issue 004
Hear Larry tell his own story of hope and happiness at RichlandLibrary.com/Give.
Hope for Columbia
by Danny Harrington and Brandon McIver
Hope and Happiness: A Letter from the Director Why is it that some people, no matter what life throws at them or how chaotic the world can be, remain happy and hopeful? In a time where so many have suffered loss, isolation and sadness, I’ve thought a lot about the role happiness and hope play in our lives and in our library. From Aristotle to Carl Jung to Gretchen Rubin (author of The Happiness Project) many people, much smarter than me, have worked to quantify and dissect the elements of happiness. While a search of the literature will turn up any number of attributes required to make one happy, the ones that resonate with me (and I have summarized here) are Connectedness and Quality of Life.
“But he had something else, that may be even more important than happiness: hope.”
Connectedness means that you have a network of friends, family, or colleagues that you feel aligned with and that offer support. It can be a sense of belonging to a group that shares your values. It means that through work, your art, or volunteerism you feel you are contributing to a greater good, creating a better community.
Quality of Life includes everything from clean drinking water to educational opportunities to safe and attainable housing. When you have good quality of life, your personal health and your safety are not in jeopardy. You have access to culture and
entertainment, recreation and play. You feel secure in efforts to maintain the standard of living you need. When Larry first came to the library, he lacked a sense of connectedness and the quality of life he desired. But he had something else, that may be even more important than happiness: hope. Larry’s wasn’t the “glass is half full” or “wishful thinking” kind of hope. His was hope born of motivation to achieve his goals, despite the obstacles. In psychology circles, hope has been described as having the agency (or power) and pathways (strategies) to achieve your goals. Larry’s goals were to move forward from his criminal past and to own a home. Working with Larry, our team helped him build skills and create strategies to accomplish his goals. Richland Library became a part of his support system, helping to clear the barriers from his path. Larry’s is one powerful example of how our library enhances the well-being of communities and provides support to the hopeful. Happiness and hope are not just feelings; they, like libraries, are essential elements of a thriving community.
Melanie Huggins, Executive Director
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contents
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23
F E AT U R E
5
Hands on Art 25 21
MAKER
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¡Que Rico! Art for Sale
C R E AT I V E
Elisa Diaz
pg. 7
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BUSINESS
Emily Johansson
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Arts from the Start
Off•Book: B.B. Alston Ronisha Jones
Ashley Brown
pg. 9 Hands-On at Home pg. 11 DIY Egg Carton Flower Bouquet pg. 12
Come in We're Open COMMUNITY
Emily Barber
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FRESH & FUN
Filling the Void Jordan Lawrence
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29
Famously Hot Spots R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S
Create Your Own Field Trip pg. 13
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While I Breathe, I Hope
Richland Library’s Access magazine reflects how we learn, create and share within our vibrant community. Forged on the idea of collaboration, Access connects you with important issues like early literacy and workforce development—all while boosting your literary prowess and introducing you to our thriving creative community.
Community Contributors
B.B. Alston
Jordan Lawrence
Ashley Brown
Author
Editor & Writer
Arts Educator & Advocate
Benjamin Adams
Owner, Odd Bird Books
Joshua Aaron
Owner, Joshua Aaron Photography
Karin Cantarero
Food Entrepreneur
Stephanie Neubert
Owner, The Good Market SC
Arif Rizvi
Owner, Bubba's Biscuit, Granby Grill and Ventures Bar 2.0
Staff Contributors Writers
Thomas Maluck
Main, Teen Center
Megan Mathis
Main, Research & Readers' Advisory
Laura Rogers
Main, Education Studio
Morgan Ryan
Sandhills
Emily Barber
Sandhills
Elisa Diaz
Cooper
Ashley Silvera
Edgewood
Emily Johansson
Main, Education Studio
Mahogany Skillings
Main, Research & Readers' Advisory
Rebecca Thomas
Main, Outreach
Hipolito Torrales
North Main
Ashley Warthen
Main, Experience Support
Chantal Wilson
Main, Research & Readers' Advisory
Contributers Lisa Gieskes
Main, Film & Sound
Taelor Johnson
Main, Children's Room
Ronisha Jones
Main, IT
Tamara King
Main, Community Relations
Laura Morris
Editor
Lorraine Law
Cooper
Steven Olexa
Art Director
Heather McCue
Main, Children's Room
Joey LeRoy
Multimedia Designer
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The last year has left many parents and caregivers looking for ways to facilitate learning and fill the gaps that limited play dates, canceled preschool and online learning have created. What we often overlook is the power that exposing children to the arts and culture has on enhancing creativity, imagination, and self-esteem, while also encouraging cognition, critical thinking, and learning. Dressing-up, putting on performances, creating music, crafting—all of these activities provide invaluable opportunities for hands-on learning and social-emotional development. So what are you waiting for? Dress for a mess and let’s get started.
