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THE ARTS + MUSIC ISSUE featuring…

AMIRI FARRIS: ART IS EVERYTHING LINDSEY SPEARS ON THE ART OF GOING BIG FINDING BEAUTY IN THE EVERYDAY LOWCOUNTRY ARTIST MURRAY SEASE PAINTS LIFE WITH WARMTH, WHIMSY, AND HEART AUTUMN FASHION AT BRANCHES

OCTOBER 2026

THE NOTTING HOME IS CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE BLUFFTON ROOTED IN PLACE LISTENING TO THE LAND, BUILDERS TRANSFORMED A VISION INTO A FAMILY’S RETREAT REMEMBERING MIKE KAVANAUGH

AMIRI FARRIS: ART IS EVERYTHING WHAT’S INSIDE 42

STAYING POWER: THE HILTON HEAD PLANTATION WOMEN’S CLUB

LINDSEY SPEARS: PAINTING LIFE LARGER THAN LIFE

FASHION AND FUN AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE

MURRAY SEASE: FINDING BEAUTY IN THE EVERYDAY

STATE OF THE ART LEAGUE: ART LEAGUE OF HILTON HEAD PREPARES MASTERPIECES FOR 2026 AND BEYOND

Fall Fashion at Branches

REMEMBERING JOJO SQUIRREL: CELEBRATING MIKE KAVANAUGH WITH MUSIC AND FOND MEMORIES

BLUFFTON’S TUNNEL TO TOWERS 5K RUN & WALK SET FOR NOVEMBER 8

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SOMEDAY IS HERE: AFTER YEARS OF TRAVELING AND DREAMING, COUPLE CREATES THEIR UNIQUE DREAM HOME

122

ROOTED IN PLACE: LISTENING TO THE LAND, BUILDERS TRANSFORMED A VISION INTO A FAMILY’S LOWCOUNTRY RETREAT

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HOME, REINVENTED: THE NOTTINGHOME IS CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE BLUFFTON

SEASONS CHANGE

BY DAY, BY NIGHT

ON OUR COVERS CB2 CELEBRATE

CH2 CELEBRATE

BLUFFTON AND BEYOND

HILTON HEAD!

THE ARTS + MUSIC ISSUE featuring...

Lindsey Spears on the Art of Going BIG!

Amiri Farris: Art Is Everything Autumn Fashion at Branches

THE ARTS + MUSIC ISSUE

Finding Beauty in the Everyday Lowcountry artist Murray Sease paints life with warmth, whimsy, & heart

featuring…

AMIRI FARRIS: ART IS EVERYTHING LINDSEY SPEARS ON THE ART OF GOING BIG

The Notting Home is Changing the Way People Experience Bluffton

Remembering Mike Kavanaugh OCTOBER 2026

ON THE CH2 COVER Lindsey Spears is photographed in front of a mural of the CH2 logo she painted on the wall at CH2’s intergalactic headquarters.

OCTOBER 2026

Rooted in Place Listening to the land, builders transformed a vision into a family’s retreat

FINDING BEAUTY IN THE EVERYDAY LOWCOUNTRY ARTIST MURRAY SEASE PAINTS LIFE WITH WARMTH, WHIMSY, AND HEART AUTUMN FASHION AT BRANCHES

THE NOTTING HOME IS CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE BLUFFTON ROOTED IN PLACE LISTENING TO THE LAND, BUILDERS TRANSFORMED A VISION INTO A FAMILY’S RETREAT REMEMBERING MIKE KAVANAUGH

OCTOBER 2026

ON THE CB2 COVER Amiri Farris is photographed beside his Lowcountry mural situated outside Okan in Old Town Bluffton.

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LUXURIOUS NAILS WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH

EDITOR'S NOTE OCTOBER 2026

GENIUSES AT WORK Vibe Manager Maggie Marie Washo Master of Coin Marion Elizabeth Bowser Chief Chatter Kim Conrad Crouch Head Unicorn Wrangler “Just Kandace” Cunningham Collector of Business Cards Morgan Ambler Employee of the Year Jevon Daly Mascot in Training Buoy Conrad Crouch Pritchard The Gatekeepers Greta Von Bowser Vincent Von Bowser Kerning Queen Catherine Davies Punctuation Prodigy Lynne Cope Hummell Innovation Sherpas Jesse Blanco Courtney Hampson Lynne Cope Hummell Barry Kaufman Taylor Kent Brooke Peck Alan Perry Cheryl Ricer Larry Toomer Sheila Tucker Lighting Experts Photography by Maggie Washo Photography by Lisa Staff Photos by Island House Media

Find Us Here PO Box 22949 Hilton Head Island, SC 29925 843.816.6247 maggie@ch2cb2magazine.com

Watch a time- lapse video of artist Lindsey Spears painting this mural on CH2's social media pages later this month!

raditionally, our Arts & Music issue has been heavily weighted to the music side, but this year we decided to let the visual medium shine in abundance. Music seems to be a tad bit controversial in the Lowcountry right now. (#iykyk) In preperation, these past few months were spent with artists like Lindsey Spears and Amiri Farris, who grace each of our October covers. While they both create striking works of art, their paths to the profession could not be more dissimilar, with Farris taking the traditional route of schooling and Spears being unabashedly proud of being self-taught. One of my favorite quotes in the entire issue is the pivotal moment of her being postpartum, in her own bedroom and thinking, “It’s ugly in here.” So, she painted a mural to pretty it up, posted a photo on Facebook, and thus began her art career. You’ve seen her art pop up all over recently, from Harbour Town to Palmetto Bluff – and she has a style distinctly her own. We even asked her to paint a CH2 logo and cover, directly on the wall at the CH2/CB2 intergalactic headquarters – and that’s what you’re seeing on our CH2 cover. Amiri Farris, on the other hand, had extensive schooling, from the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach to the Savannah College of Art & Design, where he eventually earned his master’s degree in painting. Despite their differences in reaching the intended destination, it’s safe to say both artists have arrived, with their paintings being featured in multiple locations around Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and beyond.

Swing on over to page 50 to read about these talented artists in backto-back features. Rounding out our artist features is the delightful Murray Sease, whose bright creations adorn the walls of La Petite Gallerie on Calhoun Street. At Mayfest, I came home with one of Sease’s darling chicken paintings and thus began the story that you can find on page 66. If you are interested in becoming an artist yourself, head on over to our feature on the Hilton Head Art League (page 70). There is always a lot happening at this creative nonprofit, from their popular “Got Art?” event on October 10 to multiple classes covering artistic avenues from oils and watercolor to creating collages at the Art League Academy on Cordillo Parkway. I’m running out of space, but please do not miss Brooke Peck’s feature on fashion at the Concours d’Elegance (page 63), Barry Kaufman’s tribute to Mike Kavanaugh (page 92), and Cheryl Ricer’s stories on two remarkable new homes (page 108 and 122). I’d also like to welcome back Taylor Kent to our editorial team, in a story where she brilliantly highlights local business people who make time for music at night. … and one more thing! It’s FESTIVAL SEASON! So, check that calendar at the back of the magazine and I’ll see you out there. (Oh! And go see Ty at Luxury Nails at Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina – and tell him I sent you.) OK. I’m done now. Sorry this is probably printed in 5 point type to fit in all my ramblings. Break out those readers! 

MAGGIE WASHO

Publisher / Editor-in-Chief

Instagram - @ch2hhimag Facebook - facebook.com/ch2magazine TikTok - @ch2mag YouTube - youtube.com/celebratehiltonhead

Lisa Staff Photography

A Note from Hilton Head Island Mayor Alan Perry

MANAGING GROWTH TO PRESERVE HILTON HEAD ISLAND

anaging growth while protecting the character of Hilton Head Island is one of our most important responsibilities. Growth management does not mean stopping development. It means making thoughtful decisions about where development belongs, how much is appropriate, and where preservation should take priority. That requires using every tool available to us, including land acquisition, density acquisition, zoning, redevelopment standards, and infrastructure planning. One of the town’s most effective tools is the strategic acquisition of land. A key funding source is our real estate transfer fee, established in 1991 at one-quarter of 1% of the value of real estate sold on Hilton Head Island. We can also leverage Beaufort County’s 1% Green Space Sales Tax and other eligible funding sources to pursue environmentally sensitive land and properties that could otherwise support significant development. Since 2023, the town has acquired, or is in the process of acquiring, approximately 104.9 acres valued at $63.5 million. Beaufort County Green Space funding accounts for approximately $23.9 million of that investment. Just as important as the acreage is the development potential these acquisitions remove. Completed and pending acquisitions had the potential to accommodate an estimated: • 776,744 square feet of commercial development • 1,915 hotel rooms • 997 residential units • 3,859 afternoon peak-hour vehicle trips That means land preservation can also mean fewer cars on our roads, less pressure on infrastructure, and greater protection for our environment and neighborhoods. We should also explore opportunities to reduce development pressure without purchasing an entire property. Where appropriate and legally available, density acquisition could allow the town to acquire development rights associated with a property, reducing future development potential while allowing the land to remain privately owned. Sometimes protecting the island may mean buying the land; other times, it might mean buying the development potential. At the same time, we must continue evaluating where density is appropriate. Established neighborhoods and environmentally sensitive areas might require different approaches than redevelopment areas with existing infrastructure. Our decisions should consider roads, drainage, evacuation, public safety, utilities, environmental impacts, and neighborhood compatibility. Our goal is not to stop Hilton Head Island from changing. It is to manage that change thoughtfully so we preserve the natural environment, community character, and quality of life that make our island special. To learn more about the town’s land acquisition and growth-management efforts please visit hiltonheadislandsc.gov or scan the QR code. 

M A Y O R

A Note from Bluffton Mayor Larry Toomer

FROM SPOOKTACULAR TO SANTA: IT’S BLUFFTON’S BUSIEST EVENT SEASON

luffton has a crowded, fun-filled calendar of events, bringing plenty of opportunities to enjoy the cooler weather and spend time with friends and neighbors. The town expanded its event offerings after the pandemic to create more opportunities for the community to reconnect. Today, these gatherings remain an important part of Bluffton’s quality of life and the sense of community that makes our town special. The town’s events and venues department brings these experiences to life throughout the year. Its team develops creative programs for residents of all ages and abilities. The town’s calendar includes concerts in Buckwalter Place Park, summer waterslide events, movie nights, Ballet in the Park, end-of-school pop-up events, the Bunny Bonanza, historic preservation lectures, and the Kazoo Show. The town also hosts a glow dance for residents with special needs and commemorative programs such as the 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony. Some of Bluffton’s longest and largest traditions are also town events, including our Independence Day 5K, pre-party, drone show, and fireworks. The annual Christmas tree lighting and Bluffton Christmas Parade are always held during the first weekend in December. Whether an event brings thousands of people or a smaller group of neighbors, the goal is the same: to help you love where you live. Here is what we have planned for the remainder of 2026: Safety Spooktacular, Friday, October 23, 5-7 p.m., Oscar Frazier Park: Bring the family out for an evening of Halloween fun with first responders, a helicopter display, a dunk booth (with Bluffton police officers) and other activities. There will not be a costume contest for people this year, but our four-legged residents will have their chance to compete in the dog costume contest. Concert in the Park, Friday, November 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Buckwalter Place Park Amphitheater: Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy live music by Groove Town Assault. This will be the third and final Concert in the Park of 2026. Christmas Tree Lighting, Friday, December 4, 5:30 p.m.: Join us as we officially kick off the holiday season in Bluffton at Martin Family Park. Bluffton Christmas Parade, Saturday, December 5, 10 a.m.: One of Bluffton’s largest and most beloved traditions returns with creative floats, community groups, local businesses, and plenty of holiday spirit. Can’t come? Join us live on Beaufort County TV for the broadcast. Holiday Ice Rink, December 11-20, New Riverside Barn Park: For the first time, the town will bring a free outdoor ice-skating experience to New Riverside. The rink will be open on selected afternoons and evenings throughout the 10-day celebration: Friday, December 11, 4-10 p.m., with DJ “T-Bone” Taylor Saturday, December 12, 4-10 p.m., with DJ “T-Bone” Taylor Sunday, December 13, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., with a holiday craft fair Monday, December 14, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, December 15, 4-10 p.m. Wednesday, December 16, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday, December 17, 4-10 p.m.

Whether an event brings thousands of people or a smaller group of neighbors, the goal is the same: to help you love where you live. Friday, December 18, 4-10 p.m., with DJ “T-Bone” Taylor Saturday, December 19, 4-10 p.m., with a performance from The Nutcracker and a DJ Sunday, December 20, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Santa at New Riverside Barn: Friday, December 11, 4-7 p.m.: Santa will visit the barn to meet families and pose for photographs. Bring your own camera to capture the moment. Holiday Craft Fair: Sunday, December 13, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., New Riverside Event Lawn: Shop with local artists, craftspeople, and hobbyists surrounding the ice rink. Stay tuned to the town’s social media platforms for more details. Santa at the Welcome Center: Thursday, December 17, 4-7 p.m.: Stop by the Welcome Center to visit Santa and take your own photographs. Afternoon Tea with the Sugar Plum Fairy: Saturday, December 19, New Riverside: The Okatie Youth Ballet will present excerpts from The Nutcracker, followed by tea with the Sugar Plum Fairy inside New Riverside Barn. Stay tuned to the town’s social media for more details. I hope you will mark your calendar, bring your family and invite a neighbor to join you. These events belong to the community, and we hope you enjoy them. 

CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

OCTOBER 2026

Members of the Hilton Head Plantation Women's Club are photographed at their May luncheon, held at USCB on Hilton Head Island. Today, the organization numbers more than 650 women and offers more than 20 activities and special-interest groups. But strip away the numbers, programs, and events, and its purpose remains remarkably similar to the one envisioned by six women four decades ago: Bring women together. That simple idea has proven to have extraordinary staying power.

Article by Cheryl Ricer

STAYING POWER:

Th e Hil ton Hea d Plantation Wom en’s Club 40 Years of Frien dship, Fellowship an d Fun

n the second Tuesday in August, after a two-month summer break, something wonderful happens at Spring Lake Pavilion. Women begin arriving. Some are longtime members who immediately spot familiar faces across the room. Others are newcomers, perhaps still learning their way around, walking into their f irst Hilton Head Plantation Women’s Club event not quite knowing what to expect. There are hugs and introductions, conversations picked up where they left off in May, and plenty of laughter. And there is ice cream. The Women’s Club’s annual ice cream social officially kicks off each new season, and in keeping with tradition, the husbands of the club’s board members step behind the serving tables to dish it up. Meanwhile, members circulate among tables representing the club’s many activity groups, deciding how they might spend the year ahead. Book club? Pickleball? Hiking? Canasta? Gardening? Lunch? Theatre? Cooking? Bible study? For returning members, it is a reunion. For new members, it can be the beginning of something much bigger: Friendship. That scene is especially meaningful in 2026 as the club celebrates its 40th anniversary. Today, the organization numbers more than 650 women and offers more than 20 activities and special-interest groups. But strip away the numbers, programs, and events, and its purpose remains remarkably similar

to the one envisioned by six women four decades ago: Bring women together. That simple idea has proven to have extraordinary staying power. Six Women, One Vision In the summer of 1986, Hilton Head Plantation was a much different place. Many residents had relocated from somewhere else, often leaving family and established friendships behind. Six women – Dorothy DeTorre, Jo Ann Dikeos, Louise Gault, Olive Sue Linkletter, Laura Turner, and Anne Werner – answered a call for volunteers to organize a women’s club. Werner served as chairman during the organizational period, and Gault would become the club’s first president. Their first gathering was an elegant tea held September 9, 1986. Two hundred f ifty women attended. By the end of the first year, membership had reached 328. Clearly, those six women had recognized a need. The original purpose was described simply: to bring women of the plantation together in a spirit of friendship, fellowship, and fun. At a time when many residents were building new lives far from longtime friends and family, the Women’s Club offered something invaluable – a way to belong. Forty years later, the plantation has changed dramatically. So have the women who call it home. Yet the desire that inspired the club’s creation remains remarkably universal. People need people. Perhaps that is the first secret to the women’s club’s staying power.

The Current Board of the Hilton Head Plantation Womens Club Top row (l-r): Tracy Elizabeth, Polly Kyle (Past President), Julie Austin (VP); Third Row (l-r): Diane Mills (Activity Director), Gretchen Griggs (Treasurer), Jennifer Morrison (Hospitality Director); Second Row (l-r): Debbie Winters (Hospitality Director), Marilyn Bailey (Recording Secretary), Mindy Rooney (Membership Director), Fran Fiorino (Publicity Director); Front Row (l-r): Mary Howe (Hospitality Director) and Cheryl Ricer (President). Not pictured: Laurie Gilbert (Hospitality Director), Heather Provost (Membership Director), and Kristy Graham (Publicity Director).

