All Events | Columbia Museum of Art

Wednesday September 18

10:00 am

Gladys’ Gang Preschool Edition: City Streets

Buildings, cars, people. What makes a city? This month we’ll be exploring urbanscapes in the galleries before creating our own city scenes. Key topic: city. This program is specially designed for 4- to 5-year old participants and their adult companions as a way to explore art through play and inquiry. This program builds skills for kindergarten readiness through story time, gallery conversations,

Wednesday September 18

5:30 pm

School Administrators’ Preview Night

School administrators (principals and above) from across the state are invited to join the CMA for a free preview of our school tour program. Experience firsthand both a tour through the recently reorganized collection galleries and the corresponding studio program in our newly renovated studio spaces. See for yourself the impact that a visit to the art museum will have on your students. Free.

Saturday September 21

10:00 am

Play on the Plaza

Come out and play on Boyd Plaza with the CMA! Join us every Saturday to build and create with our big blue blocks, perfect for guests of all ages and abilities. Try a design challenge or use your imagination to tap into your engineering ingenuity. This project is supported by a grant from the Knight Foundation Fund and by a Connected Communities grant at Central Carolina Community Foundation. Free

Sunday September 22

1:00 pm

Gallery Tour: Behind the Collection

Get a glimpse into the story behind the art: the science to create the materials, the lives that shaped the artists' views, the thinking that leads a museum to acquire a piece, and the care that's required to keep a work of art in excellent condition for thousands of years.

Sunday September 22

5:00 pm

Chaye Alexander presents Live at Boyd Plaza: The Reggae Jazz Experience

Experience an evening of music on the beautiful new Boyd Plaza. Chaye Alexander — creative producer, former broadcast talent, and owner of the popular performance venue Chayz Lounge — partners with the CMA for a dynamic outdoor concert series. Live at Boyd Plaza features an impressive group of musicians and vocalists known for their vast repertoire of tunes and crowd pleasing performances. At the

Saturday September 28

10:00 am

The Artful Designer: Using Art Objects to Develop Design Thinking Skills

Designed for: middle and high school teachers (all subject areas) With design at its core, this half-day workshop gives an overview of the South Carolina Design Thinking Standards and how art can be infused in cross-curricular design projects. Take a curator-led look at the museum’s design gallery and participate in hands-on games and activities that can be modeled and modified for use with

Saturday September 28

10:00 am

Play on the Plaza

Come out and play on Boyd Plaza with the CMA! Join us every Saturday to build and create with our big blue blocks, perfect for guests of all ages and abilities. Try a design challenge or use your imagination to tap into your engineering ingenuity. This project is supported by a grant from the Knight Foundation Fund and by a Connected Communities grant at Central Carolina Community Foundation. Free

Saturday September 28

2:00 pm

Focal Points: Black Cultural Art

Docent Nancy Tolson explores the extraordinary Black artistry in the CMA collection. Focal Points is a series of gallery talks featuring topics and themes near and dear to the hearts of staff and tour guides. Free with membership or admission. Join today!

Sunday September 29

1:00 pm

Gallery Tour: Cornerstones of the Collection

From corner to corner, see key works in the collection from east to west and from ancient to modern. This tour includes gems by artists like Botticelli, Monet, and Warhol, along with the first piece ever purchased by the CMA.

Saturday October 05

11:00 am

Gallery Tour: Van Gogh and His Inspirations

Saturday, October 5 | 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Vincent van Gogh is one of the most recognizable and sought-after artists today. But how did he become the artist we now know him to be? Experience Van Gogh and His Inspirations with insights from one of our trained docents as they provide context for the spheres Van Gogh traveled in, the artists he admired, and how those influences helped shape his signature style.

Saturday October 05

2:00 pm

Getting to Know Van Gogh with Will South

Van Gogh is a famous example of artistic genius. It is widely believed that his abilities in painting were beyond the abilities of the average person—that he was special, different, gifted, a genius. This talk examines the notion of genius and asks if there is not a more rational explanation for artistic achievement. CMA Chief Curator Will South looks at the many sources Van Gogh used to arrive at

Wednesday October 09

2:00 pm

Gallery Tour: Van Gogh and His Inspirations

Vincent van Gogh is one of the most recognizable and sought-after artists today. But how did he become the artist we now know him to be? Experience Van Gogh and His Inspirations with insights from one of our trained docents as they provide context for the spheres Van Gogh traveled in, the artists he admired, and how those influences helped shape his signature style.