2 minute read
Columbia Arts Center
WORLDS
OF CREATIVITY
Columbia Art Center is all about partnerships and collaborations. When we were contacted by the Survivor Clinic, part of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, about working with a refugee group from Myanmar, we were all about it. In this process, Brenda Oliver, the Program Coordinator and Bohumila Augustinova, the Arts and Culture Specialist for Columbia Art Center, were amazed how much they were learning about this amazing culture and its art. Brenda and Bohumila realized that they would like to learn about more different cultures and provide the opportunity for others to learn as well - and that’s how Worlds of Creativity was born. Bohumila started communication with a few local agencies and international organizations to see if there could be a program that was all about showcasing arts and cultures from around the world in friendly, interactive ways. Since February was approaching, they started with African American Arts celebration. They dedicated a small area of the Art Center to this program and set up a temporary art exhibition, invited few local performers, and had tables with interactive activities. The night was a great success! Our second month was all about Congolese art. Columbia has a big Congolese refugee population and they hosted a spectacular event full of dancing and singing. The night was a hit as well! By the time Colors of India came, we had to open up a bigger space and that was the game changer. About 300 people joined us that evening for a night of dance performances, live music, henna tattoos, a sari photo booth, beautiful rangolis, and tables
with different types of traditional Indian arts and food. Food was sold out after the first hour and the Columbia Art Center team was buzzing with happiness! Since then, there have been many, many events from all around the globe, but everyone’s favorite is Holidays Around the World in December. It is a beautiful way to learn about different holidays that are celebrated in winter months and their respective traditions. Worlds of Creativity has been an amazing addition to Columbia Art Center programming and growth. Thanks to this program, the Art Center is now able to offer many classes and workshops that are all about traditional arts and crafts. We have seen a big growth in diversity in Columbia Art Center and this makes us all very happy!