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Art for Sale by Emily Johansson, Richland Library Main
In the far corner of our kitchen, my threeyear-old daughter sat with her crayons and paper strewn on her little pink art table. Like a true artist at work, she sat transfixed as she finished up her latest masterpiece. She had no destination in mind—she wanted to create just for the sake of creating. For many parents, like myself, toddlers creating art can swiftly turn into a cautionary tale. The slightest turn of our watchful eye can mean painted handprints smeared on the walls or playdough stuck in hair. Yes, art can be messy—but that is part of the fun—and more importantly, part of the process. Creating art means a child’s brain is actively firing away in cognitive processes (planning, predicting, and problem solving); emotional development (focus and self-expression); and language development (talking about their art). Educational psychologist Abraham Maslow said, “Almost all creativity requires purposeful play.” Young children, like all people learn
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Art and creativity have become so fundamental to our everyday life that in most cases we do not even recognize it. through play. Tinkering with tools in the shed, baking desserts in the kitchen or busting a move in front of the mirror are all forms of creative art that we use on a daily basis. Art and creativity have become so fundamental to our everyday life that in most cases we do not even recognize it. So, let your toddler create the mess and learn playfully.
art for sale
As a parent myself, I have a front row seat in watching art play a significant role in the lives of my children. Before the pandemic, my painfully shy daughter decided one Sunday afternoon to set-up a folding table in the front yard. I helped her tape a sign to the front, “Art for sale, $.05 a piece.” She sat patiently awaiting to approach our unsuspecting neighbors. Her first customer popped out of the house across the street with his little dog in tow. My daughter, who does not talk to anyone, called out to him “Art for Sale!” He lightly chuckled as he approached the table to pick out two of her self-proclaimed masterpieces, and then he placed five single dollar bills into her hand. Our little entrepreneur called out to every passerby until she sold her last piece of art. I’m sure a few good friends and neighbors placed her artwork on their refrigerator, but that’s not really the point. Art for my daughter became more that just lines and squiggles on a piece of paper. Art is important to her in a way that nothing else can be—it’s a way for her to express herself when she cannot say the words. Will she become a professional artist? The answer to that question is “who knows?” I do know that she has the focus and problem solving ability to conquer any task—even when it’s hard. I know that she will spend time in self-reflection and contemplation. But most of all, I know that she continues to create just for the sake of creating.
Emily Johansson is a Reading Specialist in Richland Library’s Education Studio and a mother of two creative and spunky kids. She graduated from Ball State University with a degree in Education and worked as classroom educator, tutor and homebound instructor. She is a 2017 recipient of the American Library Association’s Movers and Shakers award for her work with dyslexia and struggling readers.
Illustrations from Richland Library's Kids in Print Artists (Clockwise from Left): Nathan Mirosavich (2019), Max Wachtel (2018), Oliver Beets (2018), Nathan Mirosavich (2020)
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ARTS
from the Start
THE IMPORTANCE OF ARTS PARTICIPATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD by Ashley Brown, SC Arts Commission
For the first decade of my career I taught theatre, both in a public elementary school and at a nonprofit children’s theatre. I would never claim to have a favorite age, but I must admit some of my best times as a teacher were spent deep in creative play with the “little bitties,” as we called them. These beloved classes and camps were full of uninhibited 3 and 4-year-old children ready for whatever songs, movement, or storytelling activities I led. The world was their oyster, limited only by their own imaginations. I think of those days in the classroom often as I see a rise in conversations about early childhood education on the local, state, and national scene. I know from experience how early exposure to the arts impacts children’s critical thinking, problem solving, perseverance, and many other skills and characteristics outlined in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. Recent research from the National Endowment for the Arts tells us that early engagement with music and dance is positively associated with emotional regulation, and that engagement in the arts during early childhood has benefits for children’s social development. 9
We see more and more research being published that examines the impact early exposure to the arts can have on the developing brains and bodies of young children. Much of this research continues to support what many caregivers and educators already know from firsthand experience: the arts positively affect cognition, creativity, critical thinking, selfesteem...and the list goes on and on. But until we look at the research and current practices in the field through an equity lens, and work to dismantle systems that reinforce that the arts are only for some, we will never truly feel the full impact of the arts. Access to formal arts experiences for young children, such as visiting museums, attending concerts or plays, or learning a skill in an art form, is often reserved for those who can afford to attend or participate. Even when scholarships or fee waivers are available, other barriers, such as transportation, prohibit families from engaging in arts experiences. We must challenge arts providers to apply an equity lens to their work, and support and celebrate them as they reimagine the possibilities of how they can connect with families and young children in a more equitable way. Public funding for the arts and arts education is a crucial component of full arts participation for young children. In our own state, the South Carolina Arts Commission promotes equitable access to the arts and supports the cultivation of creativity. This public support for the arts, in partnership with arts organizations, schools, artists, and communities, will help us all realize the vision of a South Carolina where the arts are valued, and all people benefit from a variety of creative experiences. Ensuring the arts thrive in all learning environments, not just K-12 classrooms, is a major component of equitable access. As the push for free school readiness programs grow, the arts must be part of preschool and daycare environments. By the time children reach a formal learning environment, their cognitive and social-emotional development can be greatly impacted by their access to the arts in daycares and preschools. This can influence a child’s entire school career, including foundational subjects such as reading.
arts from the start
The South Carolina Arts Commission, the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, and the University of South Carolina have spent the past three years piloting a program that provides drama intervention for struggling young readers. In the Spark! outreach program, students who are in jeopardy of not matriculating due to below-grade reading scores attend a state mandated Read-To-Succeed summer program, exposing them to drama principles in addition to their reading requirements. Now in its third year, Spark! participants are showing increased gains in creativity measures, like fluency and originality, along with critical reading measures required by MAP testing, when compared to similar students not exposed to the drama component.
A few practical ideas to incorporate the arts into literacy for young children at home include: Read a book together and then create a sock puppet show of what you just read (or take it a step further and use basic craft supplies to create shadow, bag, or popsicle stick puppets). According to the Child Wellbeing Centre, singing to young children can help them develop early language and literacy skills, including vocabulary development. Use familiar songs and incorporate hand motions or other actions. We all love to sing in the shower, so why not narrate your baby’s bath time with a song of what you’re doing? Create your own story inspired by an object in your home or a family member. Stories need a beginning, middle, and an end, but the rest is only limited by your imagination. Call and response songs are a great way to boost the energy in a room. The lyrics can be what you wish but think about ways to incorporate your favorite book characters or stories. “When I say WILD you say THINGS…” I think you get the idea!
