USC Upstate Art Gallery

Thanks to everyone who came out to see Leah Mulligan Cabinum’s *reflect* last night! The show will be open all summer!
This is my last post as Gallery Director - here with my dream team Exhibition Coordinator Leah Mulligan Cabinum and fabulous intern Tanya Johnson. I could not have done this without them. I am happy to have established this space at the Chapman Center, and I’ve planned a full second year of shows for you to look forward to! I’m off to NYC and someone new will be taking over this account. Please continue to enjoy this space for contemporary art in Spartanburg, and thanks for your support this year💚 - Lex

Join us during Art Walk on May 18 for the opening reception of Leah Mulligan Cabinum: "reflect"! Artist talk at 6pm.

Cabinum’s work is the embodiment of layered perceptions rendered as assigned symbols, through the exploitation of diverse materials. Her sculptural installations, objects and drawings range in scale from miniature to monumental, and offer a physical representation of the connection and dichotomy between vulnerability and security in people and in nature. She lives and works in South Carolina, is a faculty member at the University of South Carolina Upstate and her work is exhibited in private collections, galleries, museums and public spaces.

Chapman Cultural Center InTheBurg USC Upstate

Join us for Art Walk on May 18 for the opening reception of Leah Mulligan Cabinum: "reflect"!

Cabinum’s work is the embodiment of layered perceptions rendered as assigned symbols, through the exploitation of diverse materials. Her sculptural installations, objects and drawings range in scale from miniature to monumental, and offer a physical representation of the connection and dichotomy between vulnerability and security in people and in nature. She lives and works in South Carolina, is a faculty member at the University of South Carolina Upstate and her work is exhibited in private collections, galleries, museums and public spaces.

Chapman Cultural Center USC Upstate InTheBurg

Join us TONIGHT during Art Walk at the Chapman Cultural Center for the closing reception of Jessica Scott-Felder’s *What’s Left Undone* !

5-8pm / 6pm walk through with the artist not to be missed!

This interactive installation/performance speaks on Black cultural and business contributions to Spartanburg, and audience interaction vitally shapes the work.

Co-sponsored by the Center for African American Studies University of South Carolina Upstate

Visit Jessica Scott-Felder tomorrow/Wednesday while she is working on “What’s Left Undone” from 1-3pm in the gallery, or by appointment if you dm

And join us this Thursday for the closing reception during Art Walk from 5-8pm; walk-through with the artist at 6pm!

This interactive installation/performance speaks on Black cultural and business contributions to Spartanburg, and audience interaction vitally shapes the work.

This exhibition is co-sponsored by the Center for African American Studies University of South Carolina Upstate

Chapman Cultural Center InTheBurg Downtown Spartanburg SC

Join us next Thursday April 20 during Art Walk from 5-8pm for the closing of Jessica Scott-Felder’s “What’s Left Undone” - walk-through with the artist at 6pm!

This interactive installation/performance speaks on Black cultural and business contributions to Spartanburg, and audience interaction vitally shapes the work.

Visit Scott-Felder working on Tuesdays from 1-3pm in the gallery, or by appointment if you dm

Chapman Cultural Center Jessica Scott-Felder (Visual Artist) InTheBurg Downtown Spartanburg SC

Visit Jessica Scott-Felder on Tuesday, March 21, during her open studio hours from 1-3pm at the Upstate Art Gallery! For the artist, art is a conversation - members of the community are encouraged to talk with her during her working hours.

​“What’s Left Undone” is a performative exercise in sharing Scott-Felder’s creative process of large-scale drawings. Using personal and site-specific Spartanburg narratives and histories as a point of departure, Scott-Felder's drawing references the nature of knowledge unfolding and evolving over time. A nod to the dedication and contributions of African Americans in the City of Spartanburg, the artist will continue to develop the work weekly until the close of the exhibition with clock-in and clock-out hours.

