Find (almost) all of Columbia’s hidden art gems with this nifty new database

You might know “Busted Plug,” Columbia’s iconic giant fire hydrant sculpture.

But do you know “Neverbust”? Or the half-dozen murals across Columbia by the same artist, Blue Sky?

What about the 20 public artworks done by female artists in the Columbia area, or where to find several sculptures commemorating African-American heritage or art pieces you can play music on?

There’s a new database for exploring public art in the Columbia area, curated by One Columbia for Arts and History. It replaces an older, less functional online collection of public artworks.

The new public art website, https://publicart.onecolumbiasc.com, highlights more than 100 murals, sculptures, photography installations, fountains and other artworks across the Midlands. It includes photographs and background information about each piece of art.

“As the Midlands’ collection of public art continues to grow, it was important that there is a place for citizens and visitors to find information about each piece and maybe discover some of which they weren’t previously aware,” One Columbia director Lee Snelgrove said in a news release.

The art is chronicled in list form and in an interactive map. You can explore the database by searching for works by artist, type, location and theme.

It’s not a comprehensive collection — yet. One Columbia is continuing to update the database with more artworks and more information, and it’s collecting submissions by emails to directory@onecolumbiasc.com.

This story was originally published January 15, 2019 at 3:22 PM.