The Columbia Museum of Art (CMA) has several new and exciting exhibitions worth the trip up I-95 — ranging from the psychedelic posters of the hippie era to horror and sci-fi artwork. Here’s the scoop:
Notes from the Underground: Poster Design from the Hippie Era
Each of the posters in Notes from the Underground, open now through April 26, were only important for a short period of time, a time when people tapped into the power of dancing, psychedelic light shows, and hallucinatory drug taking. These posters are designed to be intentionally dense, complex visual experiences with image mashups and vibrating color combinations. The museum was gifted these posters in 2017 from the collection of design historian Mel Byars, and the exhibition is meant to complement the museum’s upcoming show It’s Alive!, opening in February.
TRIBE: A Celebration of South Carolina Hip-Hop Culture
The history of South Carolina’s hip-hop culture is long and varied, and the CMA’s new exhibition, TRIBE: A Celebration of South Carolina Hip-Hop Culture, recounts the past four decades of hip-hop events. The exhibition includes posters, graffiti, clothing, audio and video media, and photography. TRIBE‘s collection works to celebrate the inter-generational connections between the genre’s creators and current creators, the evolution of the genre, and its empowerment. The exhibit opens on Feb. 6 and runs through April 12.
It’s Alive! Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Art from the Kirk Hammett Collection
This exhibition features one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of horror and sci-fi art. The collection was, even more interestingly, put together by Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett. The collection contains a variety of posters, sculptures, masks, toys, and guitars, many of which are from the days of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. The items in this collection explore the power of graphic art and have served as sources of inspiration for Hammett throughout his career. This exhibit will be open from Feb. 15 through May 17.
Learn more about upcoming exhibitions and programming online at columbiamuseum.org.
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