If you’re into relational aesthetics, or you have no idea what that means and want to find out, come to Jessica Scott-Felder’s artist talk tonight at 5:30 (opening from 5-8)! This show will defy your expectations, and you’ll be into it…

​“What’s Left Undone” is a performative exercise in sharing Scott-Felder’s creative process of large-scale drawings. Using personal and site-specific Spartanburg narratives and histories as a point of departure, Scott-Felder's drawing references the nature of knowledge unfolding and evolving over time. A nod to the dedication and contributions of African Americans in the City of Spartanburg, the artist will continue to develop the work weekly until the close of the exhibition with clock-in and clock-out hours. For the artist, art is a conversation - members of the community and guests are encouraged to talk with her during her working hours.

Chapman Cultural Center Jessica Scott-Felder

Opening this Thursday during Art Walk, 5-8pm: Jessica Scott-Felder "What's Left Undone: Paper Pushing Vol.3" !! ***Artist Talk at 5:30pm***

Scott-Felder will be actively working in the space through the run of this exhibition from March 16-April 29: stop by during her open studio hours on Tuesdays from 1-3pm!

Jessica Scott-Felder uses drawing, installation, and performance to create social-psychological spaces that facilitate exploration of ancestral narratives and folklore, history and memory, and Afrofuturism. Currently, her work commemorates Black contributions specifically in Spartanburg, SC.
Chapman Cultural Center
InTheBurg
University of South Carolina Upstate
Downtown Spartanburg SC

Join us for Art Walk tomorrow night - 5-8pm - and see Valerie Zimany: Stand Long Enough Among the Flowers before it closes on Feb. 25!
Chapman Cultural Center
University of South Carolina Upstate
InTheBurg

See Valerie Zimany: Stand long enough among the flowers, open through February 25!

Valerie Zimany's work blends Asian and European botanical patterns of 18th and 19th century export wares, exploring the transculturation that produced intricate floral designs known as Hanazume from their origins in Japan’s commodity exchanges with Europe. Incorporating advances in digital technology in ceramics, Zimany utilizes both virtual sculpting software and hand-crafting techniques to render densely ornamented surfaces that speak to cultural mixture, conjuring temporal as well as technological incongruencies.

Join us this Thursday January 19 during Art Walk for the opening of Valerie Zimany: Stand along Enough Among the Flowers, and artist talk and conversation at 5:30m!
Chapman Cultural Center InTheBurg Downtown Spartanburg SC University of South Carolina Upstate

Please join us for the opening reception of Valerie Zimany: Stand long enough among the flowers on Thursday, January 19th from 5:00-8:00pm – Artist Talk at 5:30pm.

Valerie Zimany's work blends Asian and European botanical patterns of 18th and 19th century export wares, exploring the transculturation that produced intricate floral designs known as Hanazume from their origins in Japan’s commodity exchanges with Europe. Incorporating advances in digital technology in ceramics, Zimany utilizes both virtual sculpting software and hand-crafting techniques to render densely ornamented surfaces that speak to cultural mixture, conjuring temporal as well as technological incongruencies.

Valerie Zimany is Chair and Professor of Art, Ceramics, at Clemson University in South Carolina, and her work has been widely exhibited nationally and internationally. She received her MFA in Crafts/Ceramics at Kanazawa College of Art as a Fulbright Fellow and Japanese Government Scholar, and she was awarded a three-year residency at the Utatsuyama Craft Workshop in Kanazawa, Japan. She received a second Fulbright grant from the U.S. Department of Education in 2011.
Chapman Cultural Center InTheBurg Downtown Spartanburg SC University of South Carolina Upstate

See Mo Kessler: Exercises in Dependency this week before it closes Saturday, January 7th! Most of the work in this exhibition can be touched, engaging us in tactile exchanges with everyday materials that Mo transforms, prompting us to reconsider notions of value and disposability from a working-class, q***r perspective.
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Mo Kessler is a q***r multimedia object maker, installation artist, and community organizer from Kentucky. Using the contradictions inherent in the concept of cheap, Mo makes work as a means to investigate how worth is generated under neo-liberal capitalism. The work relies on repetitive labor and materials that are accessibly and spark recognition. Driven by the defiance of “tacky” and the amount of sincerity it can hold, Mo's work reflects the resilience embedded in the craft that is born of necessity. Under the politics of extraction and disposability, to mark value through attention, care and abundance is a small rebellion. Mo received their BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2007 and their MFA from Western Carolina University in 2021.

