An Effigy Of Rock
December 8, 2022
By Tom Poland Something like sixty years had passed since I saw it. This time, however, I saw it from above. The WPA built a beautiful tower of stone…
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Spoleto Festival USA announces expanded Orchestra showcase for 2023
December 6, 2022Three concerts highlight the acclaimed Festival ensemble with special guest conductors Mei-Ann Chen and Jonathon Heyward In a preview to the full season announcement on January 27, Spoleto Festival USA…
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Amazon Books editors announce 2022’s Best Books of the Year
November 30, 2022
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow named best book of 2022 The Amazon Books Editors announced their selections for the Best Books of 2022, naming Gabrielle Zevin’s novel Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and…
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Emma Goes to Kindergarten now available for purchase
November 29, 2022
Kindergarten-aged author Emma Vigrass debuts her first children’s book based on her experiences overcoming chronic illness and allergy-related challenges. The book Emma Goes to Kindergarten is about a young girl…
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Pancho Villa’s Fighting South Carolina Gamecocks
November 21, 2022
By Tom Poland I’ll file this column under the category, Fowl History. Did Mexican Revolutionary War General, Pancho Villa, ride a train to Calhoun Falls, South Carolina to buy fighting…
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The Relentless Grind
November 17, 2022
By Tom Poland Football’s Hidden Injuries Winter Haven Florida, February 1996—I covered Cypress Gardens’ 60th anniversary for Ski World magazine. It was Florida’s oldest theme park, one where Southern…
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College of Charleston Opera Workshop Showcase Explores ‘What If’
November 10, 2022
Life is made up of many moments and decisions that lead to the next. But how would things have played out if we made a different choice, gone in a…
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Mud, Crushed Granite, And Memories
November 10, 2022
By Tom Poland Nostalgia pulled at me hard. On the second Sunday in September, I decided to see three things that were no more. And so I drove up…
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International African American Museum to welcome Bishop Curry for pre-opening service and blessing
November 8, 2022
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry to lead pre-opening worship and “Blessing of the Water and Sacred Ground” for the International African American Museum The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, the first…
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The Charleston Jazz Orchestra announces 15th season
November 8, 2022
Known around the world as ambassadors of Charleston’s rich musical heritage, the 18-member Charleston Jazz Orchestra has unveiled their monumental 15th season. This world-class ensemble, led by Maestro Robert Lewis, presents unparalleled big band performances…
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Aluminum, Glass, Rum, War, & Hemingway
November 3, 2022
By Tom Poland When Timelines Cross The vessels resemble, cousins of a sort, my worn canteen and its shiny glass companion. The two came to me by dissimilar routes.…
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Four new hires join Spoleto Festival USA’s executive leadership team
November 3, 2022
Ahead of its 47th season, America’s premier performing arts festival forges a plan for future growth Spoleto Festival USA General Director and CEO Mena Mark Hanna announced the appointments of…
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Drowning The Past
October 27, 2022
By Tom Poland What We’ve Lost I spent a lot of time on Clarks Hill Lake (Strom Thurmond Lake), during my teenage and college years. I camped, boated, and…
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Teamwork – effective and fun!
