From the Vista to Five Points: Local artist unveils Fritz the Robot

Clark Ellefson has been an eclectic figure in the Columbia art scene for decades.

The Vista-based artist is recognized by locals as the “godfather” of the neighborhood.

“He’s just always involved, always giving, always trying to give back to the arts community,” said Tom Lockart, owner of One Eared Cow Glass in Columbia, Ellefson’s neighbor on Huger Street. “That was a huge goal of his, was to really start an arts community and grow it.”  

Among Ellefson’s contributions to the Columbia art scene are his robot heads scattered across the city. The robot heads have become local landmarks since the first two were unveiled in 2018. Ellefson introduced the Vista’s robot head, “Green Eyes,” during the pandemic. And a new robot head in Five Points joined the bunch this weekend.

“I always admired public sculpture when I was in college,” Ellefson said. “[It’s] a cool process. … Everybody can see it, experience it at no cost.”  

The Five Points Association ran a social media poll allowing Columbia residents to name the sculpture. The robot’s name, Fritz, was unveiled at JerryFest on Oct. 6.

Fritz is a 10-foot-tall metal robot head with some unique features. Its eyes light up, and it sports a “curly beard” inspired by Greco-Roman statues. Ellefson also included a window in the back of its head, allowing viewers to “look inside its brain.”

“You look in it, and it looks like it goes on forever,” Ellefson said. “It’s an intimate device to pull you further into the story.”

Ellefson was on the design team for the area’s tribute statue to the late Col. Jack Van Loan, a longtime Five Points Association leader. But this is Ellefson’s first solo sculpture in the neighborhood.

“He’s kind of become known as the robot guy around town,” said Abby Anderson, the executive director of the Vista Guild merchants and residents association. “The intricacy of it is pretty incredible. … There’s a lot of different pieces and manpower and time that went into this one.”  

Ellefson’s contributions in Columbia go beyond his own artwork. He is one of the folks who helped launch Stormwater Studio, a non-profit gallery and collective art studio near One Eared Cow. He also owns several buildings in the Vista and leases to artists at a reduced price.  

“He’s been heavily invested intellectually, physically, financially in what happens in the arts in South Carolina,” said Michaela Pilar Brown, owner of Mike Brown Contemporary art gallery who rents space from Ellefson. “He is a pillar of the fine arts community.”  

Ellefson’s goal is to establish a robust arts region in Columbia.  

“Art districts are important to the life of a city,” he said. “We’re trying to create a district here that will be set. We’re not leasing it, we’re owning it, and that way you can control it.”  

Making a living as an artist is not easy. Ellefson said that before retiring, he worked 75-hour weeks to survive. But Lockart said most artists, including Ellefson, don’t do it for the money — they do it because they love it.  

“Artists in general make things because they have a need to,” Lockart said. “You know, if nobody else was around, we would still be making things out of something for our own sake. It’s like an internal desire to create.”