Intervention programs that employ the arts are crucial to helping students “catch up” and stay engaged in their learning. But imagine if we didn’t have to reach the point of intervention. Imagine a world where all children learn in and through the arts from birth, and enter formal school ready to explore, problem solve, and work collaboratively. I would argue that we would spend less time remediating if we spent more energy and financial resources investing in arts learning for young children. Beyond formal learning environments, parents and caregivers can use the arts in everyday life to make a big impact on young children. Regardless of family income, geographic location, or access to technology, adults and older children can scaffold learning for young children through the arts. When I left the theatre classroom and the “little bitties” behind to pursue my master’s degree, I mourned the moments of uninhibited creativity that only young children can provide. They are often referred to as “pure potential,” not yet affected by the ups and downs that life inevitably brings. Young children, all young children, deserve every opportunity to be their most creative selves. To interpret and express their feelings about the world around them. To learn and grow in and through the arts. When I think of what could be if each of us—parents, caregivers, educators, and community members— were to work together to ensure all young children have access to the arts, all I can say is...the possibilities are endless.
Ashley Brown is the Deputy Director at the South Carolina Arts Commission where she works to advance the mission to promote equitable access to the arts and support the cultivation of creativity in South Carolina. She most recently served as the Arts Education Director at the agency for three years and previously was the Engagement Director for Opening Nights Performing Arts at Florida State University. An accomplished teacher, she has taught in both public school and nonprofits in North and South Carolina and worked as a professional theatre artist throughout the Southeast. She received her BA from Winthrop University and her MFA from Florida State University.
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Hands-on at Home
While school curricula focus on subjects like reading and math, simple creative activities are some of the most important building blocks of child development, and positively affect children’s social-emotional development. Here are simple, age-appropriate ways you can introduce and encourage creative activities and interest in the arts as your children grow.
ba bi e s
toddle rs
p re schoolers
school - aged
Stimulate eye movement and auditory development through contrasting images (back and white or colored objects) and voices (speaking or singing).
Children learn to make aesthetic choices such as what color to paint the sky and what songs they like to sing.
During this stage of development, you can see an increase in fine motor skills and gross muscle development. Hand eye-coordination will enhance, and you will be able to notice a rise in self-confidence levels.
During this stage, the frustration that stems for the inability to depict realistic renderings may lead children to express “I can’t draw.” Encourage them to keep working and remind them that with continued practice they will achieve the results they are aiming for.
0–18 months
Begin to place rattles or appropriate toys with textures and sounds in babies’ fists. Increase awareness of space, movement, and sound by hanging mobiles, playing soothing music, and making animated faces. Babies discover that they can change what they see, hear, and touch. Hold or place pictures at eye level. Name, describe, and point to items in the picture. Provide opportunities to explore safe and appropriate media in visual arts (finger-painting with water, drawing with crayons).
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19 months –2 years
Activities with items as simple as a paper plate, nontoxic paint, and playdough are appropriate. Allow children to explore and experiment with materials (with supervision). Learn about feelings through songs, poems and stories. Make art-based activities a daily routine. Show and tell stories from photographs and illustrations. Build a library of quality children’s books and take weekly trips to your local library to vary the types of books and art they explore.
3-5 years
Children can match shapes, colors, and patterns as well as identify basic colors. Children will begin to draw faces with more accurate details. Children will be able to identify what is missing from a picture. Children tend to use their favorite colors rather than accurate color representation. Children can copy simple geometric figures. Construct collages using paper, glue, scissors, and magazine cut outs. Engage with your child by talking with them about the collage or create a story together.
6-12 years
Seek out books that will help/teach them how to draw specific things that they are interested in. Children develop analytical skills and higher levels of thinking by viewing art of others. Watch as their drawings become more detailed, and drawings of people become more proportional.
diy egg carton flower bouquet
DI Y
Egg Carton
Flower Bouquet Materials: • Empty egg carton • Canvas (11x14" or larger) • Large buttons • Pipe cleaners
INSTRUCTIONS Step 1: Choose the color or colors you would like for the background of your bouquet. Paint your canvas and set it aside to dry. Don’t forget to paint the edges of your canvas!
• Ribbon • Scissors • Acrylic or tempera paint • Paintbrush • Glue
Step 2: Next, cut apart your egg carton so you have 12 round sections. Step 3: Cut out rounded pieces from the edge of your egg carton sections, to create rounded looking petals. Step 4: Paint your egg carton flowers with acrylic or tempera paint. Set them aside to dry. Step 5: Choose buttons to add to the center of your flowers and glue them down inside of flower. If you do not have buttons you can paint the center a different color from your petals.
Ready to get started? Grab these common household items and usher in spring with a burst of color and creativity.
Step 6: Pick out the pipe cleaners you would like to use as the stems of your bouquet. Pipe cleaners do not have to be green, have fun with your bouquet and mix up your stem colors! Step 7: Now you can assemble your bouquet! Make sure everything is dry. Glue down your flowers. Step 8: Gather your pipe cleaner stems together and use your ribbon to tie a bow around them. Step 9: Glue down the tops of your pipe cleaners under your flowers. Glue down the section of the pipe cleaners that has the ribbon tied around them. Let dry. Step 10: Now that your bouquet of flowers is assembled and you have given it time to dry you can use it as a gift for a loved one or hang it to display somewhere in your home.
Find more creative activities good for children and teens at RichlandLibrary.com. 12
Create Your Own
Field Trip Looking for a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon? Load your family into the car or catch The Comet to explore the variety of art on display in our community.
