Greenville Theatre is proud to present “Shrek the Musical” as the final show of season 97
May 9, 2023Everyone’s favorite green ogre is back in this hilarious musical, based on the hit blockbuster animated film! Our unlikely hero finds himself on a quest to save his swamp from…
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Retired Greenville teacher’s book being made into a movie
May 8, 2023Stories of a “lake monster” told to hundreds and hundreds of Greenville County students over the decades by a beloved teacher of theirs is now a book and is being…
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We’re Sending You To …
May 3, 2023By Tom Poland In the 1960s my father visited the Central State Hospital in Georgia. He may have gone to visit a relative. I recall a heated family gathering…
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The Joy Of Scholarships
April 26, 2023By Tom Poland After high school I hoped to land a scholarship to play football. I played first unit on the junior varsity team and started three years on the…
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The Green Of Winter
April 13, 2023By Tom Poland Pine pollen yellows my deck, but the green of winter colors my thoughts. Two things I like about winter. One, winter’s cold bones lay the land…
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BJU Division of Music receives $1 million gift to create endowment
April 12, 2023The Bob Jones University Division of Music announced a $1 million gift to begin and fund the Robert O. Jones and Mary B. Jones Scholarship Fund. This endowed fund will…
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Thirty Years—The Mountains To The Sea
April 6, 2023By Tom Poland I remember the year well. 1984. It was my first year working as a staff writer for South Carolina Wildlife. I had just spent six years…
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S.C. Arts Commission announces additions, change to team
April 5, 2023The South Carolina Arts Commission welcomed to its team two new program directors who are tasked with serving South Carolina’s individual artists (#SCartists) and facilitating arts initiatives in rural communities.…
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A Walk In Winter Woods
March 29, 2023By Tom Poland I like boardwalks. Those that take you through protected natural areas. Several come to mind. The lovely boardwalk at Woods Bay takes you 1,150 feet through…
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Newberry College’s Brayden Phillips to compete on ‘American Idol’
March 28, 2023Newberry College junior Brayden Phillips is one of eight South Carolinians headed to Hollywood to compete on “American Idol.” Hollywood Week starts Sunday night, April 2, on ABC. The exercise science major and…
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We Need Tree Scholars
March 23, 2023By Tom Poland The January-February 2023 issue of South Carolina Wildlife magazine ran my story on Edgefield County’s Curryton Magnolia. The old tree’s close to being a state record magnolia…
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Around the World in 80 Hats at Upcountry History Museum
March 22, 2023Though not in a hot air balloon with Phileas Fogg, visitors will have an opportunity to go around the world on an 80 hat and headdress journey as the Upcountry…
Read MorePosted in: upstatebizsc Category: chamber, churches, education, entertainment, hospitality, hotels, life, marketing-and-communications, media, on-the-move, social-scene, the-arts
A Writer’s Moon Tide Memories
March 16, 2023By Tom Poland It seems like yesterday though it was forty-five years. I took a job as a scriptwriter-cinematographer with the South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department. I…
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Country music star Lindsay Ell added as direct support for Darius Rucker
March 14, 2023Country music star Lindsay Ell added as direct support for Darius Rucker at Southern Fried Circuit charity concert Upcountry Fiber announces that Lindsay Ell, who was named “one of the…
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Gullah Geechee chef and gospel singer to receive 2023 Folk Heritage Awards
March 8, 2023For 2023, the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards will be presented by the General Assembly to honor a Gullah Geechee chef and a gospel singer whose talents keep the…
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A Story Of Music, Trees, And Family
March 8, 2023By Two Sons Of The American South On a January day in 2019 I met Chuck Leavell in Georgia’s geographic center. We met to write a magazine cover story.…
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South Carolina State Fair announces 67% increase in scholarship funds
March 7, 2023The South Carolina State Fair, a self-supporting 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, announces a 67 percent increase in awards for its 2023 annual Ride of Your Life Scholarship program. For the first…
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Cyberwoven wins three ADDYs at the 2023 AAF Midlands Awards Gala
March 6, 2023Cyberwoven, a full-service brand, marketing, and web agency, announces its win of three American Advertising Federation (AAF) Awards (ADDYs) at this year’s AAF Midlands Awards Gala. The agency won for…
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Upcountry History Museum Exhibit showcases Kenny Rogers’ talents
March 1, 2023Say the name Kenny Rogers and the first things that come to mind are songs and television movies. The Upcountry History Museum – Greenville County, a Smithsonian Affiliate, offers a…
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Rivers I Cross
February 24, 2023By Tom Poland Rivers make me say things out loud. As I drive alone over a river I often say its name. In fact, some rivers’ names beg to…
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Newberry College’s 65th Jazz Festival to feature saxophonist Jeff Coffin
February 23, 2023Historic festival coincides with largest-ever SCBDA jazz event Newberry College invites you to enjoy world-class artists and music at its 65th Jazz Festival, to be held March 3-4 on campus.…
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The Word Merchant Highway
February 16, 2023By Tom Poland Upon taking a writing position long ago, the boss of bosses shot me a sideways look, “So, you’re a word merchant.” Clever, I thought, but as…
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SC Arts Advocacy Week is February 13-17
February 14, 2023The South Carolina Arts Alliance (SCAA) is hosting SC Arts Advocacy Week, February 13-17. The annual event brings arts practitioners and supporters together to celebrate the universal impact of the…
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A year of learning opportunities at UWS
February 13, 2023As spring is upon us, where at the school will be hosting numerous classes, courses, and skill based workshops at our location in Tamassee SC. We have 33 acres for…
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The Forsaken Land