A Club That Changed With the Women Organizations that last rarely do so by remaining exactly the same. Over four decades, the Women’s Club has retained its identity while continually adapting to the interests and lifestyles of its members. Monthly meetings remain central to the club. Throughout the years, speakers from Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County, and beyond have informed and entertained members with programs about history, art, nature, culture, and personal experiences. Some programs became part of club lore. Emma Kelly, known as the Lady of 6,000 Songs, was among the earliest speakers, charming members with her music and Southern personality. Newsweek photographer Wally McNamee offered an inside look at presidents, politics, and personalities. Other programs have ranged from ballroom dancing and fashion to local history and the Lowcountry environment. But today’s Women’s Club also looks different from the one created in 1986. During the 2025-26 season, evening socials were introduced to better accommodate working members. The events quickly became another opportunity for women to connect while enjoying local performers. Technology changed communication as well. A website was launched for the 2021-22 season, helping streamline club administration and communication with a rapidly expanding membership. The willingness to ask “What do our members need now?” has helped keep a 40-year-old organization feeling anything but old. 44

OCTOBER 2026

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Something for Everyone Perhaps nowhere is the club’s evolution more visible than in its activity groups. In 1986, there were two. Today, there are more than 20 activities and special-interest groups spanning books, cards, exercise, cooking, theatre, gardening, Bible study, knitting, philanthropy, and social outings. Within some of those categories are multiple groups. Book clubs were among the earliest activities and remain enormously popular. Bridge followed, including the longtime Marathon Bridge group. Mah Jongg classes began in 2000 and introduced countless members to a game many had never played before moving to Hilton Head. Green Thumbers carries on a gardening tradition that dates to the club’s earliest years. Knit Wits brings members together over knitting and crocheting. Culinary groups have evolved from the original Culinary Cut-Ups into today’s Mangia Con Noi, Cookbook Club, and Plant Forward. Then there are women who would rather move than sit. Beach Walkers, HHP Walkers, S-low Country Hikers, Biking Buddies, and Pickleball members prove just how much interests have changed. Interestingly, early attempts at some exercise-oriented groups faded because there wasn’t enough participation. Today, they’re among the club’s popular offerings. Social groups flourish, too. Out to Lunch Bunch dates to 1991 and continues to bring women together around restaurant tables. Happy Hour Gals can attract more than 100 members to monthly happy hours. Drama Queens and Chick Flicks head out to performances and movies. Adventure has always had a place. In 1989, then-vice president Joan Israel helped launch Island Hoppers, a travel group that began with day trips to places such as Daufuskie Island, Beaufort, and Savannah and eventually expanded to overnight excursions to The Biltmore House, Epcot, Callaway Gardens, and Charlotte. Today, Road Show Adventures continues that tradition under Jean Conroy, planning excursions near and far, while the club’s Road Rally turns Hilton Head Plantation itself into the setting for a scavenger hunt. For Conroy, however, the activity groups have always been about much more than filling a calendar. “HHP Women’s Club has always been an integral part of living here,” Conroy said. “It was a place to go when I knew no one else on Hilton Head. When I went to my first meeting 13 years ago, little did I know I was making friends from all over the country and all walks of life. We all had something in common – we all chose to live on this beautiful island and in this beautiful neighborhood.” During the years that followed, Conroy served on the Women’s Club board for six years and participated in several

activity groups, discovering along the way what she describes as some of the most appreciative and kind women she now calls friends. “Everyone is always willing to help, lend a hand, and offer words of encouragement if things don’t always go as planned,” she said. “I presently co-chair the Road Show Adventures group. Our motto is, ‘Life is meant for good friends and great adventures!’ And that is what I have found.” Conroy’s experience illustrates something that cannot be measured on a membership roster: Relationships. A woman signs up because she likes books and finds her closest friends. Another joins a walking group and suddenly has people expecting her every week. Someone new to the community attends lunch and leaves with plans for dinner. Activities might be what brings women through the door. Friendship is what keeps them coming back. The Women Behind the Women’s Club An organization serving more than 650 members does not operate by accident. Behind every meeting, luncheon, social, speaker, membership drive, activity group, and charitable initiative is a network of women volunteering their time. For 40 years, presidents have provided leadership, but no president has worked alone. Vice presidents, secretaries, treasurers, directors, committee chairs, activity group leaders, and countless volunteers have carried the organization from one generation to the next. They reserve venues and plan programs; coordinate speakers, entertainment, and volunteers; manage memberships and budgets; organize food; collect donations; welcome newcomers and communicate with members. They solve problems – often before most members ever know there was a problem to solve. “Serving as president was a rewarding experience,” said Fran Fiorino, who has held multiple board positions, including president. “A new president serves each year, and while you would think that would be disruptive, it is actually quite the opposite. Each president brings fresh ideas and builds upon the successes of previous ones, so our club continuously evolves and just keeps getting better and better.” The history of the club is therefore not simply the history of its presidents. It is the collective history of hundreds of women who repeatedly raised their hands and said, in one way or another, “I’ll help.” That spirit of volunteer leadership has created continuity while allowing every board to bring something new. Thirty-nine women have served as president since 1986. Each inherited something built by the women before her and accepted responsibility for leaving it stronger for the women who would follow. That succession of service may be one of the most important reasons the club is still thriving. When Staying Connected Became Harder Over 40 years, staying connected has sometimes required more than organizing meetings, luncheons, and activity groups. Members have weathered hurricanes, illness, personal losses, and, eventually,

“We’ve been through hurricanes, a pandemic, personal losses, and health challenges – all the things life brings,” Balog said. “We all need our girlfriends, and I have found many in this club.” a pandemic. Through it all, the friendships created within the club have often mattered most when life became difficult. Past president Joan Balog discovered how quickly those relationships could take root. She moved to Hilton Head in 2014 and first heard about the Women’s Club from a woman in her Zumba class. “She said, ‘You should join! It’s fun!’” Balog recalled. “By 2015, I was on the board, by 2016 I was vice president, followed by president in 2017. I met so many glorious women – so smart, so accomplished, so willing to invest in each other and HHP.” Over the years, Balog discovered that those friendships extended well beyond the social side of the club. “We’ve been through hurricanes, a pandemic,

OCTOBER 2026

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Husbands of the Hilton Head Women's Club Board serve ice cream at the August social.

personal losses, and health challenges – all the things life brings,” Balog said. “We all need our girlfriends, and I have found many in this club.” That sense of connection became particularly important in spring 2020, when COVID brought meetings and activities to a sudden halt. The incoming board spent that summer determining how the Women’s Club could continue serving its members when gathering – the very thing at the heart of the organization – was suddenly impossible. The answer involved technology, creativity, and a considerable amount of patience. For Bobbie Ventre, who served as president during the 2020-2021 season, one of the greatest challenges was ensuring that new technology connected members rather than inadvertently leaving some of them behind. “This was a huge change, and not all members were very excited about it,” Ventre said. “We created step-by-step instructions and provided training by walking members through each step, either over the phone or safely in person. It was vital that all members – especially those who were technologically challenged – were not left behind.” The learning curve included far more than Zoom. Members were adapting to an online directory, the club’s Facebook page, and new enrollment procedures, while the board worked behind the scenes to help women navigate each change. At the same time, familiar traditions were being reimagined. Monthly speakers appeared via Zoom. The ice cream social moved outside to the Plantation House porch. The New Member Welcome became an outdoor happy hour rather than a luncheon, and Jingle and Mingle moved to a venue offering outdoor access. There were, as Ventre readily acknowledged, some growing pains. But then she added a thought that might best summarize what happened next: “Look at us now!” Membership remained strong. As restrictions eased and new residents arrived in Hilton Head Plantation, membership surged. Technology that once seemed daunting became part of the infrastructure supporting the organization that now serves its 650 women.

Members enjoy a private class about plant-forward eating at Hilton Head Oils & Balsamics in the Village at Wexford.

The Ripple Effect of 650-Plus Women The impact of an organization this large extends far beyond its own events. Consider what happens when more than 650 women actively participate in the community around them. They eat lunch. They meet for happy hour. They attend plays. They go to movies. They visit museums, gardens, and area attractions. They take tours, participate in classes, and explore neighboring communities. They bring friends. They return to places they discover through the club. For decades, Women’s Club activity groups have regularly gathered at local restaurants and businesses, creating a quiet but meaningful economic ripple throughout Hilton Head and the surrounding Lowcountry. There might not be a single ledger documenting 40 years of activities in the greater community, but collectively, the impact is significant. Economic support is only part of the story. These women volunteer. They donate. They serve. Multiply those actions across hundreds of members and four decades, and the reach becomes extraordinary. A Legacy of Giving Community service has been woven into the club almost from its beginning. In 1989, members Laura Turner and Joan Israel served coffee and buns to approximately 400 people attending the Easter Sunrise Service at Dolphin Head Park, beginning a tradition that continued for years. The club has supported the Hilton Head Plantation community itself in tangible ways. Women’s Club funds helped purchase items for the Plantation House, and benches throughout the plantation were donated by the club. A bronze plaque and two benches were installed at the flagpole honoring “Veterans, Past, Present and Future,” as the plaque reads. The club also contributed $10,000 to the HHP Conservancy Foundation after members sold 2,500 packets of notecards featuring scenes of Hilton Head Plantation. Beyond the gates, the reach expands considerably. Over the decades, recipients of Women’s Club financial support have included Deep Well, Volunteers in Medicine, Meals on Wheels, The Children’s Center, Memory Matters, CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

OCTOBER 2026

Pockets Full of Sunshine, Programs for Exceptional People, Hopeful Horizons, the Boys & Girls Club, Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, Hilton Head Humane Association, and numerous other organizations. Support has even extended beyond the Lowcountry during times of disaster and national need.

OCTOBER 2026

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One of the club’s most beloved traditions is its holiday collection for Deep Well, when members arrive with toys, nonperishable food, and monetary donations. The generosity can be remarkable – but perhaps more important is what those collections represent. Hundreds of individual acts of giving become one substantial community response.

The Roadshow Adventures Club enjoys a luncheon and cruise along the Savannah River. Today, monthly meetings feature a Community Spotlight, giving local nonprofit representatives an opportunity to explain their missions and needs directly to members. Those needs are shared on the club website, extending the opportunity to respond through donations and volunteer service. At year’s end, the club also makes charitable contributions based upon its remaining treasury balance. It is philanthropy built not around one grand gesture, but around consistency – year after year, need after need. Forty Years Later And so we return to the Plantation House on that second Tuesday in August. The husbands are scooping ice cream. Activity leaders are answering questions. Board members are making sure everything runs as planned. Old friends are reconnecting after summer, while somewhere in the room a woman who has never before attended a Hilton Head Plantation Women’s Club event is introducing herself to someone new. Six women began it in 1986. Hundreds more have carried it forward – not through one president, one board, one program, or one generation, but through a shared willingness to welcome, participate, and serve. The founders could hardly have imagined a Women’s Club more than 650 members strong. They could not have envisioned Zoom meetings, online registration, pickleball groups, or happy hours attracting more than 100 women. But walk into the ice cream social today, and they would recognize what matters. They would recognize the laughter. They would recognize women welcoming women, neighbors becoming f riends. And they would recognize the generosity of people discovering that what they can accomplish together is far greater than anything they could accomplish alone. Forty years after six women decided Hilton Head Plantation needed a place where women could find friendship, fellowship and fun, their idea hasn’t simply survived. It has become part of the fabric of the community. And perhaps the greatest testament to the Women’s Club’s staying power is that after four decades, hundreds of women are still answering the same invitation: “Come join us.” Learn more at HHPWC.org. 

CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

OCTOBER 2026

Amiri Farris created the large mural adjacent to Okan, entitled The Joy of Bluffton: A Celebration of Old Town.

Farris surrounded by artwork at Okan in Old Town Bluffton.

or Amiri Farris, art has never been something confined to a canvas or displayed only inside the quiet walls of a gallery. Art is on buildings and in stadiums. It is found in food and fashion, nature and architecture. It lives in history, heritage, community, and in the everyday objects we rarely stop to consider. Sometimes, it even comes to life before an audience, with Farris standing in front of a blank canvas and allowing people to watch the creative process unfold. At the heart of his philosophy is a simple motto: “Art is everything.” “Art is all around you,” Farris said. “It’s in nature, the clothes you wear, the car you drive, the buildings

you walk into, and even the phone or magazine you’re reading this on. At some point, someone had to imagine it, design it, and use creativity to bring it into the world.” For roughly two decades, Farris has built a career around that expansive view of creativity. A painter, muralist, illustrator, sculptor, educator, and mixedmedia artist, he has created work throughout the Lowcountry and beyond while developing a visual language that is distinctly his own. But beneath the color, movement, and contemporary energy is something deeper: a profound connection to the Gullah Geechee people and a desire to honor the people, stories,

Amiri Farris: Ar t icle

Ch er y l

Ri cer

P h otog ra p hy

Ma g g i e

Wa s h o

Art Is Everything

"...when I paint an egret, a crab, or a Lowcountry landscape, I want to approach it through my own visual language. I want it to feel contemporary, unexpected, and unmistakably mine.” and traditions that shaped him while making room for what comes next. Encouraged to Create Farris’ artistic journey began long before he knew where it would lead. Growing up in West Palm Beach, Florida, he was fortunate to have people around him who recognized his creativity early and encouraged him to develop it. “My own artistic journey started when I was very young,” Farris said. “Beginning around age six, I had opportunities to study art at the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach and to train at Quest Theatre and Institute.” He later attended New World School of the Arts in Miami before continuing his education at Savannah College of Art and Design, where he ultimately earned his master’s degree in painting after completing undergraduate studies in illustration. “At every stage, I was surrounded by creative individuals – artists, educators, and mentors – who recognized something in me and helped guide me toward becoming the artist I am today,” he said.

OCTOBER 2026

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Farris' artwork is showcased at the Montage in Palmetto Bluff. His education extended far beyond painting. Farris studied photography, computer graphics, sculpture, and other disciplines, experiences that gave him the freedom to move among various media throughout his career. “I pretty much have studied every art genre,” he said. “Since I was able to study all those different mediums, I’m more able to use it in my work or on different projects.” After graduating f rom SCAD, Farris made the Lowcountry home. Among his early positions was serving as art director at the Boys & Girls Club, a role that foreshadowed the importance education and mentorship would continue to have in his career. Finding His Own Visual Language At his core, Farris considers himself a painter, but limiting a description of his work to a single medium would be nearly impossible. He incorporates collage, mixed media, sculptural elements, and symbolism, selecting materials according to the story he wants to tell. “I don’t necessarily have a favorite,” he said. “It just depends on the project that I’m working on and what I’m trying to convey to the audience or to the viewer.” Increasingly, those projects have grown in scale. Farris’ murals and public artworks can be found throughout the Lowcountry. At Hilton Head Island’s rowing and sailing center, a mural honors shrimpers and those who helped preserve the area’s ecosystem. Another appears at the Boys & Girls Club. In Bluffton, his work can be seen at the Culinary Institute of the South, Kroger on Buckwalter Parkway, Okan restaurant, and other community spaces. His reach extends far beyond the region. At Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Farris created a dynamic image of a soccer player kicking a ball, deliberately rendering the athlete ambiguously rather than depicting one particular player. Yet, even as his canvases have grown, Farris’ work remains unmistakably personal.

“When you visit a lot of galleries and art spaces in this area, you tend to see many of the same traditional subjects – landscapes, egrets, marsh scenes – and I appreciate those subjects, too,” Farris said. “But when I paint an egret, a crab, or a Lowcountry landscape, I want to approach it through my own visual language. I want it to feel contemporary, unexpected, and unmistakably mine.” That visual language is deeply rooted in the Gullah Geechee culture, history, and traditions of the Sea Islands. Throughout his career, he has exhibited and created work across the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor and collaborated with cultural institutions and community organizations, including the Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island. The people, landscapes, stories, foodways, and traditions of the Lowcountry regularly appear in his work, but Farris does not simply reproduce familiar imagery. He reinterprets it through bold color, contemporary composition, and mixed media, creating a bridge between cultural memory and modern expression. That connection became especially meaningful when Farris was selected as featured artist for the 35th anniversary of the Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration. The recognition allowed him to celebrate a culture represented in his artistic practice while introducing its stories to new audiences. His work has also been shown throughout Hilton Head Island, including at J. Costello Gallery at Red Fish, while exhibitions, public art, educational programs, and community events continue his commitment to carrying those cultural stories forward. For Farris, honoring tradition does not mean standing still. One of the most engaging aspects of Farris’ work is his willingness to create it in public. “I do a lot of action painting, which is painting in front of people live,” he said. “People are very surprised that I’m so comfortable just painting in front of people because usually, when you’re working as an artist, it’s a very intimate sort of practice.” Farris prefers to open up that process. “I like to bring it more into a larger audience so they can see how I work,” he said. At Okan in Bluffton, he has been doing just that, creating paintings live on Thursday evenings. One recent series explores foodways and the movement of food and culinary traditions from Africa and South America through the Americas. The subject beautifully intersects with his larger body of work. Food, like art, carries history. Recipes travel. Traditions evolve. Ingredients and techniques tell stories about migration, survival, family and cultural exchange. And as Farris paints, viewers get to watch those stories emerge in real time. Opening Doors for the Next Generation Farris can trace one of his earliest career milestones all the way back to high school, when a self-portrait he created was selected for display at the U.S. Capitol. “That really helped me push my career,” he said.

One of Farris' newest works of art is featured on the exterior of the Bluffton Bookstore.

Sarah Jessica Parker served as a judge and speaker for the program that year, making the experience even more memorable for a young artist preparing to enter college. More recently, Farris has worked with acclaimed actress and educator Phylicia Rashad in connection with the Brainerd Institute Heritage in Chester, South Carolina, contributing artwork and participating in youth-centered programming. The experience brings together two

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important parts of his creative life: making art and creating opportunities for others. “I really enjoy inspiring young people because I know how much it meant to me as a younger creative person to have people who encouraged me and helped guide me along my journey,” Farris said. “Sometimes having someone recognize your creativity, expose you to new possibilities, or simply tell you to keep going can make a lasting impact. I

Farris is photographed next to a commissioned piece of artwork at a home on Hilton Head Island Island. want young people to know that their ideas and their voices have value.” It is the natural continuation of what others once did for him. The child whose creativity was recognized at age six now has the opportunity to recognize that same spark in someone else. Expanding the Creative South Farris is now preparing for another evolution in his career. In addition to having work represented at Montage Palmetto Bluff, he serves as an artist laureate and artist-inresidence at the Technical College of the Lowcountry. He is also preparing to open his Beaufort studio as a space where visitors can experience exhibitions and installations by Farris and other artists. His vision is decidedly contemporary. The goal is not to reject the artistic traditions of the South, but to expand how Southern art is perceived. “I really want to push the boundaries of what people expect us as artists to look like,” Farris said. “There are so many contemporary artists in the South creating innovative work and telling powerful stories in new ways. I want to create a space where that work can be seen, where artists can experiment, and where people can experience another side of the creative South.” It is an ambition that seems especially fitting for an artist who has spent his career refusing to stay inside prescribed lines. Farris moves between painting and sculpture, gallery and street, heritage and experimentation, private creation and public performance. He can paint a Lowcountry egret without painting the egret we have seen a hundred times before. He can draw from centuries-old cultural traditions while making something that feels entirely of this moment. And he can use the success he has earned not only to create more art, but to make room for more artists. After all, if Farris is right – and art really is everything – then creativity belongs everywhere – and to everyone. To learn more, visit AmiriFarris.com.  CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

OCTOBER 2026

Artist Lindsey Spears is photographed next to one of her murals, featuring everyone's favorite four-legged friends.

