Showcase revitalizes Midlands arts scene, features 45 artists from area
As Columbia’s art scene continues to explode, 701 Center for Contemporary Art makes an effort to showcase artists throughout Greater Columbia. The event Columbia Open Studios is hosted by 701 CCA annually and featured 45 artists in various studios, galleries and houses this year.
The open studios event gives people from all over the midlands the chance to not only meet artists personally, but to take a look at their work spaces and see where their art is born.
Bonnie Goldberg, based in the Arcade Studios on Main St., is a Columbia native and thrilled about the support and exposure the art community is receiving from the event and in general.
“This event is great for me,” she said. “I not only get to meet people I wouldn’t get to meet otherwise, but I get informed about what I may do in the future.”
For the past 23 years, Goldberg has been working with water-based mediums, varying from acrylic paint and ink to wine and coffee. Inspired by music, she paints models that are primarily women.
With the walls covered in art for sale and a small stage set up for models, Goldberg’s studio was extremely welcoming. She sat at a desk covered with supplies and worked on new artworks as visitors came in to say hello and take a look around.
“Just knowing who you are and embracing that, that’s what my art is all about,” she said.
701 CCA describes the Columbia Open Studios as a “free, self-guided tour,” providing maps that include the information about and locations of all the featured artists. Because the organization is non-profit, the featured artists get to keep 100 percent of the artwork sales.
While the Studios in the Arcade are home base for four of the featured artists, there were nine other locations open for visiting throughout downtown, the Vista and Five Points, including plenty of places in Irmo, Chapin and others in Lexington and Richland County.
As featured painter Whitney LeJeune said, the purpose of Columbia Open Studios is to bring attention to local artists and their galleries and studios, while also promoting the arts as a whole.
“The Arcade has a lot of strong artists under one roof,” LeJeune said. “It’s a good opportunity for visitors to come into the atmosphere outside of [being in] a gallery.”
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