plaza events by First Thursday on Main.

FAAAC Presents Sip & Scribble
Thursday, December 7 | 5:00 ¬– 8:00 p.m.

Join the Friends of African American Art & Culture (FAAAC) for their eighth annual Sip & Scribble, an artful and soulful coloring party. Relax with friends, enjoy a free glass of wine, and color pages inspired by the work of a South Carolina artist. This year, take in the works of reverse glass painter and sculptor JRenée Johnson and enjoy coloring pages based on her original art. This program takes place during Free First Thursday at the CMA. Free. Cash bar.

The Art of Influence: Student Films
Thursday, December 7 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

In the spirit of artistic influence, the CMA hosts a screening of USC student short films created in response to featured exhibition Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous. Taught by Professor Carleen Maur, these fledgling filmmakers are enrolled in an advanced experimental media class in which they expand beyond traditional narrative forms of moviemaking. Free as part of Free First Thursday at the CMA.

Art Class: Exploring Your Digital Camera
Saturdays, December 9 and 16 | 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

In this two-part workshop, explore digital imaging techniques including image adjustment and printing methods with an emphasis in color photography. Participants gain a thorough understanding of digital photography within the context of contemporary art, proper exposure, development, and digital imaging technique. Ages 15 and up. Participants must bring their own digital camera; all other equipment provided. Taught by Jess Peri. $120 / $96 for members.

Peri earned a BFA from the University of North Texas in 2012 and an MFA from the University of New Mexico in 2018. His work has been included in exhibitions at the Harwood Museum of Art (Taos, NM), Albuquerque Museum (Albuquerque, NM), University of New Mexico’s Museum of Art (Albuquerque, NM), SRO Photo Gallery (Lubbock, TX), Lionel Rombach Gallery (Tempe, AZ), Yuma Center for the Arts (Yuma, AZ), Salina Art Center (Salina, KS), and Millepiani Exhibition Space (Rome, Italy), among others. His work has been featured in Fraction Magazine, Glasstire, D Magazine, and LoosenArt. Peri lives and works in Columbia, where he is a professor of art at the University of South Carolina.

CMA Chamber Music on Main
Monday, December 11 | Happy hour and galleries open 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. | Concert 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

The British are coming! The Barbicans bring some of England’s greatest music to Main Street. An impossibly brief survey of British composers, from 17th-century Henry Purcell to 20th-century Benjamin Britten, runs the emotional and artistic gamut with the Barbican String Quartet — featuring Amarins Wierdsma and Kate Maloney on violin, Christoph Slenczka on viola, and Yoanna Prodanova on cello. After intermission, the Quartet joins artistic director Andrew Armstrong on piano to stomp, sing, and soar their way through Dvořák’s immortal Piano Quintet in A. Presented by April C. Lucas and John J. Stucker. Season tickets: $145 / $116 for members. Single concert tickets: $46 / $39 for members / $5 for students.

A Virtual Conversation with Simon Ungless
Wednesday, December 13 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Enjoy a very special opportunity to hear from fashion designer Simon Ungless, one of Lee Alexander McQueen’s closest friends and collaborators. Once McQueen’s roommate, Ungless worked closely with him during his first several years as a designer — in fact, one of his designs is featured in Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous — and he still contributes to the McQueen line, most recently in the Spring/Summer 2024 collections. Joining us live from his home in California, Ungless speaks with exhibition curator Jackie Adams, CMA director of art and learning, about his time working and living with McQueen, the significance of McQueen’s legacy, the inspiration behind his own designs, and the future of fashion. This virtual conversation will be available live via the CMA website and will be recorded for future viewing. Questions from the live virtual audience will be taken after the conversation. Free.

After graduating with distinction from Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design in 1992 with the prestigious Master of Arts in fashion, Ungless embarked on a collaboration with his best friend, Lee Alexander McQueen. From their South London home, the pair created Taxi Driver, the collection that founded Alexander McQueen and was shown during London Fashion Week as the first recipient of the New Generation sponsorship. Ungless continued to collaborate with McQueen on the collections shown in London and in New York, including Nihilism, Banshee, The Birds, Highland Rape, The Hunger, and Dante. In 1996 Ungless introduced Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen for the last 14 years, to the late designer.

Over his 35 years in the fashion industry, Ungless’ work experience spans fashion design, textile design, forecasting, brand development, marketing, show production, and publishing for such clients as Tory Burch, Givenchy, Paul Smith, Versace, The Burton Group, Nigel French, Selfridges, Nike, Levi’s, and Calvin Klein — and of course, he continues to work with Alexander McQueen. Currently, Ungless operates two artisanal and sustainably centered design companies under the UN-Production banner When Simon Met Ralph, which focuses on apparel and textiles, and Blackened, which centers on accessories and home.

Art Class: Drawing 102
Saturday, December 16 | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Take your drawing to the next level in this one-day class. Experiment with pencil, charcoal, and conté crayon and take a deep dive into proportion and value as well as textural contrast. Taught by local art educator Mary Hendrix, who holds a bachelor’s degree in art from East Tennessee State University and a master’s degree in teaching from the University of South Carolina. Ages 15 and up. All materials and equipment provided. $80 / $64 for members.

Stroller Tour: Rendez-Vous
Saturday, December 16 | 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Take a tour of featured exhibition Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous with infants in tow. Bring your little ones along for the ride on a stroller-friendly tour for caregivers with babies up to age two. Fussy, crying, or wiggly babies welcome! Baby wearing is encouraged. Free with membership or admission. Registration required as space is limited.

Jazz with Mark Rapp: Swing, Santa, Swing
Sunday, December 17 | 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Transport yourself to a winter wonderland of music and merriment as trumpeting maestro Mark Rapp leads a jazz quintet of world-class musicians accompanied by a featured vocalist. Featuring classic Christmas songs with a jazzy twist, Rapp’s signature holiday concert brings beautiful jazz vocals from the soulful streets of New Orleans to the CMA. Hop on the sleigh and enjoy the holiday magic. Beer, wine, and specialty holiday drink available for purchase. Reserve your own table or share one with other guests. Four-person tables (includes one bottle of wine): $200 / $160 for members. Individual table seats: $50 / $40 for members.

Jazz at the CMA is supported by Barbara B. Boyd; Becky and Earl Ellis; and John and Mary Kessler.

Gladys’ Gang Preschool Edition: Over the Moon
Wednesday, December 20 | 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Look up! What do you see? This month we explore the sun, moon, stars, and maybe a few other things we might find in the sky. Key topic: celestial bodies. This program is specially designed for 4- to 5-year-old participants and their adult companions to explore art through play and inquiry. Gladys’ Gang builds skills for kindergarten readiness through story time, gallery conversations, and a creative studio project related to the art exploration theme. Siblings welcome. Free. Registration is required for all participants as space is limited.