A r t i cl e by Ch e r y l Ri cer

Ph o to grap hy by Ma ggie Wash o

Painting Life Larger Than Life

ome artists begin with a prestigious art school, years of formal training, and a carefully mapped career plan. Lindsey Spears began with an ugly bedroom wall. “I actually have no formal art training other than my high school art classes,” Spears said. “Initially in life, my plan was to pursue zoology, work with wildlife.” She started following that plan, briefly working at the Jacksonville Zoo. But when she began having children, the realities of the schedule prompted her to reconsider

what she wanted her working life to look like. Art had always been there, something Spears imagined she might pursue on the side as a hobby. So, she decided to give it a little more attention. Then a little more. And eventually, a whole lot more. “It started out as just a little side hobby, and then the rest is history,” she said. “I started booking more, and then it just became my full-blown career.” Today, Spears’ canvases can be measured not just in inches, but in feet – and sometimes in entire walls, rooms,

Spears painted the mural of Old Town Bluffton at Eggs Up Grill in New Riverside. and buildings. Her colorful murals enliven public and private spaces, while her live paintings capture weddings and special events as they unfold. Along the way, the wildlife she once imagined making her career has found its way back into her life, too – only now, she’s painting it. Spears didn’t initially set out to become a muralist. Like much of her artistic career, it happened because she was willing to try something she had never done before. Someone asked if she had ever painted murals, and she responded, “No, but it looks really cool.” Her first experiment was close to home – inside it, in fact. While postpartum and spending a great deal of time in her bedroom, Spears decided the space needed some help. “I was just hanging out in my room, and I thought, ‘It’s ugly in here,’” she said. So, she painted a large mural on the wall and posted a photo on Facebook. “More people were like, ‘Oh my gosh, do you do this?’” Spears recalled. “And I said, ‘I do now!’” It might be the perfect summary of her career. One mural led to another. Then came a bigger wall. Then someone asked whether she could go bigger still. “I would paint one, and someone would be like, ‘Could you do a bigger one?’” she said. “And I just tried it out. A lot of trial and error.” Those walls continued growing, and Spears grew right along with them. The Art of Going Big Painting a mural isn’t simply painting a traditional canvas on a larger surface. Scale changes everything. A tiny mark in a sketch might become a brushstroke a foot wide on a wall. Details that look perfectly balanced on an iPad must retain their proportion 58

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when stretched across 20 feet. Spears also wants her murals to retain the qualities of a painting rather than becoming overly graphic as they grow. “I really like my pieces to look painterly,” she said. “I don’t want them to look too blocky, too clipart-like. I like you to see the brushstroke.” Learning to preserve that character while increasing the scale has been part of her evolution as a muralist. Fortunately, she has also found creative ways to transfer her designs onto enormous spaces without relying on complicated mathematics. “Thank God it’s not math for me, because I’m actually so bad at that,” she joked. “For all the art ability I have, I have zero math skills.” One of her favorite techniques is called the “doodle method,” a variation on a traditional grid system. Spears covers a wall with random doodles, photographs it, then overlays a transparent version of her planned artwork onto the photograph on her iPad. The doodles become landmarks that help her translate the smaller design accurately onto the much larger surface. When painting murals at schools, Spears will sometimes lets the students create those landmarks themselves. “I’ll let the kids do the doodles,” she said. “This blows their mind. I say, ‘Just draw whatever you want.’” Cats, suns, shapes, and other childhood creations temporarily cover the wall before becoming the hidden framework beneath Spears’ finished artwork. Technology is a tool rather than a crutch. When circumstances allow, she uses the doodle method or a projector to reduce sketching time. When they don’t, she simply draws the oldfashioned way. Art With a Wild Side Ask Spears to describe her work, and two characteristics immediately emerge: Color and nature. “I would describe it as very colorful, with a lot of ties to nature,” she said. “Even though art is a passion, wildlife and nature are a huge passion of mine. So anytime I’m able to combine those things, it’s a dream.” In some ways, Spears never truly abandoned that early plan to make wildlife part of her life. Instead, she found another way to honor it. She has worked with conservation organizations and participates in an artist-in-residence program with state parks, painting murals in those settings. She has also brought her art full circle to the Jacksonville Zoo, where she once worked, returning as an artist to create work supporting conservation. Stylistically, Spears enjoys the tension between realism and imagination. Animals might be rendered with careful accuracy, while their surroundings explode with unexpected color, playful patterns, and fanciful details. “I really like keeping the animals, if I have them in a piece, very realistic,” she said. “But I love doing pops of color. I’ll do colored polka dots or maybe a crazy, multicolored background with leaves.”

A colorful mural at Wildflower Girls Boutique.

The result is unmistakably joyful: Recognizable subjects live within a world where nature gets permission to become just a little more exuberant. When the Canvas Has a Ceiling The increasingly ambitious scale of Spears’ work has also introduced a decidedly physical element to her profession. She owns scaffolding. She climbs. She stretches. She paints overhead. And occasionally, she gets paint in her face. Spears has completed several ceiling murals, including a large project in Harbour Town and a 20-foot ceiling for Clemson University off-campus student housing, as well as residential installations. Painting ceilings, she admits, comes with a price. “I just have to go get a deep tissue massage after,” she said. “There’s no way around it.” Working from scaffolding while sometimes painting essentially upside down can be grueling. “I have had paint drip into my face regularly,” she said. Still, challenging spaces are part of what keeps the work interesting. A muralist must be artist, problem solver, and sometimes something close to an acrobat, figuring out not only what should go onto a surface but how in the world to get it there. Art on the Move One of Spears’ most visible projects isn’t a wall at all. It moves. She designed the artwork for a Bluffton Breeze bus operating in Old Town Bluffton, transforming public transportation into what she affectionately describes as “a traveling billboard for art.” “It’s just like a giant billboard that runs around with my art, which I think is so cool, because it’s just bringing public art everywhere,” Spears said. “When you paint on a wall, it’s stationary. People have to come to it. But when you paint on a bus, it travels around for everyone to see.” The project also earned her a particularly coveted review. “That was the first project I ever did that I think my kids thought I was cool,” she said. Her current favorite, however, is a recently completed installation at Montage Palmetto Bluff. The immersive CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

OCTOBER 2026

Spears' distinctive work is also artfullly displayed on the side of one of Bluffton Breeze's buses. Lowcountry scene wraps around five interior walls. If placed end to end, Spears estimates the mural would stretch approximately 100 feet. Rather than simply depicting the Lowcountry landscape, Spears created an environment meant to be explored. Local creatures are partially concealed throughout the scene for children to discover. “It’s a full scenery, like Lowcountry scenery,” she said. “It’s got different wildlife for kids to find in it. Lots of scenery, with birds, crabs, and squirrels hidden in it.” It is large, intricate, and detailed – the kind of project that shows just how far Spears has traveled from that first bedroom wall. Painting the Moment Not all of Spears’ work requires scaffolding. Her second

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artistic specialty unfolds on a much more intimate – and emotional – scale: live event painting. “I love, love, love doing the live paintings,” she said. At weddings, Spears might create a ceremony canvas, painting the scene while the couple exchanges vows and continuing throughout the celebration. Depending on the complexity, some couples can leave the wedding with the finished painting; others receive it after Spears completes final touch-ups. She also creates quick guest portraits, producing small sketches in approximately five minutes and giving attendees a personalized piece of artwork to take home. The event work provides a natural complement to murals. Weddings occupy weekends, while murals can fill weekdays. When the physical demands of mural work

A perfect photo opp at the Art Cafe near Coligny Plaza. become exhausting, event painting offers a change of pace. When weekends become packed, she can return to walls during the week. Galas, meanwhile, offer Spears an opportunity to combine art, wildlife, and philanthropy. For the Jacksonville Zoo’s conservation gala celebrating the opening of its manatee exhibit, Spears live-painted a large manatee piece that was auctioned during the event, with proceeds benefiting conservation. The experience was especially memorable because wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin served as keynote speaker, and the finished painting was purchased by an NFL player. “When I get to do galas for good causes, too, through my live events, it’s so fun,” Spears said. The Harder You Work Perhaps the most compelling part of Spears’ story is not the scale of her murals or even the unusual places her art has taken her. It is how she got there. She is candid about being self-taught and considers that fact important – not because she dismisses formal education, but because she wants other creative people

to understand there is more than one route to becoming an artist. “I really love to stress to people that I did not go to art school, because some people think that you have to be trained to do something well,” she said. Spears acknowledges that she has a natural artistic ability, but she is equally clear that talent alone did not create her career. “I have to be honest, I do not think my starting point was that impressive,” she said. “But I have painted every day for 10 years.” That means thousands upon thousands of brushstrokes, on walls and canvases, with mistakes and corrections – some experiments that worked and others that became lessons. Each project prepared her for the next one, and every time someone asked, “Could you do something bigger?” Spears found out that she could. People sometimes tell her she is lucky. Spears agrees that she is, but with a qualification. “I love the phrase ‘The harder you work, the luckier you are,’” she said. “If anyone puts in an amount of work and practices, they’ll be good at something.” For someone who never planned to make art her career, it has become a remarkably fitting philosophy. Spears’ life still includes the wildlife she loved enough to study. It includes the family that prompted her to reconsider her original career path. It includes weddings, celebrations, conservation, community, and the landscapes of the Lowcountry. And, increasingly, it includes very big walls waiting for Spears to make them a little less ordinary. To be inspired by some big art, visit PaintingsNstuff. com or PaintingsNstuff LLC on socials. 

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OCTOBER 2026

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Katherine and Edgar Rhee bring the party with their 1990’s cars and looks.

Nancy Glass and John Landstrom exhibit John's 1934 Harley Davidson motorcycle at the 2025 Concours.

Jim and Kay Ellis from Chocowinity, NC, pose with their 1956 Austin Healy.

Linda and James Farris from Milton, GA, match their outfits with their 1909 Cadillac Model 30.

F Fashion and Fun Article and Photography by Brooke Peck

at Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance

or one weekend each year, Hilton Head Island is inundated with unique automobiles. Hundreds of car enthusiasts flock to the island with their prized vehicles in tow, literally. However, some are bringing more than just their ride. They are bringing the clothing, accessories, and fashion trends that expertly nod to their vehicle’s era. The Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival, sponsored by Lowcountry GT, kicks off October 29 for three days of elevated automobile excellence on the greens and fairways of Port Royal Golf Club’s Robbers Row golf course. Dressing up has become so popular during Sunday’s Concours that event organizers added fashion awards to the show field. Garrett Reed, an automotive content creator with more than 2.5 million social media followers, serves as a fashion judge for the event. His love for cars and fashion started at a young age. “I don’t even know how old I was but as my interest grew, I started to learn more and started to read more, it became more of an CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

OCTOBER 2026

Xer em perore aut eate ne nos et reptaes mag natque perchit.

Bob Constantine models his Concours hat with collectible pins. He has been volunteering at the event for the past 17 years. ingrained passion,” he said. “It’s like breathing. Cars just became a part of my life.” Automobile owners often have such a strong attachment to their rides that dressing the part allows them to strengthen that bond. From selecting period pieces, to researching fashions of the era of their cars, the clothing selection is another way to connect historic storytelling with the vehicle. “Fashion is taken seriously in this arena with the Concours,” Reed said. “It’s the elegance, the stature, and the culture. People just take it very seriously.” 2025 Concours Fashion Notes Linda and James Farris f rom Milton, Georgia, showcased their 1909 Cadillac Model 30 at last year’s Concours. Their outfits were inspired by a photo that

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Linda found from 1915 of a couple riding down the road in their model Cadillac. “She has on the hat with a scarf and uses one hand to hold it on while also holding on to her husband’s hand,” Linda said. “You can tell that the wind is ruffling things. It looks like she has this look of fear.” Linda’s look was so compelling that she was awarded the Best Female Fashion award by the judges. Her clothing selections were created out of necessity, since the 1909 Cadillac does not have a windshield. The look required wearing a duster over her dress to protect it from dirt and road debris and a wide brimmed hat to help shield her face from the sun. James was sporting goggles to protect his eyes from bugs and mud while driving. “They both look like pilots,” Reed said. “Because their car was open, they had to dress like that.” Last fall, the Concours hosted a special showcase featuring classic cars of the 1980s and 1990s. Katherine and Edgar Rhee, car enthusiasts from Fort Mill, brought energy and fun to the show field while displaying her 1991 Honda Beat along with his 1993 Honda NSX JDM/RHD. Together, they brought the party in their bright tracksuits and headbands with a big boom box nearby. “What’s nice about Hilton Hilton Concours is they’re doing a really good job of trying to be inclusive with modern, more recent collectible cars,” Reed said. “For a long time, these big automotive events have alienated cars up until recent time (periods) like the late ’70s and early ’80s.” Natalie and Scott Bluestein f rom Sullivan’s Island showcased their bright red 1968 AC 428 Frua Spyder at last year’s Concours. They both wore attire from 1960s fashion designers. “They were super impressive because they were overly excited about their looks and how it paired with the car,” Reed said. Motorcycle owners also brought the looks and history to the event. John Landstrom, owner of Blue Moon Cycle in Norcross, Georgia, and his f riend Nancy Glass paired Landstrom’s 1934 Harley Davidson motorcycle with original fashions from the 1930s. Glass’ look was an homage to Dot Robinson, co-founder of the Motor Maids, a female motorcycle rider’s club that started in the 1930s and still exists today. “Every year, we honor a female that was historically in the motorcycle industry for the period of the motorcycle that John’s going to display,” Glass said. Landstrom also easily embraces the era’s fashion selections. “He’s a collector of all of these pieces,” she said. “His uniform, if you will, is actually from a motorcycle club and it’s authentic. It is the real deal, including the moth holes that are in it.” Both Landstrom and Glass prominently wore embellished kidney belts around their waists for function and fashion purposes. “These types of reflectors were used on license plates but also to adorn the kidney belt,” she said. “All of these things were handmade back in the day and they are quite the collectors’ pieces.” Even the motorcycle’s paint job is a nod to the challenging times of the 1930s. “That was the depression era so they used bright colors to try to brighten things up a little bit,” Landstrom said. What to Expect at This Year’s Concours The Lowcountry Driving Tour kicks off the festivities on Friday, October 30, as a group of car enthusiasts experience scenic views, legendary landmarks, and a shared lunch while touring Hilton Head Island. Friday night offers a special concert featuring Taylor Hicks, American Idol winner and popular recording artist, on the 18th fairway of Robbers Row.

1938 Cadillac Brunn Bodied Roadster owned by Steve Plunkett, Pinnacle Collector at the 2025 Concours. On Saturday, members of more than two dozen car clubs were invited to participate in the Car Club Showcase on the course. Each club selects member’s automobiles to exhibit during this day-long event. A special showcase will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Ford Bronco, with vintage and modern models on display. Motorcycles, vintage boats, and educational exhibits will also be part of the show field. Sunday shines with the weekend’s main event, the Concours d’Elegance, featuring fully restored, ageless automobiles vying for the Best of Show award. More than 200 of the world’s most spectacular vehicles will proudly be displayed while 75 judges meander throughout the show field, seeking visual and mechanical perfection. Jaguar is the featured automobile manufacturer at this year’s event. Fashion fun and judging will also be in full effect, with three judges making their way around the event. Proceeds generated from the weekend of events help support a wide range of local nonprofit organizations. “When someone purchases a ticket to the Concours, they are doing much more than attending a world-class automotive event,” said Rick Sabol, executive director of the motoring festival. “They are investing in our community. They are supporting local organizations that educate, inspire, serve, and enrich the lives of our neighbors. Every ticket truly makes a difference.” One goal of the event is to encourage future generations of car enthusiasts and automotive professionals. Admission is complimentary for children and students ages 18 and younger and for college students with a valid school ID. “We want young people to fall in love with these automobiles, but we also want them to discover the countless opportunities behind them,” Sabol said. “Whether that’s engineering, design, mechanics, manufacturing, hospitality, or entrepreneurship, exposure matters. The future of this hobby depends on welcoming the next generation.” New in 2026, Promenade seating is available for those who want reserved access close to the stage, awards presentation, and show field. The Locals Lane Access Pass is back for a second year, offering special perks to Beaufort County residents, including discounted VIP parking and merchandise. Visit HHIConcours.com for tickets and additional event information.  CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

OCTOBER 2026

Article by Cheryl Ricer Photography by Maggie Washo

Finding Beauty in the Everyday Lowcountry artist Murray Sease paints life with warmth, whimsy, and heart

or artist Murray Sease, inspiration often begins at the farmer’s market. A basket of ripe peaches. A weathered face beneath a widebrimmed hat. A dog with soulful eyes. Shore birds gathered at the water’s edge. These are the moments that catch her attention – the ordinary scenes many people might pass by without a second glance. But through Sease’s eyes, they become worthy of preservation in oil paint, transformed into vibrant works that celebrate both the beauty and spirit of the Lowcountry. After decades spent working as a graphic artist, Sease has embraced painting full time, building a body of work that reflects not only technical skill, but also joy, curiosity, and a genuine affection for her subjects. Her paintings range f rom still lifes and landscapes to wildlife, portraits, market scenes, and commissioned pet portraits, each infused with warmth and personality. “I love everything I paint,” Sease said with a laugh. “If it’s a commission of something that I wasn’t interested in, I’d probably just turn it down – but that hasn’t happened yet.” That enthusiasm is evident in every inch of her work. Today, Sease’s paintings can be found through her website, Shine On Art, as well as at La Petite Gallerie, the Bluffton cooperative gallery she has co-owned with a group of artists for more than a decade. However, the journey to becoming a full-time artist was not necessarily one she expected. “I was actually a graphic artist for my whole career until just two years ago,” Sease said. “I stopped doing that entirely and am painting full time now.” While art had long been part of her professional life, fine art painting emerged later, thanks in part to a little encouragement

Murray Sease sits on her front porch in Bluffton with a few of her latest paintings.

