"'Collaborate' is one of my favorite words," said Alison Liebgott, operator and manager of Switchboard Studios & Gallery in Columbia. She's not kidding. Thanks to her passion for the arts, she's opened a space for "artists to connect, create and collaborate." It's located on the second floor of Columbia Kettle Works, 40 N. Third St., and it will celebrate its grand opening on Fourth Friday, May 27, from 6 to 9 p.m.

"We'll be having a gallery exhibit, featuring figure drawing pieces from the figure drawing sessions I hold every Thursday," Liebgott stated. "There will be a mix of local professionals and some names people will be familiar with, along with a few amateurs as well. I'm trying to give all of our artists an opportunity for their work to be seen and displayed in a gallery setting."

Switchboard also features nine resident artists, all of whom have been invited to participate in the grand opening. "They can be in their spaces, working on their art and people can come in and talk to them about their work," Liebgott explained. "I'm probably going to be painting the walls inside my space. That's my favorite thing to do - work while I talk to people about my art."

The grand opening will also feature aerial yoga performances by The Inversion Company and a variety of vendors, including 328designs, which makes pieces from craft beer bottle caps. The Merchants Association of Columbia will be on hand as well for a ribbon cutting ceremony during the evening.

Liebgott opened the new studio after operating Miss Alison's Studio for three years in Columbia. The owner of Columbia Kettle Works approached her about creating a gallery and studio space on the second floor. "I named it 'Switchboard,' because it used to be the old United Telephone Company when the building was first built," Liebgott explained. "The history here in town is a huge part of Columbia, and I've always loved that." She's planning on designing the space to reflect the building's past, including mounting old telephone poles on the walls, draping dead wires across the ceiling and installing a switchboard box that will connect each of the artists.

Along with her grand opening, Liebgott has several events planned for upcoming months. She holds a poetry slam every second Friday, featuring a collaboration with Word Hive, a Columbia-based poetry society, and she offers yoga classes on Wednesdays.

This summer, she'll hold several kids' camps. "We'll have Art Adventure programs," she said. "The kids will spend the morning with me for some art history lessons and local adventures like a walking tour with the historical society, and then they'll spend the afternoon with different artists. ... They'll get to work in different mediums." She'll also host weeklong yoga camps for kids.

For more information on Switchboard Studios & Gallery, visit http://www.switchboardstudiosandgallery.com or search for "Switchboard Studios & Gallery" on Facebook or Instagram.