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Fifteen artists in the historic Arcade Building work in a variety of mediums.

Tish Lowe, whose studio is on the balcony level, focuses on portrait, still life, and figure painting in the classical realist tradition.  Working primarily in oils, she studied classical painting techniques for six years at the internationally reknown Angel Academy of Art  in Florence, Italy, before moving to Columbia last year to be near family.

Also on the balcony level are Martha Thomas, a portrait artist who also paints marsh scenes and still lifes and studied classical realism in France, Bettye Rivers, a painter, and Richard Lund, a  painter and sculptor.

On the main floor are ten artists working in glass-front studios including mixed media and found object artist Eileen Blyth who formerly worked in Five Points; Sylvia Ady-Potts, both  a painter and sculptor; Page Morris, Beth West, Suzy Shealy, Jan Swanson, Leah Avery, McKenzie Seay, Debra Paysinger and Walton Selig who are all painters.  

The Equitable Arcade Building is open daily during the week and is home to other businesses including Wish, a clothing and accessory store for women,  four hair salons, His and Her Tailoring, some of the Sheraton offices, Swanson’s Deli, which is open for lunch Monday through Friday, and several other businesses.

The Equitable Arcade Building was built in 1912 as Columbia's first indoor shopping center.  The building is an example of the Renaissance Revival style of architecture that derives its inspiration from Italy.  In the 1970s the basement of the Arcade Mall was home to "Columbia Down Under," a series of shops, bars and eateries.  The Arcade Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.