Sease at home in her studio with her pups, Albert and Lizzie. from an unexpected source. “I hadn’t really painted much until about 15 or 16 years ago,” Sease said. “My mother, of all people, convinced me to get involved with the Society of Bluffton Artists.” That suggestion proved life changing. Sease began taking workshops and quickly discovered a passion for painting that steadily grew stronger. What started as curiosity evolved into commitment, and eventually into a thriving second career. “I got really excited about it,” she said. “And I’ve been painting hard ever since.” Though she experimented with different mediums along the way, oils quickly became her artistic home. “I’ve tried watercolor and acrylic,” Sease said. “Watercolor, with a mind of its own, is too much of a challenge for me.” Instead, she gravitates toward the richness and flexibility of oils, appreciating the way the medium allows her to build depth, texture, and emotion on canvas. “I think what you paint with – what you get used to – is what really works the best for you,” she said. “I just really like oils a lot.” Occasionally, she also works in gouache, an opaque watercolor medium she appreciates for its speed and velvety matte finish. “If I’m hurrying up to get ready for a show or something, I’ll do some gouache paintings at the last minute,” she said. Regardless of medium, Sease’s work consistently reflects her deep connection to the Lowcountry and the people who inhabit it. “I’m very much inspired by our surroundings here,” she said. “I love to paint farmers market scenes.” Inspired by the Lowcountry That love of local color is immediately apparent when browsing her portfolio. Produce paintings feature luminous peaches, tomatoes, peppers, and other fresh finds arranged with painterly elegance. Her animal portraits are expressive and full of life. Market vendors, fishermen, dancers, and farmers all appear as recurring characters within her work, celebrating the culture and texture of the region. Sometimes, the inspiration comes directly f rom everyday encounters. “The black lady fishing – I met her on the docks and asked if I could photograph and paint 68

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her,” Sease recalled with a smile. “She said, ‘Sure, just make me look skinny.’” Other paintings feature people she knows personally, including local market vendors and familiar community faces. “The cotton farmer was actually one of the farmers market guys,” she said. “He shared a wonderful photo of himself standing in a cotton field.” There is an authenticity to Sease’s work that comes from genuine observation. Even when she paints from photographs – a practical necessity for moving subjects or changing light conditions – her paintings retain a sense of immediacy and intimacy. “I really admire the artists that can handle the changing light and shadows,” she said. “But I’m not very good at it, so I generally work with photos.” For still lifes, however, she often begins from life itself. “I’ll go to the market and come home with some goodies and set them up on my back patio,” Sease said. “Then I’ll start some still life paintings from life.” Eventually, life intervenes – as it tends to do – and the fruit may soften or the light may change before the painting is complete. “I’ll often get sidetracked and have to photograph them and finish the paintings later in the studio,” she said. That balance between spontaneity and practicality seems to def ine much of Sease’s artistic process. She approaches her work with professionalism, certainly, but also with humor and humility. Asked about her favorite subject to paint, she struggled to narrow it down. “That’s a hard one,” she admitted. “It depends on the day.” An adorable pig might become the favorite one day. A fresh peach the next. “It really just depends on what excites me in the moment,” she said. Painting with Personality That excitement is contagious in her paintings. Her brushwork feels alive, and her compositions often highlight beauty in overlooked places – weathered hands, baskets of vegetables, muddy boots, fishing docks, sleepy dogs. Even her commissioned pet portraits, which she says come with “a lot more pressure,” carry emotional resonance beyond simple likenesses. “I’m working on two right now,” she said. “Commissions are always a challenge.” But they are also deeply personal. For many clients, a beloved dog or horse is part of the family, and Sease understands the responsibility that comes with capturing that bond on canvas. Her portraits manage to preserve not only physical features, but also expression and personality. That ability to convey emotion may stem from her lifelong background in visual communication. Years spent as a graphic artist taught her how to guide the eye and tell stories visually. But painting, she discovered, offered something different, something more personal and emotionally rewarding. Now working full time as a painter for roughly two years, Sease says she is enjoying this season of life immensely. And the community has embraced her work. At La Petite Gallerie, where six artists collectively own and operate the cooperative gallery, Sease interacts directly with visitors and collectors. Each owner works one day per week, creating an atmosphere that feels personal and welcoming rather than commercial. The gallery has now been part of Bluffton’s art scene for 11 years, and Sease has been involved since the beginning. In addition to the gallery, she participates in a handful

Sease displays her artwork at La Petite Gallerie in Bluffton.

of outdoor festivals each year, opportunities that allow her to meet new collectors and build lasting relationships with buyers. “I get a whole lot of customers that will then follow me and come to the gallery later,” she said. Capturing the Quiet Moments While she modestly downplays certain aspects of her talent – particularly landscape painting – her collectors clearly disagree. “There are so many artists here locally that are really superior landscape artists,” Sease said. “But I have fun with it. I love to do them.” That humility is part of what makes Sease so approachable both as an artist and as a person. She speaks openly about continuing to learn, experimenting with subjects, and simply enjoying the act of painting. Perhaps that authenticity is precisely why her work resonates. There is no pretension in a Murray Sease painting. Instead, there is sincerity. Observation. Delight. A celebration of life’s quieter moments. In a world increasingly dominated by fast-moving digital images, Sease’s paintings invite viewers to slow down and notice the details: the sheen on a ripe tomato, the texture of feathers, the soft expression in a dog’s eyes, the golden Lowcountry light resting on marsh grass. For Sease, art is not about chasing trends or creating distance between artist and audience. It is about connection. Whether she is painting a market vendor she met in Bluffton, a fisherman on the docks, or a beloved family pet, her work begins with paying attention to the world around her and finding beauty there. After years spent helping others communicate visually through graphic design, she has f inally given herself permission to fully step into her own artistic voice. Thankfully for the Lowcountry art scene, she did. Collectors interested in learning more about Sease’s work or commissioning a painting can visit her website at ShineOnArt.com or stop by La Petite Gallerie in Bluffton, where her paintings continue to capture the color, character, and charm of the Lowcountry she loves. To learn more or to commission your own exquisite work of art, visit ShineOnArt.com.  CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

OCTOBER 2026

The Art League Academy's gallery and classroom on Cordillo Parkway,

A live painting demonstration at the Art League Gallery. The Art League Gallery at the Arts Center at Coastal Carolina.

Perusing the selections before the event begins.

Ar ticle by B arr y Kauf m an Guests in the crowded gallery wait for their name to be called at GOT ART?

State of the Art League ART LEAGUE OF HILTON HEAD PREPARES MASTERPIECES FOR 2026 AND BEYOND

reat artists always plan ahead. A sculptor will approach a block of wood, stone, or clay with a vision of what the final product looks like, underneath all the material that needs to be chipped, carved, or scraped away. A painter will begin with a sketch, simple lines on paper that will serve as blueprints for the next masterpiece. A filmmaker will storyboard an entire sequence before a single frame is shot. When working in her chosen medium of events, shows, and classes, Kristen McIntosh, executive director of the Art League of Hilton Head, is no different. She’s always planning, and, if you ask her what’s new, she won’t just tell you what’s next. She’ll tell you what has been planned well into the next year. Putting the volume of upcoming events simply, she said, “We’re never short on things to do.” First up is the can’t-miss Got Art? fundraiser, being held October 9. Started in 2007 as the Art League’s only annual fundraiser, this exciting event lets visitors not only support the organization but also take home their own work of art. And with a $175 ticket ($150 for ALHH members) ensuring each participant an art piece valued at $300 or more, there’s no reason not to attend. “We generally get around 120 of our artists who generously donate their work, and we sell 100 tickets. Everyone with a ticket gets their name in a digital bucket, and when their name is called, they get to choose from everything on the wall,” McIntosh said. “It’s a complete win-win. Attendees get a night of entertainment and

Artist John Crum will be on exhibit from October 13 through November 13 at the Art League Gallery, located inside the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. artwork valued at more than their ticket, and the event supports the programs that help us serve the local artists and the community throughout the year.” That year-long support will resume as normal once the massive undertaking of Got Art? is over, with gallery rotations and classes from some of the most renowned instructors in the country. First up on the gallery rotation with be featured artist John Crum, whose pieces will be on exhibit from October 13 through November 13 at the Art League Gallery, located inside the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. A 1973 graduate of the Ringling School of Art, Crum uses bright, vibrant colors to reinterpret the natural beauty of the Lowcountry through a lens of layered symbolism and unbridled joy. The title of his show, “Finding the Rhythm of Nature: Art That Makes You Smile,” is apropos. “His art just makes you smile – it’s very whimsical,” McIntosh said. “We’ll have several events where you’ll be able to meet John and learn more about his art.” That includes an artist’s reception on October 21 and a live demonstration on October 30. Over at the Art League Academy on Cordillo Parkway, the next few months will see some amazing guest instructors joining local artists in providing experienced guidance for up-and-coming artists. “We’ve really been working hard these last few years to increase the caliber of artists we invite to teach workshops,” McIntosh said. “We bring in instructors from all across the country.” These include Anne Strutz leading Marks In Motion: Oil & Mixed Media, October 4 and 5; Eve Miller teaching Painting the Pastel Landscape: Tools, Tips & Techniques, October 23-25; and Karen Wilharm instructing Painterly Realism for Oils & Acrylics, November 6-8. Looking ahead to 2027, January will see Greg Barnes make his island 72

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Amie Baima and Maggie Washo attended last year's GOT ART?

debut with Painting With Light, Color & Impression in Oils or Pastels, January 7-9, and Marc Hanson leading Acrylics for Oil Painters, January 28-30. “These are some great instructors, and they really augment the incredible pool we have of local instructors who help with a full calendar year of programming,” McIntosh said. “The fact that our little academy on Hilton Head Island can attract students and teachers from across the country really speaks to the caliber of instruction. It’s so important and shows there is a need for it here. And we do bring in tourists who come here for workshops and then enjoy everything else the island has to offer.” That list of classes covers only through January of next year. McIntosh already has plans nailed down for the Art League’s 30th Biennale national juried show, with artist Keiko Tanabe serving as judge and as instructor for Painting Impressions with Watercolor, April 20-22. The Art League will also be bringing back its Hilton Head Island Plein Air Paint Out, which last year saw 67 artists painting all over the island. “Visitors and locals were engaging with the artists, then coming into the gallery to see the f inished pieces,” McIntosh said. “It was a really great firsttime event and we’re excited to bring art out into the community even more.” From th eir annual Got Ar t? fundraiser October 9 and well into next year, the Art League of Hilton Head has more than enough inspiration planned to fill any calendar. Visit artleaguehhi. org to see the full line-up of classes and events.  CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

OCTOBER 2026

Styled by Kandace Cunningham Photography by Maggie Washo Modeled by Julia Rockett

Seasons Change THE CH2 CREW USES BRANCHES AS AN EVER-CHANGING BACKDROP TO FALL FASHION AS WE MOVE FROM AUTUMN INTO THE HOLIDAY MONTHS! Featuring ensembles from Collage, Currents, Gigi’s Boutique, Maggie & Me, Jean-Pierre Klifa, Evelyn + Arthur, The Haven, Pink Pineapple and Brims on the Bluff

Special thanks to the ladies at Branches for hosting our shoot! Don’t miss their Holiday Open House on November 6 & 7! Find Julia's ensemble at Jean-Pierre Klifa

Find Julia's ensemble at Evelyn + Arthur

Find Julia's ensemble at Pink Pineapple

Find Julia's ensemble at Currents

Find Julia's ensemble at Brims on the Bluff

OCTOBER 2026

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Find Julia's ensemble at Gigi's Boutique

Find Julia's ensemble at Collage

Find Julia's ensemble at Maggie & Me

Find Julia's ensemble at The Haven

Ha ven THE

BOUTIQUE

Elevated Casual

P rr oo m m ee nn aa d d ee TT hh ee P

STATE OF OF MIND MIND STREET STREET 66 STATE BLUFFTON, SC SC 843.707.9198 843.707.9198 BLUFFTON,

MON-SAT 10-6PM. 10-6PM. SUN SUN 12-5PM 12-5PM MON-SAT CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

OCTOBER 2026

Reggie Deas

A r t i c l e b y T a y l o r K e n t  P h o t o g r a p h y b y M a g g i e Wa s h o

t’s just before midnight on a Sunday, which means Reggie Deas is under the lights at Hilton Head Island’s Jazz Corner, microphone in hand. He smiles warmly at his audience as the band hits the last notes of their closing song, wrapping up their second sold-out show of the night. By 8 a.m. the next morning, he will be in Beaufort, behind his desk at the county’s school district office with a full day’s work ahead of him. When the clock hits five, he’ll grab his signature black blazer and make the switch again, this time performing at a private event. For Deas, such strenuous hours are nothing out of the ordinary. His band, Deas-Guyz, plays yearround, three to four times per week, a schedule most local musicians would consider full-time. Not for Deas. He balances more than 200 gigs a year with an entirely separate full-time career as Beaufort County Schools’ human resources administrator. His story reflects a greater concept behind many of the Lowcountry’s working musicians: making a living and making art don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Hilton Head Island is home to performers and artists who have carved their own paths to make room for both – some building

careers that exist alongside music, others allowing their creative pursuits to take a different form. Across the board, there is no single formula, only a shared refusal to choose between the two. Deas arrived on Hilton Head in 1999 and less than a year later, Deas-Guyz was formed. Velvety and nostalgic, his commanding vocals on classic Motown anthems made Deas-Guyz a fast favorite among island locals. Through the decades, their ever-loyal audience has packed parks and venues across the region, filling lawns with folding chairs. Deas’ voice captivates and moves, often compelling audiences to sing along and dance as they eagerly mouth the words to old favorites by Marvin Gaye and the Temptations. He describes both of his roles as opportunities to connect with people, just in different capacities. “During the day, I’m helping people solve problems, and at night I’m just helping people feel happy,” he said. Deas has logged more years in education than he has as a frontman. Currently in his 36th year working in the education system, the end of this school year will mark the point at which educators have the option to retire. Despite the long nights and early mornings, when the time comes next

Ben Russ year, he believes he’ll continue with each of his professions. “Both my colleagues in education and my band members would say that I always show up for work,” he said. “I feel very blessed.” Reggie Deas isn’t the only one working in duality. Across the Lowcountry, lawyers, teachers, real estate agents, and brokers are trading laptops and business calls for guitars and drumsticks after the workday ends. Mortgage loan originator Ben Russ is another case in point. A pianist since the age of three, Russ grew up in a music-centered family. In college, his classical training earned him a spot in Clemson University’s orchestra. It was around this time that Russ realized music could offer him something else: a way to earn money. Wanting something new, he picked up the guitar and began playing in downtown bars a few nights a week. Those late-night checks ended up paying for most of his schooling. Upon graduation, he moved to Hilton Head, and while searching for a daytime career, turned once again to music for employment, playing nearly every night. These days, he thinks of music more as a hobby. In 2003, he landed in the mortgage business, a position that would stick. Establishing himself in the professional world also allowed him to take the pressure off needing to make money from music. “Now, it’s really more of a way to decompress, 86

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focus on something artistic, and have fun with people that I enjoy being with,” he said. A father of three, Russ most often chooses to play on the weekends. He exercises his genre versatility through his involvement in a few separate projects, including Rolling Stones cover band White Liquor and classic country outlaw group Georgia Overdrive. He recently debuted his latest endeavor, a ’90s alternative rock band called White Bronco, to a packed house at Pour & Proper on the island. The audience that night offered a fitting mix of Russ’s two worlds, with familiar faces from his professional life mingling with those who had simply come out for the music. Among them was Russ’s sister, Amanda Cifaldi. Woven into the fabric of the Russ family, a connection to music runs just as deeply through Cifaldi’s life. Her younger years were filled with song, eventually leading her to musical theatre, a touring career with the Young Americans, and, later, a decade of playing in bands alongside her brother. Her professional path took a more winding route. After considering law school, Cifaldi discovered a passion for hospitality while working in Charleston restaurants. She eventually moved to Italy to attend culinary school, relocated to the Lowcountry, and, in a leap of faith, opened Pomodori. Fifteen years later, she owns and operates two successful locations, including neighborhood gem P2 in Bluffton, where

Amanda Cifaldi

Cifaldi feels the two worlds have become less like competing careers and more like complementary forces. “I get to do it purely for the release and the fun,” she said. “I don’t have to make a job of it.” she regularly books local musicians (sometimes even ditching the apron to get onstage herself). Cifaldi feels the two worlds have become less like competing careers and more like complementary forces. “I get to do it purely for the release and the fun,” she said. “I don’t have to make a job of it.” Her restaurants provide the financial stability that allows music to remain a creative outlet, while music gives her the release she needs to return to the demands of running a business. The two identities are so intertwined that Cifaldi doesn’t distinguish between them. Her first two tattoos tell the story: Her grandmother’s saucepot, wooden spoon, and tomato plant adorn one arm, while a treble clef honoring her grandfather adorns the other. “I love both things equally, and I don’t have to choose,” she said. CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

OCTOBER 2026

Ben Shelton

“I can’t think of a better major for someone who wants to be a trial lawyer than a classical vocal major from a liberal arts school."

