Taylor Spreeuwers -- Featured Artist at 52 Windows - An Evening of Art

52 Windows – An Evening of Art is the annual art auction and gala hosted by Columbia’s own Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc. (Mirci). Jasper has been proud to share the wonderous work that both Mirci and the artists invited to participate in the gala have done, and we are excited to share with our readers the great artists featured this year. The gala is from 6 – 9 p.m. on May 9, 2024, at 701 Whaley. This week, we’re talking about another featured 52 Windows artist, Taylor Spreeuwers.

For over 17 years Taylor (Parrish) Spreeuwers has been working in the arts. She owns TaySpray Designs and Studio, an in-home art studio where she creates and teaches art. Taylor’s pottery, paintings, and murals can be found in various homes and establishments across the state of South Carolina. Taylor’s ceramic sculptures and pottery are primarily created in the slab hand building method. Whether Taylor is teaching her weekly art classes, hosting her summer art camps, whipping up her latest inspiration, or doing an Artist in Residence at public schools in the Columbia area, she can always be found connecting and creating.

Born and raised in Irmo, South Carolina, Taylor received a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of South Carolina in Art Education in 2007. She taught middle school art for 6 years in Lexington School District 1 before starting her own business. Outside of the studio Taylor spends her heart, time, and talents working with nonprofits, traveling, and raising two delightful daughters with her husband, Steve Spreeuwers (Spray-wers). They happily reside in Lexington in a home that really belongs to their Ragdoll, Birdie.

Sonya Diimmler and more to feature at 52 Windows – An Evening of Art by Mirci

52 Windows – An Evening of Art is the annual art auction and gala hosted by Columbia’s own Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc. (Mirci). Jasper has been proud to share the wonderous work that both Mirci and the artists invited to participate in the gala have done, and we are excited to share with our readers the great artists featured this year. The gala is from 6 – 9 p.m. on May 9, 2024, at 701 Whaley. One featured artist in this year’s lineup is Sonya Diimmler.

Sonya Diimmler is known or her dramatic use of color in her contemporary landscapes and bold abstracts. The largely self taught artist was featured at Columbia Metropolitan Airport in 2021 and has had several shows at Rob Shaw Gallery in West Columbia and High Noon in Ballentine. Last October Sonya was the featured artist for USC’s School of Music’s edgy Southern Exposure concert. Currently a dynamic collection of Sonya’s abstracts is on display at the new Soulhaus Gallery in Columbia’s trendy Vista district.

Sonya’s Artist Statement: “Painting is –regardless of subject– an emotional and physical response to the world. My process is an alla prima pouring out of paint and silenced emotions. Their escape onto the canvas informs my style, my voice. Whether painting colorfully exaggerated landscapes or abstracts, it is the energy of mark making – the full body engagement of line and gesture, that makes art making so exciting, so satisfying, providing some sort of elusive existential balm, a fusion of self and the cosmos. For this reason, I prefer to paint large and loose without regard for the details of realism.” 

Interested in attending the 52 Windows Gala? Tickets are available through the Mirci website website. Early bird pricing for individual and couple tickets is enacted through April 17.

More Featured Artists from 52 Windows - Ann Anrrich, Christina Clark, Tariq Mix, Wanda Spong

On Thursday, May 18 from 6-9pm at 701 Whaley, Mirci will host 52 Windows – An Evening of Art. This annual art auction and gala features ten local artists, delicious hors d’oeuvres from Aberdeen Catery, an open bar, and elegant music. Get your tickets today via mirci.org/events.

 The art on display and available for auction will include works by Ann Anrrich. Ann grew up in Columbia, SC, received her education here, and after traveling the world, re-entered the realm of art by capturing her two daughters in oil paints and pastels. These efforts led her to portrait work, mainly in Alabama, where she “learned the ins and outs of painting hair bows, smocking and bare feet”.  While she continues to do portrait work, most recently she has challenged herself in expressing the different colors of light and staying fresh in her painting. Her subject matter now includes landscapes, street scenes, and people both working and having fun.

 Ann is joined by Christina Clark, who recently found her way to pastel painting after many years as an amateur violinist. Her focus is on the ability of movement in abstract color to evoke memories and probe psychic depths. Her interest in the arts stems from an Austrian musical heritage.

Christina’s education background spans degrees from Cornell, Harvard, and Michigan State Universities. Her career was in non-profit organizations as well as local politics in Michigan, where she and her husband resided until coming to Columbia in 2019.

Sponsors of the event include BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Burkett Burkett & Burkett CPAs, Colliers International, Dominion Energy, Eighteen Capital Group, Goodwyn Mills Cawood, Grace Outdoor, Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union, Red Curb Investments, Stoudenmire Heating & Air, Synovus, TD Bank, WIS-TV; and many other Midlands businesses that support wrap-around behavioral healthcare.

One of ten featured artists, Tariq Mix has been finding beauty and inspiration in Black American culture for over two decades. Tariq developed a love for fine art during his time at Howard University and has nurtured his craft through the use of various mediums since 2001.