Public Art Whether a colorful mural or a distinctive sculpture, public art adds beauty and inspiration to our collective spaces. Some pieces remind us of past events, others present a vision of what could be, but each piece of public art helps tell the story of OUR community. In Richland County, we are lucky to be surrounded by a wide variety of public art and the styles are as unique as their creators. From art you can play on a bustling city street (“Hanging” by Eileen Blyth and Mark Finley, on Main Street) to a vibrantly colored mural near a community garden (“Growing Together” by Charmaine Minniefield, at Hyatt Park), the styles and settings of our public art are delightfully diverse. Visit One Columbia for Arts and Culture’s Public Art Directory for a comprehensive list of public art pieces in Richland and Lexington counties. Available in list and map form, this directory is the perfect starting place to plan an outdoor public art tour for your family!
BLYTHEWOOD
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Water Tower Pavilion by Jarod Charzewski EDGEWOOD
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Neighborhood Treasures by Ayako Abe-Miller NORTHEAST
3 4 5
World and Water by Clark Ellefson MAIN
SYNAPSE
by Dogon Krigga
Leap
by Ija Charles
publicart.onecolumbiasc.com Pick up your holds curbside and take in some public art! Did you know? Every Richland Library location features public art inspired by the surrounding community and created by a local artist. Enjoy the public art pieces on display on the exteriors and grounds of these Richland Library locations.
RichlandLibrary.com /art
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NORTH MAIN
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Hanging Pages
Laurie Brownell McIntosh ST. ANDREWS
The Band Shell Jarod Charzewski
create your own field trip
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3
4
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Music and Live Performances 6
Art is not just about what you can see, but also what you can hear! Listening to music or singing together as a family can spark new creativity in your child. Have fun with music by exploring different musical styles as a family. The warmer weather of spring and summer brings more opportunities to experience music in the community by attending outdoor concerts and free musical events. One weekly opportunity you can always count on is the buskers at the Soda City Market! Held on Columbia’s Main Street each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. , the Soda City Market is home to many food and craft vendors as well as wide variety of musicians sharing their talents with the crowds. sodacitysc.com
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Industrial Design Explore our city’s past and learn more about the architecture on display in Richland County! The City of Columbia’s Landmarks Directory is a listing of public buildings, private homes and important landmarks that helped shape our community. From the Bethel AME Church, designed by John Anderson Lankford, one of the first registered African-American architects in America, to Columbia’s first skyscraper, the Barringer Building, we are surrounded by buildings with long histories and interesting architectural designs. gis.columbiasc.gov/landmarks 14
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Photo credit: Joshua Aaron Photography
OFF BOOK •
8 Things You Don’t Know About B.B Alston Interview by Ronisha Jones, Richland Library Main
What is the first book that made you cry? Oh man, I’ve got to go way back for this one! Charlotte’s Web messed me up bad. Like I kept flipping the last page thinking surely this book didn’t end with Charlotte, the spider, not coming back to life. Broke my heart! I’ll always remember that one.
What do you do when you need a break from reality? This will probably sound obvious, and maybe a little boring too but I love to read! It’s always relaxed me and it’s my love of reading that started my love of writing. So that’s definitely my go-to relaxation.
Coffee or tea?
What is your favorite place in SC?
I’m a huge coffee fan! But not hot coffee. I really like mocha frappes and the Iced Dunkin Donuts mocha coffees. I actually drink one of those two every single morning!
I love Charleston! It’s such a beautiful city and its kind of got the best of everything. A walkable downtown, great restaurants, a nice beach. It’s a great spot to get away and stay close to home too.
What has brought you joy in the past year?
What is your favorite word and why?
I was lucky enough to have two nieces and a nephew born this year! My wife and I don’t have any kids yet so I can’t wait to be the cool uncle who spoils them to pieces. Do you Google yourself? I don’t google myself very often, but I do google the name of the book to see if there are any new articles or reviews or anything. My favorites are finding posts by readers because I love to hear what they think about the book, good or bad. Thankfully it’s been almost all good so far!
I’ve always been fond of the word “omega.” I like the way it looks, its fun to say and I love that it means “the end.” Such a great word. What is your favorite novel? I love fantasy stories so my favorite all-time book is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It’s just such a magical book and it’s told in little vignettes and not always in sequential order and really just a great read. Read the full article at RichlandLibrary.com/blog.
B.B. Alston is a graduate of Eau Claire High School and currently lives in Lexington, SC. Amari and the Night Brothers is his debut middle grade novel. When not writing, he can be found eating too many sweets and exploring country roads to see where they lead. Connect Freely with this #DvPit Alum:
Instagram |
Twitter @bb_alston
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the
A Year of Socially Distanced Performances
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filling the void
April 17, 2020
by Jordan Lawrence
I didn’t count on a lot of things when Free Times, One Columbia, Scene SC and the Richland Library first partnered to start an online performance series during the COVID-19 pandemic. I didn’t count on the fact that coronavirus would still take lives and disrupt others a year later. I didn’t count on another string of Black people killed at the hands of police stoking a renewed fight for social justice in this country. And I didn’t count on Columbia artists being so powerfully expressive in reacting to all of the above in their performances. The series was started to connect Soda Citizens with local artists during COVID-19 and to give those artists a chance to earn a paycheck when such opportunities have become more rare. And solving those problems remains as essential in the spring of 2021 as it was in the spring of 2020 when we posted our first video. The series recently premiered its 40th episode, and the pieces presented run the gamut from spoken word to classical music, indie rock to hip-hop, musical theater to puppetry and beyond. And they all, without fail, brought me some sense of connection or timely meaning that I desperately needed that particular week. Following are my write-ups from the “1 or 2” sessions that left the most lasting impact on me.
