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The Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, South Carolina, is unveiling newly reconfigured collection galleries to cap its 75th anniversary and culminate a yearlong renovation. The museum will reopen its collection galleries following a gala on January 16, presenting a newly conceived display across 20 galleries. The reinstalled galleries draw from the museum’s American, Asian, European, and modern and contemporary holdings, including Italian Renaissance works from the Kress Collection, an Asian gallery anchored by Chinese art from the Tang dynasty, and thematic galleries focused on landscape, still life, and art and architecture. The renovation, which began in January 2025, included new lighting and ceilings, reinforced walls, and conservation work on pieces by Sam Gilliam, Teiji Takai, and Benjamin Wilson.

black history month exhibitions us museums 2743570

Museums across the United States are presenting a series of major exhibitions featuring Black artists in conjunction with Black History Month. Highlights include the final stop of Noah Davis's first museum show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a major retrospective of self-taught artist Minnie Evans at Atlanta's High Museum, a thematic group show of Black women artists at the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum, a long-overdue South Carolina retrospective for 92-year-old artist Leo Twiggs at the Gibbes Museum, and a survey of Tavares Strachan's work at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

South Carolina Artist Aldwyth Dies, The Box Closes in LA, and More: Morning Links for April 27, 2026

A New York federal jury has awarded the Morgan Art Foundation $102.2 million in damages after finding that art publisher Michael McKenzie isolated artist Robert Indiana near the end of his life and created unauthorized versions of his iconic "LOVE" works. Separately, South Carolina collage artist Aldwyth (Mary Aldwyth Dickman) has died at age 90, known for intricate assemblages made in a treehouse studio. In Los Angeles, influential gallery The Box, founded by Mara McCarthy with her father Paul McCarthy, announced it will close after 19 years. Other news includes the dismantling of the Armand Vaillancourt fountain in San Francisco, preservationist concerns over Trump's Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool project, and a new JR installation in Venice inspired by Veronese's "The Wedding at Cana."

harriet tubman river raid exhibition 2658336

A new exhibition at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina, titled “Picturing Freedom,” highlights Harriet Tubman’s role in the Combahee River Raid of 1863, where she guided Union troops to free 756 enslaved people in a single night. The show features works by Jacob Lawrence, Aaron Douglas, Elizabeth Catlett, and Faith Ringgold, alongside contemporary artists, and includes multimedia elements such as audio interviews with descendants, a video reenactment, and landscape photographs by J. Henry Fair. Guest curated by Vanessa Thaxton-Ward of Hampton University Museum, the exhibition is based on Edda L. Fields-Black’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book "COMBEE."

South Carolina’s International African American Museum Officially Acquires Earliest Known Daguerreotypes of Enslaved Americans

South Carolina’s International African American Museum Officially Acquires Earliest Known Daguerreotypes of Enslaved Americans

The International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, has officially acquired the "1850 Daguerreotypes," the earliest known photographs of enslaved Americans. The set of 15 images, taken by J.T. Zealy, depicts seven enslaved individuals—Alfred, Delia, Drana, Fassena, Jack, Jem, and Renty—and had been held by Harvard University until a recent legal settlement. Harvard had owned the daguerreotypes since they were commissioned in 1850 by natural historian Louis Agassiz.

Remembering Pearl Fryar, Siri Aurdal, and Frank Stack

The art world mourns the loss of several influential figures, including self-taught topiary artist Pearl Fryar, who transformed a South Carolina cornfield into a botanical landmark, and painter Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, known for her politically charged works featured in the Whitney Biennial. The week's memorials also include Norwegian sculptor Siri Aurdal, a pioneer of industrial materials in the 1960s Scandinavian scene, and Frank Stack, the educator and cartoonist credited with creating the first underground comic.

