DYK? An impressive array of printmakers have ties to South Carolina. Think: Charleston-born Shepard Fairey, known for his Andre the Giant-inspired street art and designing the iconic Obama Hope poster.

His work is featured with that of other prominent printmakers in Pressing Voices at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, SC, a companion show to The Imaginative Worlds of M.C. Escher on display through June 6. Here’s what we learned when we went + how you can #TryThis.

Experience:

Pressing Voices at the Columbia Museum of Art

What we tried (with pricing):

We checked out the exhibition with its curator Jackie Adams, the Director of Art and Learning at the Columbia Museum of Art (and a printmaker herself).

She’s proud of the diversity in this show, from artists’ ethnicities and ages (one being 99 years old) to their backgrounds and subject matter. Hear from the artists.

“Dearest” was created by Adrian Rhodes in 2020 and utilizes woodblocking, the oldest printmaking technique, which dates back to China ~220 AD | Photo by the COLAtoday team

Tickets to the museum are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $5 for kids and students. Due to the popularity of the Escher exhibition, advance tickets are recommended. There may be a small wait to enter the galleries.

What not to miss:

When you’re checking out Pressing Voices, take a moment to count the colors used in each piece. Basically, the more colors there are, the more difficult it is to produce. That’s probably why there are only five total copies of this Vivian Morris print:

“Slug King” by Vivian Morris, 2018 | Photo by the COLAtoday team

40-60. That’s how many hours Jackie estimates it took to print this piece alone.

What we’re still talking about:

Fun fact: Many of the artists featured in Pressing Voices taught one another, as printmaking is something often learned through apprenticeship. For example, Sara Thomas of The Half and Half printmaking studio in Columbia, SC has work featured in the exhibition + studied with fellow Pressing Voices artist Mary Robinson at UofSC. 🤯

How you can experience this:

Reserve your ticket online + enjoy your visit. In the meantime, you can check out our visit on our Instagram Story.

“Voting Rights Are Human Rights” by Shepard Fairey, 2020 | Photo by the COLAtoday team

Things to know if you go:

Experience: Pressing Voices at the Columbia Museum of Art
Price: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for kids and students
Website: https://www.columbiamuseum.org/view/pressing-voices
Address: 1515 Main St., Columbia, SC 29201
Hours: Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5p.m. (closed Monday + Tuesday)
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