One Columbia Unveils New Public Art Piece on Main Street

COLUMBIA SC – One Columbia for Arts and History and the City of Columbia announced the installation and unveiling of the first sculpture resulting from the public art pilot program.

Commissioned with a generous donation from Sean McCrossin, owner of Drip coffee shops and Scoopy Doo gelato shop, the piece entitled “Hanging” was created by local artists Eileen Blyth and Mark Finley. As Blyth explains, “This sculpture is an invitation to play…to stop and sit and play, or just listen. One Columbia is the force behind the Main Street public art initiative. And without the city’s support, this sculpture and many more to come would not happen. It is very exciting to be a part of.”

“I am very happy to be a part and help One Columbia, the City of Columbia and the Mayor in their endeavor to fill the streets with creative, inspired and inspiring art that will hopefully remind us of this colorful city in which we live.” says McCrossin.

The sculpture consists of five tank drums (also known as hank drums) fabricated from propane tanks mounted to painted seats. Each drum is tuned differently to allow for unique harmonies to be played. The piece will be installed in front of 1441 Main Street and will be publically unveiled on September 17 at 10am.

“Public art is inspirational, thought provoking and even more so when it’s interactive. ‘Hanging’ will give the public the opportunity not just to observe but to participate.” says Karel Givens, Vice President of City Center Partnership, the organization that manages the downtown Business Improvement District (BID).

“From increasing funding to our arts and cultural organizations to displaying local artists’ work in City Hall, we have taken several important steps this year toward realizing our vision of Columbia as a true City of Creativity,” said Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin. “This sculpture and the new public art program it represents is a giant leap forward and I couldn’t be more proud.”

The public art program administered by One Columbia for Arts and History represents the joint efforts of multiple departments of the City of Columbia, the City Center Partnership, and the Community Relations Council who all contributed to make the process a success. The framework established by these partners will carry over to the creation of future pieces throughout the City of Columbia.

Lee Snelgrove, Executive Director of One Columbia for Arts and History explains, “Public art can define a place and give it a distinctive and inviting personality. Because of the relationships that have been made in establishing this formal process for commissioning public art, we’ll be able to continue bringing work to Columbia that will demonstrate the level of creativity and talent in this city.”

Artists interested in submitting their qualifications for consideration for future projects can find the call for artists on the One Columbia for Arts and History website at onecolumbiasc.com.

About One Columbia for Arts and History

One Columbia for Arts and History is a non-profit corporation that works to promote collaboration among citizens, the cultural community, and city government through celebrations of Columbia’s arts and historic treasures. Its goal is to enhance the quality of life for our residents, attract tourist dollars to our city, and further build our vibrant community. In short, it serves as the promotional arm of the City for Columbia’s cultural community. Visit the One Columbia website (http://onecolumbiasc.com) for a continuously updated master list of art and cultural activities occurring throughout the city.