Person of the Day | Chase Quinn Adopts Multi-Discipline Approach to Art-Museum Exhibits, Programs

Chase Quinn has been appointed as the inaugural creative director and curator of special projects at the Mississippi Museum of Art (MMA) in Jackson, starting in January 2025. In this newly created role, he oversees both curatorial and education departments, focusing on inclusive, cohesive content development and storytelling. Quinn, previously co-director of education and programs and curator of special projects at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina, was inspired by Carrie Mae Weems’ series “From Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried” at Tate Modern in the mid-1990s, which shaped his approach to complicating narratives around race in museum exhibitions.

Greenville County Museum of Art showcases ‘At This Moment’ exhibition

The Greenville County Museum of Art (GCMA) will open “At This Moment: Portraits of South Carolina Artists” on November 12, featuring 78 photographs taken over ten months by photographer Jerry Seigel. Seigel was commissioned by GCMA’s Mark Sloan and Tom Styron to travel across the state and capture portraits of notable artists including Sigmund Abeles, Shepard Fairey, Pearl Fryar, Jonathan Green, Mary Jackson, Jasper Johns, Grainger McKoy, George Read, Brian Rutenberg, Leo Twiggs, and Mary Whyte. The exhibition runs through January 11, 2026, and will be accompanied by a book of the same title containing Seigel’s photos and biographical information on each artist.

mfa boston david drake vessels restitution 1234759453

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has restituted two large-scale ceramic vessels by David Drake, an enslaved potter, to his known descendants. The works—a "Poem Jar" and a "Signed Jar," both from 1857—were acquired by the museum in 1997 and 2011 respectively. On October 16, the MFA deaccessioned the jars and transferred ownership to Drake's descendants via the Dave the Potter Legacy Trust. The museum then repurchased the "Poem Jar," which re-entered the collection on October 23, while the "Signed Jar" remains with the family on long-term loan to the museum. The decision followed discussions prompted by the exhibition "Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina," co-organized with the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Molly McQueen, the granddaughter of actor Steve McQueen, is suing South Carolina lawyer Brent Borchert for a Jackson Pollock painting valued at $68 million. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in August, alleges that Steve McQueen transferred the Pollock drip painting to Borchert's parents, Rudolph and Pamela, in exchange for a motorcycle and a property in Latigo Canyon. When the motorcycle was crashed and the property title never changed hands, McQueen demanded the painting back, but the Borcherts failed to return it. Brent Borchert, who inherited the painting along with his sister Bettina after his parents' deaths, told the Mirror that the deal was 'hazy' and that he is open to a reasonable agreement if evidence supports the claim.

To-Do List: A night of poetry at the art museum, the rodeo comes to town and a Beatles tribute

This article is a weekly events roundup from Free Times, listing activities in the Columbia, South Carolina area from May 6-11. It includes an art exhibition by sculptor Ellen Emerson Yaghjian at Stormwater Studios, a poetry and performance night at the Columbia Museum of Art responding to Rodney McMillian's exhibition, a Beatles tribute concert, a rodeo, an oil paint-making workshop, a music concert, a historic walking tour, a teen craft workshop, and a rock concert.

ArtFields festival returns to Lake City April 10 to May 2, featuring Southeast artists

Lake City, South Carolina, is set to host the annual ArtFields festival from April 10 to May 2, 2026. The event transforms the town into a massive gallery, displaying hundreds of works by Southeastern artists across local boutiques, restaurants, and historic warehouses. This year's competition features over $100,000 in prize money, with winners determined by both a professional jury and a popular vote.

harvard cedes early images of enslaved americans legal settlement 1234743708

Harvard University has transferred ownership of fifteen daguerreotypes from around 1850, considered the earliest surviving photographs of enslaved African Americans, to the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. The settlement ends an eight-year legal dispute with Tamara Lanier, who claimed the images depict her ancestors, Renty and Delia, and argued they were taken without consent for the discredited biologist Louis Agassiz. The Massachusetts courts had previously ruled that ownership remained with the photographer, but allowed Lanier to pursue emotional distress claims over Harvard's continued use of the images in marketing materials.

