Member News | May 13-18

COLUMBIA MUSEUM OF ART SHOWCASES THE GREATEST HITS FROM MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY COLLECTION

The Columbia Museum of Art showcases Modern & Contemporary Art from the Collection beginning August 2012, featuring over 30 paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures that will remain on view indefinitely.

“Since arriving at the Columbia Museum of Art six months ago, it has been a pleasure discovering the depth and quality of the Museum’s collection,” chief curator, Will South, said. “The collection is so rich in number that for some time the museum’s modern and contemporary holdings have been in storage. For our visitors to have the most diverse and exciting experience possible here at the CMA, some of these greatest hits need to be back out and that’s what’s happening.”

Long-time CMA members will also find old friends on view, including works by Jasper Johns, Howard Thomas, Sally Mann and Edward Ruscha, whose famous image of the Hollywood Hills on view has become a staple of the art world.

“Modern & Contemporary from the Collection offers experiences both serious and sensual, designed to both entertain and enlighten,” South said.

Among the earliest works of art on view in Modern & Contemporary Art from the Collection is Leon Kelly’s energetic abstraction influenced by the then-new and radical art movement, Cubism. Kelly’s early embrace of Cubism was shared by a small, but enthusiastic number of Americans who were excited about the possibilities opened up by Cubism: objects are always viewed and understood from different angles and over time, so why not include time and space into image-making? Thinking in this way resulted in canvases that were baffling to the public when first made as they showed a flat surface fractured into space that analyzed objects with movement and changeability in mind. Kelly’s work is a classic American response to one of the most important art movements and a good starting place for visitors to either revisit Cubism or begin to appreciate it for the first time.

The dramatically large and brightly colored Gene Davis piece is in the same gallery. While early abstraction usually involved a figure or a still life as a point of departure, by the mid-20th century, artists were well versed in using color and shape alone to express complex ideas and emotions. Davis’ imposing canvas is visually scintillating with line after line vying for the mind’s attention. The purpose of such painting was not to describe known things such as a cat or a cup or a flaming sunset, but rather to orchestrate color (much as one would orchestrate musical notes, which are completely abstract and no one ever questions that fact) to stimulate a viewer’s reactions, reactions that need not (or cannot be) put into words. Artists often say that if they could write about what it was they felt, they would. Instead, they paint it.

As the 20th century moved on, art movements of all kinds emerged, often known as “isms”: Cubism, Fauvism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism among them. Lionel Gilbert’s sensually compelling Breakfast Table is a prime example of how an artist fuses stylistic sources. Here, visitors see glimmers of Cubism in the faceted planes that make up the compote and cups, while the bold and paint-laden brush of Abstract Expressionism is present, too. Touches of arbitrary color speak to the influence of Fauvism. While Gilbert’s painting is a visual delight, it is also an object lesson on how artists think: good results often come from the blending of influences that came before us.

Small abstract oils by nationally recognized artist Pat Steir are also on view for the first time. These small, effervescent canvases, in the same vein as the large Gene Davis, exploit the potential of color alone as a path to expression. As opposed to Davis, Steir does not control the shapes and edges of color at all, but rather lets color flow down and around randomly, allowing gravity and chance to play a part in the mark making. The result is a series of fresh, glowing images that the artist arrived at after intense study of color. All of the works by Pat Steir are recent gifts from the nationally-known collectors, Herbert and Dorothy Vogel.

Modern & Contemporary Art from the Collection is located in the Lipscomb Family Galleries 5 & 6 on level one. For more information, visit columbiamuseum.org.

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AHA Recognition for Gibbons

Julian Gibbons, vice president for Community and Governmental Relations, has been honored as a 2012 Grassroots Award winner by the American Hospital Association. The award recognizes the exceptional work by Gibbons and Regina Brown in generating grassroots and community activity in support of a hospital’s mission. Congratulations

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NAI AVANT BROKERS SALE OF 18 ACRES TO WILCO-HESS,

HARDEEVILLE, SC

(May 14, 2012) Cam Kreps, a member of NAI Avant’s Senior Brokerage Team, recently brokered the sale of an 18 acre Land Tract in Hardeeville, South Carolina. Kreps represented the purchaser, Wilco-Hess in the transaction valued at approximately $2,550,000.

The site is located at the intersection of Highway 17 and I-95 (Exit 5) in Jasper County.  Wilco-Hess owns and operates 350 stores in 7 States. Construction of the new $7.5 million Travel Plaza will commence immediately and Wilco-Hess plans to make 50 new hires in the area; full and part-time.

About NAI Avant

NAI Avant’s commercial real estate business is one of the largest in the Southeast.  With over 65 professionals, the firm provides comprehensive brokerage, leasing, development, property and project management services.  For nearly three consecutive decades, the group has had more of its brokerage professionals recognized as top producers or recipients of the top awards than any other firm in South Carolina. As a member of the NAI Global Network, NAI Avant is affiliated with over 350 offices and 5,000 professionals in 55 countries across the globe. NAI Global is the largest independent commercial real estate service provider worldwide and a wholly owned subsidiary of C-III Capital Partners. NAI Avant’s Property and Project Management Group currently manages a multi-million square foot portfolio of properties across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Through its Avant Healthcare Division, the firm provides comprehensive services to hospitals, clinics, and physician groups. NAI Avant, founded in 1966, is headquartered in Columbia, SC with an office in Charleston, SC. Find out more about NAI Avant and its services at www.naiavant.com. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @NAI Avant and like us on Facebook.

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NAI AVANT BROKERS 15,000 SQUARE FOOT INDUSTRIAL LEASE ON BLUFF ROAD, COLUMBIA, SC

COLUMBIA, SC (May 17, 2012) Dick Stanland, CCIM, SIOR, GRI, and Nick Stomski, SIOR, recently consummated a 15,000 square foot Industrial Lease on Bluff Road. Stanland and Stomski represented the Landlord.  Masthead Industries, Inc currently occupies the space and extended its commitment.

About NAI Avant

NAI Avant’s commercial real estate business is one of the largest inthe Southeast.  With over 65 professionals, the firm provides comprehensive brokerage, leasing, development, property and project management services.  For nearly three consecutive decades, the group has had more of its brokerage professionals recognized as top producers or recipients of the top awards than any other firm in South Carolina. As a member of the NAI Global Network, NAI Avant is affiliated with over 350 offices and 5,000 professionals in 55 countries across the globe. NAI Global is the largest independent commercial real estate service provider worldwide and a wholly owned subsidiary of C-III Capital Partners. NAI Avant’s Property and Project Management Group currently manages a multi-million square foot portfolio of properties across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Through its Avant Healthcare Division, the firm provides comprehensive services to hospitals, clinics, and physician groups. NAI Avant, founded in 1966, is headquartered in Columbia, SC with an office in Charleston, SC. Find out more about NAI Avant and its services at www.naiavant.com. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @NAI Avant and like us on Facebook.