For Cifaldi, that choice is the point. She believes there will always be reasons not to pursue a creative dream, but fear shouldn’t be one of them. “You get one ride on the merrygo-round,” she said. “The ‘hard’ is what makes things great.” Equally devoted is island attorney Ben Shelton, whose creative life has remained a part of him through every point of his professional career. Music was never something he had to seek out. Both of his parents were music teachers, and their North Carolina home was filled with classical, folk, and traditional Appalachian music. Shelton learned trombone, sang in choirs, and mastered the guitar, mandolin, and upright bass. While obtaining an undergraduate degree in classical voice, he felt evenly pulled to another calling: law. After college and a year of teaching music, he moved to Charleston, where he began gigging full-time while working toward law school. At the height of that period, Shelton gave himself a true taste of the graveyard schedule of a working artist, playing six nights a week until four in the morning. 88

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When his band eventually broke up, he decided it was time to take the LSAT. A heroic radio story on hospitals hiring lawyers to represent tenants exposed to mold in overcrowded housing inspired him to solidify his decision to pursue law. Shelton recalls realizing he was through with the late nights. “I decided I didn’t want to be a vampire,” he joked. Today, he runs his own law firm, a career he has built over years of practicing in every court of the 14th Judicial Circuit. Ever dedicated, law comes first for him, a priority he believes his clients deserve. Still, he maintains an active musical life, playing about once a month as the lead guitarist and vocalist for King Tide and the Royal Sound, a threepiece group that blends original music with an eclectic mix of covers. As Shelton sees it, the connection between his two professions runs deeper than simply balancing a schedule. Both demand immense preparation, creativity, and, ultimately, the ability to perform under pressure. “I can’t think of a better major for someone who wants to be a trial lawyer than a classical vocal major from a liberal arts school,” he said. The preparation skills he practices in the courtroom are particularly important to Shelton as a musician. He would rather play fewer shows than take the stage ill-prepared, aiming to give audiences something that feels far removed from a part-time pursuit. With a demanding legal career and a family at home, time is his greatest constraint, but Shelton sees no need to choose between the two. “If you love it, you’ll find the time,” he said. Joining him among the ranks is fellow attorney John Wilkins, whose path took somewhat of a similar route. In his case, however, becoming a lawyer was never exactly the plan. Music, on the other hand, was there from the beginning. Wilkins grew up in a musical family, surrounded by pianos and guitars. His mother taught him the basics of guitar, but he quickly discovered that he preferred playing by ear to reading music. By college, he was performing in acoustic duos, playing parties for tips, and eventually taking his place as a key player in an up-and-coming Atlanta band. He chose to step away from his band in favor of law school in Columbia. There, he became involved with another thriving group – a six-piece ska band that began gaining traction locally, cutting an EP and headlining area venues with an all-original song list.

JOhn Wilkins

With music moving forward and a legal career taking shape, upon finishing his studies Wilkins found himself at another crossroads. Ultimately, he chose to move forward professionally without completely abandoning music. After graduating from USC, he moved to Hilton Head in 1997 for a career in law and quickly slid his way into the local music scene. Throughout the years, he has played with a lengthy list of Lowcountry bands, including Jojo Squirrel and the Home Pickles, Trophy Wife, Martin Lesch Band, Cepheus, M.O.B., Cranford Hollow, White Liquor, the Storks, and Soundboy. Presently, he joins Ben Russ in White Bronco and sits in with other groups when time allows. Though his legal career was not always envisioned, Wilkins has long possessed a desire for the two worlds to coexist and even overlap. His practice primarily involves real estate and business transactions, but when afforded the opportunity he eagerly ventures into entertainment law to assist bands and artists on legal matters (structuring, review, and negotiation of management, performance, or licensing agreements, etc.), an area of true passion for him. As far as time spent onstage, the balance for Wilkins has changed over the years. At the start of his career, he was working full time in addition to playing up to five shows a week. As time passed and family responsibilities grew, that number dwindled to just a handful of shows a year. Paradoxically, the less he played, the more he wanted to. CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

OCTOBER 2026

scott evans

“When it’s a constant thing, it can start to feel like a job,” he said. “I became hungrier for it. It made each performance more special.” Today, Wilkins feels he’s settled into a comfortable rhythm, though he’d happily make more room for recording original music. His legal career provides the stability to pursue music on his own terms, while music offers something the office can’t – the adrenaline and emotional satisfaction of a special performance. His philosophy is simple: Creativity has no expiration date, and there doesn’t have to be a single path forward. “It’s never too late,” he said. “You can switch gears. You can do it as a hobby, career, or anything in between.” For Scott Evans, the line between making a living and making music is a little blurrier. Originally from the northeast, Evans began playing guitar at 16, eventually joining bands in college and continuing to play on weekends while working corporate jobs throughout the 1990s. A selfdescribed “weekend warrior,” he played a range of genres from hard rock and metal to original music, inspired from childhood by theatrical rock acts like KISS. That weekend pursuit eventually led him to a career built around music itself. Evans left the corporate world to move to Hilton Head in 2006. In 2010, he purchased John’s Music. The store is both his profession and a cornerstone of the island’s music community. When Evans isn’t assisting customers or repairing instruments, he’s playing guitar 90

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with Heavy Equipment, a local cover band that moves from Pink Floyd to A Flock of Seagulls, playing songs people love, but not necessarily the ones they hear from every other cover band. For Evans, playing in the band is a release from the responsibilities of running a business, and even more importantly, a chance to spend time with the community of musicians he has come to know so well. Owning the store has its perks, too. “I’m able to get whatever is needed to support the band,” he said. He also enjoys the hands-on side of the business, having spent years learning to repair and modify musical gear. “I control my own destiny,” he said of being a business owner. “Good or bad, it’s mine.” Evans said the decision to buy John’s Music feels like the career path he should have taken from the very start. These days, he wakes up knowing that, in one way or another, he’ll be surrounded by music. “Every day is fun,” he said. For these musicians, there is no rule book for balancing a creative life with a career. Some play hundreds of shows a year; others wait for the weekends or a few nights a month. Some have built careers entirely separate from music, while others prefer merging their professional lives directly with the music community. What they share is the belief that making a living doesn’t have to mean giving up the thing that makes life worth living. In the Lowcountry, they’re proving there’s room for both. 

Mike Kavanaugh

Article by Barry Kaufman . Photography by Maggie Washo

Remembering JoJo Squirrel CELEBRATING MIKE KAVANAUGH WITH MUSIC AND FOND MEMORIES

n the general run of things, August is a noisy time to be on Hilton Head Island. Nearly every bar, restaurant, or patio you come across has someone standing in the corner, playing tunes for an appreciative audience. This symphony stretches the breadth of the island in the summer, a lasting tribute to a man who made much of it possible. It’s fitting, then, that this symphony all but stopped on August 16, the day the island turned out in droves for A Lowcountry Tribute to Mike Kavanaugh. For that one day, nearly everyone who has picked up a guitar or a microphone with a mind to entertain us confined their songs to a single stage and a single purpose. Everywhere else on the island was silent, but the floating stage at Fish was filled with music and memories of Mike, who died July 7 after a courageous battle with cancer. “He was a musician’s musician, and he kind of set the tone for how successful relationships between musicians and their venues could be and should be,” said Carol Kavanaugh-Arrington, Mike’s sister and perhaps his biggest fan. “That really made him understand the value in what he did for his venues.” As if to reiterate this, one of the first speakers to take the microphone was the Fish co-owner Lee Lucier. “I didn’t know what to expect when we met, but immediately he came across as a kind, intelligent, and very sure person. Over the years, as we spoke more and more, I enjoyed and looked forward to our interactions, almost with a yearning to pick Mike’s brain,” Lucier said. “Few people on this island understood the island as much as Mike did. He explained to me that the musicians are what pays for the guests, our tourists, our island’s lifeline. The musicians drive the economy, so make sure you have the right musicians.”

Beyond the obvious musical gifts Kavanaugh possessed, it was his gift for finding the right players and putting them in the right spots that made him such a crucial part of the island’s music scene. Few know that better than nationally touring musician Zach Deputy. “He got me my first ‘real’ gig at Tiki Hut. Before that I was playing for a bar tab. He believed in me. I’m pretty sure I was terrible at music back then, but he saw something in me. He gave me that slot and then some other slots and I was like, ‘OK, I think I can do this. I can make this happen.’ So, he was a big part of helping me get started,” Deputy said. “I feel like he’s part of the glue that made the scene here. I can’t really imagine how it would have evolved, and how a lot of the musicians evolved, without him being a part of it. He set people on their trajectory for their careers. You know, in retrospect, it’s just kind of crazy.” “He gave a lot of guys a lot of work,” said Chris Russell, who has sat behind the drum kit with a host of local musicians. “He’d find something if you could play and had some songs in your pocket. And it was always a great time with him.” Reid Richmond, who used to share a stage with Kavanaugh at the old Hinchey’s Bar & Grill when it was in Coligny, shares a similar take on his capacity for bringing musicians together. “I moved here f rom Nashville where I was a songwriter out there, then I came here because a friend called me. They put Mike on the phone because they needed to fill in a weekend, so my wife-to-be and I moved here. And Mike was a big part of that, hooking me up with people,” Richmond said. “I like to think you can’t be just anybody, but if he thinks you’re good, he’ll find you a spot. That’s him in a nutshell.”

Island musicians and longtime locals came out en masse to celebrate the life and legacy of Mike Kavanaugh at FISH on Sunday, August 16.

Kavanaugh was always one to give a deserving musician a spot, but ask any musician who worked with him and they’ll tell you that he made sure you earned it. “Once they decided they were going to give me a shot, Mike gave me a list of 450 songs to learn in a month,” said Chip Larkby of his induction into JoJo Squirrel and the Home Pickles, the band Kavanaugh fronted and ran like a well-oiled machine. “All I did was sit in my apartment and just shred. I’m still trying to learn the songs, but now it’s all these years later, now I probably could play 5,000 songs … because of him and Jevon and what they taught me. Kavanaugh could be pretty brutal when things were not right. But he had exceptional patience.” Larkby’s fellow Home Pickle Jevon Daly saw that same drive to perfect each performance, but he also experienced the wisdom that Kavanaugh shared so freely with his fellow musicians. “He made me play in the rain a lot. Sometimes he was a little blunt, and sometimes it wasn’t the right time to be trying to teach me something. But he taught me a lot. How to take care of your voice, how to think about a joke before I tell it, and how local musicians deserve respect even if we don’t like what they do,” Daly said. “And he taught me how to make a living as a musician. He called himself the godfather of entertaining dentists from Wisconsin. He knew people want to hear ‘Country Roads’ and ‘Carolina in my Mind.’ He knew the demographic of Hilton Head better than most people.” 94

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To the musicians of Hilton Head Island, Kavanaugh was someone who was always willing to share in opportunity, but always ready to provide a stern hand if it meant helping them improve. Part mentor, part father figure. They also knew him as a fierce friend. “He was my best friend down here. It was nice because we could go fishing or go do something and not talk about music. Even though he wanted me to be better, or wanted to talk about band stuff, we pretty much made that a time out. I got to know him as the man, not just the musician that I was honored to play with,” said Jon Bruner, who preceded Larkby as JoJo Pickle’s drummer. “And then over the years I got to meet people like Chip. I got to play with such great people, everybody from John O’Gorman to Jevon to Breed to John Wilkins, who would sub every so often. We have such a cool gathering of musicians here on Hilton Head, and we all want each other to succeed.” The various players who call the Lowcountry home were like a family to Kavanaugh, but perhaps the most moving moment of that day of tribute came from his actual family. His daughter, Katie Woods, took the stage to play one of his favorite songs, “Drive South” by Suzy Bogguss, and revel in the spirit of all the lives he touched. “He impacted a lot of musicians and made them better musicians,” Woods said. “It’s really nice to hear all these people play and talk a little bit about that. There’s a famous quote that he always said, ‘Nothing in life is free.’ And these musicians know that, because they have worked really hard to get to where they are. And it wasn’t free.”  CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

OCTOBER 2026

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Article by Cheryl Ricer

‘While We Have Time, Let Us Do Good’ Bluffton’s Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk set for November 8

wenty-five years have passed since a brilliant blue September morning changed America forever. For some, the memories of September 11, 2001, come from television images watched from hundreds of miles away. For Candice Taylor, the day began much closer to the place that would soon become Ground Zero. “I’m born and raised about a half hour north of Manhattan,” Taylor said. “I was actually on a plane on 9/11, heading out of Newark Airport at 8:30 that morning.” New York was home. The Twin Towers were part of the landscape she knew. And although life eventually brought Taylor to the Lowcountry, the events of that morning – and the sacrifice of those who ran toward danger while others fled – never left her. Today, Taylor serves as the volunteer race director for the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk in Bluffton, an event

that has grown from just over 200 participants six years ago into the largest race in Beaufort County. Last year, 1,684 people participated. This year, in recognition of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Taylor and her team have set an ambitious goal: 2,500 participants. On Sunday, November 8, runners, walkers, f irst responders, veterans, families, and supporters will gather at Rose Hill Plantation for an event whose purpose reaches far beyond a finish line. They will run. They will walk. Most importantly, they will remember. A Promise Born from Tragedy The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was created in the aftermath of September 11 to honor the sacrifice of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who had finished his shift and was heading to play golf with his brothers when he learned CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

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that a plane had struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Unable to drive through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, Siller strapped 60 pounds of firefighting gear to his back and ran through the tunnel toward the Twin Towers, where he ultimately gave his life while helping others. That extraordinary final act of service became the inspiration for a national movement. Today, Tunnel to Towers carries forward that legacy by supporting America’s fallen and catastrophically injured first responders, military heroes, and their families. Its national Run, Walk & Climb Series includes more than 80 events across the country, all inspired by Siller’s footsteps on 9/11. Its guiding mantra is remarkably simple: “While we have time, let us do good.” For Taylor, those words describe exactly why she volunteers. “Our mission is to obviously never forget that day, or any of our first responders and veterans,” she said. “We support all our nation’s fallen and catastrophically injured first responders, military heroes, and their families.” The impact isn’t somewhere far away. Taylor can confirm at least three families in the Bluffton-Beaufort area who have been supported by the Foundation, with others potentially receiving assistance privately. From 200 Runners to Thousands Taylor’s involvement began when she learned that Savannah’s Tunnel to Towers 5K had fallen away during the pandemic. She contacted the national organization

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with a question: Would they be interested in bringing an event to Bluffton? The answer ultimately led to Taylor taking on the enormous volunteer responsibility of directing the race. “If we don’t make any money for doing this, this is truly just dedication,” she said. “I reached out to headquarters to see if, hey, would you like us to put on the event here in the Bluffton area? And so here I am, six years later, doing it.” What happened next exceeded expectations. The inaugural Bluffton event attracted just over 200 runners. Participation continued climbing – sometimes doubling or tripling from year to year. The race drew 1,100 participants two years ago before jumping to 1,684 last year. “We keep going up by five to six hundred people a shot,” Taylor said. The Bluffton race is now the largest in Beaufort County and, according to Taylor, ranks among the top Tunnel to Towers events in the country for participation outside New York City. The fundraising has grown right alongside it. Last year’s event raised approximately $180,000. In honor of this year’s 25th anniversary, Taylor hopes to raise $250,000. A Morning of Remembrance The November 8 event returns to the equestrian side of Rose Hill Plantation, which has hosted the race for the past three years. Before runners take a single step, however, the morning begins with remembrance. A ceremony will bring together representatives from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Bluffton Fire Department, other area fire and law enforcement agencies, veterans, first responders, and members of the community to honor local heroes and remember those lost during the past 25 years. The event information lists an 8:30 a.m. start at Rose Hill Plantation, 1 Equestrian Way in Bluffton. For many participants, the 5K is personal. Gold Star families attend with children and loved ones. First responders participate. Some runners carry photographs or names. Others simply come because remembering matters. “It really is a day to just kind of honor and contribute to those that we’ve lost,” Taylor said. Participants who register by the T-shirt deadline receive an event shirt, and finishers receive medals. Awards will be presented by age group. But this is not an event reserved for serious runners. It is a run and a walk – and its meaning has nothing to do with how quickly someone covers 3.1 miles. The Bluffton 5K has become successful because the Lowcountry has embraced it. Local businesses contribute through sponsorships, services, products, food, and beverages.

