Artist Talk with Corey Alston & Corren Alston

Name: Artist Talk with Corey Alston & Corren Alston
Start: 2026-05-23T11:00:00-04:00
Location: 301 Gervais St, Columbia, SC, United States, South Carolina 29201

Schedule

Sat, 23 May, 2026 at 11:00 am

UTC-04:00

Location

301 Gervais St, Columbia, SC, United States, South Carolina 29201 | Columbia, SC

This artist talk series highlights artists featured in From the Vault: Art from the Museum’s Collection, currently on view in Lipscomb Gallery. These programs will allow artists to discuss their work and offer visitors a chance to hear firsthand the ideas, experiences, and processes that fuel artists’ creative journey.

Each conversation will center on the artist’s practice, the themes that shape their work, and what it means to create in South Carolina today. Some talks may include mentor and mentee pairings or collaborative discussions, while others will focus on individual artists sharing their stories and perspectives.

Above all, the series is designed to create an open and engaging space where artists and audiences can connect, ask questions, and deepen their understanding of the work on view.
🎟️ Included with museum general admission or membership!
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About Corey & Corren Alston:
Corey Alston is renowned Gullah Geechee Artist and is the maker of “Big Percy,” a nearly five-foot tall sweetgrass basket and one of the museum’s newest acquisitions. A fifth-generation basket weaver born and raised in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Alston is a direct descendant of enslaved Africans who helped shape the region’s unique cultural identity. His work continues the centuries-old tradition of sweetgrass basket weaving—a sacred and skilled artform passed down through generations. Mentored by legendary weaver Mary Jackson, Alston has emerged as one of the most respected stewards of Gullah Geechee heritage today.

Alston’s baskets have been commissioned by institutions including the Smithsonian, the Duke Endowment, the Charleston Visitors Center, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, and most recently, the International African American Museum (IAAM). By acquiring this new work, the State Museum reaffirms its commitment to celebrating contemporary artists whose roots and influence run deep in South Carolina.

Following in her father’s footsteps, Corren Alston has also carved out an impressive sweetgrass collection in hopes of keeping the tradition of weaving sweetgrass baskets alive.