Contact: Bruce Harper, President and Broker-In-Charge, Columbia Office, 803-744-9805, or bharper@naiavant.com

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For Immediate Release

On June 14^th at 10 AM in the Palmetto Room at the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, RVSoft Incorporated, of Columbia will launch a brand new web portal designed in partnership with the Tourism Department of the Republic of Maldives. The portal site contains in-depth information on the Maldives, including a business network, sales of Maldives items through e-commerce, an online broadband channel, and an online newspaper. The Maldives online portal site was developed using the powerful Comaxiam Content Management System (CMS) version 8, new software that allows for a large database of editable content controlled by the client.

The launch of the Maldives online site is being held here in Columbia in order to showcase our exciting new Content Management System and new E-Commerce software—both of which are state of the art technology. The CMS software allows clients to have dynamic websites that they can easily change themselves. In addition, our highly advanced E-Commerce platform works with almost all payment bridges for credit card companies, Paypal and Google payment methods.

Our RVSoft/Comaxiam CMS software is very easy to use—if clients can use Microsoft Word, they can make all the changes they will ever need to their websites without outside assistance. Unlike other content management systems, Comaxiam CMS 8 allows pure content changes from the front side of the website, as opposed to the less user-friendly backend versions utilized by most other systems. On the backend of our CMS platform, clients can make site changes like banner changes and flash animation, all of which are impossible in standard CMS formats.

The website framework is also Search Engine Optimization friendly, with digital marketing tools included in the framework. Email blasts, social media integrations, metatag creation, web content changes, search engine analytics, social media marketing tools, and digital advertisements can all be managed by the site owner.

We think Comaxiam CMS 8 will create a website revolution, allowing small businesses to save money and advertise in many ways through internet technology. We are pleased that the Republic of Maldives has partnered their Tourism site with us to allow RVSoft, Inc. to showcase our new software in a truly global application. We invite all media members and interested parties to attend the launch.

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COLUMBIA MUSEUM OF ART ANNOUNCES THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FURTHERING ITS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

COLUMBIA, SC - The Columbia Museum of Art has seen tremendous growth since moving to Main Street in 1998. Thousands of people have visited the Museum and in 2010, a daily attendance record of over 2,000 people visited the CMA. As the Museum continues to grow its audiences, the board and staff look to the future with excitement and anticipation, as evidenced by a new strategic plan. This plan is a blueprint for the goals and strategies over the next three years, with its foundation being the overarching goal of community engagement. To reinforce this strategy, the CMA defined four supporting goals, refreshed the mission and vision statements, defined core values and established guiding principles. The plan employs measurable outcomes in support of the CMA’s commitment to be an audience-based, audience-relevant and audience-centered organization.

“We are eager to further our community engagement and impact throughout the state,” Karen Brosius, executive director, said.

The plan was developed in collaboration with a broad range of people including community leaders, board members, staff and museum planning consultants, VernerJohnson of Boston. In the last 18 months, the CMA put an emphasis on learning about audience, member and community perceptions of the Museum, their expectations, and what they want to see the CMA offer and do. “We want to be visitor and community centered in all that we do going forward,” Joelle Ryan-Cook, deputy director, said.

In order to provide critical background information for planning, visitor research was conducted using formal and informal surveys of the Museum audience, community and even non-visitors. Additional information was gathered through board and staff retreats, interactive audience games during programs and events, social media engagement strategies and focus groups.

The Museum also participated in the Association of Art Museum Directors mapping project, which is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. This project documents all education, community, and business partnerships, as well as members and donors. The most essential benefit of the project is to communicate the extent of the CMA’s service, impact and value in all sectors of society. This project shows a broad base of engagement across community, civic and educational institutions.

“The maps illustrate a growing public interest in the CMA from a larger geographic area, in addition to the capital city. We’re more than the “Columbia” Museum of Art and serve communities throughout the state, and to an extent, the region,” Brosius, said.  The map below shows education, community, and business partnerships the CMA has engaged over the last three years. Over 500 touch points, including schools, community, civic and service organizations, libraries, senior groups, colleges/universities, faith-based groups, youth groups, cultural organizations and corporations represent the CMA’s broad reach.

The strategic plan, new mission and vision statements and results of the mapping project were formally announced on Thursday, May 17, at the 61st annual membership meeting in conjunction with the Columbia Art Association’s 96th annual meeting. Board president Duncan McIntosh officiated the meeting, which included the announcement of the board officers for 2012-2013.

Luther J. Battiste, III serves as president with R. Scott McClelland, vice-president; Dr. Suzanne Thorpe, secretary; and Joel A. Smith, III treasurer.

At the meeting, the following trustees were elected to serve for the Class of 2015: Lisa Arnold, Tom Collins, Dr. Carolyn Kressler-Greenberg, R. Scott McClelland, Dr. Allen Montgomery, Ann B. Oliver, Joel A. Smith, III, Dr. Suzanne Thorpe and Brenda Wheeler.

The President’s Award was presented to John Whitehead for his years of continued service and dedication to the Museum and the annual CMA gala.

The Director’s Award for employee of the year was presented to Sara Kennedy, manager of visitor services and technology.

The Chairman’s Award, presented by C. Carroll Heyward, Columbia Museum of Art Commission chair, was presented to Ada “Missy” McIver for her great enthusiasm and involvement in the Museum. She is not only a volunteer, but an outstanding example of a lifelong learner in art.

The Vendor Service Award was given to Michelle Motchos, PE of Stevens & Wilkinson of South Carolina, Inc.

The Docent of the Year Award was given to Susan James for her dedicated service to the Museum’s educational mission.

Mac Arthur Goodwin presented his namesake award for excellence in education in the arts to Josh Keiper, White Knoll High School art teacher.

Additional Information on the Strategic Plan available:

http://www.columbiamuseum.org/newsroom

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Pay Two-for-One Admission with the Return of Toucan Tuesdays at Riverbanks Zoo

Popular Summer Offer Kicks-off June 12 to Benefit Harvest Hope

[Columbia, SC] – Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is pleased to announce the return of Toucan Tuesdays—a partnership with Harvest Hope Food Bank to help feed hungry families in the Midlands.

Every Tuesday this summer, beginning on June 12, two can visit Riverbanks for the price of one with a donation of two cans of non-perishable food to Harvest Hope.

“Harvest Hope is thrilled to partner with Riverbanks Zoo for the third year of Toucan Tuesdays, and we look forward to the outpouring of donated food that will help us so much in our mission this summer,” said Harvest Hope CEO Denise Holland. “It is wonderful that a family-based organization like Riverbanks Zoo can be so instrumental in providing food and comfort to families in need in our community.”

Riverbanks visitors generated nearly 2,000 pounds of food during last year’s Toucan Tuesdays drive.