October 27, 2022
By Jeff Becraft One of the most epic moments in my life happened in a grocery store. It was on an alumni trip back in the Youth Corps days. There…
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City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs announces ‘Anonymous Ancestors’
October 20, 2022The city of Charleston’s Office of Cultural Affairs presents Anonymous Ancestors, on view from October 28, 2022 to January 29, 2023 at City Gallery, 34 Prioleau Street. City Gallery will host…
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Old Island Haunts
October 20, 2022
By Tom Poland Add Hazel’s Café to the List Old island haunts. The fever to develop islands didn’t destroy all of them. In a few instances, someone decided, “Not…
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General admission passes and special event tickets now on sale for SEWE 2023
October 17, 2022
Tickets are now available for the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition’s 41st annual show, to be held February 17-19, 2023 in Charleston, SC After celebrating 40 years of wildlife art and the…
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The Feared Invader
October 13, 2022
By Tom Poland Let’s talk invasive species. One will bite you. You can bite the other. You can eat it, but given time it will entomb all you possess. Fire…
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Solid gold: 50 years of the S.C. Arts Foundation
October 9, 2022
October is National Arts and Humanities month, and this commemoration of the arts’ importance to our nation is an opportunity to recognize a milestone that the South Carolina Arts Foundation…
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The CCC
October 6, 2022
By Tom Poland FDR’s Tree Army If my mother didn’t like something, she’d tell you. If she liked something, you knew that too, and she liked the Civilian Conservation…
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The Pull Of The Macon Music Scene
September 29, 2022
By Tom Poland I find my mind drifting back to Macon, and then I find myself driving kudzu-bordered roads. Macon, Georgia sits in the middle of Georgia. It’s not…
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Annual 11-day MOJA Arts Festival begins September 29, 2022, will feature parade, performances, art displays
September 27, 2022The annual MOJA Arts Festival, a celebration of African-American and Caribbean culture, begins on Thursday, September 29, 2022. The 11-day festival includes a variety of performances, art displays and educational outreach. Moja, a Swahili word…
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Book Event Season Is Upon Us
September 21, 2022
By Tom Poland She asked, and I told her. “What’s the writing life like?” “It’s a sentence to solitary confinement. You work in isolation for long periods, and that’s…
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The Power Of Moonlit Imagery
September 15, 2022
By Tom Poland Herman Melville created Moby Dick, the great white sperm whale that bit off Ahab’s leg. James Dickey had a 12-point white buck that swam from island…
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Summerville Orchestra names its first youth philharmonic director, education coordinator
September 10, 2022
The Summerville Orchestra (S.O.) is thrilled to announce DeAnndra Glenn as the inaugural director and education coordinator for the new Summerville Orchestra Youth Philharmonic (S.O. Youth Philharmonic) and education program.…
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Summerville Orchestra launches new free “arts-mersive” experience in partnership with Public Works Arts Center S
September 9, 2022
Some things just play well together – like wine and cheese, baseball and hotdogs, and music and art. By popular demand, that last combination – music and art – is…
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SOJazzy to perform on Third Thursday during Sweetest Week
September 9, 2022The jazz will be sweet as ever in Summerville on Thursday, Sept. 15, when Summerville Orchestra’s (S.O.) jazz ensemble, SOJazzy, performs a free concert during the “Sweetest Week Ever” in…
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The National Park Nearest You
September 8, 2022
By Tom Poland Here in the classic South, we have two choices when it comes to national parks. We have the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and…
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South Carolina State Fair discount tickets are now available
September 7, 2022
Discount admission and ride tickets for the 153rd annual South Carolina State Fair are on sale now through Tuesday, Oct. 11. Patrons can save up to 50% by purchasing S.C.…
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Botanical Beauty—For Women Only
August 31, 2022
By Tom Poland What’s behind a name? Lots most of the time. Sometimes it’s obvious, sometimes it’s a mystery, but often it’s botanical. I’ve not met a woman named…
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S.C. Arts Commission doubles grantmaking record with $11.9 million investment
August 30, 2022
FY22 grants for arts and arts learning impacted 43 counties The South Carolina Arts Commission is announcing that it more than doubled its previous grant-making record by investing $11.9 million…
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Brookgreen Gardens announces election of two new members to Board of Trustees
August 30, 2022Brookgreen Gardens, a National Historic Landmark, is pleased to announce the election of two new members to the Board of Trustees. Joining the board are J. Matthew Brittain and…
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S.C. Arts Commission expands team of arts professionals