e p i s ode
3
Valley Maker
valleymaker.com @valleymakermusic |
@valleymaker
Cutting off the light Like I would an engine Walking through the night like I've gone missing Missing from the place I live Missing from my brain I guess These lines open “Beautiful Birds Flying,” a particularly moving and meditative offering from Columbia’s Valley Maker, an indie-leaning folk-rock act known for moving and meditative songs. And watching Austin Crane and Nic Jenkins perform it in front of the downtown mural by Lauren Andreu and Claude Gilbert paying tribute to Aaron Graves couldn’t be more welcome. I, like many in Columbia, miss Aaron, the endlessly giving icon of the local music scene who led the endlessly uplifting indie rock act Those Lavender Whales. He died last year, but he remains a symbol of what makes our tightly knit music community special. As the mural says, I love my friends. And I miss them in these days of isolation. I yearn to reconnect with them, much as Valley Maker yearns for reconnection in this song. I hope it brings you as much peace as it brought me when I watched it.
To check out the full selection of performance videos, head to free-times.com/1or2.
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June 5, 2020
e p i s ode
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Autocorrect
autocorrectsound.bandcamp.com @autocorrectsound
Racial tensions in Columbia—as they are in much, if not most, if not all of the United States—are as high as they’ve been in recent memory. As I write this, protestors are rounding out a full week of demonstrations in South Carolina’s capital, marching from the Governor’s Mansion to the Statehouse, continuing their push against police brutality following the Minnesota death of George Floyd after an officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. So it makes sense that Columbia’s Autocorrect, which veers through nerdcore rap and capricious noise-pop, would deliver a performance as tense and bracing as any I’ve seen it muster in this week's “1 or 2.” As Moses Andrews III drifts through jazz-ish waves of recorded guitar and live keys, punctuated by bursts of caustic distortion, Cecil Decker describes the exhaustion of those toiling through the gig economy amid scathing barbs about racial inequality, conjuring a distinctly 2020 sense of exasperation.
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July 19, 2020
e p i s ode
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Aisa Blue
@_thoughtsinblue
The cover of this week’s Free Times features the statue of Ben Tillman, the avowed white supremacist who was once a governor and U.S. senator representing South Carolina, that stands on the Statehouse grounds. The photo finds him surrounded by Black Lives Matter protestors, as he’s frequently been seen in recent weeks. The story digs into renewed calls for the statue to be taken down. This week’s “1 or 2” takes places in front of the African American History Monument, which sits about a quarter turn around the Statehouse from Tillman. It’s in front of this display, which Historic Columbia’s Statehouse Monuments Tour notes depicts “scenes of Africans' and African Americans’ enslavement, emancipation (represented in the middle by the obelisk), struggle for civil rights, and contemporary achievements,” that Columbia’s Aisa Blue delivers her poem “Strange Fruit.”
“Gotta hustle on the side / To get mine,” Decker offers in the chorus, delivering his staccato bars in a black jumpsuit branded with “BLM.”
Keyed by a sung invocation that quotes the song of the same name, famously recorded by Billie Holiday, Blue’s gripping spoken word performance finds passion barely contained by rhythm. Speaking of blue lights bringing terror and handcuffs slicing into skin, it’s a selection that cuts to the quick of ongoing demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality.
“Do a little dance / Monkey,” he and Andrews add in a biting bout of call and response, before Decker cuts to the heart of the moment, asking, “How you gonna be? / What you wanna see? / Dying in the street / Screaming, 'I can’t breathe!'"—echoing the last words of Floyd in May and Eric Garner in 2014, another Black man who died at the hands of law enforcement.
The poem connects recent injustices to the lynchings depicted in the original song— “Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze / Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees”— a powerful statement, especially when delivered on the same grounds where a statue still immortalizes Tillman, who proudly defended such heinous killings.
filling the void
October 16, 2020
November 20, 2020
e p i s ode
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TiffanyJ
iamtiffanyj.com | @iamTiffanyJ
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine You make me happy when skies are gray You'll never know dear, how much I love you Please don't take my sunshine away These words, from an American standby of disputed authorship, are ones we’ve all heard. I can remember my mother singing them to me, and singing them in a classroom during my younger years. Many artists have intoned them—my personal favorite is a gravelly but gratified version Johnny Cash recorded near the end of his life. They’re words you’ve heard so often they mostly don’t register. On “My Sunshine,” TiffanyJ doesn’t sing the ubiquitous chorus until the end, a nod to the inspiration for her own ode to that person that makes life joyous. Backed by simple, echoing electric piano, and showcasing her radiant tone and impressive dynamic range, she restates and re-emphasizes the powerful feeling crystallized by an old metaphor. “You fuel me / Give energy / Do what filters can’t do,” she sings in the second verse, playing with science and social media as she cleverly modernizes a perennial idea. This video was recorded in front of Laurie Brownell McIntosh's "Hanging Pages" installation at Richland Library North Main.
e p i s ode
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Lyon Forrest Hill @lyon.forrest.hill |
@Lyonforesthill
Many of us got into unexpected things during the isolation of 2020. Lyon Forrest Hill got into beatboxing. The wizardly skilled puppeteer and artistic director of the Columbia Marionette Theatre shows off his surprising new talent during this week’s “1 or 2,” presenting a piece called “Ennui Go,” the title a heartwarming nod to dearly departed local indie rock outfit Can’t Kids. The puppeteering is spare—a black wireframe bird slowly flaps its wings during a brief passage—and the emphasis is on the bright, skittering beats, which build impressively from electronics and chopped-and-screwed samples of Hill’s voice. The results are propulsive but hypnotic, and winningly human despite the non-human filters. The energy and optimism they convey— making the dark bird feel more like an illustration of hope than the traditional doom and gloom—has much in common with that of indie electronic favorite Dan Deacon. Watching Hill do something so purposefully weird and different in front of the huge Hubbell disk in Five Points, as cars pass carelessly by, is a potent reflection of this disconnected year— and a reminder that cool new things can take root under trying circumstances.