Buy-one, get-one admission isn’t the only perk guests will receive for visiting on a Toucan Tuesday. Riverbanks will also offer $2 ICEEs and 2-for-1 specials in the Elephant’s Trunk Gift Shop.

In addition, visiting on a Toucan Tuesday is a perfect opportunity to check out the Zoo’s newest pair of residents—Riverbanks’ Komodo dragons. The juvenile dragons, born last August, are now on exhibit in the Desert Gallery of the Aquarium-Reptile Complex.

Toucan Tuesdays will run for 12 consecutive Tuesdays throughout the summer, ending on August 28. The promotion applies to general admission rates only (purchase one admission and get the second for equal or lesser value free; Explorer wristbands and memberships are not included). Donation bins will be located at both the Zoo and Garden entrances. For more information, visit www.riverbanks.org.

About Riverbanks Zoo and Garden: For nearly 40 years, Riverbanks Zoo & Garden has connected individuals, families and groups with the world’s wildlife and wild places. It is the mission of Riverbanks Zoo and Garden to foster appreciation and concern for all living things. Riverbanks is located at 500 Wildlife Parkway, Columbia, SC 29210. The Botanical Garden entrance is located at 1300 Botanical Parkway, West Columbia, SC 29169. The park is open daily from 9am to 5pm, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas day. Admission is $11.75 for adults, $9.25 for children ages 3 – 12 and free for children 2 and under. Group rates and other discounts may apply. Year-round membership packages are also available. For more information, call Riverbanks at 803.779.8717, visit www.riverbanks.org or www.facebook.com/riverbankszoo.

About Harvest Hope Food Bank: The mission of Harvest Hope Food Bank is to provide for the needs of hungry people by gathering and sharing quality food with dignity, compassion and education. Learn more about Harvest Hope by visiting www.harvesthope.org.

Columbia Chamber Supports MetLife’s Fresh Fest in Columbia

Looking for a way to get involved in Columbia’s health and wellness causes in the community? The S.C. Fresh Fest is great way to do just that. On Saturday, June 2, the Columbia Chamber will attend the MetLife-sponsored event Fresh Fest. Fresh Fest is a “run, play, and enjoy” environment at the S.C. State Farmer’s Market featuring food, children’s activities, and both a 10K and 5K run for charity.  One hundred percent of the profits of Fresh Fest will be donated to causes that focus on the health and wellness of Columbia’s youth, families and overall community.

The festival is a part of a greater program called Active Carolina, which is also aimed toward taking action against unhealthy habits in the community. “In today’s fast paced society, it’s more important than ever to bring communities together for the common good to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others” said Tim Goldman, event director for the Active Carolina Organization. As a part of this organization, Fresh Fest makes a call to action to the Columbia community to stand up for health and wellness awareness in a fun and friendly environment.

Other sponsors for the event include the Special Olympics S.C., Famously Hot Columbia S.C., the American Diabetes Associationand many more. The Farmer’s Market is located at 3483 Charleston Hwy. in West Columbia, where the gates will open at 7 a.m. For more information, go toSCFreshFest.com. You can also email questions to SCFreshFest@gmail.com or call Tim Goldman at (803)-546-0116.

Dedication for Salvation Army Facility Held in Attendance with the Chamber, May 11

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce will be attending a dedication for the new Salvation Army Center for Worship and Service, set to be hosted on Friday, May 11 at 1 p.m. on 3024 Farrow Rd. in Columbia. There will also be an Open House held on Thursday, May 17 starting at 5:30 p.m. at the same address.

“[We want to] thank you for helping to spread the good news of our new operation in Columbia” said Major Roger Coulson, Corps Officer in Columbia, S.C. Parking for each event is in the front and rear of the building, while additional parking will be located at the Dentist office of Dr. Davis and Dr. Dingle.

You can RSVP the event by emailing Roger_Coulson@USS.Salvationarmy.org or by calling 803-309-6435.

Member News | April 2 – 13

Columbia Museum of Art May 2012 Calendar

 

MAJOR EXHIBITION                        

The Art of Seating: Two Hundred Years of American Design

April 28 – August 26, 2012

Most chairs encountered throughout the day define themselves fairly simply-a place at the family table, a comfortable spot with a great view of the river, a seat of corporate power. When looking at the 44 chairs in The Art of Seating, however, there is much more to see than simple pieces of furniture. These works of art have compelling stories to tell about our national history, the evolution of American design and incredible artistry and craftsmanship. The exhibition provides an opportunity to see readily recognizable pieces alongside those rarely seen by the public. The American Chair Collection, the center of this exhibition, is a comprehensive private collection of iconic and historic chairs reaching back from the mid-1800s to pieces from today’s studio movement. The exhibition provides an opportunity to see readily recognizable pieces alongside those rarely seen by the public. Generously sponsored by Verve Ford Boyd Interiors, BMW of Columbia, Hannah and Ron Rogers and the Columbia Marriott. #CHAIRS

ALSO ON VIEW

Columbia Design League Selects 

May 18 – July 29

CDL Selects is a complement installation to the nationally traveling exhibition, The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design. Drawn solely from the design collection of the Columbia Museum of Art, CDL Selects contains over 60 exceptional examples of 20th-century design in a variety of media forms-seating furniture, tables, lamps, and related decorative arts; sculpture; industrial design and in a variety of media, including ceramics, glass, and metal. Board members of the membership affiliate, Columbia Design League, selected the objects and wrote the accompanying label copy, stating why it is was selected as an example of good design. CDL Selects is the first exhibition to focus extensively on CMA’s design collection and is the first exhibition organized in collaboration with the Columbia Design League. 

Sit Right Down

On View in the Wachovia Education Gallery

April 28 – August 5

National Art Honors Society students display three dimensional design skills by creating model chairs while students in CMA’s One Room School House program use a print making technique to design upholstery fabric. These 3D and 2D works make for an engaging exhibition on furniture design! Different chair designs are available for your sitting pleasure – tell us which one is your favorite with our interactive survey.  Design your own chair at our young artist station and have a seat on a toadstool and read Goldilocks and the Three Bears in our reading nook. Program generously sponsored by the Hilliard Family Foundation and Colonial Life.

 Meet the Designers: Runaway Runway  

On View in the David Wallace Robinson, Jr. Community Gallery

April 6 – May 13

Get up close and personal with outfits from the 2011 Runaway Runway fashion show and learn about the conceptual and construction process behind each outfit. From a bubble wrap gown to a Mad Hatter spin-off, these creations feature post-consumer materials, range in theme and materials and are wild eco-friendly fashions!

PROGRAMS AND EVENTS:  

 To purchase tickets or register for classes, visit columbiamuseum.org.

Gallery Tour: Highlights of the Museum’s Collection

Every Sunday | 2:00 p.m.

