One Columbia for Arts and Culture announces the Cultural Layers Community Celebrations, two public events marking the unveiling of new murals and artwork honoring the stories, people, and places at the heart of Columbia’s historically African American neighborhoods.
The celebrations will take place July 18 at 2 pm at Richland Library Edgewood and July 19 at 3 pm at Richland Library Main Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.
Cultural Layers is a public art and storytelling initiative led by One Columbia and supported by the Knight Foundation and the Central Carolina Community Foundation. The project preserves and amplifies histories from Columbia’s historically African American neighborhoods through photography, videography, oral histories, archival research, and public murals. The work centers on individuals who shaped the city, the importance of Black education, and the schools and neighborhoods that served as vital cultural and social anchors for generations.
At each celebration, attendees will have the opportunity to view the completed murals and public artwork, meet the individuals depicted in the work, and connect with the community members, historians, and cultural partners who helped bring the project to life. The events are designed as community gatherings — grounded in memory, local history, and collective pride.
Featured artists and participants include Daniel Esquivia-Zapata, Visual Artist and Educator; Nora Williams, Photographer and Cultural Worker; Malcolm Vanhannegeyn, CEO of Perspective Cinema and Cinematographer; and community members Crissandra Elliott, Deacon Richard Caughman, and Raymond Richardson. The celebrations are made possible with the support of community partners including Richland County Library, Walker Local & Family History Center, Center for Civil Rights History and Research, Ward One Organization, A’ja Wilson Foundation, Columbia SC 63, and Friends of African American Art & Culture.
Additional Cultural Layers Event
One Columbia will also present Cultural Layers: Conversations on Public Art & Community June 19 from 11 am – 12:30 pm at the Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main Street. Registration is available at columbiamuseum.org. The event will feature Aisha Jones, Daniel Esquivia-Zapata, Malcolm Vanhannegeyn, and Margaret Dunlap in a conversation exploring public art that celebrates African American history, creative insights from the featured panelists, and the role of visual storytelling, memory, identity, and community voices honored through art.