February 10, 2023By Tom Poland Kudzu covered its outbuildings. The farm was lonesome so I turned around and stopped to visit it. Right off I saw a dusty mule collar hanging…
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Proud Mary Theatre serves up 5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche
February 8, 2023Proud Mary Theatre Company presents 5 LESBIANS EATING A QUICHE by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood. Set at the 1956 Susan B Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein’s…
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Two Andy Warhol exhibitions opening at Upcountry History Museum
February 3, 2023The Upcountry History Museum-Greenville County, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is bringing an exceptional encounter with history, art, and culture to Greenville when two extraordinary exhibitions featuring Pop Art icon Andy Warhol…
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The Colors Of Childhood
February 2, 2023By Tom Poland I haven’t seen the old homeplace in a while. Not my homeplace, mind you, my childhood friend’s. That would be Sweetie Boy, he of the sweet…
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Peace Center economic impact estimated at $1.1 billion statewide
January 30, 2023An economic impact study conducted by the University of South Carolina Moore School of Business reveals that the Peace Center in Greenville has had an astounding economic impact of just…
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The Bygone Era Of Refinement
January 27, 2023By Tom Poland Previous eras impress me. When I tour historic homes, for instance, the refined lifestyle their owners enjoyed stands in marked contrast to lifestyles today. The presence…
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Greenville Jewish Film Festival reveals 2023 lineup
January 24, 2023The Greenville Jewish Film Festival announces its lineup of films for its 3rd annual SpringFest event – March 9, 11 and 12 – at the Greenville ONE Center in downtown Greenville.…
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Fear Of Flying
January 19, 2023By Tom Poland It’s a good thing titles cannot be copyrighted. With apologies to Erica Jong, I title this self-confessional column, “Far of Flying.” I cannot say I fear…
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The Dignified Mule
January 12, 2023By Tom Poland Like Halley’s Comet, I’m predictable. I come around to the same subject matter every so often. When I do, it’s because something triggered memories. A few…
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The Lost Art Of Making Do
January 5, 2023By Tom Poland He was twenty-six when the Great Depression arrived, thirty-six when it ended. A decade of doing without taught him something about survival. “Keep something seven years…
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An Effigy Of Rock
December 8, 2022By 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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Greenville Center for Creative Arts names new Operations Manager
November 30, 2022The Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) has named Alicia Mizuno as its next Operations Manager. As the newest member of the GCCA team, Alicia brings extensive experience in facilities…
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Amazon Books editors announce 2022’s Best Books of the Year
November 30, 2022Tomorrow, 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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Upcountry History Museum receives SC Humanities grant
November 21, 2022The Upcountry History Museum – Greenville County, a Smithsonian Affiliate, announced that it has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the South Carolina Humanities. Selected as one of 16 cultural…
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Pancho Villa’s Fighting South Carolina Gamecocks
November 21, 2022By 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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Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities now accepting applications for summer programs and residential high school
November 17, 2022The SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, a public, residential high school for artistically talented students, is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year and arts-immersive, overnight…
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First Citizens Bank and First Citizens Wealth Management invest in South Carolina’s young artists
November 17, 2022First Citizens Bank and First Citizens Wealth Management are donating $20,000 in support of the SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities over the next two years. This multi-year…
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The Relentless Grind
November 17, 2022By 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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New twist on traditional holiday classic making Greenville debut at Upcountry History Museum
November 15, 2022On Saturday, November 19, 2022, the doors of the Upcountry History Museum will open to an ever-familiar story but the Greenville debut of an exclusive holiday favorite, “Nutcracker: The Exhibition.”…
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Mud, Crushed Granite, And Memories
November 10, 2022By 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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New mural at Pillar Holistic Living adds to Greenville public art collection
November 8, 2022Mural designed by artist Lacey Hennessey brings new inspiration to the Poinsett Corridor Pillar Holistic Living, a new holistic wellness concept, recently unveiled the newest public work of art for…
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Proud Mary Theatre Company surprised with grant from Spartanburg County Foundation
November 8, 2022Proud Mary Theatre Company was surprised and overwhelmed when an informal tour of our facilities at Artists Collective Spartanburg turned into a media “ambush” with reporters from WYFF and the Post…
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Aluminum, Glass, Rum, War, & Hemingway
November 3, 2022By 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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South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Foundation elects new members to its Board of Directors
November 1, 2022The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Foundation announced four new members elected to its board of directors. These new members will assist the foundation to achieve…
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Greenville Center for Creative Arts promotes Ben Tarcson to Gallery Director
October 28, 2022The Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA) has promoted Ben Tarcson to the position of Gallery Director. As one of the longest-serving staff members at GCCA, Tarcson has played an…
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Drowning The Past
October 27, 2022By 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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