Community volunteers help with the countless details required to move thousands of people through a meaningful and memorable race-day experience. Taylor is responsible for coordinating much of it. “Anywhere f rom getting sponsorships to volunteers to registrations to raising money to doing fundraisers, I am the one responsible for all of that,” she said. That work continues right up to race day. Taylor said sponsorship opportunities remain available into October, including opportunities for businesses that might be able to contribute goods or services rather than traditional financial sponsorships. Following the 5K, the gathering will continue with an after-party at Fair Winds Bar & Grill beginning at 11 a.m., featuring additional fundraising opportunities, food and drink specials, and live music from Money Creek. It is another opportunity to build community around a cause that began on one of the darkest days in American history. Twenty-Five Years Later A quarter century can soften details. Children born after September 11 are now adults. A generation has grown up knowing about the attacks only through history lessons, photographs, video footage, and stories told by those who remember exactly where they were when the world changed. That makes the mission of Tunnel to Towers increasingly important. For Taylor, remembrance is not simply about looking backward. It is about what we choose to do because we remember. It means honoring firefighters who climb stairs carrying heavy equipment when everyone else is coming down. It means remembering law enforcement officers and military members who put service ahead of self. It means standing beside families whose lives changed because someone they loved answered a call to serve. And it means caring for those who continue to suffer from illnesses related to their work at Ground Zero. “We’re actually losing more people today f rom 9/11 diseases than we lost on 9/11,” Taylor said. On November 8, thousands of footsteps will move through Rose Hill Plantation. Some will belong to fast runners. Some to veterans, firefighters, police officers, Gold Star families, and people who vividly remember September 11, 2001. Still others will belong to people who were not yet born back then. Together, those footsteps carry a message: We remember. We honor. And while we have time, we do good. To learn more, visit RunSignup.com/Race/SC/Bluffton/ TunneltoTowers5KRunWalkBluffonSC.  CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

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Article by Sheila Tucker . Photography by Maggie Washo

The Anatomy of Overthinking I ’ve always excelled at thinking a lot and analyzing. Holding a topic or thought in my head, studying it from all angles. Squeezing it and releasing it only slightly. I want to know all the aspects. All the ins and outs. To truly understand. The possibilities are endless. I’m still not sure if that’s helpful or unhelpful – although I’ve mostly considered it creative. I enjoy crafting stories about the most mundane situations by giving them a faux historical context or a little pizazz – going down “what if” rabbit holes until I was exhausted but never reaching the end of the tunnel. The process is great for story writing, not so great for other areas of life. Growing up, I recall being told, in an exasperated tone, that I had an active imagination. My small child’s mind interpreted that to mean my imagination should remain hidden. So, I went underground, keeping all my creative thinking to myself. I pondered and mulled over

my thoughts as asides to the many books I devoured. It wasn’t until I was in graduate school that my therapist said something to the effect of “Whoa, you really do overthink,” or something like that. Lynn had a way with words – direct and to the point. I loved her for her bluntness. I also secretly craved the care of the more nurturing therapist down the hall. By this time in my life, my overthinking was getting in the way. My creative way of studying all my options or all sides of a situation left me feeling indecisive, stuck, and frustrated. I was the human version of the spinning ball on my computer screen. Overthinking isn’t something new. About 73% of young adults and 52% of middle-aged adults overthink. Although it can be linked to depression, anxiety, and stress-related conditions, overthinking can also occur on its own. I recognize overthinking as a nervous system regulation mechanism – a way to try to gain control

or predict an unknown. While some people can weave in and out of overthinking with expert precision, the rest of us just can’t. There are many ways you can overthink. Think of it as an all-you-can-eat buffet. You can take a little of everything offered or only take your fill of one thing and usually come back for seconds. Rumination Rumination involves dwelling, but not on the “good stuff.” No, this is a revisiting of your perceived failures, of what you could’ve said or done differently, of past events, and of what you believe a situation says about you. Rumination keeps your mind fixed on distressing situations. Analysis Paralysis So many options. Analysis paralysis keeps you stuck circling, researching, and exploring all the options and then some. You may also be fearful of making a wrong decision. Fear usually leads to increased contemplation, which in turn leads to more spiraling and stuckness. Round and round you go, without actually getting anywhere. And the more you tell yourself you can’t make a decision or get started, the more you become absolutely correct. Worry Your mind is chock-full of worst-case scenarios, prepping, and planning for experiences or conversations you might never have. Worry excels at increasing anxiety, overthinking, and stress levels. Unfortunately, it’s not very good at predicting the future or resolving future-leaning concerns. What Causes Overthinking? It’s a combination of a few events, and honestly, it’s different for everyone. However, the answer that fits almost everyone is that overthinking is a protective strategy. It’s trying to keep you safe, albeit in a backhanded compliment kind of way. Overthinking is associated with heightened activity in the brain’s threat-detection areas and networks. When these areas are activated, your nervous system is pulled into your preferred way of protection: flight, fight, fawn, or freeze. Simultaneously, your prefrontal cortex goes offline. Your prefrontal cortex is responsible for decision-making, focus, emotion regulation, and planning. Daniel Siegel, MD (Harvard-trained psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and author) calls it “flipping your lid.” Overthinking can also originate f rom your past experiences with unpredictability, expectations, deepest concerns and desires, or criticism. Or it can be a product of your level of intolerance of uncertainty or even the way you experience anxiety. Personally, I believe that overthinking can be both a superpower and a draining force, depending on how it manifests in your psyche and affects your mental well-being. Overthinking as a Superpower You’re fully aware of how overthinking can zap your mental energy. Here are a few ways you can benefit: • Weighing all your options makes you less likely to act impulsively, helping you make favorable decisions with little to no regret. • Your ability for empathy is often next level. Because you look at all situations from every possible angle, you also 102

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have more grace and empathy for those around you. • You’re often seen as reliable and detail-oriented. You’re the one who’s been told, "You’ve thought of everything." • Side note: You can also have all of these characteristics without being an overthinker or identifying as one. I f, h oweve r, ove r t h i n ki n g i s inconvenient, following are a few ways to reduce it. Notice or Increase Awareness This involves recognizing your unhelpful thought loops. If you can spot them, then you can begin to do something about them. This can be done in the moment or after the fact. Thank Your Thoughts I understand this might sound strange. Acknowledging your thoughts and all their hard work to keep you safe often decreases their hold over you – which could also translate into less overthinking. Schedule Worry Time If you’re going to worry, let’s do it with intention. First, pick a time of the day that you can consistently worry. Next, choose a location where you’re less likely to be disturbed. Then set your timer, watch, phone, or whatever for 10 minutes. Now, worry about all of the things. When your timer goes off, you can leave, but not a second earlier. If you find 10 minutes is too much, reduce the time the next day. Side note: It might be helpful to write down your worries and concerns throughout the day. Bring this with you to worry time. Try a Positive Twist Since you’re (over)thinking anyway, actively look for two or three exciting, joyful, helpful, or even creative things to think about. This is an exercise in inclusivity, adding helpful thoughts without banishing the unhelpful ones. The More You Know You can’t stop thinking. It’s what minds do. Recent research shows we have about 6,200 thoughts a day, and up to 95% of those thoughts are either the exact same thoughts or iterations of the thoughts we had yesterday. The problem isn’t your thoughts; it’s getting hooked by the unhelpful ones and replaying them over and over. If your overthinking is causing you to lose sleep, increasing your anxiety or stress, creates an uncomfortable stuckness, or feels too diff icult to manage on your own, it might be time to consider therapy. Otherwise, carry on with your creative overthinking self.  CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

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Ty Nguyen is photographed in his new salon, Luxury Nails, located in Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina.

Article by Cheryl Ricer · Photography by Maggie Washo

Luxurious Nails WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH

or Ty Nguyen, opening Luxury Nails at Shelter Cove Marina isn’t simply the launch of a new business. It’s the culmination of a lifetime spent learning the nail industry, a decade spent building relationships on Hilton Head Island, and a long-held desire to create a salon entirely around the experience he believes clients deserve. Judging by the approximately 200 clients who have already followed him to his new location, Nguyen’s philosophy is resonating. “I built a very strong bond with all my clients,” he said. “They’re like family to me, and they helped me get to where I am now.” That sense of family is particularly fitting, considering Nguyen’s own introduction to the nail business began with his. Born in New Orleans, Nguyen grew up throughout Louisiana, living at various times in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Alexandria, and other communities as his family moved around the state. His parents worked in the nail industry, which meant the salon became a familiar part of his childhood. “I was one of those kids who was in the nail salon helping Mom and Dad,” he said. Later, his sister and her boyfriend moved from Louisiana to Pennsylvania, where they opened a nail salon in a small town. Nguyen eventually joined them, spending six years there helping with the business before the family’s story took another turn. After about a decade in Pennsylvania, his sister had endured enough cold weather. She began researching warmer places to live and work, and Hilton Head Island caught her attention. She eventually moved south and opened a salon on the island. Nguyen followed, beginning

what would become his own decade-long relationship with Hilton Head. Over the years, he worked in salons on both the north and south ends of the island, steadily developing a loyal clientele. Along the way, however, he also began forming definite ideas about what he would do differently if he ever had a salon of his own. “I wanted to do it my way,” Nguyen said. “I wanted more customer service, and I wanted to do it for the locals.” Luxury Nails is the result. A Waterfront Salon Experience Located at Shelter Cove Marina next to San Miguel’s, Luxury Nails offers something few salons can put on their service menu: a waterfront view. “You can literally see the water from my salon,” Nguyen said. The setting provides the backdrop, but Nguyen has been intentional about creating an equally appealing experience inside. His vision was a salon that felt sophisticated without feeling intimidating – fresh, immaculate, comfortable, and decidedly upscale. “The vibe is very classy, luxury-looking, clean and new,” he said. Cleanliness is particularly important to Nguyen. His years in the industry showed him that the salon environment matters almost as much as the f inished manicure or pedicure. Luxury Nails incorporates ventilation designed to help keep the space fresh, while Nguyen carefully selects products with both quality and the client experience in mind. “I have a lot of luxury clients, and they like clean and freshness,” he said. “So I try to make it for them.” Even the pedicure chairs reflect his attention to detail. Higher-end chairs feature massage capabilities, steamers, and multiple jet settings designed to turn a routine pedicure

Photography by Island House Media

Luxury Nails offers traditional manicures and pedicures along with waxing services and an extensive selection of nail enhancements.

Photography by Island House Media

Clients can also choose among five pedicure options, allowing them to customize their visit according to how much time – and pampering – they want. A stunning view of the yachts at Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina is the cherry on top of a relaxing spa experience.

into something closer to a mini escape. After all, when the view outside is Shelter Cove Marina, relaxation comes naturally. Luxury Nails offers traditional manicures and pedicures along with waxing services and an extensive selection of nail enhancements, including traditional gel manicures, dip powder, acrylics, and Gel-X. Nguyen said dip powder is currently among the most requested services. “Everybody loves doing the dip,” he said, noting that many clients appreciate its strength and durability while maintaining the appearance of the natural nail. Clients can also choose among five pedicure options, allowing them to customize their visit according to how much time – and pampering – they want. Nguyen is equally selective about the products used in his salon. He has sought out polish options formulated without certain ingredients that have generated concern within the nail industry, part of his effort to offer clients products he feels confident using. But for Nguyen, technique and products are only part of what makes a great nail appointment. The details have to be personal. “I take pride in everything from cleanliness and quality products to making sure your nails actually fit your personality and lifestyle,” he said. 106

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Clients Who Became Family Perhaps the most remarkable part of Nguyen’s new venture is how much of it has been built through relationships. His longtime clients didn’t simply book appointments when Luxury Nails opened. Some helped him navigate the practical steps of becoming a business owner, assisting with everything from his LLC to the salon logo and other details involved in launching the company. That support is something Nguyen doesn’t take lightly. After working across Hilton Head for 10 years, he has developed connections throughout the community, from business owners to longtime residents. Many clients have been with him for years, and their loyalty gave him the confidence to finally create a place of his own. In turn, Nguyen wants Luxury Nails to feel less like a revolving-door service business and more like a place where clients are recognized, welcomed, and cared for. “We genuinely care about making every person who sits in the chair feel comfortable, confident and beautiful,” he said. That statement may best explain why so many clients followed him. With Luxury Nails now open, Nguyen is settling into a new role – not simply as the nail professional his clients have trusted for years, but as a business owner finally able to shape every detail of their experience. A formal grand opening and possible introductory specials are still being planned, but Nguyen’s longtime clientele hasn’t waited for a celebration to find him. They already know where he is. For new clients, Nguyen hopes the combination of waterf ront scenery, elevated amenities, quality products, meticulous cleanliness, and personalized service will distinguish Luxury Nails from the moment they walk through the door. For longtime clients, however, the new salon represents something more. They have watched Nguyen work toward this moment, encouraged him along the way, and in some cases even helped him get there. Now, from his new space overlooking Shelter Cove Marina, Nguyen gets to welcome them into the salon he envisioned all along. “I'm just trying to be different,” he said. At Luxury Nails, different looks a lot like beautiful nails, waterfront views, and making every client feel like family. 

LUXURY NAILS HHI 9 Harbourside Lane Shelter Cove Marina, Hilton Head Island (Next to San Miguel’s) Website: luxurynailshhi.com Instagram: @LuxuryNailsHHI Facebook: Luxury Nails HHI

This Singleton Beach home is is unapologetically modern yet remarkably warm; technologically advanced yet intensely personal; sophisticated enough to showcase an important art collection yet comfortable enough to welcome family home from the beach.

Article by Cheryl Ricer Photography provided by Oceano Blue Media Construction by Hammerhead Builders Lifestyle Systems by AV Outfitters Architecture by PDG Architects

SOMEDAY IS HERE AFTER YEARS OF TRAVELING AND DREAMING, COUPLE CREATES THEIR UNIQUE DREAM HOME

or years, Jane and Dean Palmieri had a word for it: “Someday.” They would travel to Paris and discover a sculptor whose work stopped them in their tracks. Someday. They would stand beneath a spectacular installation of Dale Chihuly glass at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and imagine what it might be like to live with something equally breathtaking. Someday. Through decades of careers, international travel, and visits to beautiful hotels, galleries, and spaces around the world, they collected more than art. They collected ideas. Then they found two adjacent oceanf ront lots on Hilton Head Island’s Singleton Beach. And “someday” had arrived. “This house is our someday,” Jane said. The result is an extraordinary home that is unapologetically modern yet remarkably warm; technologically advanced yet intensely personal; sophisticated enough to showcase an important art collection yet comfortable enough to welcome family home from the beach. Most of all, it is unmistakably Jane and Dean.

At the heart of the home is Josh AI, a sophisticated automation system allowing the Palmieris to control lighting, shades, music, televisions, fireplaces and other functions through voice commands.

Architect Tom Parker helped translate the Palmieris’ vision into a home that could be both decidedly contemporary and appropriate for its Hilton Head setting.

The Palmieris designed a corner of their third-floor ocean lounge specifically for a monumental Orlinski sculpture: a 96-inch graffiti-painted gorilla.

Finding Their Place on Hilton Head The Palmieris’ journey to Hilton Head began as something of a family migration from Michigan. Jane’s older sister retired to Wexford, another sister purchased a condominium in Shelter Cove, and, during the pandemic, additional family members whose careers allowed them to work remotely began making their way to the island. Jane and Dean eventually purchased a condominium in Mainsail and renovated it. That project also introduced them to the caliber of craftsmanship they would later seek for their dream home. When one oceanfront lot became available on Singleton Beach, the couple saw possibilities – but also limitations. Jane, a mechanical engineer by training and a self-described “design freak,” began sketching. “I started playing with designs, and I told my husband, ‘I just don’t think I can build our dream house on that narrow of a lot,’” she said. Then the adjacent undeveloped lot became available. They bought it. Suddenly, the constraints changed. By combining the two properties, Jane and Dean had room to imagine something far more ambitious. And imagining ambitiously comes naturally to them. “We’re the kind of couple that usually talks each other into things,” Jane said, laughing. “Sometimes you need one member of the alliance to talk somebody down off the ledge when there’s a crazy idea. We usually talk each other into crazy ideas.” This house is filled with them. 112 OCTOBER 2026 CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

Modern Meets the Lowcountry Architect Tom Parker helped translate the Palmieris’ vision into a home that could be both decidedly contemporary and appropriate for its Hilton Head setting. That balance mattered. The Palmieris love ultra-modern architecture, while Singleton Beach has its own established coastal character, making context an important part of designing something dramatically contemporary there. Parker incorporated familiar regional elements into the exterior while allowing the interior to move decisively toward the modern aesthetic the Palmieris envisioned. Step through the front door, and the transformation is dramatic. Floor-to-ceiling glass spans all three living levels, capturing the ocean view and allowing the changing sky, water, and light to become part of the interior. Yet for all its clean lines, glass, and modernity, the couple never wanted the house to feel sterile. “One of the problems with ultra-modern homes is they can often lose warmth,” Dean said. “They can feel very cold or very hard. This is our house. This is not a museum. This is a place we live.” That philosophy informed nearly every decision. Painting With Materials Perhaps surprisingly, there are essentially no paint colors throughout the home – just one wall color and one trim color. The simplicity was deliberate. The Palmieris wanted their walls to become a quiet backdrop for an art collection years in the making, including works by artists such as Peter Max and Roy Lichtenstein,

along with a Picasso line drawing. Where another homeowner might create an accent wall with paint, Jane created hers with texture and material. “We painted with full wall sections of materials,” she said. Bold expanses of tile and textured wallcoverings introduce color, dimension and warmth without competing with the art. And some of that art was considered before portions of the house were even constructed. During the Palmieris’ first trip to Paris together, their hotel lobby featured sculptures by French contemporary artist Richard Orlinski. The couple became so enamored with the work that they would get ready for dinner early just to spend time looking at it. Years later, they designed a corner of their third-floor ocean lounge specifically for a monumental Orlinski sculpture: a 96-inch graffiti-painted gorilla. A trip to the Bellagio inspired another “someday.” After seeing Chihuly’s famous glass installation, Jane and Dean knew they eventually wanted to incorporate his work into their home. They designed niches leading into their bedroom specifically to display a Chihuly collection, even consulting with the studio about colors and lighting. The house, in other words, wasn’t decorated after it was built. In many ways, it was built around the life and art the Palmieris had already collected. Figuring Out the Impossible To turn those ideas into reality, the Palmieris chose Jake Gartner and Hammerhead Custom Builders. Gartner has lived on Hilton Head since 1991 and founded Hammerhead in 2006 after leaving a career in sales and marketing and learning the custom-building trade. Twenty years later, his company specializes exclusively in residential construction and remodeling on Hilton Head Island. But even for an experienced custom builder, the Palmieri project was different. “The house was going to be super, super technical,” Gartner said. The structure incorporates commercial-style steel construction and direct-set windows. Fifty helical piles (heavy-duty steel shafts) extend approximately 40 feet into the ground and tie into the foundation. There is an all-glass elevator, an enormous pivoting glass front door, custom cabinetry requiring exacting alignment, and a specially engineered floating kitchen countertop designed without visible legs. The swimming pool was shipped from England. And those are only some of the challenges.

Every feature in this home speaks to quality and intention.

Dean remembers bringing idea after idea to Gartner – many unlike anything his team had previously built. “One of the things we loved about working with Jake is when we hit him with ideas or challenges or things that he had never seen, never heard of, never even thought of, instead of just categorically saying ‘no,’ he never told us ‘no,’” Dean said. Instead, Gartner’s response became something of a theme for the project: “I’m not quite sure how we’re going to do it, but we’ll go to school,” Jane recalled. “We’ll learn together.”