A guided tour provides an overview of the Museum’s collection of European and American art. This family-friendly tour features masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo from the Samuel H. Kress Collection and the Museum’s American galleries. Free. #CMAtour

Gallery Tour: The Art of Seating

Every Saturday  | 1:00 p.m.

A guided tour of the exhibition, The Art of Seating, offers insight into the artists and their work. Free with admission or membership. #CMAtour

Wadsworth Chamber Music Series: Presented by U.S. Trust – Final concert of the season!

Tuesday, May 1  |  7:00 p.m.

Don’t miss it! Artistic director and cellist Edward Arron hosts an evening of chamber music for the last concert of the season featuring works by Schubert, Prokofiev, Dvorák and Faure. $35 / $30 members / $5 student tickets

Wee Wednesdays: Sculptural Whimsy
Wednesday, May 2  |  10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Learn about still life paintings in the galleries and travel to the studios to create your very own still life – in the third dimension. Participants (ages 2-5) and their adult companions explore art through the introduction of elementary art terms such as color, line, shape and texture during the Wee Wednesday series.

Music 101: Music in European Culture II: Romanticism in the 19th-Century

Wednesdays, May 2 -16  |  10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Don’t miss the final three lectures! By popular demand, the entertaining and educational Music 101 lecture series is an exploration of music, art and society during the romantic and revolutionary 19th century. Peter Hoyt, adjunct curator for music, presents an overview of the tumultuous period that begins with Beethoven and encompasses many beloved composers. Through musical examples, visual images and historical accounts, these weekly discussions illuminate the dynamic culture that produced some of the greatest masterworks in the European concert tradition. Individual Class: $15 / $12 members. Pre-registration required.  

Film: The Studio Glass Movement: Legacy of Glass

Thursday, May 3  | Noon

This film chronicles the studio glass movement from its inception in the early 1960s. In historic footage and interviews, Harvey Littleton and Dominick Labino discuss the movement’s rise and the innovations they pioneered that transformed glassblowing into a celebrated art form. The distinctive styles of three contemporary artists: Labino’s sole protégée Baker O’Brien, Shawn Messenger and Mark Matthews are featured. 51 minutes. Free with admission or membership.

Arts & Draughts

Friday, May 4  |  7:00 p.m.

CMA’s high-octane seasonal art parties are back! Enjoy beer tastings from the Whig, D.I.Y art projects, interactive art, scavenger hunts, a unique perspective tour through The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design and musical performances by Royal Tinfoil and the Mo Bros. CMA is changing the way young audiences perceive Museums. The party-like atmosphere of the event engages guests with the art and with the Museum, many for the first time. Guests mix, mingle and have a new experience at the Museum. Sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts, The Whig, WXRY and Free Times. $8 / $5 members.

Art Class: Ceramics Workshop

Saturdays, May 5 & 12  |  10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Local artist and USC Instructor Kara Gunter and local ceramicist Jordan Morris introduce the wonders of clay. Participants learn to throw clay on the potter’s wheel and hand-build functional and decorative pieces including bowls, mugs and sculpture. This ceramics workshop allows participants to experiment and learn from the instructors and fellow students in an open, encouraging atmosphere. All supplies included. $100 / $80 members.

Tour deLengua Española
Sunday, May 6  | 1:30 p.m.   

Una visita guiada a la colección del Museo de la lengua española. Esta familia de funciones fáciles de gira obras maestras del Renacimiento italiano, Barroco y Rococó de la Colección Samuel H. Kress y galerías de América del Museo. Libre. #CMAespanol

Lecture Series: SITuating American Design
Every Thursday, May 10 – 31  |   10:00 – 11:00 a.m.    

Follow the chronological march of The Art of Seating by placing the various chairs in their larger contexts, including architectural settings, accompanying material culture, and the careers of the various designers and manufacturers with USC assistant art professor Lydia Mattice Brandt. Brandt teaches the history of American art and architecture, as well the theory and methods of historic preservation. $60 or $45 members for the series / $15 single lecture ticket

Film: Sitting Down: The Art of the Chair

Sunday, May 13  |  1:00 p.m.

For sheer functionality, what piece of furniture is more essential than the chair? In this program, six leading contemporary designers discuss their technical and aesthetic approaches to making places for people to sit down. In keeping with the innovative spirit of design, the program blends stylishly filmed interviews with many examples, such as Alberto Meda’s aluminum injection technology chairs; Ross Lovegrove’s ergonomic chairs based on composite plastics; Charlotte Perriand’s work with tubing and cushions; Ron Arad’s sculpted steel furniture, notably “the well-tempered chair;” Antonio Citterio’s functional, ecologically minded business furniture; and Gaetano Pesce’s diversified series. 52 minutes. FREE. Program supported, in part, by Carla and Dibble Manning.

One Room School House: Take a Seat

Friday, May 11 | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. or 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

Explore the exhibition The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design and learn how design and function work together.  In the studios, students draft and build a model of their chair design. This program is designed especially for home-school children (ages 4 and up) and their parents. Program generously sponsored by Colonial Life.  

Passport to Art

Sunday, May 13  |  Noon – 3:00 p.m.  
The FREE monthly open studio program for families features creative and theme inspired hands-on art projects followed by self-guided tours of the Museum. Supported by SCE&G.  

Family Gallery Tour

Sunday, May 13  | 1:00 p.m.

This guided, 45-minute interactive tour, connects with the monthly Passport to Art theme and explores the world of art in a way that can be enjoyed by all family members. Discover the Museum in a new way and learn how to talk about art with your children. FREE. Supported by SCE&G. #CMAtour

Spring Valley Choral Concert

Sunday, May 13   |  3:00 p.m.

The Spring Valley High School Viking Singers perform love songs spanning the Renaissance through the 21st century. Under the direction of Dr. Patrick Hawkins, the 45-voice choir won Superior ratings at state music festivals. FREE.  

FAAAC presents Ella Fitzgerald VERSUS Sarah Vaughan
Sunday, May 20 |  2:00 p.m.  The Friends of African American Art and Culture (FAAAC) hosts the VERSUS series, featuring a fun comparison and contrast of similar African-American art, artists and culture. This VERSUS features brunch and an afternoon of jazz honoring two great American voices: Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. $25 / $20 for FAAAC members.      

Opening Reception: Columbia Design League Selects 

Tuesday, May 22  |  6:00 p.m.

CDL Selects is a complement installation to the nationally traveling exhibition, The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design. Drawn solely from the design collection of the Columbia Museum of Art, CDL Selects contains over 60 exceptional examples of 20th-century design in a variety of media forms-seating furniture, tables, lamps, and related decorative arts; sculpture; industrial design and in a variety of media, including ceramics, glass, and metal. Board members of the membership affiliate, Columbia Design League, selected the objects and wrote the accompanying label copy, stating why it is was selected as an example of good design. CDL Selects is the first exhibition to focus extensively on CMA’s design collection and is the first exhibition organized in collaboration with the Columbia Design League. The reception is free for CDL members.  

