Several local artists in Columbia are receiving awards, grants, and regional spotlights this year, making them standouts to watch throughout 2025.
Artists Awarded and Celebrated in 2025
Aaron Baumgardner: Known for dynamic contemporary work, featured in the Artist Homecoming 2025 event.
Winton and Rosa Eugene: Acclaimed for their storytelling pottery and painting, they continue to shape the local arts landscape.
Paul Matheny: His vibrant paintings and leadership in local arts elevate the scene.
Alex Osborn, Tabitha Ott, Clay Rice, Ivan Segura, Joshua Shumak: All recognized for their innovative practices and contributions, they collectively reflect Columbia’s diversity in media and style.
Twelve artists received microgrant funding in 2025 through the Columbia Streams Art Public Art Program, enabling unique local projects:
2025 Emerging Artists Highlighted
The South Carolina Arts Commission named seven new “Emerging Artists,” including Columbia’s own Robert Harold Adams, Jr. (Media Arts: Production). Other Midlands artists on the rise are:
Yasmin J. (Blythewood, Media Arts: Production)
Delaney MeSun Shin (Florence, Visual Arts/Crafts)
Maya Símone (Elgin, Media Arts: Production)
These artists benefit from grants and mentoring, fostering growth and opportunities for exhibition throughout the city and state.
Notable Public Art and Muralists
Maria DeFelice: Her Columbia-rooted murals have gained broad attention in 2025 for vibrant public installations.
David Falter: Created the “Convergence” public art piece unveiled at Artista Vista 2025, highlighting the city’s renewal.
Lenayah Rayford: Welcomed in September 2025 to Stormwater Studios for a yearlong residency culminating in a solo exhibition.
Arts Events Showcasing Talent
Columbia’s annual major showcases—the Artist Homecoming, Artista Vista, and Columbia Open Studios—feature these and other rising voices, offering opportunities to watch them work, view latest pieces, and attend special gallery crawls.
Columbia’s 2025 arts scene continues to spotlight both established and emerging artists, producing new projects and installations throughout the cultural district and at leading galleries, studios, and public spaces.
SOURCES
[1](https://scmuseum.org/events/artist-homecoming)
[2](https://columbiasc.gov/columbia-streams-art-public-art-program-awards-12-local-artists-with-more-than-15000-in-micro-grant-funding-for-creative-projects/)
[3](https://whosonthemove.com/s-c-arts-commission-names-seven-new-emerging-artists/)
[4](https://www.instagram.com/p/DPg1q9kkUe1/)
[5](https://www.vistacolumbia.com/special-events/artista-vista)