Students curate the past and look toward the future: SVAD centennial exhibition showcases 100 years of art at USC

Students at the University of South Carolina curated "Generations: 100 Years of Art at USC," a centennial exhibition at the McKissick Museum celebrating the School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD). Developed in an exhibition design course taught by museum director Lana Burgess and professor Susan Felleman, the show traces the art department's history from its founding in 1925 by Katherine Heyward to its current status as the state's largest art program. Junior art history major Agostina Mercado and her classmates researched archives, conducted oral histories with former faculty like Philip Mullen, and uncovered themes of mentorship and community that have defined the school for a century.

New Exhibition Explores the Timeless and Perplexing Tradition of “Trompe l’Oeil”

A new exhibition titled "Fool Me Twice" has opened at Robert Lange Studios in Charleston, South Carolina, featuring 20 international artists who explore the tradition of trompe l’oeil—a technique that uses hyperrealistic illusion to blur the line between reality and representation. Works include George Ayers’s "Swamp Frog," where a frog appears to break through the canvas, and Sharon Moody’s "The Year of Great Shocks," a meticulously painted comic book spread. The show runs through May 25, 2025.

Coastal Discovery Museum hosting annual Beaufort County High School Regional Art Exhibition

The Coastal Discovery Museum is hosting the fifth annual Beaufort County High School Regional Art Exhibition, a juried showcase featuring over 100 works by local students. Running through May 5, the exhibition includes a diverse range of media such as painting, photography, ceramics, and digital art from eight public and private schools. A public reception and awards ceremony are scheduled for April 9 to celebrate the technical skill and creativity of these emerging young artists.

Local artists transform Wales Garden into open-air gallery for annual event

The Wales Garden neighborhood in Columbia, South Carolina, hosted its annual open-air art event, transforming local residential spaces into a public gallery. Visitors were invited to stroll through the community to view a diverse array of works, including paintings and pottery, displayed amidst the neighborhood's natural landscape.

south dakota art professor reinstated charlie kirk comments 1234755756

Tenured University of South Dakota art professor Michael Hook, who faced termination for social media comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has been reinstated after dropping his lawsuit. Hook posted remarks on September 10 calling Kirk a "hate-spreading Nazi" after the activist was shot dead, then apologized and deleted the post. South Dakota political leaders including Governor Larry Rhoden called for his firing, and USD placed Hook on administrative leave on September 12. Hook sued the university and the South Dakota Board of Regents on September 23, arguing his comments were protected by the First Amendment. Students organized a petition with nearly 22,000 signatures supporting his reinstatement. On October 3, USD president Sheila Gestring withdrew the termination notice, citing Hook's apology and employment record. Hook then dismissed the lawsuit as moot.

Exhibitions by Lee Sipe and Chase Lanier open at Sumter County Gallery of Art on Aug. 28

Two new exhibitions open at the Sumter County Gallery of Art on August 28: Lee Sipe's "Precious Vessels, Asian Spirit" and Chase Lanier's "Within the Margin of Err/Or." Sipe, a Korean-born artist based in Columbia, South Carolina, creates intricate vessels from copper wire, pine needles, and natural materials, drawing on her Asian heritage. Her work has been acquired by the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery. Lanier, a University of Georgia graduate, produces works that explore form, color, and the passage of time using fire and precise delineation. Both artists will attend the opening reception.

south carolina artist wins 158k copyright infringement case mural 1234770761

A federal judge in South Carolina awarded artist Todd Atkinson $158,400 in a copyright infringement case against artist Chan Shepherd and the building owner, Justin L. McFalls. Atkinson painted a mural of a train and water tank on a building in Clover, S.C., in 1982, and registered its copyright in 2023. After McFalls purchased the building, he hired Shepherd to paint a similar version over the original, removing Atkinson’s signature and adding Shepherd’s own. The court found violations of the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA), awarding $150,000 in statutory damages and $8,400 in actual damages.