Film: Encounters with Contemporary Designers

Sunday, May 27  |   1:00 p.m.

This film showcases the finished products of a number of contemporary designers, objects that directly reflect the ratio of style to practicality unique to their creators. From Marc Sandler’s performance-driven protective suits of motorcyclists to Jean-Paul Goude’s Orangina bottle to Nestor Perkal’s symbolic mirrors, these objects define cutting edge in the field. Extended interviews with the designers are mixed with examples of their work, including televisions by Philippe Stark, tools by Jean Claude Neyton, objects for the table by Sylvain Dubuisson, and street furniture by Martin Szekely. 52 Minutes. FREE.

About Face Weekly Drawing Sessions

Monday: Topics vary                         10:00 a.m. – noon

Tuesday: Portrait Drawing                6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday: Figure Drawing                  7:15 – 9:15 p.m.

First Wednesday & Friday:               Long pose 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

About Face is a group of artists that share a figural model in the Museum’s studios. This group, representing a wide range of ages and abilities, offers a supportive and friendly atmosphere in which to hone artistic skills. Details at columbiamuseum.org. #AboutFace

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Columbia Museum of Art announces 2012 Gala: The CHAIRity Ball! 

The Columbia Museum of Art is saving your seat for the most talked about event of the year, the annual black-tie fundraising gala! The CHAIRity Ball! is on Friday, April 27, 2012 from 7:00 p.m. to midnight and tickets are on sale now.

The CHAIRity Ball! celebrates the opening night of the Museum’s spring exhibition, The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design. This rare opportunity to see iconic American chairs in a variety of styles is the first comprehensive exhibition of American chair design in the history of the Museum.

This exclusive black-tie affair features specialty cocktails, delicious fare from Southern Way, lively entertainment featuring the Atlanta Beat band from Atlanta, GA, dancing and surprises for all to enjoy. Taking advantage of every square inch of the museum building, including a large future expansion space, gala volunteers transform the Museum into a spectacle of sheer delight.

Gala tickets are $150 per person in advance or $175 at the door and support the Museum’s mission to inspire, educate and enrich lives through art. Complimentary valet parking is available on Hampton Street. To purchase tickets, visit columbiamuseum.org/gala or call 803.799.2810. 

The Gala is conceived and organized by a 60-member volunteer committee. Judy Seibels serves as the gala chair. Committee chairs include: Steven Ford, Anna Griswold, Evon Kirkland McAngus, Hannah Rogers, Otis Taylor, John Whitehead and Kara Wilkerson.

Platinum Sponsors: BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, BMW of Columbia, Pout!, Hannah and Ronald Rogers, VanJean Womenswear

Gold Sponsors: Anonymous, Dr. Suzan D. Boyd and Mr. M. Edward Sellers, Cassidy Painting, Susan B. and C.Carroll Heyward, Westend\Evon Kirkland Interiors

Silver Sponsors: Gail and Steven Anastasion, BB&T, Columbia Music Festival Association, Helen and John Hill, Lexington Medical Center, L Designs, LLC, Rice Music House, Skirt Magazine, Steven Ford Interiors, TD Bank, Wentworth Printing, Extravaganza Events and Props

Presenting Sponsors for the exhibition are: BMW of Columbia, Verve Ford Boyd Interiors, Hannah and Ronald Rogers and Columbia Marriott. Supporting Sponsors are Carla and Dibble Manning and the Pierrine and Hootie Johnson Fund of the Central Carolina Community Foundation. The education sponsor is Colonial Life.

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GROUND BREAKING FOR ARCADIA PARK

Columbia’s Newest Affordable Housing Community

For Working Families

 WHAT:         Working in partnership with South Carolina Housing, Carlisle Development Group has created a new housing opportunity for area families. The development team will kick off the project with a ground breaking to celebrate construction of this 60 unit affordable community, which is designed  specifically for working families and individuals making between 50% – 60% of the average median income.  Funding for the development has been provided by U.S. Bank. 

WHO:                Join Carlisle Development Group, Richland County Councilman for District 8, Jim Manning, Creative Builders, and other community leaders for a light breakfast, reception and groundbreaking for Arcadia Park.

WHEN:             Tuesday, April 10, 2012

                          10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

WHERE:            Arcadia Park

2400 Kneece Road, Columbia, SC 29223

(Intersection of Kneece Road and Decker Park Road      

  WHY:               Located off Decker Boulevard, which is Richland County’s Official International Corridor, Arcadia Park is not only helping fuel reinvestment in the area but also transforming the perception of low-income housing. Arcadia Park will create new jobs, bring in more than $9MM of local investment, and provide 60 new apartment homes complete with modern amenities and innovative resident services.

CONTACT:   Melissa Brillhart                                                       

                      (305) 357-4723                            

                      mbrillhart@carlisledevelopmentgroup.com                

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NAI AVANT CONSUMMATES OFFICE LEASE WITHIN CENTER POINT BUSINESS PARK, COLUMBIA, SC

Paul Hartley, SIOR, a member of NAI Avant’s Senior Office Brokerage Team, recently represented the Tenant, Key Risk Management, in a 4,112 square foot office lease within the Berkeley Building of the Center Point Business Park. Key Risk Management will be located at 200 Center Point Circle, Suite 100.

About NAI Avant

NAI Avant’s commercial real estate business is one of the largest in the Southeast.  With over 65 professionals, the firm provides comprehensive brokerage, leasing, development, property and project management services.  For nearly three consecutive decades, the group has had more of its brokerage professionals recognized as top producers or recipients of the top awards than any other firm in South Carolina. As a member of the NAI Global Network, NAI Avant is affiliated with over 350 offices and 5,000 professionals in 55 countries across the globe. NAI Global is the largest independent commercial real estate service provider worldwide and a wholly owned subsidiary of C-III Capital Partners. NAI Avant’s Property and Project Management Group currently manages a multi-million square foot portfolio of properties across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Through its Avant Healthcare Division, the firm provides comprehensive services to hospitals, clinics, and physician groups. NAI Avant, founded in 1966, is headquartered in Columbia, SCwith an office in Charleston, SC. Find out more about NAI Avant and its services at www.naiavant.com. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @NAI Avant and like us on Facebook.

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COLUMBIA MUSEUM OF ART ANNOUNCES  

TWO MAJOR UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

Mark Rothko: The Decisive Decade 1940-1950

On View September 14, 2012 – January 6, 2013

The Museum celebrates one of the world’s most influential and best-known artists of the 20th century, Mark Rothko with the exhibition, Mark Rothko: The Decisive Decade 1940-1950 featuring 37 works including paintings, watercolors and works on paper drawn largely from the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

“We are excited about this exhibition for its contributions to understanding Rothko more fully,” executive director, Karen Brosius, said. “The show brings to Columbia and South Carolina the art of a modern American master, providing a special opportunity for everyone in the region. We believe visitors will be absorbed by Rothko’s powerful and mystical style of painting. In addition, the accompanying catalogue explores a period of Rothko’s development – the 1940s – that has received little attention and yet had a profound effect on his late career. We are bringing new scholarship to art history.”

