Columbia Museum of Art Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Rodney McMillian Exhibit

Retrospective of acclaimed artist's work explores American identity and the American South

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Columbia Museum of Art is hosting a major retrospective exhibition of the work of acclaimed American artist Rodney McMillian, titled "Rodney McMillian: A Son of the Soil". The exhibition, on view from March 21 through June 28, 2026, features McMillian's diverse body of work across media that confronts American identity by addressing complex histories of class, race, landscape, and region.

Why it matters

Rodney McMillian is a prominent contemporary artist whose work resonates powerfully in the American South, provoking further inquiry into Black citizenship and the continuing presence of historical currents. The exhibition at the Columbia Museum of Art, McMillian's hometown, celebrates the institution's 50th anniversary and its commitment to showcasing important American artists and their engagement with the region's cultural and political landscape.

The details

The exhibition broadly locates McMillian's artistic investigations within the cultural and political landscape of the American South, highlighting his diverse engagements with topics of land, the body, and the domestic sphere. McMillian employs post-consumer objects, such as thrifted bedding and discarded furniture, in an extended meditation on class and domesticity, while his large-scale painted expanses and films set in the Deep South evoke land's tillage and spoilage, histories of ownership, and the charged relationship between land and the body.

  • The exhibition "Rodney McMillian: A Son of the Soil" is on view from March 21 through June 28, 2026.
  • The Columbia Museum of Art is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

The players

Rodney McMillian

An acclaimed American artist whose work confronts American identity by addressing complex histories of class, race, landscape, and region. McMillian was born in Columbia, South Carolina in 1969 and currently lives and works in Los Angeles.

Columbia Museum of Art

A prominent art museum in Columbia, South Carolina that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The museum is hosting the retrospective exhibition of Rodney McMillian's work.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in Columbia, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, Grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The Columbia Museum of Art will be hosting a series of public programs and events in conjunction with the Rodney McMillian exhibition, including gallery tours, artist talks, and hands-on art workshops.

The takeaway

The Rodney McMillian retrospective at the Columbia Museum of Art celebrates the institution's 50-year history of showcasing important American artists and their engagement with the cultural and political landscape of the American South. McMillian's work resonates powerfully in this regional context, provoking deeper reflection on issues of identity, citizenship, and the enduring presence of historical currents.