ARTS AND HUMANITIES: Aiken Center for the Arts exhibition focuses on the shaping of identity

Artist Lucy Bailey is presenting a solo exhibition titled "Roots and Wings" at the Aiken Center for the Arts, running through April 29. The show features nearly 50 mixed-media works created on vintage early 20th-century infant gowns, exploring the complex origins of human identity through themes of genetics, genealogy, community, and nature. Bailey utilizes diverse materials—ranging from DNA-inspired patterns and family photographs to resin-dipped cicada wings—to symbolize the foundational "roots" of selfhood and the "wings" of individual expression.

Comment | Dave the Potter finally becomes a complete artist

David Drake, also known as Dave the Potter, was an enslaved African American ceramicist and poet in 19th-century South Carolina who inscribed his stoneware jars with defiant poetry at a time when teaching enslaved people to read or write was a crime. The article argues that despite his recognized genius, Drake was not fully an artist during his lifetime because he was denied the fundamental right to own, control, and benefit from his creations—a right the Berne Convention calls 'inalienable.' Only recently, after the Museum of Fine Arts Boston returned two of his jars to his heirs, has Drake begun to receive the full recognition and economic justice that define true artistic status.

Pearl Fryar, a Picasso of Plants, Dies at 86

Pearl Fryar, the visionary self-taught topiary artist who transformed his yard in Bishopville, South Carolina, into a world-renowned botanical masterpiece, has died at age 86. Starting in the 1980s with no formal training, Fryar used a gas-powered hedge trimmer to sculpt salvaged plants into gravity-defying, abstract geometric forms that drew thousands of international visitors to his three-acre property.

High Schools Juried Art Exhibition

The Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum is preparing to host the 26th Annual Horry-Georgetown County High Schools Juried Art Exhibition from April 19 to May 17. The showcase features a diverse range of media, including painting, sculpture, and ceramics, selected from hundreds of submissions across local high schools and homeschool programs. This year's competition will be judged by Ashlyn Pope, a contemporary artist and assistant professor at Coastal Carolina University.

News From Around the South Carolina Lowcountry

The Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA) announces its "Large Art" exhibition, running from January 5 to February 2 at the SOBA Gallery in Old Town Bluffton, South Carolina. The show features oversized works by SOBA member artists, including vibrant abstracts, mixed media, and contemporary compositions. Proceeds from artwork sales and donations during the exhibition will support SOBA's fundraising efforts to secure a new, permanent home for the nonprofit organization.

Myrtle Beach gallery opens doors & unites local artists

A new art gallery, Gallery 320, celebrated its grand opening in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Thursday. The gallery serves as the new permanent home for the Waccamaw Arts and Crafts Guild, a collective that has existed for over 50 years. The space features a diverse range of local artists, including woodworkers, metalworkers, weavers, photographers, and painters, and is located in the Arts and Innovation District at 320 Broadway Street.

World-renowned artist brings outdoor art exhibition to Anne Springs Close Greenway

The Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, South Carolina, will host "Forest Forms," a traveling outdoor art exhibition by world-renowned artist Huelani Mei, from September 13, 2025, through January 11, 2026. The exhibition features eighteen large-scale powder-coated steel sculptures, including a fox family, flower stacks, and a snake archway, placed along a half-mile trail from the Steele Creek swinging bridge to Lake Haigler. Presented by Visit York County and included in the Charlotte International Arts Festival schedule, the show is free with Greenway membership or daily admission.

ArtFields Festival transforms Lake City, SC with art

The annual ArtFields Festival has launched in Lake City, South Carolina, turning the small agricultural town into a massive open-air gallery. The event features hundreds of artworks displayed across local businesses, warehouses, and professional galleries, drawing thousands of visitors to a community once known primarily as a hub for green bean auctions.

Owners of State of the Art in Cayce are opening a studio for potters and artists

The owners of State of the Art, a gallery in Cayce, South Carolina, are opening a new studio space dedicated to potters and visual artists. The studio will provide shared workspace, kilns, and equipment for ceramic artists, as well as studio space for painters and other creators, expanding the local arts infrastructure beyond the existing gallery.