Events to recognize 150th anniversary of Burning of Columbia

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – It’s a part of South Carolina history that still stirs emotions. Tuesday marks 150 years since the Burning of Columbia, and there are plenty of events to commemorate it. Have a look: Columbia Burning: A Sesquicentennial Reappraisal Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main Street, Columbia, SC Presented by the University of South Carolina‘s History Center, Institute for Southern Studies and Graduate School; Columbia Museum of Art; and Historic Columbia. Registration is required for all sessions. Register at BurningofColumbia.com. 9 – 11:30 am: Panel Discussion on the Burning of Columbia – Free session By bringing in scholars who are generating new work on the burning of Columbia, our goal is to shed fresh light on the meaning of the events of February 17, 1865 as an example of urban disaster and recovery. The arrival of the Union army marked a day of jubilant emancipation for blacks, thousands of whom followed in the wake of Sherman‘s advance northward. These and other topics, including the evolution of modern warfare, will be discussed. Moderator: Dr. Don Doyle, University of South Carolina Dr. Anne Sarah Rubin, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, author, Through the Heart of Dixie, Sherman’s March and American Memory Dr. Megan Kate Nelson, Historista.com and author of Ruin Nation: Destruction and the American Civil War Caitlin Verboon, Yale University, author, “Urban Encounters: Race, Space, and Citizenship Struggles in Southern Cities, 1865-1877″ Dr. Thomas Brown, University of South Carolina, author, Civil War Canon: The Emplacement of Confederate Memory in South Carolina 12 pm: Presentation on mid-to-late-19th-century foodways by Dr. David Shields, University of South Carolina, with period appropriate meal by Scott Hall Catering. The luncheon is $30 to attend. 2 – 4 pm: Dr. Tom Sugrue (University of Pennsylvania) will lead this discussion looking at the role of public history/public intellectuals in shaping and advancing civic dialogue to deal with difficult pasts, as well as the role of the academy in preparing students for community and public engagement. Free session. Burning of Columbia Historical Marker Unveiling 4 pm 1200 Block of Main Street, Columbia, SC Free and open to the public Columbia Commemorates the 150th Anniversary of the Burning of Columbia Tuesday, Feb. 17 5 pm Boyd Plaza, 1515 Main Street Free and open to the public Join us for a commemoration of one of the most significant events leading to the end of the Civil War, of the destruction of the city and the suffering endured by SC and its citizens during Sherman‘s March, but also pointing to a rebirth of both Columbia, SC and the nation, unified and free, that led to the prosperity and freedoms we enjoy today. Featuring comments by elected officials and historians; performances by Benedict College Concert Choir, Sandlapper Singers; a reading by Columbia‘s Poet Laureate; and new performance art works by Candice Ivy, Martha Brim and Kimi Maeda, the Columbia, SC community will reflect on this defining moment in the city‘s history. Following the commemoration ceremony, explore exhibits, performances, tours, music, readings and more on Main Street. Readings from Jasper Magazine‘s Art from the Ashes Monograph 7 pm Tapp‘s Art Center, 1644 Main Street, Columbia, SC Poets and prose writers will read their unique literary reactions to the 150th anniversary of the Burning of Columbia from Art from the Ashes, a juried monograph publication, released in conjunction with a visual art exhibition of the same name to commemorate the sesquicentennial. Cleaning Up the Dirty South | Performed live by THE Dubber 8 pm Tapp‘s Art Center, 1644 Main Street, Columbia, SC “Cleaning up the Dirty South” is an American journey through the deep south, distinctively slinky, percussive style affects a jazzy, dub-inflected funk-hop swagger that combines smirking island charm, surprisingly intricate playing, and a casual, speak-sing manner reminiscent of Gil-Scott Heron. Open Exhibits on Main Street: Impressions of Chimneyville: Columbia‘s Civil War Destruction By Historic Columbia On display January 9 through March 31 Gallery at City Hall, 1737 Main Street, Columbia, SC After the Burning of Columbia, citizens came to identify their hometown by the remnants of buildings that dotted its skyline. Columbia‘s physical transformation is shown through historical images and descriptions in this exhibit. Art from the Ashes: Columbia Artists Respond to the 150th Anniversary of the Burning of Their City By Jasper Magazine On display Feb. 1 through 28 Tapp‘s Art Center, 1644 Main Street, Columbia, SC Literary and visual artists respond to the 1865 Burning of Columbia, particularly the role and activities of civilian women and men and other individuals already marginalized in the culture of the time, and the effects of the burning on these individuals and groups.