Peach Blossom Lit
April 15, 2026
By Tom Poland Come March, my thoughts turn to peach blossoms and memories of family fruit trees. One tree from youth stands above others. From my deep well of…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs announces open call for 2026 Piccolo Spoleto poster
April 7, 2026
The City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs announced exciting new additions to the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, including an open call for an artist to design the official 2026 festival…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: government, on-the-move, the-arts
Masters Memories
April 5, 2026
By Tom Poland I never had time for golf, but I love the Masters. I never miss the Sunday round on TV. It almost always provides high drama. I…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, sports, the-arts
Clunky Phones & Party Lines
March 25, 2026
By Tom Poland In rural Georgia the party line was our lot back in the early 1950s. When the phone rang, we counted. Our phone rang two times. Three…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Southern Truth Tellers
March 18, 2026
By Tom Poland Each January, my thoughts turn to a fellow Georgian. James Dickey died January 19, 1997, of the same disease that took my mother’s life. On June…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Education in Action: Chamber Music Charleston marks Music in Our Schools Month with student residency and March 22 performance
March 17, 2026
In celebration of Music in Our Schools Month, Chamber Music Charleston (CMC) shines a spotlight on their music education initiatives with a weeklong residency and a culminating public performance featuring…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: entertainment, music, non-profit, on-the-move, teens-and-young-adult, the-arts
A Good Whooping
March 11, 2026
By Tom Poland I am no stranger to the flyswatter, switch, belt, and paddle. I even got a good whooping with a paint brush. I ought to be a…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Muzika! 2026 Festival announces 5th anniversary season in South Carolina
March 5, 2026
25-year international legacy brings Metropolitan Opera leadership, Broadway classics, and Bulgarian folk to the Palmetto State this June This June, the Muzika! Festival returns to South Carolina for its fifth…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, on-the-move, the-arts
S.C. Arts Commission announces six recipients of 2026 Governor’s Awards for the Arts
March 5, 2026
Recipients from Charleston, Florence, Hampton, Richland and York counties The South Carolina Arts Commission is happily announcing six unique and deserving 2026 recipients of the state’s highest recognition for exceptional…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz Category: on-the-move, the-arts
Osprey At Crooked Bridge
March 4, 2026
By Tom Poland Three birds hold me in their thrall. The osprey, whippoorwill, and oft-slighted buzzard. I love the whippoorwill’s lilting call. The noble osprey and its distinctive M-shaped…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Chamber Music Charleston announces its 2026-2027 concert season, celebrating over two decades of musical excellence
March 3, 2026
Chamber Music Charleston (CMC) announces its 2026–2027 season, marking more than 20 years of presenting exceptional chamber music in some of Charleston’s most distinctive and inspiring venues. With over 48…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: entertainment, music, non-profit, on-the-move, the-arts
Mischief Along The Augusta Highway
February 26, 2026
By Tom Poland A restless boy grew up in the midst of forests and pastures. Outside of biking, reading, and exploring woods, the Augusta Highway entertained me. If Rambling…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Girls Who Paint Murals
February 25, 2026
Girls Who Paint Murals is a South Carolina–based, female-owned mural company specializing in large-scale commercial and residential artwork, as well as hand-painted branding and signage. The company partners with businesses,…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: the-arts
Alli Dunavant and Christine Crawford, Co-founders, Girls Who Paint Murals
February 25, 2026On Valentine’s Day, travelers moving through Charleston International Airport were met with an unexpected burst of color — a Valentine’s-themed mural designed to spread a little extra love. The large-scale…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: entrepreneurship, on-the-move, the-arts
Krystal Klear Productions to host a cultural heritage event to celebrate 100 Years of Black History
February 23, 2026
Krystal Klear Productions will be hosting its Black History Soul Meet and Eat on Saturday, February 28, 2026 from 12:00-4:00 p.m. at Movement School Bridge View (4275 Bridge View Drive,…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: education, entertainment, entrepreneurship, festivals-special-events, food, music, on-the-move, social-scene, teens-and-young-adult, the-arts
The Ghosts Of Winter
February 18, 2026
By Tom Poland Fall in full tumble gives us a kind of X-ray vision. We see that a leafless land is a lovely land, a surprising land. We see what…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
SC Humanities announces Ask Me Anything State Tour
February 18, 2026
Statewide series introduces new Executive Director and invites public dialogue across all seven congressional districts. South Carolina Humanities announces the launch of its new statewide public engagement initiative, SC Humanities…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: conversations, non-profit, on-the-move, the-arts
