There’s a new wall of bright orange, green and blue where dumpster blight once was.
The Art of State project was unveiled Friday, behind Terra restaurant in West Columbia.

About 50 people- attending the ceremony- braved a wind-driven downpour, huddled under tents, before the art project was presented.

“I had the idea for a  project of interactive art for people to come and enjoy,” said Artist Colleen Otte who created Art on State. “I noticed a trend in professional photography where the subjects were holding up a frame around themselves. It was hard to hold up a frame, so it seemed obvious to have the frame stand alone. And everybody could strike a pose and get in the art.”
Artist BA Hohman – who was also on hand for the unveiling- painted the mural that serves as the background for the picture.
It was funded with the help of a beautiful spaces grant from the Central Carolina Community Foundation (CCCF) in 2015 to create the project.

The Central Carolina Community Foundation provided the income for this project said West Columbia City Administrator Brian Carter. That grant was for $25,000 with $6,250 in matching money  from the The West Columbia Beautification Foundation. Carter also said every segment of the community- public and private- was involved in the creation of the art project.
Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens designed the landscaping for the project, and the Senior Metal Working Class at Brookland Cayce High School forged the signs for the exhibit.
The idea is for visitors to take a picture, and post it on social media with the hash tags #artonstate #wcolasc”, said Public Information Officer Anna Huffman. That had already started happening just minutes after the clouds parted, and the unveiling was over. Young and old were posing, taking their photos at the Art on State exhibit.