Join us for Art Walk this Thursday, Dec. 15, 5-8pm! See Mo Kessler: Exercises in Dependency (up through Jan 6) at the Upstate Gallery along with stellar exhibitions at the Spartanburg Art Museum at the Artist's Guild at the Chapman Cultural Center! There are always great snacks, drinks, and conversations. Plus, you can TOUCH *almost* all the art in this exhibition!
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Mo Kessler is a q***r multimedia object maker, installation artist, and community organizer from Kentucky. Using the contradictions inherent in the concept of cheap, Mo makes work as a means to investigate how worth is generated under neo-liberal capitalism. The work relies on repetitive labor and materials that both spark recognition and are accessible. Fascinated by the defiance of “tacky” and the amount of sincerity it can hold, Mo's work reflects the resilience embedded in the craft that is born of necessity. Under the politics of extraction and disposability, to mark value through attention, care and abundance is a small rebellion. Mo received their BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2007 and their MFA from Western Carolina University in 2021.

Tonight!!! Opening for Mo Kessler's "Exercises in Dependency" + local book launch for Dr. Lex Lancaster's Dragging Away: Q***r Abstraction in Contemporary Art, just published by Duke University Press. Conversation with the artist @ 5:30pm.

Kessler's exhibition is co-sponsored by the USC Upstate Center for Women's and Gender Studies.

Mo Kessler is a q***r multimedia object maker, installation artist, and community organizer from Kentucky. Using the contradictions inherent in the concept of cheap, Mo makes work as a means to investigate how worth is generated under neo-liberal capitalism. The work relies on repetitive labor and materials that both spark recognition and are accessible. Fascinated by the defiance of “tacky” and the amount of sincerity it can hold, Mo's work reflects the resilience embedded in the craft that is born of necessity. Under the politics of extraction and disposability, to mark value through attention, care and abundance is a small rebellion. Mo received their BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2007 and their MFA from Western Carolina University in 2021.

Dr. Lex Lancaster is Assistant Professor of Art History and Gallery Director at University of South Carolina Upstate. Their scholarship focuses on q***r, trans, and anti-racist contributions to the history and theory of contemporary art.

Join us Thursday, Nov. 3 (5-7pm) for a q***r art double feature! Opening reception for Mo Kessler's "Exercises in Dependency" + local book launch for Dr. Lex Lancaster's Dragging Away: Q***r Abstraction in Contemporary Art, just published by Duke University Press. Conversation with the artist @ 5:30pm. Come have snacks, see some outstanding q***r art, and chat with us about q***r abstraction!

Kessler's exhibition is co-sponsored by the USC Upstate Center for Women's and Gender Studies.

Mo Kessler is a q***r multimedia object maker, installation artist, and community organizer from Kentucky. Using the contradictions inherent in the concept of cheap, Mo makes work as a means to investigate how worth is generated under neo-liberal capitalism. The work relies on repetitive labor and materials that both spark recognition and are accessible. Fascinated by the defiance of “tacky” and the amount of sincerity it can hold, Mo's work reflects the resilience embedded in the craft that is born of necessity. Under the politics of extraction and disposability, to mark value through attention, care and abundance is a small rebellion. Mo received their BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2007 and their MFA from Western Carolina University in 2021.

Dr. Lex Lancaster is Assistant Professor of Art History and Gallery Director at University of South Carolina Upstate. Their scholarship focuses on q***r, trans, and anti-racist contributions to the history and theory of contemporary art.

A few books will be available for purchase, but you can buy them for 50% off here until Oct. 28: https://dukeupress.edu/dragging-away

Chapman Cultural Center
Downtown Spartanburg SC
InTheBurg

This is the final week to see Yehimi Cambrón: Now We Thrive! This stunning and powerful exhibition will be up through Saturday 10/22, and Art Walk is this Thursday!

Cambrón’s art centers the experiences and perspectives of Undocumented Americans, both private and shared. Her work is both deeply personal and grounded in family and community.