Press Kit including hi-res images and complete press release available in the newsroom:

 http://www.columbiamuseum.org/newsroom 

Impressionism from Monet to Matisse

On View January 25 – April 21, 2013
 

Impressionism from Monet to Matisse is a collection of 55 works including paintings, pastels and watercolors. Included are paintings by the well-known masters of French Impressionism: Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro and Alfred Sisley. The show also includes paintings by America’s most noted Impressionist painters, Mary Cassatt and John Singer Sargent. Moving beyond Impressionism, the show is rounded out with work by the more modern painters Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Georges Braque, and Henri Matisse, among others.

“The rewards in seeing a show like Impressionism from Monet to Matisse are really too numerous to mention,” CMA chief curator, Will South, said. “There is the sheer joy of the art itself, alive with color and optimism. There is the serious inquiry into the intellectual stimulation possible via sophisticated composition, and there is the unadulterated fun of comparing one great artist off of another. This is a show full of artistic richness where one may meditate for hours on why painting continues to fire our imaginations.”

Press Kit including hi-res images and complete press release available in the newsroom:

 http://www.columbiamuseum.org/newsroom 

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RUNAWAY RUNWAY: A RECYCLED FASHION SHOW

Hosted by the Columbia Design League at the Township Auditorium

The Columbia Design League, a Columbia Museum of Art membership affiliate group, hosts a competitive fashion show featuring designs assembled from recycled materials, on Saturday, April 21 at the Township Auditorium, presented by Palmetto Clean Energy (PaCE). This avant-garde fashion show raises design and environmental awareness through wildly fantastic wearables made from post-consumer materials.

While the entire world is serious about being green, this event proves green can be fun, fabulous, fashionable and funky, too! This year, over 50 models strut fashions created by local designers who use a variety of recycled material in their designs. Guest designer Lani Stringer went dumpster diving to create the PaCE sponsored design for CDL president Anna Redwine to wear at the show.

Doors open at 7:00 p.m., and the show begins at 8:00 p.m. This year, the hosts are Kevin Bush and Patty O’ Furniture. Vista Queen Pageant director Clay Owens organizes the fashion show and DJ Irv provides house music. A diverse panel of eight judges select seven winners based on Mad Skills (craftsmanship), Eco-Fabulous (green ability), Prêt-à-Porter (wear ability), Rockin’ the Runway (best model), Second and First Runner-ups and the best overall 2012 Runaway Runway designer receives the Bruce Bahr Award created by Christian Thee. Additional winning design prizes are provided by Clark Ellefson and Mast General Store. Spirits provided by American Harvest, organic vodka handcrafted in small batches from organic winter wheat.

Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for Students with ID and $60 for premier orchestra seats with open bar. Purchases can be made at the Township box office or online through Ticketmaster (additional charges apply).    

Sponsors of Runaway Runway 2012 are PaCE (Palmetto Clean Energy), Companion Global Healthcare, American Harvest, Skirt!, Revente/Sid&Nancy, Van Jean and Pout, Rosso’s, WXRY Independent Radio, Abacus Planning Group, KD’s Treehouse, Undefined, and Signs Now.

This fundraiser allows the Columbia Design League to bring speakers from around the nation and around the corner to engage, challenge and inspire us all to appreciate the impact of design on our lives. Join the Columbia Design League and become part of Columbia’s dynamic community of citizens who are working for a brighter future by design. Design League membership is $15 per adult or $25 per couple in addition to Columbia Museum of Art membership. For more information about Columbia Design League, visit www.columbiadesignleague.org.

For more information, visit www.runawayrunway.net, e-mail annaredwine@gmail.com or call the museum at 803.799.2810.

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Columbia Museum of Art announces major gift of nearly 600 works

from Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection

The Columbia Museum of Art is honored to be the recipient of 594 works of art from Dorothy and Herbert Vogel, internationally recognized collectors of contemporary art. This substantial collection represents work in various media by 27 different artists including Richard Artschwager, Michael Lucero, Lucio Pozzi, Pat Steir, Daryl Trivieri, among others. Thirteen of these artists are not currently represented in the Museum’s collection.

The work of Trivieri and Pozzi comprises the bulk of the gift, and each artist is a master of a variety of media. Trivieri is at home with a ballpoint pen as he is with a motor-driven airbrush. His subjects include fantastic animals rendered with uncanny technical precision as well as ghostly, cloud-like portraits that fade away at the edges. Pozzi is an artist of limitless energy, at one moment creating a series of squares arranged on boldly painted blue backgrounds, and the next moment painting a brightly-colored seascape from up high on an Italian bluff. It is characteristic of contemporary artists that they drift from one medium to another, experimenting with many and mastering several.

“We are both honored and thrilled to be the recipient of this important collection from Herb and Dorothy Vogel, two of America’s leading collectors of cutting-edge contemporary art,” Karen Brosius, CMA executive director, said. “Their generous gift greatly strengthens our contemporary collection and supports our mission to celebrate outstanding artistic creativity.”

“I was intimately involved in the Vogel’s Fifty Works for Fifty States initiative and saw how pleased they were by the enthusiasm of the Columbia Museum of Art at the time of that gift,” Ruth Fine, recently retired National Gallery of Art curator of special projects in modern art, said. “In the field of contemporary art, the Vogels were inspired by the Kress Collection with works by old masters.”

Herb Vogel is a retired postman, Dorothy a retired librarian, and on their modest incomes, they built a collection of over 4,500 objects spanning all media and covering the most innovative art movements of the late 20th century. Having worked in public service all their lives, the Vogels chose to give their art to art museums throughout the country. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, is the largest repository of the Vogel collection with 914 works. Additionally, in 2008 the Vogels gave 50 works of art to a museum in each of the 50 states, wanting to share their collection with the nation. Their joint knowledge and insight as collectors are explored in the 2008 award-winning film, Herb and Dorothy.

CMA was selected in 2008 as the recipient of the 50 works of art for South Carolina, a gift that was exhibited in 2010. Brosius visited with the Vogels at the time and expressed interest in a future donation of art, should such a possibility come about. The Vogels noted her enthusiasm and appreciation and determined that CMA would be offered an extensive selection of works remaining in their holdings following the National Gallery of Art donations and the 50/50 gifts.    

CMA chief curator Will South visited the National Gallery of Art and met with curators and the Vogels. “The couple is deeply involved in the final disposition of their collection, the building of which has been the singular passion of their lives together,” South said. “That they have selected CMA as the second-largest repository of their art, after the National Gallery, is a significant vote of confidence in our ability to care for and show these works of art.”

