July Events 2026

Draw, Paint & Connect with the About Face Drawing Group at Stormwater Studios

Join About Face Drawing Group for an inspiring evening of creativity on Monday, July 20, from 6:30–9:00 p.m. at Stormwater Studios!

Each session features two live models—one for figure drawing and one for portrait work—offering a rare opportunity to sharpen your skills, explore new techniques, and work from life in a supportive, creative environment.

Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just getting started, everyone is welcome. Bring your favorite materials—sketchbooks, paints, brushes, or easels—and settle in for a relaxed, energizing night of making art alongside fellow creatives.

Admission is $15, and first-time participants attend for free!

Stay connected or learn more by reaching out to Jordan Johnson at [email protected] or following on Instagram.

Draw, paint, and connect—your next creative spark might be waiting in the room.

Building Bridges Through Art with Congaree Riverkeeper Exhibition

Presented by Stormwater Studios in Partnership with Congaree Riverkeeper

Stormwater Studios is proud to present the next installment of Building Bridges Through Art. This community-centered exhibition series uses creativity to foster understanding, strengthen community connections, and inspire meaningful dialogue around important social issues.

Each exhibition in the series pairs artists with a nonprofit organization whose mission aligns with themes present in the artists’ work or lived experiences. Through exhibitions, public programs, and collaborative partnerships, the series creates opportunities for community engagement, resource sharing, and deeper conversations about issues that affect our region.

This year’s featured partner is Congaree Riverkeeper, an organization dedicated to protecting and improving water quality, wildlife habitat, and recreation along the Broad, Lower Saluda, and Congaree Rivers. Through advocacy, education, volunteer cleanups, water-quality monitoring, and policy engagement, Congaree Riverkeeper works to safeguard the waterways that are essential to the health and vitality of the Midlands.

Inspired by the theme “Clean Water, Healthy Rivers,” artists were invited to explore the environmental, cultural, recreational, and community significance of our local rivers and to highlight the importance of protecting these vital natural resources for future generations.

The Broad, Lower Saluda, and Congaree Rivers provide drinking water, support diverse wildlife habitats, offer recreational opportunities, and contribute to the natural beauty of our region. At the same time, they face growing challenges from pollution, development, and other environmental pressures. Through painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and more, participating artists examine the relationship between people and rivers, celebrate local ecosystems, address environmental concerns, and encourage stewardship of these invaluable waterways.

This exhibition features the work of 73 artists, making it the largest group exhibition ever presented at Stormwater Studios.

Exhibition Information

Dates: July 8–18, 2026
Gallery Hours: Wednesday–Sunday | 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Reception: Thursday, July 16 | 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Featured Artists

Aerin Chafa, Anna Grace Lafaye, Bethany Newton, Blakely Sheely, Brandon Huggins, Cam Moore, Caroline Moore, Ceara Tellez, Charles Conyers, Charles Hite, Chilly Waters, Christopher Infante, Christopher Lane, Clay Burnette, Connie Lippert, Daniel Spencer, David Yaghjian, Dayna Mitchell, Diane Gresham, Ed Madden, Ellen Emerson Yaghjian, Emelyn Guild, Emma Larson, Flavia Lovatelli, Fred Townsend, Glenna Barlow, Greta Dobe, Harry McFadden, Ivan Segura, JAKEEM DA DREAM, James Shepherd, J.A. Jean Capalbo, Jean Gonzalez Lomasto, Jennifer Potter, StyleQueen, Kalah Crawford, Karen Murphy, Katie W. Free, Kayleigh Swifka, Keith Tolen, KELA, Ken Tips, Kirstin Dow, Leila Heidari, Lisa Ann Stamper, Lorien Owens, Lucy Bailey, Marion Mason, Mark Watke, Max Hardy, McKenna Brandon, Michelle Curran, Mike Williams, Mitra Kavandi, Nathalie Watson, Peyton Jarrett, Ree Wolfe, Robin Counts, Sarah Bauer, Scott Neely, Shadai Marshall, Shannon Purvis Barron, Shaquella Gantt, Sofia St. Marie, Stephen Chesley, Susan Lenz, Tammy Quarles, Tayler Simon, Timothy McDonald, Tommy McRoberts, Udorji Oji, Valerie Guerzon, and Wesley Shaver.

Join us as artists and community members come together to celebrate the rivers that sustain our region and explore how art can inspire awareness, stewardship, and positive change.

Resident Artist Exhibition: The Mane Issue by Lenayah Rayford

Stormwater Studios is proud to feature The Mane Issue, a solo exhibition by Lenayah Rayford, our 2025–2026 Resident Artist. This exhibition marks the conclusion of Rayford’s yearlong residency at Stormwater Studios, where she developed a body of work exploring identity, beauty standards, and self-acceptance through sculpture and painting.

Lenayah believes that hair has never been just hair.

For many, hair holds stories and memories. While it has been a source of pride and creativity for black Americans, it also faces scrutiny, pressure, and judgment. Growing up in a society that often positioned natural black hair as something to be controlled, corrected, or hidden, many learned to see their own features through outside standards.

The Mane Issue explores the lasting impact of those messages within African American culture and the ongoing journey toward self-acceptance. Referencing both hair itself and the broader issue surrounding it. By incorporating forms that suggest growth, tension, entanglement, and transformation, I invite viewers to consider how Eurocentric beauty standards shape our understanding of ourselves and others. What is lost when features are treated as problems to be solved, and what becomes possible when those same features are embraced as sources of power and identity?

Alongside these representational works, abstract paintings inspired by the history of black American abstraction have been incorporated. While the sculptural works confront the social and cultural narratives surrounding Black hair, the abstract works offer a different response. Historically, black artists turned to abstraction as a form of creative freedom. Moving beyond a space where their works were representative of racial struggles.

While these two bodies of work seem visually opposed, they exist in conversation with one another. One engages in conversation about a specific social issue, while the other explores the possibility of release, reflection, and self-definition beyond that issue. Together, reflecting on the complexities of the black experience.

The Mane Issue is about addressing the issue at hand, reclaiming narratives that have long defined the black community, and reflecting on the ongoing movement toward diverse self-acceptance.

Exhibition Information

Dates: July 22–August 23, 2026
Gallery Hours: Saturday, July 25, 2026 | 5:00–8:00 p.m.
Reception: Wednesday–Sunday | 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Join us as we celebrate Lenayah Rayford’s residency year and experience this thought-provoking exhibition exploring identity, representation, and the power of self-acceptance.