Jordan Lawrence is the managing editor of Free Times, where he has been writing about Columbia arts and music since 2014. He lives in West Columbia with his wife, dog, three cats and bearded dragon.
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While I Breathe, I Hope
Favorites from our collection to inspire and lift us up when we need it the most.
The Midnight Library
Transcendent Kingdom
“Feel-good book. Guaranteed to lift your spirits.” —Washington Post
“A double helix of wisdom and rage twists through the quiet lines...Thank God, we have this remarkable novel.” —Ron Charles, The Washington Post
Matt Haig (2020)
Selected by: Megan Mathis, Main
Yaa Gyasi (2020)
Selected by: Ashley Silvera, Edgewood
From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home Tembi Locke (2019)
“...a deeply personal tale brimming with hope and inspiration.” ―Claire Bidwell Smith, author of Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief Weekly Selected by: Tamara King, Main
Find more inspiring titles for children, teens and adults at RichlandLibrary.com. 21
Pumpkinheads
Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks (2019) “…perfectly captures that feeling of the last night that’s the start of the rest of your life.” —Gamespot Selected by: Mahogany Skillings, Main
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
“Eleanor Oliphant is endearing, [a] whip-smart read...a fascinating story about loneliness, hope, tragedy and humanity." —Associated Press
“This sentimental novel is as cozy and fortifying as a hot cup of tea on a cold afternoon.” –Kirkus Reviews
Gail Honeyman (2017)
Selected by: Lorraine Law, Cooper
Phaedra Patrick (2016)
Selected by: Morgan Ryan, Sandhills
Mulan
Avengers: Endgame
Stardew Valley
“With its heroic story, intense action and sweeping scenery, 'Mulan' is an unexpected epic—the kind of escapism all of us could use right now.” –Joey Morona, Cleveland Plain Dealer
“It presents the warming, moving idea that the strength and ingenuity of community can amply combat despair, even when all seems a frozen and lonely ruin.” —Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair
“Stardew Valley motivates naturally, with blissful optimism.” —George R.R. Martin
Niki Caro (2020)
Selected by: Hipolito Torrales, North Main
Anthony Russo and Joe Russo (2019)
Eric Barone (2016)
Selected by: Thomas Maluck, Main
Selected by: Lisa Gieskes, Main
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¡Que Rico! The Flavor of our Community by Elisa Diaz, Richland Library Cooper
With its effervescent restaurants, breweries, farm to table partnershizps, vegan eateries, the Decker Boulevard International Corridor, Soda City Market and an influx of new residents both domestic and international, Richland County is deservedly becoming more and more renowned as a culinary hotspot. As Columbia becomes more diverse, so will its offerings in markets and eateries, as well as its evolving history. However, missing a stake in Richland County’s landscape are many countries’ cuisines and their delicacies— a heritage fortunately kept alive by the county’s culturally eclectic residents.
Home away from home Representing food from places like Honduras, Spain, Bolivia and more, residents, like Karin Cantarero, and business owners from the Hispanic community are working together to fill in those culinary gaps, and bring people closer together, especially during the pandemic and times of social reconciliation.
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A single mother from San Pedro, Honduras, Karin, like many from Latin America, strives to keep her culture and traditions alive for her three children through her cooking. At a young age, due to her economic needs, Karin was needed at home to care for her younger siblings and help her mother, a local food vendor, with cooking. “Times were hard, so I was forced to learn to cook at age five. One of the first things I learned to make were pastelitos (savory stuffed pastries), which we sold daily because they were easy to make, filling, and could be eaten on the go.” She says that cooking these along with dishes made with simple ingredients containing fried cheese, sweet plantains, and specially seasoned ground beef reminds her and her kids of home and are considered delicacies to her family. And while you won’t easily find them at local restaurants, these recipes and family traditions help make up the wonderful flavor of our complex and unique community.
¡que rico!
Bring the rich flavors of our community to life in your kitchen! Try our Stuffed Honduran Pastelitos—inspired by Karin, and find additional recipes from our ¡Que Rico! Community Cookbook, exclusive interviews with local food entrepreneurs and more at RichlandLibrary.com.
Stuffed Honduran “Pastelitos” INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
For the chicken:
To prepare the chicken:
• 1 chicken breast, whole • 1 medium white potato, cubed • ¼ cup mixed, fresh or frozen vegetables • 1 cup Cilantro, chopped • 32 oz chicken broth • 1 tbsp Achiote • ½ medium onion, chopped • Salt and pepper to taste
For the dough: • 2 cups Maseca or pre-cooked cornmeal flour
1
Add raw chicken to medium stockpot, season with salt, pepper and achiote.
2
Add onion, cilantro, vegetables, potato and chicken broth, and cook for 20 minutes.
3
Continue cooking until mixture is smooth, and the chicken is tender enough to shred.
4
Drain mixture into a bowl and set remaining broth aside to cool.
5
Shred chicken and mix thoroughly into vegetables.
To prepare the dough: 1
In a large bowl, mix cornmeal flour, achiote, baking powder, salt and pepper.