The Upstate Art Gallery is honored to feature Yehimi Cambrón as our first invited artist, and we know this will the first of many outstanding solo shows.

Save the Date:
*Mo Kessler: Exercises in Dependency* opens November 3rd!
Reception from 5-7pm, Artist talk 5:30pm.
Co-sponsored by the Center for Women's and Gender Studies at University of South Carolina Upstate.

Mo Kessler is a q***r multimedia object maker, installation artist, and community organizer from Kentucky. Using the contradictions inherent in the concept of cheap, Mo makes work as a means to investigate how worth is generated under neo-liberal capitalism. The work relies on repetitive labor and materials that both spark recognition and are accessible. Fascinated by the defiance of “tacky” and the amount of sincerity it can hold, Mo's work reflects the resilience embedded in the craft that is born of necessity. Under the politics of extraction and disposability, to mark value through attention, care and abundance is a small rebellion. Mo received their BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2007 and their MFA from Western Carolina University in 2021. Downtown Spartanburg SC Chapman Cultural Center InTheBurg

See you at Art Walk tomorrow (Thursday) night from 5-8pm! Artists will be out on the plaza at the Chapman Cultural Center, there will be snacks, and you can see Yehimi Cambrón: Now We Thrive at the Upstate Art Gallery!

Opening Tomorrow!!! 🔥 🔥 🔥
Now We Thrive / Venimos A Triunfar
Yehimi Cambrón - Artist, Activist, Storyteller
On View 9.1.22 to 10.21.22
Guest Curator Kim E. Powell

Opening Events | 9.1.22:

Artist Talk | 4 pm
"The George"
College of Business Building
160 E. St. John St
Room 280
Co-Sponsored by South Carolina Centro Latino

Opening Reception | 5-7pm
Upstate Art Gallery
Chapman Cultural Center
200 E. St. John St.

The USC Upstate Art Gallery is thrilled to host Yehimi Cambrón next week for Now We Thrive, guest curated by Kim E. Powell.

Join us for opening events next Thursday, September 1st:
Artist talk: 4pm in “The George” building (160 E. St. John St., room 280) Sponsored by South Carolina Centro Latino
Opening reception: 5-7pm at the Upstate Gallery / Chapman Cultural Center (200 E. St. John St.)

Yehimi Cambrón is a DACAmented artist and activist based in Atlanta, born in Michoacán, México. Her work predominantly reflects the experiences of Undocumented Americans. Cambrón’s award-winning murals in Atlanta assert the humanity of immigrants, depict the complexity of their stories, and challenge assumptions about who is worthy of monumental celebration. Her exhibition at Upstate will feature site-specific installation, portraits, and video work.
InTheBurg
Downtown Spartanburg SC
University of South Carolina Upstate

Yehimi Cambrón: Now We Thrive will open September 1st! Mark your calendar for the artist’s talk at 4:00pm (in “The George” College of Business building, 160 E. St. John St., room 280), sponsored by South Carolina Centro Latino | and our grand opening reception in the gallery from 5:00-7:00pm. Please wear a mask at these events to protect our community.

Yehimi Cambrón is a DACAmented artist and activist based in Atlanta, born in Michoacán, México. Her work predominantly reflects the experiences of Undocumented Americans. Cambrón’s award-winning murals in Atlanta assert the humanity of immigrants, depict the complexity of their stories, and challenge assumptions about who is worthy of monumental celebration. Her exhibition at Upstate will feature site-specific installation, portraits, and video work.

Catch Warhol before the show closes Aug. 15! And stay tuned for our exciting fall lineup of events starting Sept. 1.

Join us for Art Walk this Thursday, June 16, 5-8pm! Celebrate with the q***r work of Andy Warhol at the USC Upstate Art Gallery. (Image: Jon Gould, Warhol’s boyfriend, topless, soaking up the sun)

The USC Upstate Art Gallery is up and running again in a new location at the Chapman Center! Directed and curated by Dr. Lex Lancaster, the gallery will feature the work of diverse artists from the Southeast and beyond. See our collection of original photographs and screen prints by Andy Warhol, up through the summer. And stay tuned for exciting programming in the fall!

USC Upstate Art Gallery updated their address.