Creative Pandemonium!

Trade Pandemic: Saturday July 5

By Bryan Reed Given that art touches every aspect of our sensory experiences, and that community is the crux of human civilization, it seems that supporting art in the community would be instinctual. And for Greg Slattery, a public relations student at USC, it is. Tired of hearing people complaining about a perceived dearth of culture in Columbia, Slattery turned a class project into a creative smorgasbord of an event that he hopes will prove the viability of Columbia’s artistic culture to show that the Capital City “really can work with what we’ve got.” And so Trade Pandemic was born around a D.I.Y. spirit, a sense of pride in what the city’s artistic community has, and could have, to offer. And what Trade Pandemic offers is nine musical acts — among them Slattery’s rock band, Shallow Palace, which will release a new EP at the event — visual artists working in various media and a mission to highlight the area’s diverse cultural offerings. The goal is to galvanize the creative community in Columbia and inspire further growth. And fittingly, Slattery wants Trade Pandemic to grow as well, pushing into the future. “I’d like it to be something people can look forward to every year,” he says. Also slated to appear at the art-and-music event: Musical acts Something About Vampires and Sluts, The Bourbon Brothers and leavelifealone; DJs Straighten Up and Variant; and works of art by local photographers, painters, screenprinters, tattoo artists, glassblowers and more. The Art Bar is located at 1211 Park St. Doors open at 7 p.m.; admission is $4. Call 929-0198 or visit artbarsc.com for more information. Free Times, 7/2/08