Tour nearly 70 artists’ spaces during Columbia Open Studios, April 6-7, 2019

Explore local artwork, studios in weekend-long event presented by 701 CCA

Columbia Open Studios, presented by 701 Center for Contemporary Art, welcomes nearly 70 local artists for the free, self-guided driving tour of artist studios spanning the City of Columbia, S.C. and Richland and Lexington Counties. This year’s event is Saturday, April 6 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Sunday, April 7 (noon to 6 p.m.). The interactive tour allows guests to explore the work and workspaces of artists all weekend long while supporting the Midlands’ vibrant arts scene. Plan a free, self-guided #ColaOpenStudios tour at http://www.columbiaopenstudios.org

Columbia Open Studios presents the public with an opportunity to delve into the Columbia region’s dynamic arts community. A step into artists’ private studios unveils a behind-the-scenes look at the materials, techniques and creation of artwork in and around Columbia. Guests can learn how various works of art are produced while chatting one-on-one with the artist about their creations and inspirations. They can experience the techniques behind hand-blown glass ornaments, ceramic mosaics, wooden sculptures, prints, paintings and more.

Artist studios range from lively community spaces to backyard sculpture gardens to individual studios in Columbia and Richland and Lexington Counties. Art-hop to spaces near and far to discover all that the Midlands’ arts community has to offer. Columbia Open Studios encourages locals and visitors alike to take the time to explore surrounding businesses, restaurants, breweries and more during the self-led tour. Use the maps inside the Columbia Open Studios guide to plan a weekend art crawl with local hotspot visits along the way. The guide will be available in the coming weeks around town, in the April 3 edition of Free Times and at http://www.columbiaopenstudios.org.

Outside of the opportunity to explore studios and meet artists, Open Studios provides a chance for the public to take artwork home with them. Visitors can buy work directly from participating artists, and each artist keeps 100 percent of his or her sales.

Located inside the historic 701 Whaley building in downtown Columbia, 701 CCA is a nonprofit art center and gallery with free admission to the public. 701 CCA is one of the only centers in the region offering a live-in artist-in-residence program. The center hosts year-round exhibitions featuring work from regional, national and international artists as well as music, dance and literary events. 701 CCA offers workshops for adults and children including lectures, panel discussions, group tours and more. Children as young as six years old can enjoy their annual Youth Summer Art Workshops and gain hands-on experience with the arts.

701 CCA is able to present Columbia Open Studios for the ninth consecutive year thanks to major support from the City of Columbia and Richland County. Columbia Open Studios typically sees around 10,000 studio visitors over the weekend. In 2018, over 30 percent of studio visitors were from outside of S.C., coming in from places like Alaska, New York and California.

Columbia Open Studios welcomes 12 new artists to the tour
This year 12 new artists join the Columbia Open Studios roster, noted with an asterisk in the participating artist list below. New artists’ studios span Seven Oaks in Lexington County to Forest Acres to Downtown Columbia. These first time Columbia Open Studios participants specialize in glass jewelry making, sculpture, painting, metalsmithing and more. For the first time ever, guests can also explore work by The University of South Carolina’s School of Visual Art and Design resident artist at downtown’s Stormwater Studios.

Columbia Open Studios Preview Party, Thursday, April 4, 2019
To kick off the tour weekend, 701 CCA will host a ticketed Columbia Open Studios Preview Party on Thursday, April 4, from 7 to 9 p.m. on the second floor of 701 Whaley. During the event, guests can mingle with participating artists and preview their work at the Hallway Exhibition in 701 Whaley’s Community Gallery. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be available. Explore 701 CCA’s gallery throughout the evening and view the South Arts 2019 Southern Prize Exhibition, featuring work from the nine esteemed State Fellowship winners — one from each state within the South Arts region. Preview Party tickets are $10 for 701 CCA members and $15 for non-members. Become a member here: https://www.701cca.org/membership/

Preview participating artists’ work at City Hall exhibition
Catch a sneak peek of Open Studios participating artists’ work at the Columbia Open Studios Exhibition at Columbia City Hall, installed by 701 CCA. The exhibition is free for the public to view, weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Select artwork will be on display through March. The City Hall exhibition is possible through a partnership with One Columbia for Arts & History, a nonprofit organization that works to amplify and preserve the thriving art scene in Columbia, S.C.

701 CCA’s Columbia Open Studios – 2019 participating artists (69 Total)
21 of this year’s 69 artists will participate in Open Studios for the very first time (marked with an asterisk).

• Tim Adams*
• Angel Allen
• Nora Floyd and Ruth Bayard
• Eileen Blyth
• Edward Bryan
• Julie Buckley
• Nancy Butterworth
• Dawn Caldwell*
• Michael Cassidy
• Stephen Chesley
• Heidi Darr-Hope
• Laura Day
• Mike Donkle
• Jeffrey Donovan
• Michael Dwyer
• Michelle Leitzsey Eason*
• Clark Ellefson
• Henry Foster
• Naomi Freedman*
• Diane Gilbert
• Pat Gilmartin
• Caroline Harper
• Mary Ann Haven
• Dee Hansen
• Frank Heflin
• Rosie Herman*
• Craig Houston
• Ann Hubbard
• Howard Hunt
• Jason Jaco
• Peggy Jacobs*
• Judy Bolton Jarrett
• Betsy Kaemmerlen*
• Robert Keith IV
• Jason Kendall
• Robert Kennedy
• Michele Kingery
• Alicia Leeke
• Robert Lyon
• Carol Jean Marchese
• Michel McNinch
• Jaime Misenheimer
• Lee A. Monts
• Julia Moore
• Thomas O’Brien
• One Eared Cow Glass
• Patrick Parise
• Sally Peek
• Scotty Peek
• Cameron Porter
• Anna Redwine*
• Susan Robertson*
• Mary Robinson
• Wayne Rogers
• Jane Schwantes
• John and Venetia Sharpe
• Susan Shrader
• Greyson Smith
• Kirkland Smith
• Susan Hansen Staves*
• Jan Swanson
• Keith Tolen
• Adriana Vidal
• Steven Whetstone
• Ashley Williams
• David H. Yaghjian
• Ellen Emerson Yaghjian
• Olga Yukhno*
• University of South Carolina School of Visual Art and Design*

Details available at http://www.columbiaopenstudios.org.

 

About 701 CCA’s Columbia Open Studios

Tour: Saturday April 6, 2019, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday April 7, 2019, 12-6 p.m. in Columbia and Richland and Lexington Counties
Preview Party: Thursday April 4, 2019 7-9 p.m. at 701 Whaley St., Columbia, S.C.
701 Center for Contemporary Art presents Columbia Open Studios, a free, self-guided daytime driving tour of artists’ studios in the City of Columbia, S.C., and Richland and Lexington Counties, showcasing the Midlands’ visual art community. During this weekend-long tour, artists open their studios to the public to share their stories and techniques, with free admission for all. Sat., April 6, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sun., April 7, 12-6 p.m. Visit www.columbiaopenstudios.org for more information.

 

About 701 CCA

701 Center for Contemporary Art (701 CCA) is a nonprofit visual art center that promotes understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of contemporary art, the creative process and the role of art and artists in the community via its gallery & artist-in-residence program at historic 701 Whaley in Columbia, South Carolina. 701 CCA also encourages interaction between visual arts and other art forms. For more info visit http://www.701cca.org.