75 Years of the CMA

1915: Founding the Art Association

A passionate group of community leaders, collectors, and artists form the Columbia Art Association. They hold events and exhibitions in private homes, local organizations, and City Council chambers. Building a museum for Columbia is the driving focus of the association.

1949: Making the CMA Official

Legislation promoted by Mayor Frank C. Owens and the City Council forms the Columbia Museum and Art Center Commission, the Thomas Taylor property is secured to house the museum, and John Richard Craft is appointed the first CMA executive director. 

1950: Opening the New Columbia Museum of Art

The CMA opens to the public on March 23 on Senate Street and launches with a historical portrait exhibition from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., titled The Face of American History.

1954 and 1964: Securing the Kress Collection

1964: Acquiring a Monet

Mary T. Chambers donates Claude Monet’s The Seine at Giverny (1897), significantly bolstering the CMA’s European collection. This work remains the number-one fan favorite of visitors to this day. 

1986: Showcasing Richard Samuel Roberts

The CMA mounts the first exhibition dedicated to the work of now-renowned African American photographer Richard Samuel Roberts, created in partnership with the South Caroliniana Library at USC as part of their field archival program. The opening event for True Likeness: The Black South of Richard Samuel Roberts is so popular, lines to enter queue up around the block. 

1998: Moving the CMA to Main Street

Recognizing the Taylor House facility was no longer serving the growth and scope of the CMA Collection, museum leadership secures support and vision from Columbia City and Richland County councils to build a premier arts destination in the Southeast. The CMA moves to its current location on Main Street, acting as a cultural anchor for the revitalization of the Main Street corridor. The adaptive reuse of a former Macy’s department store provides South Carolina with expansive gallery space for viewing significant international and American art. Over the July 18 opening weekend, more than 25,000 people explore their new CMA. 

2009: Gaining Momentum and the Turner to Cézanne Exhibition

After a decade of significant audience growth and regional recognition, the CMA hits its stride, becoming the first stop in the prestigious international tour of Impressionist art from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales. This exhibition breaks all audience and membership records to date for the CMA, putting the museum on the national radar. 

2010: Installing the Chihuly Chandelier

On April 14, CMA affinity group The Contemporaries gifts the Dale Chihuly chandelier to the CMA Collection. Installed in the atrium and full of fiery color and movement, this beloved work serves as the museum’s most recognizable object and a favorite backdrop for all things Columbia.

2010: Debuting Arts and Draughts

Inviting people to enjoy art in a vibrant and social atmosphere with dynamic experiences is the hallmark of 21^st-century arts engagement. The CMA launches Arts & Draughts, an experimental music, beer, and art event. Fifteen years and over 50 art parties later, it’s a mainstay of the Columbia social and arts scene.

2016: Receiving the National Medal

The prestigious National Medal is the nation’s highest honor bestowed on museums and libraries for service to their communities. On June 1 in Washington, D.C., First Lady Michelle Obama presents the award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to Executive Director Karen Brosius on behalf of the CMA. 

2018: Expanding the CMA

Driven by collection growth and deeper audience engagement, the CMA reopens on December 4 after an expansive renovation to provide more galleries, more studios, more spaces for programs, and a new entrance on Main Street. The CMA adopts five experience promises to our visitors, members, and communities: We promise to be inspiring, welcoming, community-centered, playful, and vibrant in everything that we do.

2019: Renovating Boyd Plaza

The newly renovated Boyd Plaza opens on March 7 as the premier gathering spot in the Main Street District with plenty of seating, shade, landscaping, and fountains that make for a relaxing place to rest during a busy day. This gift to the city from The Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Foundation Inc. is an outstanding opportunity to build community through arts and cultural activities.

2019: Mounting the Van Gogh Exhibition

Van Gogh and His Inspirations opens on October 4 as the most ambitious project in the museum’s history. Organized by the CMA, this exhibition pairs the work of one of the most beloved artists in the world with a variety of paintings and drawings that shaped his vision. South Carolina residents Steven Naifeh and Greg Smith built a collection of over 30 works by artists who influenced Van Gogh’s aesthetic thinking as they researched their New York Times bestseller Van Gogh: The Life. These works join loans from 12 museums across the U.S. to explore the artistic evolution of Van Gogh through the lens of the artists who inspired him. Bringing international recognition and acclaim, this landmark exhibition still holds the record for highest attendance at the CMA.

2023: Celebrating 50 Years of Catawba Culture

Working directly with and alongside the Catawba Nation, the CMA delivers Resurgence and Renaissance: Art of the Catawba Nation Since 1973, a 50-year anniversary exhibition that builds off the 1973 CMA exhibition of Catawba potters recognized as pillars of excellence in their craft. The citizens of the Catawba Nation continue to preserve their heritage through artistic traditions and innovation. The exhibition includes some of the finest Catawba makers over the last half century, including many practicing today.

2024: Delivering Access for All

On May 24, the CMA ushers in a new era of access with Free Summer at the CMA, offering all residents of South Carolina free general admission to the museum from Memorial Day to Labor Day thanks to a transformative three-year grant from the Art Bridges Foundation. The results exceed expectations as the museum welcomes more than double the number of visitors year over year, and 55% of visitors surveyed had never visited the CMA before. (And this is only the beginning!)