Columbia Museum of Art February 2026 exhibitions and events calendar

EXHIBITIONS

Keith Haring: Radiant Vision
On view through February 15, 2026

Keith Haring (1958–1990) emerged as a shooting star of the New York art scene in the 1980s. His signature images include dancing figures, a radiant baby, a barking dog, a flying saucer, large hearts, and figures with televisions for heads.

In the early ’80s, Haring created chalk drawings on the unused advertising panels in New York City subway stations. These drawings represented a unique conflation of studio practice and public art, cartoons and graffiti. They became familiar to commuters, who would often stop to engage with the artist. He also attracted the attention of city authorities, who arrested him for vandalism on numerous occasions.
Haring was socially conscious, and his murals often reflected his position on social issues. He sought to raise awareness of AIDS, fought against the proliferation of illegal drugs, and advocated for the end of Apartheid.

His simply drawn figures were soon to be found on watches and cars, T-shirts and shopping bags, turning Haring into one of the best-known artists of his generation. Radiant Vision is a collection that features original works including drawings on paper, lithographs, silkscreens, posters, and other items that illustrate the entire span of Keith Haring’s short but prolific career.

Single Source Traveling Exhibition provided by: PAN Art Connections. Keith Haring: Radiant Vision is presented through the support of our generous sponsors and grantors. Silver sponsor: Dominion Energy. Bronze sponsors: Dr. Suzanne R. Thorpe and Dr. John W. Baynes. Friends sponsors: Joseph Bruce; Suzanne and Robert Clawson; Metro Wines Asheville; Beth and Matthew Richardson; Sandy and Sam McGuckin. Grantors: City of Columbia; Experience Columbia SC; Richland County Government; South Carolina Arts Commission; Discover South Carolina.

GALLERY LIGHTING PROJECT

In its 75th anniversary year (2025), the CMA took on a legacy project: a total lighting renovation and a fresh reinstallation of art throughout the CMA Collection galleries. The CMA’s gallery lights dated back to 1998, when the museum first moved to its current location on Main Street. That system had grown obsolete and, to best preserve and present the art, had to be replaced.

To accommodate this exciting new project, all galleries were temporarily closed. First-floor exhibition galleries reopened on Saturday, May 24. Second-floor CMA Collection galleries reopen mid-January 2026, with the grand unveiling during the 75th Anniversary Gala on Friday, January 16. The museum has taken this opportunity to completely rethink how the Collection is presented, from gallery layouts and featured works to interpretive storytelling and visitor experience. We can’t wait for visitors to experience their museum in a brand-new light!

PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

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

Art History 101: American Art in the Collection
Tuesdays, January 27 and February 3, 10, and 17 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Art History 101 is a casual lecture series that explores the CMA Collection through our four main collecting areas: Modern and Contemporary, European, Asian, and American Art. For the first time in the series, attendees have the opportunity to experience this presentation alongside the newly reopened collection galleries. In this fourth and final course, dive into American works from the CMA Collection with art historian and educator Dr. Lana Burgess. American Art series: $80 / $64 for members. Individual classes: $25 / $20 for members.

Weekly Topics:
January 27 — From Eden to Industry: Landscapes in American Art
February 3 — Quiet Lives of the American Still Life
February 10 — The American Gaze: Portraits in American Art
February 17 — Genre Paintings: Visions of American Life

At the University of South Carolina, Lana Burgess holds a joint appointment between the McKissick Museum and the School of Visual Art and Design, where she teaches art history. Prior to USC, Burgess coordinated the museum studies program at Florida State University and worked as the associate curator of paintings and sculpture at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Alabama. She co-authored “Sharing Credit: Public Historians and Scientists Reflecting on Collaboration,” with Soumitra Ghoshroy, Allison Marsh, and Sarah Scripps in The Public Historian, Vol. 35 No. 2, May 2013. She has presented her research at the American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting, the College Art Association, the Southeastern Museums Conference, and the South Carolina Federation of Museums. She was a fellow in the inaugural class of the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries’ sponsored Kellogg School of Management’s Center for Nonprofit Management in 2012. She was a recipient of the 2014-2015 Teaching Excellence Grant in Integrative Learning from USC’s Center for Teaching Excellence and the 2016 SCOER! Faculty Award from Thomas Cooper Library. Burgess is a field reviewer for the Institute of Museum and Library Services and sits on the board of the Museum Studies Network (formerly the Committee on Museum Professional Training), a professional network of American Alliance of Museums. She also serves on the board of directors for the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries.