2
Add reserved chicken broth slowly until mixture is wet and can be kneaded into a ball.
3
Continue kneading until you achieve a flexible consistency.
4
Continue rolling dough into golf-ball sized balls for the tortillas.
5
Using a tortilla press or rolling pin, flatten the dough ball between two sheets of oiled parchment paper into tortilla shapes.
6
Add vegetable oil to pan and heat on medium / high.
7
Add chicken and vegetable mixture to toritillas and close—taking care not to overflow the mixture.
8
Add pastelitos to hot oil and fry until both sides turn golden brown.
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Serve immediately.
• 1 tbsp Achiote • 2 cups chicken broth (reserved from mixture above) • ½ tsp baking powder • A pinch of salt • A pinch of black pepper • 2 ½ cups vegetable oil
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Come In, We're Open: Emerging Entrepreneurs Who Are Making It Work by Emily Barber, Richland Library Sandhills
Tucked away in downtown Columbia’s Arcade Mall, Odd Bird Books had been open for only a few weeks when the COVID-19 pandemic forced most shops and businesses to shut their doors in March 2020. Benjamin Adams, owner of the new independent bookstore, and countless more entrepreneurs had to reimagine the futures of their small businesses. Starting a local business is difficult in the best of times. Roughly two-thirds of businesses survive past the two-year mark, and only half make it to five years. With the onset of the pandemic came a flood of safety concerns and precautions that further complicated operations and have changed many business models indefinitely. Entrepreneurs in different industries have had to innovate and adapt. From expanded telework to curbside service, many organizations have devised ways of staying afloat and continuing almost business as usual. But the most social and hands-on industries, namely food service and retail, have suffered. Some
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come in, we're open
“People definitely continued to conscientiously support the bookstore on principle,” he said. “That was encouraging for the future when we actually can use the bookstore as a bookstore and have events and people can come here.”
businesses have been unable to bounce back from several months of hardship; Yelp’s September 2020 Local Economic Impact Report shows restaurants and retail businesses as having the highest rates of permanent closure since March 2020 with each seeing about 60% permanent closure. Despite daunting conditions, many small business owners have been able to withstand the pandemic’s upheaval, including Adams of Odd Bird Books; Stephanie Neubert of The Good Market, an online sustainable retailer; and Arif Rizvi of restaurants Granby Grill, Bubba’s Biscuit and Ventures Bar 2.0.
Reshaping the local experience The economic slump of the pandemic has yielded a push for consumers to shop locally, which has helped to keep many small businesses secure and afloat. But often larger retailers or chain restaurants can offer more convenience, coupled with the lowest price. Mammoths, such as Amazon or third-party food delivery providers, have normalized rapid, easy service, and small businesses often don’t have the resources to mimic those standards. These entrepreneurs bridge gaps in convenience through personalized service and a sense of community.
Books gone viral For Adams, operating during the early months of the pandemic was a lot of trial and error. Odd Bird Books debuted in early February 2020, and Adams introduced free delivery and curbside service in late March 2020. Although delivery proved to be unsustainable, as Adams chose not to offset the time and fuel investments with delivery fees, curbside pickup has worked just as well while leaving time to take care of the store’s other needs.
Adams described the community’s outpouring of support for Odd Bird Books and other local businesses as an expression of civic responsibility. Much of the appeal of a small, independent bookstore is the experience of browsing the shelves. Even so, Adams has had a steady flow of customers, including many regulars. One phenomenon particular to Odd Bird Books is what Adams called a “viral book,” meaning a particular title that had made the rounds on social media or news outlets. “We would sell 30 or 50 copies of one book in a cluster, and then it would be a different book the next month,” he said. “It used to happen like three times a year...this year, that happened probably 20 times.”
Lean on sustainability Neubert, who has run The Good Market out of her home since 2019, has incorporated free local delivery into her strategy since the pandemic began. Orders come through her website, and if the buyer is in the area, she’ll deliver the order while running another errand, aligning with her business' goal of sustainability. “If someone [local] orders something, I can just say, ‘Let me refund your shipping. I can just bring it to you,’” Neubert said. “It was nice to be able to get the products into the hands of people as soon as I possibly could, and that was nice for the customer service side as well.” Running a one-woman operation, Neubert has been cautious with her business. She also works in operations for Five Points’ The Gourmet Shop, which provides financial security and more flexibility. Neubert hopes to one day have a brick-and-mortar location for The Good Market, but she isn’t rushing to expand before demand exists. Because her inventory has a long shelf life and lends itself to contactless delivery, Neubert can withstand necessary adaptations of the pandemic. “I don’t think that this is going anywhere anytime soon,” she said. “It’s going to be another hard year for small businesses and retailers, especially because I think people did simplify a bit during COVID-19.”
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Spread the costs, spread some love As a restaurant and bar owner, Rizvi has more plates, spinning to keep his locations operating smoothly. Rizvi and his colleagues have persisted in taking business risks despite the pandemic, such as relocating Bubba’s Biscuit to Lexington, opening Granby Grill in the Olympia neighborhood and relaunching Ventures Bar 2.0. Always, but especially during the pandemic, restauranteurs are facing increased costs and unsteady income. The uptick in delivery and to-go orders has enabled restaurants to stay open but comes with its own challenges. Rizvi said the cost of almost everything he buys, from meat to gloves, has increased dramatically. On top of that, he purchases more to-go materials (packaged utensils; napkins; singleuse containers and cups) than ever before. As an entrepreneur who started with the goal of affordable dining, Rizvi hasn’t increased prices to compensate for the increased costs, which means his income absorbs those losses. Spreading these costs across his several locations through strategic purchasing and distribution helps, but every cent counts. “The number one in restaurants is a penny saved is a penny earned,” he said. “I think education and training on how to save on overhead and how to manage overhead is going to be a bigger deal.” Rizvi praised both his employees and regulars for their commitment to the wellbeing of his establishments. Customers who have been patronizing his locations throughout the pandemic have grown to really care for the servers,
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bartenders and cooks. Many show their appreciation through generous tips, which are critical to keeping the restaurant open and well-staffed. Rizvi encourages restaurant-goers to continue being generous when it comes to tips, even on carry-out orders. “Most restaurant workers who you see, we truly, truly love what we do,” he said. “We love the fact that we can provide awesomeness, and people can come and hang out...otherwise, we would not be doing what we’re doing.”
