The Daily Gamecock

The Nick, Indie Grits house Columbia's arts scene

Those new to the area might be surprised to learn there’s more to Columbia than college game days and Five Points bars. Granted, both might be proud staples of this southern hotspot, but Columbia is also home to a thriving arts scene. Theaters, museums and music venues are scattered all about the city, with two organizations in particular serving as the community's creative center.

One a vintage theater in the heart of the city and the other an unassuming house that blends in with a quiet surrounding neighborhood, Nickelodeon Theatre and Indie Grits Labs are two partner organizations that make up the nonprofit Columbia Film Society. 

Referred to as the Nick, the theater’s mission is to bring quality cinema ⁠— from around the world and locally ⁠— to Columbia’s bustling Main Street, hosting dialogues about the films' central themes. Many of the films that make their way onto the Nick’s big screens are unique to the location; unlikely to be found at any of the area’s other theaters. There is no specific niche the theater caters to, either, so visitors can find content ranging anywhere from experimental films to foreign films to familiar classics.

Due to its diverse film selection, the theater draws in people of all different backgrounds. According to marketing and memberships manager Amanda Windsor, many patrons are self-proclaimed cinephiles who make an effort to see every film the Nick offers, while others are couples looking to try something new for date night. 

"They tend to gravitate towards us and kind of find a home sometimes," Windsor said of the creatives who frequent the Nick.

Given its status as a nonprofit cinema art house – the only of its kind in South Carolina – all the money earned at the Nick goes back into programming, and since it is a local business, the money spent stays in Columbia.

The second arm of Columbia Film Society, Indie Grits Labs, is a one-of-a-kind gallery in the area, according to director of Indie Grits Labs Seth Gadsden, and sits in a historic part of town that people might not otherwise visit. Indie Grits' location in a house is fitting, given its regular open house community events in which all are invited to stop by for adult workshops or artist exhibitions.

Indie Grits Labs has three primary focuses: community-based art projects, media literacy education and running the Indie Grits Festival, which is an annual spring event that celebrates art of all forms, with an emphasis on film.

“For four days, our goal is to turn Columbia into that place that we really wish we were living," Gadsden said of the Indie Grits Festival. "Live music everywhere every night; good, young, creative culture with good discussions; have filmmakers everywhere; creative people everywhere; doing cool things where you can’t not find yourself in a good conversation.”

The festival combines the best of the Nick and Indie Grits in one massive cultural event featuring music, gaming and more. Anybody can submit their films to be featured at Indie Grits Festival, regardless of experience, and students also have the option to submit their work at a cheaper price.

While the Indie Grits Festival might be a ways away, there is still plenty of programming to look forward to in the fall. The Nick will host a mini festival celebrating 30 years of pride in South Carolina with three queer films exemplifying queer blockbusters of the decade, and in October it will host its regular Halloween series, which brings both famous and lesser-known horror movies alike back to the big screen. 

Indie Grits Labs will continue hosting workshops for those interested in activities such as filmmaking, bookmaking, woodblock printing and more, and later this fall it will be launching its brand new radio station.


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