“We are thrilled the Columbia Museum is receiving many works from our collections, as we so much wished to keep large parts of it together. We know the art has found a good home, will be used and appreciated, and enrich the lives of others the way it has for me and Herb,” Dorothy Vogel said.  

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HPRC Physical Therapy Now Offering Services in Two New Locations

Human Performance and Rehabilitation Centers, Inc. (HPRC) is proud to announce its two new locations for physical therapy services.

Serving the Greater Columbia area since 1988, HPRC’s downtown office has moved from its former location on Blanding Street to its new location at 1612 Marion Street, Suite 113, directly across from the parking deck of the Palmetto Baptist Hospital.  In addition, HPRC has expanded services to a new Lexington office located at 1216 W. Main Street, Suite A, next to Long’s Drugs.

HPRC’s professional staff currently offers more than 90 years of combined professional physical therapy experience.  Specialty areas include pre- and post-surgical orthopedic physical therapy, sports physical therapy, manual therapy and spine therapy.  HPRC also offers a balance program and work conditioning/industrial rehabilitation services.   

New patients are currently being accepted at both locations. 

In addition, both locations will host community open houses later this month.  Open house will be held at the Marion Street location from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25.   A second open house will be held at the Lexington office from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 26.  Both events are free and open to the public and will include ribbon-cutting ceremonies featuring local officials, food, door prizes and tours of the new facilities.

For more information about the community open houses, the services provided by HPRC or the types of insurance accepted, please contact HPRC at (803) 253-6721, like us on facebook at hprc physical therapy, or email us at myptchoice@hprc.net.

 

HPRC Downtown1612 Marion Street, Suite 113 Columbia, SC  29201 (803) 253-6721 Community Open House 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25, 2012

HPRC Lexington1216 W. Main Street, Suite A Lexington, SC  29072 (803) 996-4761 Community Open House 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 26, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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HPRC Physical Therapy to Host Two Community Open Houses

The public is cordially invited to attend community open houses to be held at Human Performance and Rehabilitation Centers, Inc. (HPRC)’s two new locations for physical therapy services.

A quality provider of physical therapy services throughout the Greater Columbia area since 1988, HPRC’s new Marion Street location will host a community open house from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25.   In addition, HPRC’s new Lexington location will host a similar event for the community from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 26.  Both events are free and open to the public and will include ribbon-cutting ceremonies featuring local officials, food, door prizes and tours of the new facilities.

HPRC’s professional staff currently offers more than 90 years of combined professional physical therapy experience.  Specialty areas include pre- and post-surgical orthopedic physical therapy, sports physical therapy, manual therapy and spine therapy.  HPRC also offers a balance program and work conditioning/industrial rehabilitation services.   

For more information about the community open houses, the services provided by HPRC or the types of insurance accepted, please contact HPRC at (803) 253-6721, like us on facebook at hprc physical therapy, or email us at myptchoice@hprc.net.

 

HPRC’s Marion Street Office Open House4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 1612 Marion Street, Suite 113 Columbia, SC  29201 (803) 253-6721

HPRC’s Lexington Office Open House 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 26, 2012 1216 W. Main Street, Suite A Lexington, SC  29072 (803) 996-4761

Business at Sunrise – A Huge Success

Thursday’s Business at Sunrise featured guest speaker Dan Man, Executive Director for the CAE Airport. Thanks to all who attended!

Passengers, flights on rise at Columbia airport

via thestate.com
Saturday, Mar. 17, 2012

Passenger traffic has climbed 5 percent in the past seven months at Columbia Metropolitan Airport as airlines have lowered prices and added routes.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said Dan Mann, the airport’s executive director.

Two airlines, Delta and United, Friday announced new nonstop routes to the New York City area.

But the biggest driver of passenger growth has been lower airfares, Mann said. “People shop for airfares,” he said. “You don’t grow when your airfares aren’t competitive.”

The Midlands business community rallied to improve service at the airport two years ago, when discounter Southwest Airlines said it would begin flying routes in Greenville and Charleston — effectively snubbing Columbia. Concerned that decision could devastate the Midlands’ economy, business leaders tried to lure the low-cost airline to Columbia, holding an aviation summit to work on regional cooperation.

Now, a year after Southwest started flying out the state, Columbia has benefitted from its presence and the regional cooperation that grew out its decision not to come to Columbia, Mann and others said.

“A lot of folks, including me, thought we may lose traffic,” Mann said.

In fact, the airport’s passenger traffic rose 5 percent in the past seven months to 284,717, compared to the same August-through-February period a year earlier — an additional 13,419 people. The biggest spikes came in the first two months of this year, an 8 percent increase in January and a 12 increase percent in February, according to airport statistics.

“We’ve had a lot more leisure fares because airlines have to compete,” Mann said.

Mann did not have recent Department of Transportation figures on ticket prices. A new quarterly report is expected in April.

But he said the airport had more passenger growth in 2011 than the previous five years combined. “The real evidence (of lower prices) is when you see your numbers increase.”

Nationwide, airlines pulled back as they struggled to survive and recover from the Great Recession, Mann said.

But now they are starting to look again for places to grow. “We’re one of the markets where it makes sense to grow capacity,” he said, citing Fort Jackson, the University of South Carolina and the presence of international companies.

Capacity at Columbia Metropolitan particularly is crunched on graduation weekends at Fort Jackson, when family and friends are flying in and soldiers are flying out, he said.

That consistent military demand is one of the draws for airlines looking to expand service here, said Ike McLeese, president and chief executive of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

After the Southwest debacle, the chamber was instrumental in organizing regional cooperation, forming the Midstate Alliance, a coalition of area economic development groups.

McLeese said the airport has benefitted from lower fares, more capacity brought in by the airlines and lower costs under Mann’s tenure.

Airlines, particularly Delta, have been responding to increased demand, Mann and McLeese said.

Delta added an extra Detroit flight out of the Columbia last year and Friday said it would add a second nonstop route to New York’s LaGuardia Airport, starting July 11. United Airlines also on Friday said it would begin non-stop service to Newark, N.J., starting Sept. 6.

Both of the routes announced Friday are expected to make connections easier to domestic and international destinations, including Canada, Europe and Asia.

Using United’s Newark flight, for example, a traveler could board a plane at 6:20 a.m. Monday and be in London by 9:20 p.m.

The new flights also could help drive prices down even further, Mann said. “Whenever you have more seats in your market, you’ll get better prices.”

