The Magic Light Bulb
By Tom Poland You probably think an ordinary light bulb is boring in this era of LED lights. Well, the ordinary light bulb holds a special place in my memories. Our family visited my grandparents a lot of Sundays. That meant a trip to Mom’s family in the Beulah Community of Lincoln County. Back…
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Van Gogh, Far From What He Wanted to Be
By Tammy Davis Van Gogh’s work is valued in the billions of dollars, and, yet, he died a failure. He tried to be a preacher like his father. That didn’t work out. He taught school for a while. That wasn’t his gig. He was fired from an art dealership. Professionally, he was a loser.…
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Holiday sales show opens Friday, December 6-14
The Arts Center of Kershaw County is counting down the days until the popular Holiday Sales Show opens in the Douglas-Reed House. This year, the Holiday Sales Show will take place from Friday, December 6 through Saturday, December 14, 2019. This unique holiday shopping experience has become a Kershaw County tradition. . “Coordinating the artists…
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Home for the Holidays
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… Join Town Theatre Sat., Dec. 14 at 7:30 PM and Sun., Dec. 15 at 3 PM for a special holiday event, Home for the Holidays, featuring classic holiday songs from the funny to the formal. Crooning some of your favorite tunes will be Josh Finch, Jeremy Hansard,…
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21st annual Christmas concert at PC – December 7 & 8
Christmas at PC has rung in the Christmas season for many on and off the Presbyterian College campus for the past 20 years. This year’s program, “The Gift for All Mankind,” promises to do the same. Christmas at PC performances are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 8 at 3…
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The Sad Ballad Of Moses Corley
By Tom Poland Each Thanksgiving, I Remember Moses We all cross paths with a person we can’t forget. And so, a man by the beautiful name of Moses Corley lingers in my mind. If every life is a song, then Moses’s life was a sad, sad ballad. Moses worked as the janitor in the…
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Popular free concert series returns to groove into the holidays
Chaye Alexander presents Live at Boyd Plaza: A Jazzy Afternoon The Columbia Museum of Art announces a holiday addition to its dynamic, free outdoor concert series on the beautifully renovated Boyd Plaza. The incredibly popular Chaye Alexander presents Live at Boyd Plaza returns Sunday, December 8, for a jazzy afternoon with Mike Frost and Company.…
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College of Charleston alums’ band Ranky Tanky earns Grammy nomination
Three College of Charleston alumni are in the running for a Grammy nomination with their band Ranky Tanky. Started by alumnus Clay Ross ’98, Ranky Tanky, which is a Gullah term loosely translated as “work it” or “get funky,” takes a modern approach to the traditional sounds of Gullah music. Rooted in the cultural traditions passed…
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Funerals Down South
By Tom Poland “Lawdy, Miss Ruth, I don’t know when I enjoyed a funeral so much.” Whenever a funeral came up Mom repeated what this lady told her. I didn’t know the woman. She may have belonged to the Newberry Missionary Baptist Church or another church back home in Lincoln County, Georgia. I remember…
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My Dog Bruzer – He Trained Us Well
By Tammy Davis Most dogs greet their humans at the door at the end of the day. Not my dog. My dog, Bruzer, plays hard to get. When we come in from school, we call to him and tell him we’re home. His response? Nothing. You would never know there was a dog in…
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Kick off the Holidays with Historic Columbia
Decorative house tours, classic carriage rides and breakfast with Santa heighten the holiday season Historic Columbia is the home for holiday traditions, and the new season of events is sure to bring back memories — and establish new ones. The Historic Columbia holiday season will officially kick off on Friday, Nov. 22 with historic holiday…
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Apply to become Richland Library’s next artist-in-residence
The search is underway for local artists who are looking for a space to create and willing to share their talents with the community. Richland Library is currently accepting applications for its next artist-in-residence in spring 2020. We encourage artists, spanning all mediums to apply. These mediums include – but are not limited to: traditional/fine…
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Chapman Cultural Center
Chapman Cultural Center provides major funding and education for many of Spartanburg’s arts and cultural organizations. Its educational programs serve more than 40,000 public and private school students throughout Spartanburg County, with residencies by professional artists in the disciplines of music, dance, visual arts, literature, media, theatre, and crafts. Our Mission is to provide cultural…
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The-Fluff-The-Straw Philosophy
By Tammy Davis Old people call it fluffing the straw. It’s a genius gardening hack for when your flower beds start to look bad. You take a pitch fork, lift up the pine straw, give it a good shake, put it back down, and voila, your beds look good as new. No need to…
