In The Artists You Should Know (TAYSK), Levata Coleman curates multi-disciplined artists whom she also interviews on her website: LevataColeman.com. Featured artists in this exhibition include Columbia artists Tennyson Corley and her whimsical 3D sculptures, and painter Keith Tolen, who uses pointillism to express the multitudes of the scenes he creates. And Atlanta's Ruby Chavez, with large-scale portraits of urban scenes and multicultural expression. Themes of community resonate differently through these exhibitions and, as the arts prove again and again, still hold common ground.

Ruby Chavez is a self-taught artist based in Atlanta, GA. She is originally from Austin, Texas, and attended high school in the Southeast. Chavez comes from a family of makers, from masonry, crocheting, and music. She says, “My parents are able to make something out of nothing, and I love their ability to build and make things.” Chavez attributes being successful in so many creative mediums to the fact that she gets bored with one thing and/or curious about another, and that the migration just naturally occurs. “I love to create, so whenever I have the opportunity to do something different, I feel like I come refreshed and ready to hone those skill sets”. She enjoys the challenge of working with different materials and learning what products and media work well together.

Keith Tolen’s artwork: full of color and thoughtful renderings of his subjects. Tolen was born in Batesburg-Leesville, the second of five siblings. The slow pace of a small town started Tolen on his art journey. Tolen attended South Carolina State University. He started out as a psychology major but after listening to a lecture by Dr. Leo Twiggs, he decided to major in art. For many years, Tolen was a middle school educator – he still loves to see the creativity and talent in others and celebrate it. Currently, Tolen continues to expand his series, One Million Dots, a colorful exploration of people, places, and things through the technique known as pointillism. With each piece, color is applied, one dot at a time. He is “all about the dots.”

Tennyson Corley grew up in Gaston, SC. Her youth found her surrounded by animals and land in the rural area outside of Columbia. She creates animal characters in her ceramic pieces. She attended Columbia College. Although Corley has only been working with clay for a year, it is her concentration now. Corley has an intelligent and slightly snarky storytelling style, a beautiful swirl of Lewis Carroll and Dr. Seuss. Her commentary through her art speaks to the extraordinary and to the everyday. Corley is excited about publishing a book based on her ceramic animals and their stories.