A Mess of Collards
January 21, 2021
By Tom Poland Last week an email from my friend, Pat Branning, known for her gorgeous Shrimp, Collards, & Grits cookbooks, sent me on a quest. Pat and I…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: life, the-arts
Federation of Families of South Carolina to hold Statewide Art Contest for the South Carolina Children’s Mental Health Awareness Poster
January 21, 2021
Did you know that 1 in 5 children and youth in South Carolina experiences a mental health condition in a given year? The Federation of Families of South Carolina (FFSC)…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: non-profit, on-the-move, the-arts
“Invisible Man” publishes book everyone wants to see
January 15, 2021
GEORGETOWN, S.C. — You might refer to Steve Ellwood as the invisible man. That’s because when he’s shooting his favorite avian subjects along South Carolina’s Hammock Coast, that’s exactly how…
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The Illusion—Looking Young Forever
January 13, 2021
By Tom Poland Late, late afternoon it was. She walked into the restaurant and lit it up. A beautiful woman will do that, light up a place, but she…
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Insignificant Treasures
January 6, 2021
By Tom Poland The things we collect. When I am gone my daughters will think their dad was a bit touched. Just why did he hang onto a rusty…
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Winter Is Upon Us
December 21, 2020
By Tom Poland As I write it’s 38 degrees and rain is falling. We always seem to be just a few degrees away from snow. This winter a light…
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Six emerging artists to receive inaugural S.C. Arts Commission grant
December 17, 2020
Visual artists working in ceramics, sculpture, and photography and performing artists working in dance and music are inaugural recipients of the South Carolina Arts Commission’s new Emerging Artist Grant. For…
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If Another Earth Exists
December 16, 2020
By Tom Poland There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility…
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Shifting Gears, End Of The Road
December 10, 2020
By Tom Poland Driving a straight means real driving. Need to pass a slowpoke? Down shift to third and hit it. By 5th gear he’s in the rearview mirror.…
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Wando’s yearbook earns national recognition
December 8, 2020
Students who work on Legend, Wando High School’s yearbook, have established a tradition of excellence. That tradition continued today as the Warriors learned that the 2020 edition of Legend received…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: education, on-the-move, the-arts
Amazon announces 2020’s Best Books of the Year
December 3, 2020
On November 19, Amazon announced 2020’s Best Books of the Year, selecting Brittany K. Barnett’s “A Knock at Midnight” as the top pick. The inspiring true story is a brilliant…
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Nature’s Engineers
December 3, 2020
By Tom Poland Back when I worked in wildlife cinematography, I tried to film the beavers on an old woodland pond back home. I’d get up before dark and…
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College of Charleston Arts Dean Valerie Morris exits the stage
December 3, 2020
For 22 years Valerie Morris, dean of the College of Charleston School of the Arts, has sat in the audience at music and dance performances, theater productions and art lectures and presentations. She has served…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: education, on-the-move, the-arts
The Sad Ballad Of Moses Corley
November 23, 2020
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…
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Christmas in Clinton to Include New Light Show – O’ Lighted Night by Multi-Emmy Award Winning Lighting Designer
November 19, 2020
Christmas in Clinton is always something special and this year is no exception. Approved last year and purchased with funds from a grant, the City of Clinton will host “O’…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: hospitality, on-the-move, the-arts
Where Big Trees, History, and Preservation Live
November 19, 2020
By Tom Poland October 26 found me on a history adventure courtesy of Ralph Scurry. Ralph and I met at a book talk in Edgefield several years ago. Ralph…
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All-new Charleston Christmas Special available for streaming
November 16, 2020
The Charleston Christmas Special has sold out the limited number of tickets for its live show at the Charleston Music Hall next month. But that doesn’t mean you still can’t…
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When The Apothecary Worked Magic
November 10, 2020
By Tom Poland Remember the old drugstores? Most have faded into the night. They retreated to a place called “Obscurity” but I recall them with fondness and I feel…
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Latin Night comes to Firefly Distillery!
November 9, 2020
For the remaining 2020 Charleston Jazz Orchestra Season 12 performances, Charleston Jazz, REV Federal Credit Union and Firefly Distillery are excited to partner together to present the CJO LIVE AT…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: music, non-profit, on-the-move, the-arts
A Page Right Out Of Americana
November 4, 2020
By Tom Poland My excursions along backroads always reveal two nostalgic sights: the rusting tin and decaying wood of crumbling barns and old pickup trucks beneath sheds. They’re going…
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Local artist Julia Deckman opens studio and retail space
November 2, 2020Local artist Julia Deckman has opened a studio and retail shop in the Riverland Terrace neighborhood. In this unique space, Julia will create her art, teach workshops, and host collaborative…
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Things That Scare Us
October 29, 2020
By Tammy Davis Halloween has always been a stress-free holiday. Until 2020. To trick or treat or not? That is the question. Like most 2020 issues, there is no…
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Black Cats, Bad Luck, & Worse Luck
October 29, 2020
By Tom Poland Was it left to right, or right to left? When a black cat crossed the highway in front of Dad, he made a sweeping “X” movement…
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Charleston Jazz Orchestra Season 13 announced
October 27, 2020
Charleston Jazz announced Season 13 for the Charleston Jazz Orchestra (CJO). 2021 CJO Season 13 will feature a lineup of performances to include a musical timeline of the history of…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: music, non-profit, on-the-move, the-arts
2021 CJO Season 13 announced
October 26, 2020
Charleston Jazz is excited to announce Season 13 for the Charleston Jazz Orchestra (CJO). 2021 CJO Season 13 will feature a lineup of performances to include a musical timeline of the history…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: on-the-move, the-arts
All Kinds of Heroes
October 22, 2020
By Tammy Davis Part Three of a Series on the Life of American Hero Major James Capers, Jr. Part Two here. He finally convinced the girl of his dreams…