Gartner remembers it similarly. “We took a lot of concepts from the back of a napkin that Jane would draw, and we put it into place,” he said. For Gartner, that challenge became one of the most rewarding aspects of the build. “I really grew in building it because of all the things I learned and had to concentrate on,” he said. “This one’s next level.” Designed for Real Life For all its showstopping features, some of the home’s most delightful details are surprisingly practical.

A covered loggia beneath the house gives the Palmieris’ extended family access to the beach without requiring everyone – with wet swimsuits, sandy feet, children, and red popsicles – to parade through the living room. But this isn’t an ordinary passageway. The Palmieris flew a Brazilian graffiti artist from São Paulo to transform the space with an enormous fish mural that visually leads visitors toward the ocean. Even the family cats were included in the architectural plans. Jane devised a hidden opening beneath the cabinetry connecting the primary bedroom to the laundry room, allowing the cats to reach their food, water, and litter box without those necessities occupying the bedroom or bath. “Had I known how much the cats were going to enjoy it, I probably would have punched 10 more holes in the wall,” Jane said. Then there is Dean’s favorite space: the gym and spa. Cork flooring provides cushioning underfoot, while the custom sauna’s cedar extends beyond the enclosure and across the ceiling, visually integrating it into the room. A massive mirror conceals a television, and an adjoining balcony allows Dean, who took up yoga during the pandemic, to practice overlooking the Atlantic. A House That Listens If Jane largely led the architecture, materials, and interior design, the home’s technological wizardry became Dean’s passion project. At its heart is Josh AI, a sophisticated home automation system allowing the Palmieris to control lighting, shades, music, televisions, fireplaces and other functions through voice commands. At bedtime, one simple command – “Good night” – can turn off mood lighting throughout the living spaces, shut down outdoor speakers and lights, and secure garage doors. In the morning, Jane can say she needs coffee, and the system illuminates a pathway downstairs and the area around her coffee station without waking the rest of the house. “I was terrified that we would have a house that was smarter than we were,” Jane said. Instead, the technology has become almost invisible, quietly adapting the house to the way they live. Waking Up to ‘Someday’ Ask Jane to choose a favorite place, however, and all the engineering, technology, and art ultimately yield to something far simpler: The bedroom.

The freestanding bed was positioned so that when Jane and Dean wake, their feet point toward the Atlantic through walls of glass. Morning arrives with sunrise over the water. Sometimes there are dolphins. For Jane, the experience carries meaning beyond a beautiful view. After decades of demanding professional life, the difference is contained in two small words. “For 30 or 40 years of working, you had to wake up every morning,” she said. “Now I feel like I get to wake up every morning.” Perhaps that is what makes this remarkable house most successful. It is filled with engineering feats and artwork, steel

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and glass, hidden televisions and intelligent systems. It contains ideas gathered from Paris, Las Vegas, Brazil, England, and countless journeys in between. But none of those things is really the point. The point is waking beside the person with whom you dreamed it all, watching the sun rise over the Atlantic, and realizing that the life you once talked about in hotel lobbies and art galleries has become the place you call “home.” They hadn’t simply completed an extraordinary house. Jane and Dean had finally built their someday. To learn more, visit HammerheadBuilders.net.

Article by Barry Kaufman Photography by Maggie Washo

No Pane, No Gain AFTER COACHING NCAA BASKETBALL, RICHARD BARRON HEADED TO THE PROS AS OWNER OF HHI WINDOWS AND DOORS.

The entrance to HHI Windows and Doors features a steel and glass pivot door.

hen Richard Barron talks about his team at HHI Windows and Doors and how each member exemplifies professionalism and experience, he knows what he’s talking about. He took the University of the South to its first conference championship, Princeton to its first Ivy League title, and the University of Maine to two women’s basketball regular season titles on the strength of great teams. That record earned him America East Coach of the Year in 2015, but he sees what he accomplished as a coach as a function of the team around him. It’s the same mindset he carries into his new chapter in life as owner of HHI Windows and Doors. “We have an amazing team across sales, customer service, operations, and production, and all of us work hard on training and communication so every customer gets the same level of care from start to finish,” Barron said. “Our installers are a huge part of that – they’ve all been carefully vetted, licensed, insured, and gone through a host of certification trainings with different vendors, so they’re familiar with multiple sets of products. We know exactly who your installer is going to be and why they’re the best person for the job. It really helps relieve a lot of stress and gives customers that peace of mind.” Each member of the team has been coached with a mindset of going the extra mile. Whether they’re working with a contractor, an architect, or directly with the homeowner, the emphasis is on executing each step of the process correctly, ensuring all paperwork and permits are in order, and creating something that will hold up for decades to come.

The HHI Windows and Doors Team Top Row (left to right): Steve Lieberman, Nick Groves, Trey Mackie, Jaiden Hrobar, Sean Deir, Brooks Anderson and Justin Noles Bottom Row: Blake Henderson, Pam Eihausen, Kelli Vich, Jason Noonan, Robin Mastley and Rob Reed (not pictured: Sedi Besic).

Richard Barron, owner of HHI Windows and Doors. The showroom is located at 32 Malphrus Road, near Lowe's in Bluffton. The HHI Windows and Doors Showroom is impressive, featuring a conference room, full bar and a state-of-the-art golf simulator. As coach says, a great window can be a bad window if it’s not properly installed. That means taking ownership of each step. “For most people, we’re a one-stop shop,” he said. “They’re picking out their windows or doors with us, we’re ordering, working with manufacturers, handling the install, and servicing any warranty claims.” For customers, the benefits of working with HHI Windows and Doors start long before the installation. At their massive new showroom

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on Malphrus Road in Bluffton, they’re given a chance to see and touch the countless options before them. And maybe have a little fun while they’re shopping. “This showroom was a big investment, but we wanted to be able to show full sized samples to people so they could make more informed

decisions. They can look at different brands and styles so we can find what’s best for them rather than go with one product. You don’t want to try and fit a square peg in a round hole,” Barron said. It’s not just full-sized samples, however. The conference rooms, full bar, and state-of-the-art golf simulator hint at this being much more than just a place to look at windows and doors. “We built the showroom to serve a few functions,” Barron said. “One, it helps customers in terms of their decision making. Two, it’s a meeting place for us and others in the community. It’s a place where architects, designers, and contractors can come with their clients, even if they’re not working on their windows.” These amenities are also a sign that HHI Windows and Doors intends, above all else, to be a part of the greater community that surrounds it. “We want people to feel comfortable with us and feel a sense of permanence with this location. You know that we’re not a fly-by-night operation – we’re going to be around. And you know when you call that we’re going to answer,” he said. “We’re a big part of the community.” One of the most obvious ways that HHI Windows and Doors has served the community, beyond signs on little league fences, work with Habitat for Humanity, or various sponsorships for local organizations, is through its work with the Karen Wellington Foundation. Barron has a personal connection to the charity, which helps women facing breast cancer do more than just endure treatment, but live and enjoy their time. Wellington was a friend of his who succumbed to breast cancer at a young age, and in her honor the foundation bestows what it calls “gifts of fun” to women. “It could be anything from a spa day at a nail salon all the way to bucket list items like skydiving, horseback riding on the beach, or a family vacation. When women are going through this, the first thing that gets set aside is doing something fun for themselves,” Barron said. When he made the move to Hilton Head Island, he saw opportunities everywhere to give those women a few days of happiness. “We entertained nine different families this year on Hilton Head. And we’ve been able to do so much around here, like sending someone to a football camp at USC or just going out to dinner with friends, because of local businesses we’ve worked with. We have vacation rental companies who have donated properties, and the Heritage Classic Foundation offers us a great matching opportunity as a preferred charity.” In your home, HHI Windows and Doors is creating peace of mind with quality products you can see and pick out for yourself, installed by professionals who will take every step to ensure the job is done right. In homes across the Lowcountry, they’re providing greater opportunity for members of our community who need it most. It’s exactly the game plan that Richard Barron drew up when he laid down roots here. “South Carolina is a growing area with a lot of new construction, and we had a community that needed someone they could trust. We want them to know our name, our brand, our integrity and that we are giving back to the community in meaningful ways,” he said. “All of those things are important to us.” To see firsthand how HHI Windows and Doors does things differently, visit hhiwindows.com or stop by their showroom at 32 Malphrus Road in Bluffton.  CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

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From the exterior, this Colleton River home offers a refined interpretation of contemporary Lowcountry style.

Article by Cheryl Ricer

ROOTED IN PLACE LISTENING TO THE LAND, BUILDERS TRANSFORMED A VISION INTO A FAMILY’S LOWCOUNTRY RETREAT

ome homes begin with a floor plan. This one began with a tree. Long before Chris and Greg Rustowicz imagined morning coffee on the screened porch, holiday dinners around an overflowing table, or grandchildren and friends filling the upstairs guest rooms, a magnificent live oak stood near the center of a wooded homesite in Colleton River. Its sprawling canopy and enormous root system made the property undeniably beautiful – and considerably more complicated to build upon. When King Tide Custom Home Builders first saw the lot, owners Bubba and Nicki Jacoby immediately recognized both its potential and its responsibility. “It was one of the most beautiful lots I’ve seen here,” Nicki said. “There were tons of palm trees, natural foliage and, of course, this over-200-year-old live oak. We said we would love to be a part of something on this lot, but only if this tree was undisturbed.” That decision ultimately shaped everything that followed. Coming Home to the Lowcountry For the Rustowicz family, the journey to Colleton River began years before they ever saw the property. The Buffalo, New York, couple had vacationed on Hilton Head Island with their children as they were growing up. As retirement approached, they asked their now-adult children where they thought Mom and Dad should settle.

Despite being located within a golf community, the property feels private, surrounded by vegetation that becomes part of the interior design through generous windows and sightlines.

FROMMALIBU TO THE LOWCOUNTRY

The vote was unanimous: Hilton Head or Bluffton. Golf helped narrow the search. “We looked at all of the neighborhoods, but we loved Colleton the most because of the golf courses, the clubhouses, and the proximity to Hilton Head Island,” Chris said. “We spend a lot of time at the beach, but we love it in here.” Finding the right house proved more difficult. Existing homes they considered required more renovation than the couple wanted to undertake. They were nearly ready to abandon the search when their Realtor introduced them to two new homes being built by King Tide. They loved both. Soon, they met Brandon Chapman, then Nicki and Bubba, and learned about the remarkable available lot. “We really just fell in love with the whole King Tide company,” Chris said. The oak, however, would be calling the shots. King Tide brought in an arborist to evaluate its health, age, and extensive root structure, which stretched more than 50 feet. The team also worked with the Colleton River architectural review process to accommodate the unusual building conditions. Protecting the tree during construction meant establishing a large protection zone around its roots and canopy and carefully managing the movement of equipment and materials. The resulting home could not be deep. Instead, it became broad and sprawling, wrapping around the oak rather than competing with it. Today, the oak remains the undisputed centerpiece of the front landscape. The dining room was intentionally positioned to overlook it, with a large picture window framing the tree almost like living artwork. At night, carefully placed CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

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The kitchen island stretches more than 16 feet and a 60-inch gas range anchors the cooking area.

Through expanses of glass, the eye travels across the home, past the pool and into dense woods beyond.

lighting illuminates its branches. For a couple who loves gathering family around the table, it is difficult to imagine a more fitting backdrop. A Collaboration Built on Trust The Rustowiczes had built homes before, so they entered the process knowing both what they wanted and how overwhelming custom construction could become. What they didn’t anticipate was how collaborative this build would feel. “We had an idea of what we wanted, and it was the collaboration that really made this house special,” Greg said. Nicki brought both her design sensibility and her role as a company owner to the process, accompanying clients through selections and overseeing the execution of those choices throughout construction. Bubba, a second-generation builder who began learning the trade on construction sites as a teenager, maintains an equally hands-on presence in the field. It is an approach rooted in King Tide’s beginnings. When the Jacobys launched the company in 2021, there was no impressive brick-and-mortar headquarters. They met clients at Starbucks and sometimes handled paperwork from their car. What they did have was years of building experience and a determination to be personally involved. Today, despite the company’s growth, that philosophy remains. “You’re truly working with the owners of the company all the time,” Nicki said. “It’s not someone you see one time at contract signing.” Chris noticed the difference. “They take so much pride in building the home that they act like it’s their home until they turn it over to you,” she said. “It’s not just another home sale to them. They want it to be beautiful.” And beautiful it is. A Grand Entrance From the exterior, the home offers a refined interpretation of contemporary Lowcountry style. The Rustowiczes chose a soft palette of cream, gray, and light stone. Gas lanterns add warmth and timeless Southern character. Inside, the house reveals itself dramatically. Double entry doors open into a soaring foyer where oversized black-and-white checkerboard flooring stretches toward matching doors at the rear of the home. Overhead, substantial wood beams emphasize the impressive height. But the real showstopper is straight ahead. Through expanses of glass, the eye travels across the home, past the pool and into dense woods beyond – the landscape Chris affectionately calls “the jungle.” “You walk in and right away you are overcome with this beautiful view of Southern living,” she said. Despite being located within a golf community, the property feels remarkably private, surrounded by vegetation that becomes part of the interior design through generous windows and carefully composed sightlines. Designed for Gathering Nowhere is the Rustowiczes’ lifestyle more evident than in the kitchen. Chris loves to cook, and CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

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both she and Greg wanted a house capable of welcoming their large extended family. The kitchen needed to perform accordingly. Its island stretches more than 16 feet. A 60-inch gas range anchors the cooking area, while approximately 15 additional feet of cabinetry accommodate refrigeration, wine storage, and entertaining needs. Fourteen-foot ceilings allow those substantial elements to feel perfectly proportioned rather than oversized. “I have to say the kitchen is my favorite because I’m a big cook, and we have a big family that comes to visit us,” Chris said. “We wanted an unusual kitchen. We have this huge island, and they never questioned me. They just made it happen.” A back pantry includes another feature Chris envisioned: a dedicated coffee bar positioned near a window overlooking natural palms. The dining room is equally intentional. While some homeowners have moved away from formal dining rooms, Chris knew hers would earn its square footage. “I said, ‘Honestly, I’m going to use this,’” she recalled. She has. Dinner parties, holidays and family gatherings regularly fill the room, sometimes requiring extensions to the already-generous table. Beyond the window, the ancient oak presides over it all. The Room in the Trees Greg might love the kitchen too, but his other favorite space is the screened porch. It is easy to understand why. Another live oak grows remarkably close to the rear porch, with an enormous branch extending horizontally alongside it. Ferns and natural growth cling to the tree, creating the sensation that the room has been tucked directly into the landscape.

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“It feels like you’re in a tree house,” Greg said. “We really sit out there every month of the year.” A vaulted tongue-and-groove ceiling soars overhead. A fireplace makes winter evenings inviting, while the sheltering tree helps keep the porch comfortable during warmer months. A grilling area and expansive counter provide room for platters and buffet-style entertaining. Chris remembers seeing the completed space and realizing King Tide had given them more than they had envisioned. “We did not realize how tall the ceilings were going to be,” she said. “It’s just beautiful. I’m so grateful to them.” A Home for Now – and Later The Rustowiczes designed the house primarily for retirement, with most of their daily living taking place on the first floor. But they also knew retirement in the Lowcountry would come with plenty of visitors. Upstairs, guest bedrooms with private baths and a separate family room allow children, relatives, and friends to have their own space. The aesthetic throughout is equally forward-looking. Chris describes their taste as transitional – rooted in tradition but comfortable alongside contemporary pieces and artwork. Nicki sometimes calls the interior “Old World,” a description that speaks less to age than to its sense of permanence. “We wanted a house that wasn’t going to be so trendy that 20 years from now somebody would immediately know when it was built,” Greg said. “It’s a timeless, classic beauty.” Getting there required hundreds of decisions, and that was another area where the King Tide relationship mattered. Rather than sending Chris into a showroom containing thousands of choices, Nicki often arrived first and narrowed the field to a thoughtful selection. “She knew exactly where things were,” Greg said.

“Instead of thinking, ‘Where do I even start?’ she made it so much easier.” Sometimes Chris arrived with a definite vision. Other times, decision fatigue set in and she simply asked Nicki what she would do. Then she trusted her. “We’re not experts in home building. We’re experts in other things in life,” Chris said. “If you can really trust your builder, you realize they’re the experts. We trusted them, and we got something better than we ever expected.” Rooted in Something Lasting Even after move-in day, the relationship has continued. Questions are answered. Punch-list items are addressed. And when members of the King Tide team enter the finished house, Chris notices something small that says a great deal to her: They take off their shoes. “They’re just so respectful,” she said. “We consider them like family.” Perhaps that is why the finished home feels less like the product of a construction project and more like the culmination of a conversation – between homeowners and builder, architecture and landscape, old trees and new beginnings. King Tide could have approached the challenging lot by asking what needed to be removed to make the house work. Instead, the team asked what needed to remain. The answer was there from the beginning, spreading its branches across the property and reaching its roots deep into the Lowcountry soil. The house simply found its place around it. “They took our vision,” Chris said, “and made it better.” To learn more, visit KingTideSC.com.

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The Guilford Cottage in Bluffton.

Josh amd Allie Nottingham

Article by Cheryl Ricer

Home, Reinvented T H E N OT T I N GH O ME I S C HAN G I NG T H E WAY PEOPLE EXPE R I E NC E BLU F F TO N

hen Josh and Allie Nottingham purchased an 1890s farmhouse in Michigan several years ago, they had no idea they were laying the foundation for a business model unlike anything else in the vacation rental industry. The house was a complete renovation. Floors were torn out. Structural repairs were extensive. Nearly every inch required attention. For Allie, it also became the perfect opportunity to document the transformation. She launched an Instagram page called TheNottinghome, initially as a digital scrapbook chronicling the renovation process. “It started because I wanted to record everything we were doing,” Allie said. “I thought it would be fun to be able to look back one day and see the transformation.”

