One Columbia Issuing a Passport for Arts and Culture

COLUMBIA, SC – Based on the principle that passports provide access to new experiences, One Columbia for Arts and History announces the launch of cultural passports for Columbians to utilize when attending events and venues in the City of Columbia.Tony Tallent, the Board President of One Columbia for Arts and History states, “One Columbia’s Cultural Passport is certain to draw attention to the wide array of arts and historical offerings in our city. This is both a guide and tangible reminder to be a part of the cultural scene in Columbia. The project not only benefits arts and cultural seekers, it has great potential to boost hospitality taxes by encouraging participation in Columbia’s cultural offerings.”

The program consists of passport books and a corresponding mobile application for iPhone. Passports are being distributed at various events throughout September and at the One Columbia office at 1219 Taylor Street. The mobile app can be found in the Apple App Store and at http://onecolumbiasc.com/page/app.

Passport holders collect unique stamps by attending events and visiting galleries and museums. As stamps are collected, holders earn rewards at various levels. More than 90 organizations are participating. The program runs year-round with a celebration of the top earners at the end of Summer 2015.

The program is being officially kicked-off at an event at Gallery 80808 on September 18 at 5pm in conjunction with the release of the autumn issue of Jasper Magazine and the opening reception of Operatic Threads, an exhibit featuring the work of Susan Lenz, Tish Lowe and Michael Krajewski.

“With the Cultural Passport program, organizations have the opportunity to both broaden their audiences and work on their strategies to retain new audience members who are introduced to their work for the first time. Additionally, it will inspire people to attend performances and events with groups they have never experienced. And it certainly will help grow the love for the huge variety of arts and history experiences our world class city produces all year long!” says Larry Hembree, Executive Director of Trustus Theatre and President of the Vista Guild.More information, including a list of events, can be found at http://www.onecolumbiasc.com/page/passport.