Beat of the Heart Exhibition Opening Ceremony at Koger Center

The Koger Center is proud to present Beat of the Heart, a group exhibition featuring 5 artists from the Columbia area: Rodgers Boykins, Ryan McClendon, Jeffrey Miller, Keith Tolen and Fred Townsend. The exhibition will be in the Koger Center’s Upstairs Gallery from April 29 through July 1, 2024, with an opening reception taking place from 6-8 p.m. on May 23. The reception is free and open to the public.

Exhibition Statement: 

What is the beat of a heart? It is the contraction of your heart as it pumps blood to the rest of your body. One organ–made of valves, chambers, veins and arteries–is responsible for keeping an entire body–movement, consciousness, breathing–in working order. The thumping in our ears, the press of fingers to palm to check pulse, these are how we know our hearts beat, that we are alive. This exhibition features five moments represented by the work of five artists; each artist may be a key part of this show’s artistic body, but what connects them is this beat. Specifically, this heartbeat seeks to infuse the Carolinas with a pulse of new blood as each artist shares their Carolina experience highlighting the richness of living in this area.

Each artist will share their images based on personal interpretation of the theme: what is art, and how does it serve as a heartbeat living in the Carolinas? The Carolinas pose a beauty that stretches across the terrain from the mountains and foothills to the piedmonts and swamps and, finally, out to the ocean. The diversity of the creative experience will be showcased as these five artists bring to visual light the magic of colors, shapes, and special details to share their stories. The goal of this collection is to engage the viewer with a creative journey into the broad array of expressionism that connects with our rich surroundings. The collective artworks seek to enrich the heart of every viewer as they explore the unique designs displayed in their bold beauty–arteries and veins that run through our state and ourselves. Leaving this body of work will have the viewers longing to purchase a piece in order to continue sharing in the lifeforce of these talented artists. This new blood represents a dose of new energy, pumping throughout not just the show, but each of our bodies, our community. The answer to the question, “what is art?” will become clearer to the audience as they savor each individual image, feeling it beat behind their own chests.