National Endowment for the Arts awards grant to Chamber Music Charleston for semiquincentennial project, “Echoes of the Saint Cecilia Society”
February 12, 2026
Chamber Music Charleston (CMC) has been awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of a major new initiative, Echoes of the Saint Cecilia Society. This…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: entertainment, non-profit, on-the-move, the-arts
Collard Green Memories
February 11, 2026
By Tom Poland Being the chap I was, collard greens’ smell and similarity to the stringy dark-green algae in fish ponds repulsed me. Mom would cook up a mess…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
S.C. Arts Commission announces leadership transition
February 5, 2026
David Platts to retire from distinguished public service After 33 years serving as a teacher, school administrator and arts administrator, South Carolina Arts Commission Executive Director David Platts will retire…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: on-the-move, the-arts
MOJA Arts Festival celebrates Black History Month with February performances at Dock Street Theatre
February 5, 2026
As part of its 41st anniversary season, the MOJA Arts Festival will honor Black History Month with two powerful February events at the Dock Street Theatre, celebrating Black artistry, cultural legacy,…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: government, the-arts
Cast Iron Cornbread
February 5, 2026
By Tom Poland Born of fire, master of fire, and survivor of fire, my vintage cast iron cornbread mold fed many a soul. Best I figure it came to…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
The Sweetest Smoke A Man Was Ever To Smell
February 2, 2026
By Tom Poland To some, the smokehouse remains a symbol of the impoverished, rural South. Not me. I see it as a rustic savior, and I thank the late…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
My Lost Geisha
January 28, 2026
By Tom Poland It was the photograph in my father’s war album. Her white kimono. Hair black as onyx. Pale, serene face. Perfect bone structure. Gloss, a sheen upon her…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
“Fragments” brings Charleston dance companies together Feb. 15
January 26, 2026
On Sunday, February 15, 2026, Collective SC and NousPointe will present Fragments, an evening of contemporary dance featuring three Charleston-based companies—Collective SC, NousPointe, and Impermanent Gallery—at the Cannon Street Arts…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: on-the-move, the-arts
Red Clay
January 21, 2026
By Tom Poland Drizzle drifted and spritzed as if it were January except it was October. Mists coated my camera. In its viewfinder red mud glistened in rain that…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, golden-strip-news, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Stage Door Arts Academy opens January 19, bringing dance, theater, and creative confidence to Charleston families
January 19, 2026
MOUNT PLEASANT, SC – Stage Door Arts Academy officially opens its doors on Monday, January 19, offering a new performing arts home for children and teens throughout the Charleston area.…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: conversations, education, entrepreneurship, life, music, on-the-move, teens-and-young-adult, the-arts
Spoleto Festival USA announces 2026 season
January 15, 2026
A Landmark Year Framed by Freedom of Expression and America’s 250th Anniversary Spoleto Festival USA announced its 2026 season, running May 22–June 7, 2026, featuring more than 110 performances across opera,…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: on-the-move, the-arts
The Last Open Door
January 14, 2026
By Tom Poland For the first time in my life I was alone in my church. The old Regulator wall clock ticked away as I ticked away the families…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Sardis Road
January 7, 2026
By Tom Poland Back roads never disappoint me. Such was the case with a road, paved just a tad, but deliciously dirt the rest of the way. As I…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Youth organization hosts fashion and talent showcase for non-profits to compete for funds
January 7, 2026
Learn Earn, Earn Learn (L.E.E.L.) will host its Fashion & Talent Showcase: Non-Profits Compete! Fundraiser on Sunday, January 18, 2026 from 2-5 PM at Burke High School (244 President Street,…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: education, entertainment, entrepreneurship, non-profit, on-the-move, the-arts
SCRA announces new leadership promotions
December 18, 2025
South Carolina Research Authority has announced two recent promotions. Patti Mack is now director of finance and administration. Teresa Hinson is now the director of governance, risk, and compliance. “Patti…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: education, on-the-move, the-arts
S.C. Arts Commission designates state’s 13th cultural district in Summerville
December 11, 2025
The South Carolina Arts Commission announced that a downtown portion of Summerville was designated by its board of commissioners as the 13th South Carolina Cultural District The proposal for the…
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Entrepreneur Minute – Brad Moranz, The Charleston Christmas Special
December 8, 2025