Mix portrays the beauty in the chaos that can go hand in hand with Blackness in America. His use of bold colors and strong lines reflect the nuances of Black culture and identity through the lens of fashion and music. His work can be found in the private collections of Tommy Mottola and Donald Byrd, along with various other private collectors. He hopes his work encourages viewers to embrace the storied black legacy that American identity was founded upon.

With a love of art centered on the landscape, the marshland, the seascape, and still life, Wanda Spong’s oil paintings will also be available for browsing and bidding at this event.

Wanda’s process for each painting begins as an emotional drawing to a given composition and moves toward an attempt to transfer that emotion-provoking quality onto a canvas. Experimenting with design, color, shapes, edges, and nuance, along with a practice of careful craftsmanship, will forever be exciting and challenging to her as an artist. Every person possesses a creative force within, and she hopes to share with others her love and appreciation for the artistic endeavor.

In addition to the ten featured artists, works by Christi Arnette, Shannon Bygott, Walker Covin, Bill Davis, Bonnie Goldberg, Taylor Kienker, Wilma King, Leah Richardson, Anderson Riley, K. Wayne Thornley, Nancy Tuten, and Susan Hansen Staves will also be available.

Don’t miss an evening of elegant music, delicious hors d'oeuvres, an open bar, and wonderful art! All proceeds support Mirci’s mission to provide wrap-around care to individuals who are vulnerable to the adverse effects of mental illness. Purchase your tickets here today: https://one.bidpal.net/52windows/welcome

52 Windows – An Evening of Art Featured Artists: George Stone and Ija Charles

George Stone has enjoyed diverse careers including playing professional baseball in the Chicago White Sox organization, working as a mechanical engineer, and working as a professional artist. Stone is a representational oil painter who focuses primarily on landscape and still life subject matter. He paints extensively from life (plein air) but also works in the studio using plein air studies, sketches and photographic reference.

He has won many awards and is a member of the Oil Painters of America. Stone attempts to convey the beauty and dignity of everyday scenes, and is especially interested in developing a mood in his landscapes by capturing the quality of light present during different times of day, different seasons of the year and different locations.

Ija Charles, 25, is a self-taught artist and entrepreneur from Columbia. You can see her large-scale murals depicting what she calls “a renaissance of black joy” throughout the city.

In addition to murals, she paints colorful, magical and whimsical pictures that create joy while delivering unspoken, yet powerful messages of encouragement.

The muses for her art range from everyday people to diverse samplings from her surrounding community, lived experiences and culture. Inspired by the journey of her upbringing, Ija sows seeds of uniqueness in each new piece and harvests positive vibes from her foundation.

Mirci will host 52 Windows – An Evening of Art, on Thursday, May 18th at 701 Whaley from 6-9pm. The annual fundraiser showcases the work of talented local artists and encourages support of Mirci’s mission to uphold mental health across the Midlands. Visit mirci.org/events for more information.

More on 52 Windows Coming up at 701 Whaley

Mirci will host 52 Windows – An Evening of Art, on May 18th at 701 Whaley from 6-9pm. The annual fundraiser showcases the work of talented local artists while encouraging support of Mirci’s mission to provide wrap-around services, including behavioral healthcare and supportive housing, to individuals experiencing mental illness in the Midlands. Visit mirci.org/events for more information.

Introducing Featured Artists – Lani Stringer and Nina Knowlton

Lani Stringer

Lani Mustard Stringer is the founder of, and principal artist at Mustard Graphics in Columbia, South Carolina. She has won numerous awards in a broad range of mediums, with the interconnection between fine art and graphic design apparent in much of her work.

Lani is driven by a deep curiosity and fascination with the world around her. She believes that art has the power to communicate complex ideas and emotions in ways that words alone cannot, and strives to create work that engages viewers on multiple levels. Her creative process is highly intuitive and experimental, and employs a wide range of mediums and techniques to bring ideas to life. Drawing inspiration from a variety of sources, including nature and music, she is constantly seeking new ways to push the boundaries of creativity.

Nina Knowlton

Nina Knowlton was born and raised in Florence, and has lived in Columbia for over 40 years. As a lifetime resident of South Carolina with an affinity for travel, art has always been an important part of her life. Over the last five years, her main focus has been on painting landscapes. She describes her process as “Not just depicting what I see but painting emotion, or, that is to say, how nature feels, and exploring the atmosphere between painter and the subject.”

Her paintings are either painted plein air or painted from photographs she has taken, usually in South Carolina. Declaring nature as her second love, she says, “Painting really makes me appreciate and see nature in a whole new dimension.” She recently attended workshops focused on the style of French Impressionists, which is reflected in her work. She is currently painting at Studio Carlisle.

Browse the work entered for auction by all participating artists and purchase your tickets today by visiting mirci.org/events. Tickets include an open bar, heavy hors d'oeuvres from Aberdeen Catery, and live music, with all proceeds supporting the urgent work of Mirci.