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Return Of The Beavers
By Tom Poland All these years later I still don’t know who is right, Uncle Joe or the beavers. I know one thing, though. The old mine hole, long filled by rain and a creek, is still going strong. A long time ago, men mined manganese on what is family land back in Georgia.…
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BMW Plant Spartanburg announced as the 2019 Cultural Champion
Chapman Cultural Center announces that BMW Plant Spartanburg was awarded the “2019 Cultural Champion” at the annual Champions luncheon on Thursday, November 7th. Each year, Chapman Cultural Center honors its corporate donors with a celebration luncheon at which the Cultural Champion is announced. Over 110 companies doing business in our community and region have contributed…
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Inaugural Holiday Market and Open House at Aurora Farms
On Friday, November 29, from 10am until 2pm, Aurora Farms is presenting an inaugural “Holiday Market and Open House” event. This is a wonderful opportunity for the community to visit and tour Greenville’s newest event venue, while purchasing Christmas gifts from local crafters and vendors. Located at 1045 Milford Church Road, Taylors, SC, Aurora Farms…
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Fatrat Da Czar releases double album Tribe, with 40 South Carolina collaborators
Fatrat Da Czar to perform Tribe album release at Columbia Musem of Art this Friday, November 15th South Carolina’s godfather of hip-hop FatRat Da Czar released his double album TRIBE today, with 25 tracks and nearly 40 collaborators, including 30 features and nine of the state’s most respected producers. Czar’s highly anticipated ninth studio album…
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Gain First-Hand Writing Techniques from Trio of Notable Authors
Whether you enjoy writing or reading, Richland Library is providing local residents three opportunities to interact with notable authors throughout November. Seeing as our staff are also observing National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which issues a challenge of writing 50,000 words for a book in 30 days, it’s the perfect chance to explore story development…
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Nature Never Sleeps
By Tom Poland You and I are here just for a bit, and so are the things we build. Nature is here forever and she never sleeps. I can take you to a house that kudzu owns. You can see the powerline that runs into a towering mound of green leaves, but that’s it.…
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International Ballet Star Joseph Phillips to headline Columbia Ballet School’s Nutcracker
Columbia Native is Ballet’s Most Decorated Male Dancer Joseph Phillips, a Columbia native and the most decorated male ballet dancer in the world, will dance the role of the Sugar Plum Cavalier in Columbia Ballet School’s fifth annual production of The Nutcracker. Performances will take place Fri., Nov. 15 through Sun., Nov. 17 at the A.C.…
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Citizen input to help form new long-range S.C. arts plan in public meetings and survey, S.C. Arts Commission queries arts’ direction
The South Carolina Arts Commission is fanning out across the state this fall and winter, gathering public input to help it form the next long-range plan for arts and culture in South Carolina. Every 10 years, dating back to 1980, the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) conducts the Canvass of the People in public and…
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One Book, One Community’s 2019 selection follows story of immigrant family
Share your passion for reading through the month of November by joining Richland Library for One Book, One Community. The community-wide initiative encourages everyone to read the same book at the same time, and this year, the pick is Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko. Get ready to dive into the 2019 selection together – whether it’s…
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Richland Library seeks submissions for upcoming art exhibition – Deadline November 22
Richland Library is currently accepting submissions for an exhibition, highlighting works by contemporary South Carolina and regional artists that focus on the importance of inclusion and racial equity in our community. Speaking to the life experiences of marginalized and underserved communities, the exhibition will run from March 4 – May 1, 2020 at our Main…
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Ruth’s Flower Shop
By Tom Poland Outside the artful placing of lilies, camellias, daffodils, and azaleas in vases, I never tried floral arranging. Thought about it but Clint Eastwood said, “A man’s got to know his limits.” As close as I got to professional flower arranging was a college job at Carolyn’s Flowers in Athens, Georgia. I…
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Too Many Lamars – Part Three
By Tammy Davis Lamar Thomas – Part Three (Part Two, click here) Time passed. I had a job as a public information officer for one of the major school districts. It wasn’t as fulfilling as teaching, but it wasn’t as heart-wrenching, either. My student teaching experience had taken its toll. One Saturday, I was…
