Maury County Arts Scene Is a Haven for Creatives
The Maury County arts scene offers plenty of room for makers to leave their mark, including opportunities galore for artists, collaborators, curators and all-around artsy people.
Columbia Arts District is an emerging city district that boasts anchors like the Columbia Arts Building, where local creatives can access cool shops, studios and gathering spaces.
Three local artists give their take on art and community in the heart of Maury County.
In This Article
Breaking New Ground in the Art Space
For Quantagus McFall, talking about art – specifically to young people – is a real passion. He is a Columbia native and multimedia artist who started his art career drawing and painting.
“As a young person who grew up in a small town that didn’t have a lot of outlets to express myself, I want to try and break some new ground or [create a] platform for my kids,” McFall says. “So, if they want todo something artistically, they have options.”
That means being involved in many different art spaces, from chairing the Columbia Arts Council (which is developing the Columbia Arts District) to working with local schools to develop vital in- and after-school arts programming for elementary and middle-school students in the county.
McFall has conducted art workshops that focus on using unconventional materials to create art. “I showed the kids how to use vegetables after their expiration date by using them as brushes,” he says. “Believe it or not, celery is great for watercolors.”
He’s also worked with local Boys & Girls Clubs as well as local businesses like Spring Hill’s Ghostlight Books to provide arts activities.
“There are a ton of homeschool families in Spring Hill,” he notes. “We are bringing resources to kids who don’t have a chance to find them elsewhere. We want to give them a chance to immerse themselves in something.”
Moving Somewhere ‘Quaint Yet Vibrant’
Transplant Joanna Kica arrived in the area in summer 2022, when she and her family relocated from Michigan to Spring Hill, thanks to a business opportunity for her spouse. The couple are avid art collectors, so when the opportunity arose to open Gallery 48 in downtown Columbia, she jumped at the chance.
“Columbia has the most beautiful historic downtown in Tennessee, with the Maury County Courthouse standing proudly in the center of Columbia’s Town Square. It is a quaint yet vibrant town,” she says.
The fine art gallery opened its doors in September 2023, and currently represents both local and international artists: seven from Tennessee (four in Columbia and three in surrounding towns) as well as outstanding talent from Florida, Michigan, Alabama and Poland.
“One of the most rewarding things about owning the gallery,” Kica says, “is the gift of sharing the talent and beauty of paintings and artisan handmade items with the community and art collectors. I love meeting new people, hearing their stories and talking art.”
Kica also shouts out Columbia’s many local cultural events. Monthly First Fridays combine live music, food trucks and vendors in the city’s historic downtown square, with folks showing up from neighboring towns to participate.
During the summer months, Cars and Coffee brings out hundreds of classic American cars to line downtown streets every month (along with – you guessed it – coffee purveyors). The city’s most well-known event, though, is Mule Day, a weeklong event celebrating Columbia’s historic mule market, which began in the mid-1800s.
Today, mule races, shows and parades take center stage, along with traditional Appalachian food, music, dancing and crafts.
Maury County Arts Scene Sparks Creativity, Builds Community
Donna Wisener immersed herself in art after a 27-year career in the information technology field.
After nearly three decades of living in her hometown of Columbia and commuting to Nashville for her corporate career, Wisener decided to retire and took a watercolor workshop on a lark. She was immediately hooked.
“It just sparked something – all of a sudden, I felt creative,” Wisener says. “The more I painted, the more I loved it. I knew this was my passion.”
Now, Wisener works full time as a contemporary abstract artist and operates the brick-and-mortar storefront Art at 101, a gallery and studio space inside the Factory at Columbia.
In addition to boutiques and retail shops, eateries, and a yoga studio (owned by Wisener’s daughter), the Factory also hosts Second Saturdays, an indoor analogue to First Fridays, to showcase local artisans and bakers.
Wisener recalls a Second Saturday vendor, whom she had previously met and urged to follow her heart and creativity, saying to her, “I’m painting and selling art now, and I wouldn’t have done that without your encouragement.”
Maury County Business
This digital edition of the Maury County Business is sponsored by Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance.