Columbia Arts, Historic Preservation and Philanthropy Committee Meeting - 2026-08-04

The Arts, Historic Preservation and Philanthropy Committee of Columbia, S.C., met on 2026-08-04 (Tuesday, August 4, 2026) at 10:00 a.m. in the Mayor's Conference Room at City Hall, 1737 Main Street. Chair Tyler D. Bailey presided, and Councilmember Edward H. McDowell Jr. participated. The committee approved prior minutes and received informational updates from Gemini Arts, the Congaree Vista Guild, and the Columbia Art Center.

Opening and Approval of Minutes

• Councilmember McDowell asked for prayers for Reggie Bryce, the city manager's fiancé, whose mother had died that morning.
• The committee approved the minutes of the February 9, 2026, and April 28, 2026, Arts, Historic Preservation and Philanthropy Committee meetings by motion and second.

Gemini Arts Update

• Dr. Shirley Smith and resident artist Michael Krajewski presented; Rosie Craig, Gemini's board chair and resident artist, added remarks. The update was informational; no formal action was taken.
• Gemini Arts is an artist collective in historic Rosewood that opened in April 2025. The building operated as a car and taxi service in the 1960s and as office space in the 1970s, then sat vacant for decades before being renovated over about three years.
• It currently contains 16 studios and more than 25 artists working in visual arts, ceramics, animation, fiber, sculpture, and other disciplines. The presenters described the building as about 13,000 square feet, with roughly 4,000 square feet in use before the expansion.
• Since opening, Gemini has hosted seven exhibitions; its seventh, featuring resident artists, runs through September 4, 2026. More than 90 different artists have exhibited in its gallery. Friday night open studios run from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.
• The presenters said the city previously approved $50,000 for expansion and $30,000 for programming. The expansion will add six studios and an education space, with a projected opening of January 1, 2027. Studio rental applications for the new spaces are expected in the next couple of months.
• Studio rents are intentionally below market rate and range from $210 to $450 per month depending on square footage.
• Future plans include a first annual plein air painting event on October 3, expanded classes and camps in the new education space, and more outreach to schools and youth. The presenters expressed hope that arts can transform the Rosewood industrial corridor, as happened in the Vista. Council members praised the affordable studio model and the preservation of the building's industrial history.

Vista Guild Senate Street Public Art Project

• Joseph Kendrick, secretary of the Congaree Vista Guild board and a member of its public art subcommittee, presented a request to place a new public artwork on the median of the 900 block of Senate Street.
• The median already contains several sculptures, including the 'I Love You' hand, the Don Staley sculpture, a peace pole, and 'Her Heart' near the convention center. The proposed site is an open area on the other side of a walkway, closer to Ruth's Chris and the former fire station.
• No artist has been selected yet. The Vista Guild plans to solicit artists' past work, choose three finalists, and have the Vista Public Art Committee select the artist. Kendrick said letters of support from the neighborhood association and area residents are ready, and the next step is review by One Columbia.
• Kendrick noted that current policy does not require the committee to see the final design before placement, but council members asked for a visual or diagram showing the proposed sculpture's proximity to existing pieces when the project returns. Members expressed support for moving the application forward.
• Rosie Craig, speaking from the audience as a longtime Vista co-founder, described how artists helped catalyze the Vista 40 years ago and said the organized public art process helps account for utilities and other site constraints.
• The committee approved, by motion and second, forwarding the Vista Guild's request and supporting letters to One Columbia for review, with the expectation that a more detailed presentation will come back to the committee.

Columbia Art Center Update

• Bohumila Augustinova, program coordinator at the Columbia Art Center, presented the update. The agenda also listed Parks and Recreation Director Kenya Bryant as a presenter. The update was informational; no formal action was taken.
• The Art Center began in the 1990s in a 1,400-square-foot former space on Calhoun Street that flooded when it rained, then moved in 2017 to 1227 Taylor Street on the ground floor of the Keenan parking garage.
• The Center currently has 130 members, up from 75 at the old location and 100 when it first moved. It cannot accommodate more than 130 members, has a 63-person waiting list that would take about five years to clear, and has temporarily closed the waiting list.
• In the 2025-26 year, the Center offered 95 classes with 660 students and 28 workshops with 188 students. Ceramics remain about 90% of programming, but workshops now include Ukrainian pysanka egg decorating, watercolor, and nature journaling.
• The 2026 summer camp season ran nine weeks with 110 campers in half-day sessions. Year-round programming includes after-school art for ages 5-10 and a clay program called 'Playing with Mud' for ages 10-15.
• The 'Creative Journey' outreach program serves veterans, caregivers, and families monthly in partnership with the VA and Fort Jackson, with about 30 participants each month, plus a quarterly 'Exceptional Families' program for families of children with disabilities. The program received a 2013 excellence-in-programming award from the South Carolina Recreation and Parks Association and a 2014 Neighborhood USA award.
• The 'Operation Bedroll' program teaches people to make plarn—plastic yarn from grocery bags—and crochet sleeping mats for unhoused residents, working with Keeping It Real Ministries. Augustinova stated that about 90% of the chronically unhoused people served by that ministry are veterans who have never been treated.
• Since 2024, the Center has partnered with USC ceramic artist Sean Clute; USC students and adjunct professors have taught more than 40 classes and workshops at the Center, and USC interns learn studio operations.
• Council members praised pottery's mental health benefits, the Center's community atmosphere, and the importance of veteran outreach.

Key Outcomes

• Prior meeting minutes from February 9, 2026, and April 28, 2026, were approved.
• Gemini Arts and Columbia Art Center updates were received as information; no votes were taken on those items.
• The Vista Guild Senate Street public art request was approved for referral to One Columbia, with a future committee presentation expected before final placement.
• Next steps: Gemini Arts' expansion is expected to open January 1, 2027; the Columbia Art Center waiting list remains closed; and free Operation Bedroll workshops are being scheduled for fall.