August 26, 2022
The South Carolina Arts Commission is announcing that four skilled professionals joined its team so far in 2022, creating two departments, expanding another, and providing critical support for a growing…
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The Gospel. Sunday Piano Memories
August 25, 2022
By Tom Poland The old book and instrument of wood and ivory need each other. In fact, they share what biologists call a symbiotic relationship. In my recall of…
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Summerville Orchestra announces 2022-23 Subscription Series season
August 22, 2022Performances to include works by Bizet, Schubert, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Vivaldi, Dvořák and more The Summerville Orchestra is excited to announce concert dates and repertoire, including an impressive lineup of guest…
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Summerville Orchestra to launch youth orchestra and education program with $20,000 grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission
August 22, 2022The Summerville Orchestra (S.O.) has received a two-year $20,000 award from the South Carolina Arts Commission to launch a youth orchestra and education program in September in collaboration with tricounty…
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Harry Potter celebration brings out the kids (in all of us)
August 22, 2022
They came in with capes, brandishing wands, toting white owls and wearing Harry Potter’s trademark round-eyed glasses. Young and old alike were enchanted by the combined talents of the S.O.…
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International Latin jazz artists will join the Charleston Jazz Orchestra for “Cuban Carnival” on Sept. 17th
August 18, 2022
On September 17th, 2022, the world-class Charleston Jazz Orchestra will share the stage with the Buena Vista Legacy Band – a tribute to the iconic band immortalized in Wim Wender’s 1999 documentary…
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Ferns, Nature’s Colonists
August 18, 2022
By Tom Poland Ferns bless us with classic Southern settings but doing so isn’t always easy. Random winds pick up fern spores and scatter them, their destiny determined by…
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Boeing doubles giving to IAAM with additional $1M investment
August 11, 2022
The International African American Museum (IAAM) has received an additional $1 million donation from The Boeing Company. This contribution will help thousands of underserved children experience the educational aspects of…
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Vintage Enamelware
August 10, 2022
By Tom Poland I was visiting the past at the Lincoln County History Park when I spied a graceful blue enamelware pot sitting among fire logs. Warm memories came…
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The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art announces Kirsten Stolle: Only You Can Prevent A Forest
August 10, 2022
An exhibition interrogating the global influence of chemical companies on our food supply The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston School of the Arts announces the…
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Artist Minute – Michael Smallwood, Actor, Playwright, Screen Writer, Filmmaker
August 9, 2022
The Who’s on the Move, Artist Minute is an interview in support of the undeniable impact that the arts and local artists have on our communities. One of the main drivers…
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Thistles, A Prickly Subject
August 4, 2022
By Tom Poland We’d be walking to a farm pond in quest of bream when Grandmom Poland would spot a thistle. “Watch out for that nettle.” She’d hardly break…
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Internationally-acclaimed exhibit Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience now open for limited time
July 21, 2022
Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience open in Charleston, now through September 4 Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, an internationally-acclaimed Vincent Van Gogh multimedia exhibit, is now open to…
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A Peach Of A Summer
July 20, 2022
By Tom Poland From my orchard of memories a lonely peach tree stands in the front yard of my youth. The tree looked sickly and produced fruit a tad…
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The Gibbes Museum of Art announces new Board of Directors Members and member emeriti
July 18, 2022
The Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston’s premier art museum, announced the election of three new members to its Board of Directors and four member emeriti. Joining the board are Brenda…
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Porch Sitting
July 14, 2022
By Tom Poland It’s a vanishing art, porch sitting. There was a time, though, when folks retired to the porch just to pass the time. As a boy, I…
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Flavia B. Harton appointed to S.C. Arts Commission board
July 12, 2022
The South Carolina Arts Commission welcomes Flavia B. Harton of Greenville to its nine-member board of directors after her appointment by Gov. Henry McMaster effective July 1. Harton has extensive…
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Michael Smallwood of Charleston County named FY2023 fellowship recipient
July 8, 2022
Program changes reinforce the arts’ influence in the creative economy A diverse group of four South Carolina artists working in different artistic disciplines are the latest recipients of new-look $10,000…
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