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S.C. Arts Commission grants eclipsed $5.5 million in FY20
October 19, 2020
• Emergency relief assisted 346 artists and arts organizations • Grants distributed in 44 counties In recently completed FY2020, South Carolina Arts Commission grants totaling $5.59 million went out into…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: on-the-move, the-arts
The Epitome Of Elegance
October 12, 2020
By Tom Poland Not that many years ago I wrote about Cape Romain Refuge in Aida Roger’s original trend-setting volume, State of the Heart South Carolina Writers on the…
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Down South – Sheltering Along The Back Roads
October 8, 2020
By Tom Poland March 13, 2020 seems an eternity ago. That day my niece, Benton, got an unwelcome big 4-O birthday gift—a national emergency courtesy of COVID-19. “How lucky…
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Spoleto’s discussion series, Exploring Omar, continues this fall with eight installments through 2021
October 7, 2020
Free virtual discussions kick off Spoleto ETC (Engaging the Community) programming, including a partnership with the Charleston County Library for three book talks Spoleto Festival USA announces the continuation of…
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Live Jazz + Firefly Cocktails + Lowcountry scenery
October 2, 2020
Limited number of tickets available for the CJO live performances at Firefly Distillery CHARLESTON, SC – For the remaining 2020 Charleston Jazz Orchestra Season 12 performances, Charleston Jazz, REV Federal…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: music, non-profit, on-the-move, the-arts
Shelter Rock, Rock of Ages
September 30, 2020
By Tom Poland DATELINE NORTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY—Boulders loom over land, gray and long like sperm whales. One, like some stallion’s back, seems ready for a colossal saddle. Massive rocks…
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Show off your Stats! Using your organization’s data to create visual content
September 29, 2020
By Stephanie Heikkila Holman NP Strategy There’s something comforting about numbers, whether it’s the way they gently guide us to sleep as children counting sheep in our beds or…
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Artist Minute – Gavin Smith, Trombone
September 24, 2020
The Who’s on the Move, Artist Minute is a quick, two-minute interview in support of the undeniable impact that the arts and local artists have on our communities. One of the…
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An Atlantis Of Our Own
September 10, 2020
By Tom Poland Atlantis sank into the sea around 380 B.C. So said Plato. Its founders were half god and half human. Its lush islands contained gold and silver…
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Charleston Jazz
September 8, 2020
Charleston Jazz is a non-profit organization whose mission is to grow a local and global community for jazz through performance, education and outreach while celebrating and preserving Charleston’s rich history…
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A Hero On and Off The Battlefields
September 2, 2020
By Tammy Davis Part Two of a Series About Bishopville, SC Native, Major James Capers, Jr. In the 1970s, he was the face of the Marines. Literally. The…
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Highway 79, A Historic Route
September 1, 2020
By Tom Poland Driving north on Highway 79 you see beautiful country in a region rich with history yet a tad poor looking. Don’t let the lack of development…
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Home Town Heroes
August 27, 2020
By Tom Poland Ware Shoals, SC Has One I wish every small town had a hero, someone who walks onto the national stage and stays untarnished by changing…
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Nominations being taken to honor S.C.’s arts luminaries
August 26, 2020
• Governor’s Awards for the Arts recognize arts achievement, influence, and support • Nomination window closes Friday, Nov. 6, 2020 The South Carolina Arts Commission is once again seeking to…
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Mr. Clifford’s Wild Turkey Heaven
August 19, 2020
By Tom Poland In a place called Childhood, Georgia, I worked for a country store grocer, Clifford M. Goolsby, who loved to hunt turkeys. Each spring the small town…
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Charleston Jazz announces new CJO member
August 19, 2020
Charleston Jazz announces a new member of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra. Gavin Smith will join the trombone section, replacing Jay Jehl, who has moved back to Indiana to begin a…
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The Roadside Stand
August 13, 2020
By Tom Poland Two words say it all. “Delicious simplicity.” No register. Cash and carry. Paper bags to hold jewels polished by the farmer’s hands. A friendly face. Produce…
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The Mystery of Huguenot, Georgia
August 6, 2020
By Tom Poland I grew up unlettered as Huguenots go. That changed much later after I moved to South Carolina. There I drove along Huger and Gervais Street and…
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Unrestricted $5,000 grants to reward eligible S.C. artists
August 5, 2020
S.C. Arts Commission opens applications for FY22 Fellowships Open to artists in visual arts, craft, media production & screenwriting Deadline to apply is Monday, Nov. 16, 2020 Resident South Carolina…
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$4.1 million to support S.C.’s arts, cultural work in FY21
July 29, 2020
The South Carolina Arts Commission is announcing grants totaling $4.1 million awarded in at least 41 South Carolina counties to support arts and culture work in the new fiscal year.…
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Rural arts and culture initiative expands to 15 counties
July 27, 2020
Addressing local issues with S.C. Arts Commission program Across South Carolina, an initiative called The Art of Community: Rural SC has taken root, creating new networks, community engagement, partnerships and…
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Tallulah Point Outlook, Part One
July 23, 2020
By Tom Poland An Enduring Icon Endures No More In that precious time of boyhood summers, our family would drive from Lincoln County, Georgia, to the North Carolina…
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Ghost Stories
July 14, 2020
By Tom Poland Great Aunt Annie, long buried in some graveyard up Asheville way, told me ghost stories when I was a boy. I’d sit by a hissing wood…
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United Community Bank awarded 2020 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Awards for the Arts
July 14, 2020
United Community Bank is pleased to have been recognized by the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) as a 2020 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Awards for the Arts award recipient. The…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: banking-and-finance, on-the-move, the-arts
