Palmetto Pride, Palmetto Outdoor Center and One Columbia unveiled this mural in 2019, “Saluda In Bloom, by artist Austin “Slim” Gee, in an effort to help reduce litter and crime rates in the Columbia community and raise awareness about the litter issues across our state.

When this project was announced, Palmetto Outdoor Center applied for a mural on Candi Lane by the new river walk behind the zoo. Palmetto Outdoor Center is now the largest tubing outfitter in South Carolina. Michael Mayo, a local from Lexington, started the company in 2006 with a handful of tubes and a desire to get families outside and interacting with nature.

Through a combination of art, music and food families can now escape the four walls and explore one of many new installations in the area, such as “Saluda in Bloom.” Mike Dawson has been a monumental leader getting the river walk completed over the past 20 years and with his dedication, the mural will be seen by thousands.

Artist Statement:
This project along the Saluda River is about movement, nature, and how people connect with this space. The river is a place to slow down, float, paddle, cool off, and reset. It’s part of everyday life in Columbia, not just something you look at from a distance.
My work as Art of Slim pulls from street art and illustration, using bold color and flow to reflect the energy of the river itself. The shapes and motion in this piece are inspired by the current, the people on the water, and the shared experience of being out here together.
This artwork is meant to feel natural in its environment, something you encounter while tubing, kayaking, or passing by on the trail. It’s a visual pause that celebrates the river as a living, active space and a reminder of why places like this matter.

Through a partnership with One Columbia to find the artist to complete this mural and the grant from Palmetto Pride, Austin ‘Slim’ Gee was commissioned to complete the project.