Collection Spotlight: Conservation
Tuesday, February 3 | 2:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Exploring the often-unseen side of curatorial work, Preparator Laura Garner leads a tour of works that underwent conservation during the renovation and reinstallation. Learn about the intensive labor that goes into preserving and protecting art, ensuring it can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Celebrate the reopening of the CMA Collection through this series of staff-led tours, honoring the new and exciting reimagining of the galleries. Experience what makes this transformation such a special moment for your museum. Free with membership or admission.

Yoga in the Galleries
Tuesdays, February 3 and 17 | 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Close your eyes and inhale as if creating a brilliant painting within, rich and vibrant. Exhale as if gently brushing the colors across the canvas, letting each stroke carry away the weight of the day. Take one last deep breath in and release it like the final stroke of a finished work. In each all-level class, students flow like living paintings — slowly, mindfully, and full of presence. Every practice is its own gallery of breath and motion, leaving body and spirit light, refreshed, and at ease. This session in the newly installed Collection galleries is led by Delisa Simpson-Even, a Columbia-based RYT 200-hour yoga instructor. Mats provided, but students are welcome to bring their own mats and props. Ages 13 and up; no unaccompanied minors. $20 / $16 for members.

Delisa Simpson-Even trained in Ashtanga yoga in Tulum, Mexico, where she received her 200RYT. She has hosted and conducted workshops and served as an ambassador for local wellness and fitness instructors for Athleta in Huntsville, Alabama. Simpson-Even has served as a yoga instructor at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center in Decatur, Alabama, as well as the Yoga Fire Studio in Madison, Alabama. Most recently, Simpson-Even hosted a workshop at Namaste Yoga and taught classes at Lake Murray Yoga. She currently teaches yoga at One Life Fitness and is a youth yoga teacher for Peaceful Gathering Nature School.

Gladys’ Gang Toddler Edition: Wintry Whites
Wednesday, February 4 | 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
White can mean fresh snow, puffy clouds, or a blank canvas. Join us to explore how white is used in art and in the world around us. Gladys’ Gang is specially designed for 2- to 3-year-old participants and their adult companions to explore art through movement and play. This program includes story time, gallery exploration, and a creative studio activity related to the theme. Free. Registration required for all participants as space is limited. Siblings welcome!

Free First Thursday at the CMA
Thursday, February 5 | 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Enjoy free admission, extended hours, and a tour of Keith Haring: Radiant Vision at 6:00 p.m. Last gallery entry at 7:30 p.m. Free admission courtesy of Art Bridges Access for All Program and Lexington Health. Plaza events by First Thursday on Main.

Public Tour of Keith Haring: Radiant Vision
Thursday, February 5 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Join us for a vibrant tour of Keith Haring: Radiant Vision. Haring (1958–1990) emerged as a shooting star of the New York art scene in the 1980s. His signature images, with bold lines and vibrant colors, include dancing figures, a radiant baby, and a barking dog. Haring was a lifelong advocate of education and socially conscious of the world around him. Radiant Vision is a collection that features original works from the entire span of his short but impactful career. Free as part of Free First Thursday at the CMA.

Art Class: Building and Screen-Printing Ceramics
Saturdays, February 7 and 21 | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Learn all about creating a layered surface in this two-part workshop that combines ceramics and screen printing. With inspiration from featured exhibition Keith Haring: Radiant Vision, hand-build your own clay vessel or object, then create surface decorations for it. Edit images, create screens, and print custom transfers as you learn how to design and develop images for use on ceramics. Previous knowledge in ceramics is preferred but not required. All supplies and equipment provided. Ages 15 and up. Taught by artist and educator Alexander Thierry. $225 / $180 for members.

