Mingle and Jingle on Main is this Thursday!

Mingle and Jingle is the retail kickoff for the holiday season in downtown Columbia. It takes place on December 2nd (the First Thursday of the month) and is designed to highlight the businesses in the downtown corridor. The festivities include live performances by the Capitol City Playboys, Isabelle's Gift, Columbia Alternacirque, DayClean, the Mingle and Jingle Jazz Band, the Dark Dolly (living statue) and special guest Lady Chablis. And, art will be the name of the game as there will be at least five different art shows going on inside businesses up and down the street.

Participating businesses include Mac's on Main, Villa Tronco, Hennessey's, S&S Art Supply, Tapp's Center Art Project, Sammie's Deli, Army Navy Store, The Nickelodeon, Columbia Museum of Art Store, Anastasia & Friends, Free Times, Capitol Places, White Mule, Frame of Mind, City Center City Partnership, Artist in the Arcade, Uptown, and the Whig.

This month Frame of Mind wraps up FOM Series 2010 and kicks off the holiday season at the same time. Bonnie Goldberg is the featured artist of the month and what a wrap up show it will be.

Anastasia & Friends: This month, the gallery will feature paintings, sculpture and mixed media by Paul Kaufmann, Thomas Crouch, Michael Krajewski and Anastasia Chernoff, video by Jason Stroud and Delirium will return with its legendary dancing on top of the bathrooms.

The Columbia Museum of Art's Museum Shop will be open and featuring artist Steve Harrell, a skilled wood turner. His pieces are in collections throughout the United States and Europe. What a wonderful opportunity to finish your Christmas shopping: all customers will enjoy a 10% discount on selected items. Museum members will receive an additional 10%. In addition, Columbia Museum of Art t-shirts will be on sale for $5.00.

S & S Art Supply - Michael Bolin will be exhibiting works including the new large scale series - Envisage. This is a series of large scale portraits of people as they would envision themselves - producing shared interpretations of the artist and his subjects. Awesome vegetarian fare will be provided by Cabo Fresh Taco.

Studios in the Arcade - The 9 artist studios that make up Studios in the Arcade will be open for all patrons to visit.

Vista Lights is Tonight!

WHAT: The Vista's signature open house kicks off the holiday season with a night of culture, cuisine and artistic performances. More than 60 galleries, shops, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues will open their doors for the evening to showcase holiday treasures, and this year expect a little more excitement from the annual tree lighting ceremony with Mayor Steve Benjamin.

WHEN: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday, November 18.

WHERE: The Congaree Vista, with pedestrian-only traffic on Gervais Street stretching from Assembly to Gadsden; and Lincoln and Park Streets between Senate and Lady.

TREE LIGHTING: The evening's highlight is a tree-lighting ceremony at 7 p.m. at the intersection of Gervais and Lincoln streets, featuring Mayor Steve Benjamin and other local dignitaries.

MORE: Attendees can get into the spirit of the season with horse-drawn carriage rides. Many businesses offer complimentary refreshments, which guests can enjoy while visiting them.

BRING YOUR SOCKS: Fabric artist Susan Lenz will be collecting socks for her artwork called "Find a Mate," a community art project to educate the public about art quilts. You'll be able to try your hand at creating, and if you bring a sock---children or adult; serious or comic---you may discover it in the final quilt, which will be unveiled at Artista Vista in April 2011.

THIS SEASON: Vista Studios/Gallery 80808 will host a special anniversary show to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Attendees will enjoy carols by several local groups, and the entire Vista will be decorated in lights.

Rent with us and receive a free iPad!

We have already given away some free iPads, now it is time to come get yours! Anyone who signs a new 12 month lease with us will receive one, as well as any resident who refers someone that signs a lease with us!

Do not miss out! This offer will end this month!

Residents Social will take place at Tapp's this month

We will be hosting our Residents Social in conjunction with the Tapp's Art Project this month. It will occur on November 4th, from 5-9 pm, at 1644 Main Street. We will be handing out free drink passes for the residents from 5:30-7:30 pm.

Join us at Tapp’s to meet artists, view original artwork and enjoy live demonstrations and local music. This month The White Mule will be providing food and a cash bar! We are excited to join Frame of Mind, S&S Art Supply, Columbia Museum of Art and others in this rapidly growing, creativity-filled event series. Our first event at Tapp’s on October 7th was fantastic! We hope that was only the first of many artful events to come!...

This month we will “Reveal” the Window Installation Series! Local artists, art groups and businesses will use the Tapp’s windows to create a unique installation of their artwork. This month featured in the exterior windows are Susan Lenz, Amanda Ladymon, Molly Harrell, Mathew John, Amy Windland, Kimberly Bookman, Porter Dodd, Sandra Carr, Southern Pottery and Corley Mill Artists Group. And in the interior windows are Pat Stone, Jefferson Vimana, Alex Smith, Half Moon Pottery and Nancy Kauffman. The windows will remain on display for two months to promote the Tapp’s Window Installation Series and the participating artists.