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A New Pair of Shoes – Lamar Thomas, Part Two
By Tammy Davis Lamar Thomas* – Part Two (Part One, click here) On our first day back after Christmas break, Lamar did something odd. He ran in, said hello, and then took his shoes off. He lined them up carefully beside his desk and then slip slided back out into the hall for a…
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Kalen Allen, Ellen DeGeneres’ right-hand-guy, visits Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College
Join this larger-than-life personality on stage for a fun variety-style show to laugh, play, and celebrate He was a student at Temple University when he opened his laptop and decided to record himself reacting to funny YouTube cooking videos. Overnight, he became a viral sensation. Then, Ellen DeGeneres called. And the rest, they say, is history.…
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Historic Columbia announces November 2019 events
Historic Columbia encourages people to spend more time exploring the history of Columbia in this cooler weather by offering new tours in November, including the Palladium Fall Tour (Sun., Nov. 3) and the Holiday House Tours. Visit historiccolumbia.org for more information and check out the list of all the Historic Columbia’s events below. CALENDAR OF…
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Historic Columbia announces November 2019 events
Historic Columbia encourages people to spend more time exploring the history of Columbia in this cooler weather by offering new tours in November, including the Palladium Fall Tour (Sun., Nov. 3) and the Holiday House Tours. Visit historiccolumbia.org for more information and check out the list of all the Historic Columbia’s events below. CALENDAR OF…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: on-the-move, the-arts
“This concerto is amusing to listen to, at least I hope it is,” wrote composer Jean Françaix
University of South Carolina Symphony Orchestra presents a trio of composers on Oct. 29 The University of South Carolina’s premier orchestra and one of the leading ensembles in the Southeast led by conductor Scott Weiss, presents Bohemian Rhapsody featuring acclaimed clarinetist Karel Dohnal. On the program is Françaix’s Clarinet Concerto, Smetana’s The Moldau, and Mozart’s…
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Opera at USC presents South Carolinian Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah Nov. 1-3
The Biblical story of Susannah and the Elders is updated to recent past “He is a master of creating mood in the orchestra….” declared the Los Angeles Times about Carlisle Floyd, a South Carolina born composer and SC Hall of Fame inductee. Floyd is the 2004 National Medal of Arts and the 2008 National Endowment…
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Historic Columbia hosts array of engaging November events
Historic Columbia encourages people to spend more time exploring the history of Columbia in this cooler weather by offering new tours in November, including the Palladium Fall Tour (Sun., Nov. 3) and the Holiday House Tours. Visit historiccolumbia.org for more information and check out the list of all the Historic Columbia’s events below. CALENDAR OF…
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Celebrating 10,000 Trees & Columbia Green – November 7
Riverfront Park, 312 Laurel Street, Columbia, SC 29201 Thursday, November 7 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm The public is invited to join Columbia Green in celebration of the planting of our 10,000th tree in partnership with the City of Columbia and Mayor Stephen Benjamin’s proclamation of November 7, 2019 as Columbia Green Day! Celebrants will enjoy…
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Old Cigar Warehouse launches one of the first all-inclusive wedding packages in the upstate
The Old Cigar Warehouse has launched their Platinum Wedding Package, one of the first all-inclusive packages in the Upstate. The package pricing is simple. It is broken down into a base price, and a per person price. The Old Cigar Warehouse will keep track of your vendors and when you need to submit payment, which can be one of the most difficult parts…
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The Southern Studies Showcase
By Tom Poland The beautiful Edgefield pottery piece you see is a gift. I received it for speaking at the Southern Studies Showcase held recently in Edgefield. It makes for a symbolic gift. Edgefield and pottery go hand in hand with history. From Friday, September 20 through Saturday, September 21, the Southern Studies Showcase…
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Tongue Twisters and Student Teachers Part One – Lamar Thomas*
By Tammy Davis Day One My supervising teacher went around and introduced each student. She didn’t let them do it. She spoke for them. In five minutes, she labeled each kid. He is a good worker; she’s not. This one likes to talk too much; that one doesn’t talk at all. There was a…
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Greer Heritage Museum receives lasting memorial
Greer Heritage Museum has been gifted a model replica of the Greer High School, as it was during 1967, built by Dr. Raymond Meyers of Greenville, SC. With permission from the Greenville County School Superintendent, the Greer High School Class of 1967 acquired copies of blueprints and gave them to Dr. Meyers, who constructed the…
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Gallery at City Hall presents What is Art?