Alexander Thierry is an artist and educator born in St. Louis, Missouri. Primarily working in ceramics, Thierry uses clay to talk about memory, time, and both personal and communal experiences. His work has been shown across the United States and internationally, and he has taught workshops at universities, crafts schools, and art centers. Thierry earned an M.F.A. in studio art (ceramics) from the University of Kansas. He also earned a B.A. in art (painting), a B.F.A. in studio art (ceramics), and an M.A.E. in art education from Truman State University. Thierry currently lives in South Carolina and is an associate professor of ceramics at SC State University.

Public Tour of Keith Haring: Radiant Vision
Sunday, February 8 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Join us for a vibrant tour of Keith Haring: Radiant Vision. Haring (1958–1990) emerged as a shooting star of the New York art scene in the 1980s. His signature images, with bold lines and vibrant colors, include dancing figures, a radiant baby, and a barking dog. Haring was a lifelong advocate of education and socially conscious of the world around him. Radiant Vision is a collection that features original works from the entire span of his short but impactful career. Free with membership or admission.

Pilates in the Galleries
Tuesdays, February 10 and 24 | 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
End your day with a restorative full-body Pilates session surrounded by inspiring works of art in the newly reopened CMA Collection galleries. Led by Michaela Leung, who has been practicing Pilates since 2018 and began her comprehensive Pilates certification in 2023, these classes combine classical Pilates principles with contemporary movement for a balanced, mindful workout. Each session includes exercises to strengthen the core, improve flexibility, and enhance posture, with modifications offered for all experience levels. Leung’s fun, energizing playlists — from hip-hop to indie — keep the session motivating and inclusive. Guests leave feeling refreshed, centered, and invigorated. No prior experience necessary. Mats are provided, but guests are welcome to bring their own mats and yoga props. Ages 13 and up; no unaccompanied minors. $20 / $16 for members.

Ever Evolving: Curators Discuss the CMA Collection
Thursday, February 12 | 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. | Drinks and refreshments at 6:00 p.m. | Discussion at 6:30 p.m.
The CMA Collection galleries have been transformed on three separate occasions in the last 28 years — when the museum moved from its original location at the Taylor House to Main Street in 1998, again after the 2016–2018 building renovations, and now after completion of the capital lighting project. Each iteration provides its own reimagining of ways to experience the museum’s prized collection.

To celebrate this legacy of reinvention, Deputy Director and Director of External Affairs Joelle Ryan-Cook hosts an onstage discussion with two curatorial teams. Two former CMA staffers who designed the collection galleries for the very first time here on Main Street during the 1998 move — Bill Bodine, then chief curator, and Kevin Tucker, then associate curator of decorative arts — are joined by two present-day staffers, Senior Curator Michael Neumeister and Curator Sadé Ayorinde, who worked tirelessly alongside the rest of the curatorial team to conceive the CMA Collection’s newest iteration. Learn about the approaches and ideas behind these reinstalls, hear anecdotes about the challenges presented by such a large undertaking, and discover some of the joys that come along with the challenges. The talk features an introduction from Collections Specialist Noelle Nelson, who, along with Ryan-Cook, worked at the CMA for the last two reinstallations. Free with membership or admission. Cash bar.

Sadé Ayorinde is the curator at the Columbia Museum of Art. Before moving to South Carolina, she worked at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, where she contributed to projects that broadened the museum’s interpretive approach to American folk and self-taught art. She has also curated exhibitions for the International Quilt Museum and the Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Bill Bodine was director of the Frick Art & Historical Center in Pittsburgh, PA, for 12 years before retiring in July 2014. Before directing the Frick he held positions at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, and the Columbia Museum of Art, where he was chief curator from 1994 to 2002. Bodine pursued his undergraduate and graduate studies in art history at the University of Virginia.

Michael Neumeister is senior curator at the Columbia Museum of Art. Since joining the CMA in 2022, he has organized several exhibitions of modern and contemporary art and accessioned more than 300 works into the museum’s collection. Previously, he served as assistant curator at the American Federation of Arts, New York, where he developed numerous traveling exhibitions. Neumeister earned his M.A. from the City College of New York, where he also taught art history.