Hustle while you hope Uncertainty is familiar to many small business owners, but the economic forecast for 2021 and beyond is murkier than usual. How long the pandemic will last is also unclear, so entrepreneurs must determine what has worked so far and what’s feasible in the foreseeable future. As for hunkering down to ride out the rest of the pandemic, Neubert believes business owners should focus on their tried-and-true strategies with some wiggle room for a trend or two. “My advice [to other small business owners] would be to simplify and go back to basics,” she said. “Go with the flow. Keep doing it. Excel at what you’re good at.” True to the characteristic hustle of restauranteurs, Rizvi is prepared to continue adopting new strategies that fit his customer base. While food service is an industry that usually requires innovation and creativity to keep a steady flow of new customers, the pandemic has prompted rapid change. If a restaurant hasn’t already incorporated technology to meet safety needs, Rizvi predicts they might have to.
come in, we're open
“If everybody could just toss one book my way every so often, that would definitely be a better business model for me and more sustainable.” Buying local goods exclusively isn’t an option for most households, but Adams said he would like to see people putting a few bucks into small businesses when they can. “I like the idea of getting a gift card or buying a T-shirt or whatever else they might still have,” he said of all small businesses, from restaurants to retailers.
Post on social media “Eating out, dining habits are going to change drastically, like they have,” he said. “Humans are social creatures, so we will still want to go out and do things...but if we aren’t adapting with technology, it’s going to hurt us.” Predictions of conditions for small businesses in coming months are mixed with increased ecommerce sparking hope while high unemployment rates trouble many communities. Adams said he hopes a reprieve is on the horizon and communities can sustain surviving businesses. “Any business that’s still around now, it would be so brutal to close at this point with the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “Anything you can do to prop up local businesses for two or three more months hopefully.” This next year will continue to be difficult, Neubert expects, but she hopes to see ongoing support as consumers recognize the value of local businesses. “More people are buying small business because they think the next day it might not be there,” she said. “I'm hoping that we see this boom of small business love and supporting one another. If that is the case, it’ll be really exciting to be a part of that.”
Consume locally—when you can Adams believes while consumers choosing to buy local is important for small businesses, people don’t have to change their buying habits completely to make a difference. “Instead of asking so much of some people, I’d like to ask a little bit of more people,” he said.
Sometimes a local product or exorbitant tip just doesn’t fit in the budget. Rizvi said using the "Check In” location feature on Facebook or sharing a to-go order via Instagram or Snapchat stories can be more influential than most customers imagine. “Everyone is sort of an influencer, right? In their own ways,” he said. “Social media is our primary marketing that we can afford these days between [Instagram] and Facebook.” Similarly, Neubert pushed social media as a way to provide grassroots publicity for local businesses. Whether it’s a bank or a boutique, small businesses benefit hugely through word-of-mouth advertising. “I feel like a lot of people don’t realize the kind of weight that they can pull on social media,” she said. “There are a lot of ways to blend different communities and different businesses. Free advertising never hurts.” Local small businesses have had to revise and reframe in unprecedented ways since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The entrepreneurs fortunate enough to still be fighting look forward to more challenges and doubt. But with continued community support—whether it’s dollars in the till or praise on their feeds— Columbia’s small business owners can look to another season doing what they value.
Connect Freely with these local small business owners and entrepreneurs: @oddbirdbooks | @bubbasbiscuit
@thegoodmarketsc
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Famously Hot Spots Staying connected to pay bills, check e-mail, do school work or catch up with family is more important now than ever. From schools to libraries, community centers and more, here's a list of public Wi-Fi spots in Richland County.
EAU CLAIR + NORTH COLUMBIA
NORTHWEST COLUMBIA
Richland Library North Main
Richland Library Ballentine
Hyatt Park
Richland Library St. Andrews
Greenview Park Lorick Park
NORTHEAST COLUMBIA Richland Library Northeast
FOREST ACRES + SHANDON
Richland Northeast High School
Richland Library Cooper
Jackson Creek Elementary School
Pinehurst Park
E.L. Wright Middle School
Richland Library Wheatley
James Clyburn Technology Center
Martin Luther King Jr. Park Fountain in Five Points
BLYTHEWOOD Richland Library Blythewood
SANDHILLS
Blythewood High School
R2I2 - Institute for Innovation
Kelly Mill Middle School
Ridge View High School
Langford Elementary
Lake Carolina Elementary School Upper
Muller Road Middle School
Bookman Road Elementary School Longleaf Middle School
DOWNTOWN
SOUTHEAST
Richland Library Main Richland Library Edgewood
Richland Library Southeast
Boyd Plaza
Richland Library Lower Richland
South Carolina State Library
Richland Library Eastover
Columbia Visitors Center
Garners Ferry Technology Woodland Park
Find the full list at RichlandLibrary.com/famouslyhotspots. 30
RICHLAND LIBRARY 1431 Assembly Street | Columbia, SC 29201
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