The LowcountryBizSC, Entrepreneur Minute is an interview in support of the impact that entrepreneurs have on our communities. We will be highlighting diverse group of entrepreneurs, including some incredible innovators…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: entrepreneurship, on-the-move, podcast, the-arts
My Fried Chicken History
December 3, 2025
By Tom Poland As evening shadows fell, I made my way home through woods. Overpowering the peppery smell of autumn leaves, the chicken frying in Mom’s cast iron skillet…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Amazon announces Best Books of 2025
December 3, 2025
Each year, I like to publish Amazon’s Best Books of the Year and buy my wife the No. 1 book as a Christmas present. Looks like Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan,…
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Highway Song, Part II
November 25, 2025
By Tom Poland A Sunday Drive Highways 321 and 301 meet my criteria for back roads. Little traffic. Lots of abandonment. Old stuff getting older. Those 1950 snowbirds heading…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Where The Dead Live On
November 12, 2025
By Tom Poland On a sultry August Sunday I drove up on Shady Grove Methodist Church. Seeing it resurrected James Agee’s “Shady Grove, Alabama, July 1936,” his description of…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Dick Harpootlian launches Dig Me a Grave book tour
November 9, 2025
Tour begins Dec. 16 in Columbia, SC, the city where Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins, South Carolina’s most prolific killer and the book’s protagonist, was put to death nearly 35 years…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: law, on-the-move, the-arts
Winter’s Rainy Windows
November 5, 2025
By Tom Poland I have long admired the work of a fighter pilot turned writer. He wrote under the pen name James Salter. James Arnold Horowitz volunteered for combat duty…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
Freshfields Village celebrates the season with festive events and family fun
October 30, 2025
Embrace the holidays and enjoy favorite traditions with a Thanksgiving farmers market, outdoor movies, letters to Santa and more Freshfields Village, the premier shopping and dining destination 30 minutes from…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: entertainment, music, on-the-move, retail, social-scene, the-arts
Return To Pawleys
October 28, 2025
By Tom Poland Sunday lunch at the Sea View Inn. Forty-five years it had been since my daughters and I were together at Pawleys. While eating I thought about our…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc Category: life, on-the-move, the-arts
2025 MOJA Juried Art Exhibition
October 28, 2025
On view at City Gallery The City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs presents the 2025 MOJA Juried Art Exhibition, on view at City Gallery November 14 through February 2, 2026…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: government, on-the-move, the-arts
Entrepreneur Minute – David Platts, SC Arts Commission
October 27, 2025
The Who’s on the Move, Entrepreneur Minute is an interview in support of the undeniable impact that entrepreneurs have on our communities. In this series you will see a diverse group…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, georgetown-sc-gazette, upstatebizsc Category: entrepreneurship, on-the-move, podcast, the-arts
Anita Zucker, CSU produce original theatrical production
October 23, 2025
Charleston Southern University presents the debut of On the Other Side, an original theatrical production running October 23–26 in Lightsey Chapel Auditorium on CSU’s campus. The play explores the powerful…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: education, on-the-move, the-arts
S.C. Arts Commission, David Platts, executive director elected to national leadership role
October 23, 2025
The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) announced the election of a new chair and nine members to its board of directors. As part of a rigorous national nomination…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc, laurenscountybuzz Category: on-the-move, the-arts
Local music legends to be honored at the 10th Annual Lowcountry Music Hall of Fame ceremony this Sunday, October 26
October 23, 2025
Celebration to Honor Contributors to Charleston’s Rich Musical Heritage The Lowcountry Music Hall of Fame announced the inductees for the Class of 2025, honoring individuals and bands who have left…
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Southern Exposure—The Fly Swatter
October 9, 2025
By Tom Poland Grandmothers’ Weapon Of Choice The New Oxford American Dictionary defines “fly swatter” as “an implement used for swatting insects, typically a square of plastic mesh attached…
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Autumn Leaves: an evening with Chad LB – Charleston Jazz Orchestra
October 9, 2025
Every once in a while, a performance comes along that reminds you why you fell in love with music in the first place. On Saturday, October 18, the Charleston Jazz Orchestra joins forces…
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Call for submissions for The Message is Clear: a mentored photography exhibition at City Gallery
October 7, 2025
The City of Charleston’s Office of Cultural Affairs announces a Call for Submissions for The Message is Clear: A Mentored Photography Exhibition This unique opportunity pairs juried exhibition with mentorship from internationally acclaimed photographer…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc Category: government, on-the-move, the-arts