A scholar of late 19th- and early 20th-century design, Kevin W. Tucker is the High Museum of Art’s chief curator. Prior to joining the High, Tucker served as the founding director of the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement in St. Petersburg, Florida. From 2003 to 2015 Tucker served as the Margot B. Perot Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA). Prior to joining the DMA, Tucker served as chief curator and deputy director of the Columbia Museum of Art, where he had previously been the curator of decorative arts. Tucker earned a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of South Carolina and was the recipient of a 2007 Winterthur Research Fellowship. He has served on committees for various regional and national professional organizations, including the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).

Art Class: Intuitive Painting 2
Saturday, February 14 | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Building on themes and techniques covered in January’s workshop, this class further explores how to rediscover inner joy in artmaking. 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. Supplies and equipment provided. Ages 15 and up. $120 / $96 for members.

Radiant Love: A Fond Farewell to Keith Haring
Saturday, February 14 | 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Tour at 11:00 a.m.
Spend Valentine’s Day morning celebrating Keith Haring: Radiant Vision on its closing weekend. Take a final tour of the exhibition, share some love with the CMA Collection by “hearting” your favorite pieces, and enjoy a scavenger hunt inside the newly reinstalled galleries. Try your artistic (or not so artistic) hand at sketching your partner’s portrait and share the lovely vibes with a DIY Valentine’s Day card for someone special. Art activities are free. Gallery activities are free with membership or admission. Art activities will take place on Boyd Plaza during Soda City Market and will be moved indoors in the event of inclement weather.

Gladys’ Gang Preschool Edition: Wintry Whites
Wednesday, February 18 | 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
White can mean fresh snow, puffy clouds, or a blank canvas. Join us to explore how white is used in art and in the world around us. Gladys’ Gang is specially designed for 4- to 5-year-old participants and their adult companions to explore art through play and inquiry. This program builds skills for kindergarten readiness through story time, gallery conversations, and a creative studio project related to the art exploration theme. Free. Registration required for all participants as space is limited. Siblings welcome!

Focal Points Tour: Love in the Galleries
Thursday, February 19 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Join docent Cindy Jurgensen for a Valentine’s Day-inspired focal points tour of love. Discover the stories, traditions, and symbols of love on view in the freshly reinstalled CMA Collection galleries. Focal Points is a series of gallery talks featuring topics and themes near and dear to the hearts of docents and staff. Free with membership or admission.

Stroller Tour of the Collection
Saturday, February 21 | 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Take a tour of the newly reopened CMA Collection 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.

The Congaree Trio Celebrate the CMA Collection
Thursday, February 26 | Galleries and bar open at 5:30 p.m. | Concert 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Join us for a concert celebrating the CMA Collection in honor of the newly reinstalled galleries. The Congaree Trio — cellist Claire Bryant, pianist Phillip Bush, and violinist Ari Streisfeld — perform four arrangements, each with its own relevance to the museum’s four collecting areas: European, Asian, American, and modern and contemporary art. Experience the sounds of composers Dai Fujikura (b. 1977), John Fitz Rogers (b. 1963), and Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827). $35 / $25 for members / free for students. Cash bar. Student tickets are not available in advance; simply show your student ID at the Welcome Desk upon arrival. Presented by Baker & Baker Fund. Music at the CMA is supported by Silver Sponsors Nancy and Richard Layman and Patron Sponsor Barbara Boyd.

Named after the 53-mile river formed by the convergence of the Saluda and the Broad, the Congaree Trio was formed in 2021 by University of South Carolina faculty members Phillip Bush, Ari Streisfeld, and Claire Bryant. United by a shared vision, the trio is committed to performing music that spans generations — championing living composers, seminal contemporary works, and overlooked gems from the past. With a spirit of convergence at its core, the Congaree Trio seeks to expand the traditional piano trio repertoire while celebrating its rich history. Collectively, its members have performed on leading concert stages worldwide, holding membership with esteemed ensembles such as JACK Quartet, Phillip Glass ensemble, and Decoda, among others. The members of the Congaree Trio appear on numerous acclaimed recordings across both contemporary and classical traditions.

Public Tour of Collection Galleries
Saturday, February 28 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Join us for a tour of the newly renovated CMA Collection galleries. Come and see some of your old favorites and find a few new ones! Free with membership or admission.