Cultural Layers Project

Overview

The Cultural Layers project is designed to preserve, honor, and celebrate the stories and histories of the community through visual art. The project is deeply connected to historically significant neighborhoods in Columbia, including Ward One, a vibrant, predominantly Black community that was displaced in 1968 to make way for the University of South Carolina's development. Through the Cultural Layers project, One Columbia aims to honor and preserve these stories, ensuring the legacy of such neighborhoods lives on through art and shared history.

About Ward One

Ward One was bounded by Huger, Heyward, Main, and Gervais streets and thrived as a close-knit neighborhood where "everybody knew everybody." By the 1930s, it was home to families who worked in mills, railroads, and warehouses, creating a unique and rich cultural legacy.

Project Artists

• Daniel Esquivia-Zapata: An Afro-Colombian artist whose work delves into historical memory and the politics of remembering through life-size figurative drawings.
• Malcolm Vanhannegeyn: A South Carolina native and CEO of Perspective Cinema with a background in cinematography and collaborations with renowned brands.
• Nora Williams: A South Carolina native and fine-art documentary artist who captures the complexities of identity, place, and history within Black and LGBTQ communities in the American South.

Funding

This project is funded by the Knight Foundation through Central Carolina Community Foundation.

Get Involved

One Columbia welcomes interns to work on the Cultural Layers project and hone their arts and culture knowledge.