Columbia Metropolitan Airport Review Hosted by MIDSTATE Chambers Coalition

The MIDSTATE Chambers Coalition hosted Midlands area business leaders for a air transport business review at the DoubleTree Inn, Thursday, March 15. Columbia Metropolitan Executive Director Dan Mann provided the group with an overview of last year’s business survey results, accomplishments and goals for the future.  Mann also took the opportunity to promote two new daily flights out of Columbia as outlined in the Columbia Regional Business Report article (listed below).  Bill Swell, MIT Research Engineer, discussed the economics of today’s commercial air transportation challenges.

Airlines add 2 flights out of Columbia to New York City area

Columbia Regional Business Report
Staff Report | Published March 15, 2012

New flights to the New York City area are on the horizon for passengers flying out of Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

Delta Airlines plans to begin a second daily flight to LaGuardia Airport beginning July 11, Dan Mann, airport executive director, said today at an airport summit of the MIDSTATE Chambers Coalition.

On Sept. 6, United Airlines will begin offering flights two days a week to Newark Airport in Newark, N.J., which serves the New York area, added Mann.

Initial plans call for both United and Delta to offer the service on 50-seat regional jets, Mann said. United will be flying twice a week on Monday and Thursday.

Mann also said the Columbia airport appears to be reversing a slide in passenger traffic.

Over the past eight months, the airport has seen an increase in enplanements — the number of people who board an airplane, Mann said.

In January, airport passenger traffic increased to 35,512 compared with 32,579 for the same month in 2011, a 7.9%, increase, according to the airport’s website. February statistics have not been posted, but Mann said enplanements are up 8% for the year.

The airport is trying to turn around a six-year decline in passenger traffic. Last year, 492,458 passengers boarded flights at Columbia. That was just 140 fewer passengers, or .03% less than 2010’s mark.

Another summit speaker, William Swelbar, a research engineer in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s International Center for Air Transportation, said the good news for Columbia is that the decline appears to have bottomed out and is trending up.

Columbia has steadily lost passenger traffic since 2005 when 732,625 people boarded planes. That was the year when a low-fare carrier, Independence Air, was still in operation. The airline went out of business in January 2006.

Ike McLeese Featured on Good Day Columbia

Columbia Chamber President & CEO, Ike McLeese, and Cpl. Kyle Caldwell joined Tyler Ryan on Good Day Columbia this morning to promote the upcoming Hiring Our Heroes event.

Two Seasoned Veterans Join Greater Columbia Chamber Staff

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the addition of Lee Catoe as vice president and special assistant to the CEO for community affairs and Susan Vaughan McPherson as director of governmental affairs and regionalism. The addition of Catoe and McPherson will aid the Columbia Chamber in its efforts to promote and support its members and the local business community.

In his new role, Catoe will lead the Columbia Chamber in promoting a new direction for small businesses, assist with local business growth and expansion, and facilitate building relationships and memberships within the small business sector.  Additionally, he will support the Chamber’s government relations efforts, and implement special projects as assigned by Ike McLeese, president and CEO of the Columbia Chamber.

Prior to joining the Columbia Chamber, Catoe served as the director of the SC Department of Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse Services, as well as commissioner of the SC Workers Compensation Commission for seven years, two of which as chairman. He also worked as the executive assistant to Gov. Carroll Campbell and was accountable for the management of the health & human services and economic opportunity divisions. In addition, Catoe advised the governor on matters involving race and human relations.

As director of governmental affairs and regionalism, McPherson serves as a liaison to local government officials and their staffs – city and county council, and statewide offices – to advocate business friendly platforms on behalf of the Columbia Chamber and its members. She works with the MIDSTATE Chambers Coalition to create alliances among the 18 chambers in an 11 county region to build stronger representation for businesses, as well as opportunities for economic growth and the creation of new jobs.  McPherson will also serve as the Director of the Military Affairs Committee supporting all military related activities.

McPherson has more than 35 years of experience in the field of public, employee, media and government relations.  Most recently she worked with International Paper’s Eastover Mill for 28 years and is a former member of the Chamber Board of Directors and a graduate of Leadership Columbia and Leadership Sumter. She actively volunteers her time with the Palmetto Health Foundation and Muscular Dystrophy Association.

“We welcome the addition of Lee and Susan to our staff,” McLeese said. “They both have a significant amount of knowledge and experience and I am confident they will help continue to move the Chamber forward in a positive direction.”

MIDSTATE Chambers Coalition Announces 2012 Initiatives at Legislative Luncheon

COLUMBIA, S.C. - More than 75 people gathered Wednesday for the MIDSTATE Chambers Coalition Legislators Luncheon to hear an overview of the organization’s 2012 legislative initiatives, as well as issues impacting the Midstate region.

Legislative members from 11 counties across the MIDSTATE attended the event to hear from Chamber presidents on key issues such as nuclear industry workforce development, military base support, transportation infrastructure, creating a business friendly region and our ports.

“It was remarkable to have 35 elected officials and 40 Chamber leaders in attendance at our first MIDSTATE Chambers Coalition luncheon,” said Randy Halfacre, President/CEO of the Greater Lexington Chamber and Visitors Center. “Together, we can make a tremendous difference to bring about positive change that encourages growth and development, leading to job creation and enhanced quality of life. I am excited about our opportunities and the strength we share when we focus on common issues for the good of the region.”

The MIDSTATE Chambers Coalition comprises more than 1.3 million people and a labor force of over 520,000; more than 70,000 students attending 19 colleges and universities; home to 9 airports; four interstate highways; 3 major military bases whose presence contributes over $7.1 billion annually to the local economy; 8 full service hospitals with more than 2500 beds; 75 international companies and over 100 corporate headquarters. The MIDSTATE region is represented by one-fourth of the state House of Representatives and one-third of the state Senate.

“It is vitally important that the Chambers have come together for the good of the entire region”, remarked Representative Todd Atwater, House of Representatives, Lexington County.  “The MIDSTATE Coalition has hit the target by identifying the largest issues with potential to impact our region and developed strategic plans to work those areas to encourage economic growth, jobs creation and a business friendly climate.  I applaud the Chambers for coming together to make this a true effort on behalf of our region.”

The MIDSTATE Chambers Coalition is a collaboration of the Batesburg-Leesville Chamber of Commerce & Visitors’ Center, Edgefield County Chamber, Fairfield County Chamber, Greater Aiken Chamber, Greater Blythewood Chamber, Greater Chapin Chamber, Greater Columbia Chamber, Greater Irmo Chamber & Visitor’s Center, Greater Lexington Chamber & Visitors Center, Greater Sumter Chamber, Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center, Lake Murray Chamber, Newberry County Chamber, Greater North Augusta Chamber, Orangeburg County Chamber, Saluda County Chamber, Tri-County Regional Chamber, Calhoun County Chamber, and the West Metro Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center.

For a full report on the topics discussed at the luncheon, click here.

For more information about the MIDSTATE Chambers Coalition, please visit www.midstatechamberscoalition.org or contact Susan Vaughan McPherson at 803.733.1148 or SMcPherson@Columbiachamber.com.

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