Five local artists try to define, what is art? The Gallery at City Hall’s latest feature exhibition delves into how we interpret art. Curated by artists Jeremy Butler and Keith Tolen, the exhibition What is Art?, sets out to challenge the viewing audience and stimulate the way in which we, as art viewers, see, look,…
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S.C. Arts Commission to receive national grantmaking award
OVERLAND PARK, KAN. – The Grant Professionals Association is announcing that the South Carolina Arts Commission was named its 2019 Grantmaker of the Year for the public sector. The Grant Professionals Association (GPA) is a +3000-member organization dedicated to promoting professionalism and ethics in the grant industry. Formerly known as the GPA Pioneer Award, the…
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Columbia Museum of Art to host poetry summit with nationally acclaimed poets Nickole Brown, Jessica Jacobs, and Ashley M. Jones
Half-day event celebrates poetry and visual art CMA Writer-in-Residence Ray McManus hosts the museum’s Poetry Summit, a half-day event celebrating poetry and visual art on Sunday, November 3, from noon to 5:00 p.m. Participants work closely with award-winning and nationally acclaimed poets Nickole Brown, Jessica Jacobs, and Ashley M. Jones, who each lead a workshop…
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“Mystical South Carolina – A Pilgrimage to Joy” Teri Leigh Teed’s debut book launches October 20, 2019
Teri Leigh Teed’s Debut Book Launches October 20, 2019 Teri Leigh Teed’s debut book “Mystical South Carolina: A Pilgrimage to Joy” launched October 20, 2019 at the Gervais Street Bridge Dinner in Columbia, South Carolina. An intuitively led, seven-year pilgrimage to twelve sacred sites in her home state of South Carolina took Teed to places…
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Disney’s Frozen Jr at Town Theatre
Do you want to build a snowman? Our youth theatre students do! Join us December 6-8 as our young performers take the stage in Disney’s Frozen Jr. In a story that closely follows the cinematic version, orphaned sisters Princess Anna and Princess Elsa find that not all is as it seems as their sunny kingdom…
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Tickets now on sale for the 21st annual Christmas at PC
Tickets are now on sale for the 21st annual Christmas at PC, presented by the Presbyterian College Department of Music. This year’s program, “The Gift for All Mankind,” will be held on Dec. 7, at 7 p.m., and Dec. 8, at 3 p.m. in Belk Auditorium. Tickets are $12 and are available at https://search.seatyourself.biz/webstore/accounts/presby/buy-tix?d=0 “The…
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Columbia Children’s Theatre names Larry Hembree as first Executive Director; expands staff
Columbia Children’s Theatre Board of Directors have named Larry Hembree as the theatre’s first Executive Director. Hembree, who has been on the leadership staff for several other local arts organizations including Nickelodeon Theatre, SC Arts Commission, Arts Center of Kershaw County and Trustus Theatre, assumed his new responsibilities October 1. Hembree oversees administrative staff, strategic…
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21st annual Christmas at PC this December, Tickets now on sale
Tickets are now on sale for the 21 st annual Christmas at PC, presented by the Presbyterian College Department of Music. This year’s program, “The Gift for All Mankind,” will be held on Dec. 7, at 7 p.m., and Dec. 8, at 3 p.m. in Belk Auditorium. Tickets are $12 and are available online. “The…
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Town Theatre
Town Theatre “A stage society has been organized in Columbia for the purpose of encouraging and developing musical, vocal, and dramatic talent in this city and to furnish entertainment to those who enjoy these things but do not care to take an active part in them.” Letter dated Jun 25, 1919 by John D. Neal…
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Local kids art studio celebrates one year anniversary
KidCreate Studio in Greer is announcing their one year anniversary celebration. This week, Monday, October 7th through Saturday, October 12th stop in to spin the wheel for a chance to win FREE events and discounts during their celebration. Plus, free prizes for kids, coupons for 50% off Mommy’s Time classes and $50 off birthday parties…
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UofSC Theatre presents “Much Ado About Nothing”
Heightened Language Meets High Art in UofSC’s Much Ado About Nothing at Longstreet Theatre Love, deception, and razor-sharp repartee take the Longstreet Theatre stage this month as the UofSC Theatre Program presents William Shakespeare’s comic masterwork, Much Ado About Nothing, October 25 – November 9. Show times are 8pm Thursdays through Saturdays, with additional 3pm matinee performances on October…
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Friends of Aaron announce memorial mural project at Hunter Gatherer on Main Street
Friends of Aaron and Hunter Gatherer on Main are partnering to create a mural in commemoration of Aaron Graves, a beloved member of the Community who passed away June 5, 2019 of brain cancer. The mural will be completed in the coming weeks and will be fundraised through local music events and percent nights at…
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