Columbia's The Gallery at City Hall Grand Opening Thursday

From the City of Columbia

The City of Columbia, in collaboration with One Columbia for Arts and History, is pleased to announce the opening of The Gallery at City Hall. 

As part of First Thursdays on Main, from 6 -8 p.m. on Thursday, September 5, the City of Columbia will hold a reception and grand opening for The Gallery at City Hall with the inaugural exhibition from the South Carolina State Museum, "A Look Inside: Selections from the South Carolina State Museum's Traveling Exhibition Program.” 

“A Look Inside,” combines two popular exhibitions that focus on fine crafts produced in South Carolina. These exhibitions originated from the City of North Charleston, Cultural Arts Department and are now part of the State Museum’s “Traveling Exhibits Program” (TEP). The State Museum’s TEP program provides museums, art centers, universities and other qualified institutions with high quality, affordable traveling exhibitions. The goal of this program is to advance appreciation for and understanding of the art, history and culture of South Carolina by offering exhibits on a variety of topics and disciplines. 

“From our new busking ordinance and the Nickelodeon to the Columbia Museum of Art, we are blessed with a rich cultural tradition and a growing creative economy here in Columbia,” said Mayor Steve Benjamin. “The Gallery at City Hall embraces that tradition and represents the next step in our effort to build a critical mass of talent and creativity right here in the heart of our city.”

“We are thrilled to partner with One Columbia and the City of Columbia to present the first exhibition in the Gallery at City Hall,” said Paul Matheny, art curator, S.C. State Museum. “The public is familiar with what happens inside the State Museum, so this is a great opportunity to provide insight into the outreach the museum has across the state and beyond.”

“We welcome the opportunity for City Hall to be a venue for both artists and art exhibitions. This initiative will not only expand the cultural environment within our community, but it will also be a positive step towards increasing awareness about the historic significance of City Hall,” said City Manager Teresa Wilson.

The gallery will complement the soon-to-be completed restorations of the second floor offices and City Council chambers on the third floor. The gallery exhibitions will rotate quarterly among various museums throughout the city. The Gallery at City Hall will be open during regular business hours and in the evening during each First Thursday on Main.

“Working with the various partners to make this gallery a reality has been wonderful,” said Anne Sinclair, board member, One Columbia and former member of City Council. “We are all quite excited to have a rotating artistic or cultural exhibit in such a publically accessible space. Other organizations are already offering to assist with upcoming exhibits.”