Other exhibiting artists include: Whitney Lejeune, Jamie Blackburn, Ellin Baskin, Charlotte Lindsey Gaskins, Carolyn McLaughlin, Jean Bourque, Vanessa Bussey, JJ Casey, Cheryl Coble, Brenda Schwarz Miller, Sam Compton, Carol Anderson, Tam Hicks, Jennifer Ghelardini, Benira Sutphin, Val Zaba, Sue Shrader, Rachel Thomason, Howard Hunt, Carolyn Cobia, June Tucarella, Bryce Dixon and Rachelle Brundage.
Also, outside in the “Plein Air Studio” at Tapp’s Plaza get a live view of a clay sculpture demonstration by John Sharp ad a wood turning demonstration by Kirk Miller. Inside Carolyn McLaughlin will be demonstrating “gourd-burning”.
Music for November will be courtesy of Johnny Cromer.

For more information on this or future events at Tapp’s please contact Brenda Schwarz Miller at (803) 609-3479 or email brenda@realworldartisans.com. Become a Facebook fan of Tapp’s Arts Center Project!

Frame of Mind's Art Series is back in November

Michael Krajewski. Need we say more? Be ready for a wild ride and expect the unexpected. We will be presenting all things Krajewski, from drawings and paintings to photowork to music videos from his new band Snowman & the Pitch (who happen to have some garage tapes being released very soon). We also are going to mix up the outdoor stage with a combo of street performers. Tribe SK, VerseWorks, and Fire In Motion are all collaborating on a show designed to keep your attention and knock you on your butt. And all of this is sponsored by Gervais and Vine, who will be on hand with some fabulous wines for your tasting pleasure.

Anastasia & Friends will have an exhibit that features a group exhibition of sculpture, paintings and mixed media by Claude Buckley, Sean Williams, Roger Hutchison and Anastasia Chernoff. Also, the gallery is collaborating with ETV for one of their Carolina Stories’ documentaries about legendary advertising savant, Elliott White Springs. His provocative advertising slant is said to have changed the entire approach of the country’s advertising industry. Dana McCullough, from ETV, will present some of Springs art and artifacts during the opening and thus will be providing a sneak peek at some of the work that is in the documentary airing on Thursday, Nov. 18th at 9 pm on SCETV.

S&S Art Supply presents FITE KLUB’S FIRST ANNUAL 80′S BABIES POST HALLOWEEN GALLERY BASH! Visuals are provided by FITE KLUB STUDIOS and will broken down into 4 categories of 80′s pop culture, TV SHOWS, FILM, CARTOONS, and VIDEO GAMES. 80′s music will be provided by DJ PRINCE ICE and food by Cabo Fresh Taco. And since it’s a post Halloween bash…that doesn’t mean the costumes should go back to the store…come out dressed in your best (or most ridiculous) 80′s attire.

The Columbia Museum of Art’s Museum Shop will be open and featuring the art of Clay Burnette.

Studios in the Arcade – The 8 artist studios that make up Studios in the Arcade will be open for all patrons to visit. Take the opportunity to stop in and speak with the artist in their space and get a feel for exactly who the artists are.

And last but not least, Villa Tronco will continue with its popular Opera Night this week.

Frame of Mind is open Tuesday through Friday 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday 12 pm to 4pm, and is located at 1520 Main Street across from the Art Museum in Columbia, South Carolina.

You may contact Mark Plessinger by calling (803)988-1065 or via email at frameofmind@sc.rr.com.

Capitol Places voted Best Apartment Complex

The readers of The Free Times local weekly newspaper have voted Capitol Places as Best Apartment Complex in Columbia. Thank you to everyone who voted and we appreciate this recognition!

2nd Annual Capital City Music & Wing Fling

This event, in its second year, will be held at the on the 1500 block of main st. downtown columbia. This particular festival will feature the absolute best in home grown talent on a local and regional level.

Among the featured artists will be:
Philadelphia based reggae/rock phenoms The Movement-6:15
Charlotte based Simplified-5:05
John Satterfield Band-3:55
Town Mountain-2:55
Justin Smith & The Folk Hop Band-1:55
The Casual Kings1:05
Mike Willis-12:15

Along with this great lineup there will be a great lineup of at least 14 featured restaurants showing they’re chicken wing skills, with a variety of flavors and styles. Sample size orders will be available so you can try them all!
The Capital City Music Fest & Wing Fling will take place on Sunday, April 11th, 2010 at the 1500 block of Main St. Tickets will be available for $5 in advance at The White Mule 1530 Main St., Manifest Discs and Tapes located at 1563A Broad River Rd. Columbia, and online at www.etix.com. Tickets will also be available at the gates opening at noon. For additional information please go to www.thewingfling.com or contact wingfling@live.com.