What began as a passion project quickly evolved into something much larger. Today, TheNottinghome has grown into a thriving lifestyle brand with more than 450,000 followers, inspiring homeowners across the country with approachable design ideas, thoughtful renovations, and beautifully curated spaces. For Josh and Allie, social media success was never the final destination. It was simply the beginning. The couple discovered early on that their talents naturally complemented one another. Allie has an exceptional eye for design, creating warm, inviting spaces that feel both elevated and attainable. Josh thrives on construction, renovations, and investment strategy. “She’s really good at making a house feel like home,” Josh said. “I really enjoy the construction side and understanding

how to renovate on a budget and make real estate work financially. Together we make a really good team.” That partnership has allowed them to buy, renovate, and sell multiple homes while steadily growing both their real estate investments and Allie’s online brand. Then, one social media post changed everything. The Viral Moment Years of consistent content creation suddenly paid off when one of Allie’s holiday decorating videos exploded online. “It was crazy,” Josh recalled. “She probably gained around 250,000 followers in a week.” 132

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The overnight growth transformed TheNottinghome from a successful Instagram account into a legitimate business. “We were kind of freaking out,” Josh admitted. “That’s when I immediately filed an LLC and we started treating it like a real company.” As influencer partnerships grew, so did opportunities to collaborate with nationally recognized home brands through sponsored content and affiliate marketing. Still, Josh couldn’t stop thinking bigger. Like many content creators, Allie earned income through brand partnerships and affiliate links. Companies would

Throughout the cottage, visitors have access to a custom-designed guest playbook filled with QR codes, affiliate links, exclusive discounts, and behind-the-scenes information about each featured product.

pay her to feature products, while followers could purchase those items through links she shared. It was successful – but Josh believed there was another level. “We started asking ourselves how we could blend what she had built with what we wanted to do in real estate,” he said. The answer became The Guilford Cottage. Located at 5739 Guilford Place in Bluffton’s charming Stock Farm neighborhood near Old Town, the thoughtfully renovated vacation home is much more than a short-term rental. It is an immersive showroom. Every piece inside, from mattresses and bedding to lighting, furniture, artwork, window treatments, and décor, has been intentionally selected and professionally styled, and all of it is available for guests to purchase. “If you stay there and sleep well, love the towels, the artwork, or even the shower door, everything is linkable,” Josh said. Rather than simply offering guests a beautiful place to stay, the Nottinghams have created what they call a “Stay and Shop” experience. Throughout the cottage, visitors have access to a custom-designed guest playbook filled with QR codes, affiliate links, exclusive discounts, and behindthe-scenes information about each featured product. “It’s basically like a magazine for guests,” Josh said.

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The concept benef its everyone involved. Guests discover products they experience during their stay. Brands showcase their collections in a real home rather than a staged showroom. And the Nottinghams continue expanding partnerships while constantly refreshing the property with new collaborations. “It’s exciting because the house is always evolving,” Josh said. “You could stay there in July and come back in December, and it might look completely different.”

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Every piece inside, from mattresses and bedding to lighting, furniture and decor is available for guests to purchase. A Living Design Studio Unlike most vacation rentals, The Guilford Cottage isn’t furnished with inexpensive, disposable items. Instead, it showcases premium collaborations from companies eager to place their products in front of Allie’s large and highly engaged audience. Furniture, luxury bedding, designer rugs, custom artwork, kitchen products, Roman shades and more are available for purchase with a few clicks. Virtually every element tells a story. Many of those collaborations have also inspired new business opportunities. Allie recently launched her designer window treatment collection through TheNottinghome in partnership with The Hues, a custom window covering company. “I’ve always loved creating spaces that feel beautiful but livable,” she said. “Having my own collection is really exciting.” The Guilford Cottage serves as the perfect showcase. Guests don’t simply see the products online. They live with them. Bluffton at the Heart of It All While the cottage highlights interior design, the Nottinghams are equally passionate about introducing visitors to Bluffton itself. After relocating from Michigan in 2024, they quickly fell in love with the community. “We absolutely love the area,” Josh said. “We’re here to stay.” That affection is woven throughout the guest experience. The playbook includes local restaurant recommendations, favorite sunset locations, shopping suggestions, and insider tips only locals typically know. The couple even created a map highlighting golf cart routes through downtown Bluffton, making it easy for guests to explore Old Town without moving their vehicles. They’re also building partnerships with local businesses, including golf cart rental companies, artists, and retailers. One collaboration features locally inspired wallpaper celebrating iconic Bluffton landmarks. Another showcases artwork from area artists.

T e

“We’re trying to make it a true Bluffton experience,” Josh said. “It’s a great way to really experience what life here feels like.” Josh’s background in hospitality heavily influences every decision they make. Rather than focusing solely on aesthetics, the couple wants every stay to feel seamless. “Our goal is to bring as much hospitality into this as possible,” Josh said. “It’s about luxury, but it’s also about making people feel welcome.” That philosophy extends beyond the home itself. They’re working with local Realtors who serve relocating families, offering The Guilford Cottage as a place for prospective homeowners to experience Bluffton before deciding where to settle. Instead of checking into a hotel, visitors can immerse themselves in the lifestyle that has made Bluffton one of the Southeast’s most desirable communities. More Than Social Media Influencers have become commonplace. Lifestyle brands are everywhere. Vacation rentals continue multiplying across the country. What makes the Nottinghams unique is the way they’ve combined all three into a single business model. “This isn’t just influencing,” Josh said. “We’re trying to think outside the box.” Every collaboration strengthens the rental. Every guest becomes a potential customer for featured brands. Every stay generates new content. Every redesign creates fresh reasons for visitors to return. It’s an ecosystem where creativity, entrepreneurship, and hospitality continually feed one another. And because the cottage is constantly evolving, no two visits are exactly alike. Even with hundreds of thousands of followers and a successful launch, Josh and Allie see The Guilford Cottage as only the beginning. They’re continually adding new collaborations, expanding partnerships with local businesses, and finding innovative ways to elevate the guest experience. Every addition reflects the same thoughtful philosophy that first inspired Allie to begin documenting a farmhouse renovation years ago. For the Nottinghams, beautiful design has never been about creating picture-perfect rooms. It’s about creating spaces people genuinely enjoy living in – even if only for a weekend. As TheNottinghome continues to grow, Bluffton has become both inspiration and backdrop for their next chapter. “We’re just trying to create something that’s different,” Josh said. “Something where people can come, experience Bluffton, experience great design, and leave inspired.” For guests who walk through the doors of The Guilford Cottage, that’s exactly what awaits: a thoughtfully designed home that invites them not only to stay, but to imagine how those ideas might come home with them. To learn more, visit TheNottinghome.com or follow on Instagram @thenottinghome and @staynottinghome.  CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

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Article by Cheryl Ricer

COASTAL LUXURY A REIMAGINED FAMILY BUSINESS BRINGS REAL ESTATE AND BOUTIQUE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TOGETHER UNDER ONE NAME

Steve Janning, Julie Janning, Sam Lemons, Laurin Lemons, Keller Welch, Carol Mudd (not pictured)

or Julie and Steve Janning, real estate has never been simply about property. It’s about people, relationships, trust — and being there when a client needs you. That philosophy is at the heart of Coastal Luxury Real Estate & Rentals, the newly rebranded Lowcountry company owned by the husband-and-wife team. With Julie leading the real estate side and Steve overseeing rentals and property management, Coastal Luxury offers clients a personal approach to buying, selling, investing, and caring for a home. The rebrand marks an exciting new chapter, particularly with the addition of the Jannings’ daughter and son-in-law to the family business. “We are very relationship-oriented,” Julie said. “I don’t buy leads. Our business is repeat clients or referrals from those clients.” Relationships First Julie has worked in real estate for 10 years and has spent the past seven as a broker-in-charge and company owner. Coastal Luxury Real Estate focuses primarily on Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, and Palmetto Bluff, serving both buyers and sellers. What distinguishes the company, Julie said, is less complicated than any marketing strategy: Be available. Answer the phone. Return the text. Respond to the email. Know the market. And do what you say you’re going to do. “It’s being trustworthy, being honest, always picking up the phone and being present,” she said. “It’s follow-up and follow-through.” That attentiveness becomes especially important during what can be an overwhelming process. For sellers, Julie guides clients through pricing, offers, inspections, negotiations, and closing. For buyers — particularly firsttime buyers—she sees education as an essential part of her role. Recently, a first-time homebuyer who had rented for 12 years began asking Julie questions about everything from insurance to the purchasing process. “He said, ‘Miss Julie, do you teach a class on this?’” she recalled. “He told me, ‘You know a lot, and you should share it.’ I thought that was a really good compliment.”

Julie Janning BIC/Owner 843-384-0928 Julie@JulieJanning.com

Steve Janning PMIC/Owner 843-422-8737 Steve@Coastalluxuryhhi.com

A Boutique Approach That same personal attention extends to Coastal Luxury Rentals. Rather than building an enormous inventory, the company deliberately limits the number of properties it manages, allowing the team to remain responsive to owners while carefully overseeing their investments. The company currently provides vacation and longterm rental management as well as home-watch services in addition to real estate representation. For Julie, service also extends beyond the office. A past president of the Hilton Head Area REALTORS®, she remains active on association committees and encourages the next generation —i ncluding her daughter — to become involved. She also volunteers with Meals on Wheels and Salty Paws, fostering cats and kittens in need of homes. Whether helping a kitten thrive or guiding someone toward homeownership, the common denominator is personal investment. And when it comes to buying or selling, Julie offers one important piece of advice: Don’t navigate it alone. “There are many stages along the way,” she said. Having professional representation can save clients “time, money, and a lot of headache,” she said. At Coastal Luxury, that representation comes with something more: a relationship that continues long after closing day. To find your next residence or rental property, visit CoastalLuxuryHHI.com.  CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

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Jocelyn and her family

Article by Barry Kauf man

‘Whatever They Need’

Chan ce m eetin g with First Tee executives sparked a flair for m oth er an d son

hree years ago, Jocelyn Mooney didn’t think of herself as much of a golfer. That all changed when the apparel company she worked with at the time launched a collaboration with The First Tee’s national organization, and she came face to face with the incredible work they do. “Everyone at First Tee had such a passion for spreading their programs around the country, encouraging parents to let their children discover their programs,” she said. “When they found out I had a son who had never golfed, they were so encouraging. Had there been a First Tee chapter when I was growing up, it would have been a game changer.” Having recently moved to Bluffton at the time, Mooney signed up her son, Liam, for First Tee classes, and an obsession was born. “He took to golf like a moth to a flame. I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said. “We were so lucky to have that initial introduction, and after meeting (program director) Aaron Immel and some of the volunteer coaches, Liam just wanted to go there every day. It’s such a supportive environment.” That support spurred Liam to greater heights as he pursued his new love of golf. He now travels to play in tournaments with the South Carolina Junior Golf Association and the PGA Junior League, is part of the tour card program at First Tee – The Lowcountry, and is a regular at Old South Golf Links.

“If you’d have told me three years ago we’d be scheduling him in competitive golf, I wouldn’t have believed you. The confidence I’ve seen in him is a true testament to First Tee,” Mooney said. “And it’s given him a greater appreciation for the sport. He’s always watching golf when it’s on and has memorized so many stats and facts. How many kids could tell you who won the British Open in 2002?” (It was Ernie Els, in case you lack Liam’s encyclopedic golf knowledge). About a year ago, Liam’s infectious enthusiasm led Mooney to begin volunteering with First Tee – The Lowcountry, where she’s become a valued and vocal champion of the program. “They’ve entrusted me with a lot of behind-the-scenes office work and whatever else they need me to do. I basically just go in and ask ‘What do you need? What does the board need? What are we lacking?’ It’s the least I can do, because they’ve done so much for us. Honestly, I wish I could do more,” she said. “I’m always amazed at their outreach into so many different communities in Beaufort and Jasper counties. And the fact that the public has access to their facility is incredible.” And when she’s not volunteering, Mooney is finally getting around to learning the game. “I just started. Liam’s my coach, and he’s tough on me,” she said, smiling. “But that’s the goal, to spend time with kids. Hopefully one day I’ll get good enough to go out on the course with him.” View classes and volunteer opportunities with First Tee at firstteelowcountry.org  CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

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Ar ticle by B a rr y Ka u f m a n

ROCK N RIBS

Cowboy Mouth

Coligny’s celebration of music and barbecue brings back an island favorite

hen Cowboy Mouth takes the stage for Coligny’s Rock N Ribs Sunday, October 18, it will be more than another regional act drawn in by this annual festival of smoke and sound. It will be a return to Hilton Head Island for a band who witnessed our music scene at its most legendary. “We cut our teeth at the Old Post Office. It was us, Hootie (and the Blowfish), Edwin (McCain), (Better than) Ezra. … I remember playing a show there with Jason D. Williams where I jumped on his piano and it collapsed, so he destroyed my drums. It was nuts,” said Cowboy Mouth founder Fred LeBlanc. The band has been touring constantly since their initial flirtation with mainstream radio airplay in the late ’90s, developing a devoted following. Informed by their background in the musical melting pot of New Orleans, their music carries strains of notes from Dave Matthews to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, with LeBlanc describing it as “if the Clash and The Neville Brothers had a baby.” Those taking in their first Cowboy Mouth show during Rock N Ribs should know that audience participation is key. For example, you should probably stop by Rita’s beforehand so you’ll have a red spoon handy to throw at the band during their song, “Everybody Loves Jill.” It’s one of many traditions that fans have created around the band, and LeBlanc is all about it. “I’m the lead singer and drummer, so you can act as silly as you want because no one looks dumber than this idiot on the drums. The idea is to pull something out of people, let them cut loose and forget their worries,” LeBlanc said. “I had a good old boy pull me aside after a show a few years back who told me it was like a gospel tent revival without the religion. I liked that.” Joining Cowboy Mouth in bringing the controlled chaos of the Old Post Office era are mainstays Cranford Hollow, whose live shows are equally famed on Hilton Head. With the rock side of the equation firmly in hand, it will be local pitmasters Orchid “One Hot Mama’s” Paulmeier, Nick “Slowcountry BBQ” Fazio, and Lee “Local Pie” Lucier who will be bringing the heat with all-you-can-eat barbecue during the evening.

Orchid Paulmeier

Rock N Ribs 2026 will light up Coligny with Cowboy Mouth, Cranford Hollow, and all-you-can-eat barbecue from 3 to 5 p.m. October 18. Only 400 general admission tickets ($45) will be sold, and proceeds will benefit Second Helpings, fighting hunger and food insecurity in our community. “We’re excited because this the only event that showcases music and barbecue,” said Lucier, who also pulls double duty as COO for The Richardson Group, owners of Coligny. “Both are a passion for me and my team, and what better way to showcase them than with a national touring artist to make this the event of the year?” Rock N Ribs 2026 will light up Coligny with Cowboy Mouth, Cranford Hollow, and all-you-can-eat barbecue from 3 to 5 p.m. October 18. Only 400 general admission tickets ($45) will be sold, and proceeds will benefit Second Helpings, f ighting hunger and food insecurity in our community. To get your tickets, visit colignyplaza.com/events.  CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

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Article by Jesse Blanco . Photography by Maggie Washo

Hilton Head Under the Radar

e had a big announcement last month here in Savannah where I live. One of the most beloved restaurants in a city now overflowing with them has announced they will be leaving the space they’ve held for decades. Those of you who have visited 45 Bistro on Broughton Street in Savannah know of what I speak. Their last service at The Marshall House Hotel space will be on December 31. They hope to move to another location, but that information is TBA. We will keep you posted. Beloved in Savannah, 45 Bistro doesn’t spend a lot of time bringing in influencers, advertising, or otherwise pushing information through social media three or four times a day. It’s very much an “if you know you know” type of place in Savannah. We have a few. That said, it got me to thinking about similar locations on Hilton Head Island. The Italian spots get lots of welldeserved attention – as do Charlie’s, Alfred’s, and Wise Guys. What about those guys that do a great job but stay a little under the mainstream radar? We have a few. I’m sharing four here. As always, this is not a ranking – just places that should get your consideration if they do not already. Alexander’s Open since 1977 on a Palmetto Dunes lagoon, Alexander’s has outlasted plenty of island trends by keeping oddball staples like Wiener Schnitzel next to shrimp and grits. It has been through a full renovation and reopening under new ownership (in 2017) without losing its old-guard following, and it still pours from a 100-plus-bottle wine list alongside prime rib and short ribs.

Links, an American Grill I get looked at funny when I’m asked about steaks on the island and my f irst word is “Links.” When I’ve mentioned it in the past, some of you have taken to emailing me nastygrams. Guess what? I don’t care. Tucked inside the Harbour Town Golf Links Clubhouse, Links overlooks the ninth green of one of golf ’s most photographed courses – the same fairway RBC Heritage pros walk every April. It bills itself a Tuscan Steakhouse, pairing Chateaubriand carved tableside with a Wine Spectator-honored list. A rebuilt clubhouse gave it a fresh home in recent years. Executive Chef Sean Carroll is a rock star. Dinner at Links is one of my favorite treats in the region. Ruby Lee’s Every time I’ve been to Ruby Lee’s, there’s a nice crowd in there. Still, when you talk about spots for fried chicken, or live music, or great oxtail, I never hear anyone mention it. Named for the grandmother of founder Tim Singleton, a former athlete and coach, and his mother, Deborah Govan, Ruby Lee’s turned a family recipe box into Hilton Head’s go-to soul food and live music spot. Blues, jazz, and Sunday-worthy fried chicken share the bill on Old Wild Horse Road. Sunset Grille Started in the mid-90s by husband-and-wife team Linda and Hugh Lockman, Sunset Grille sits inside a marina and RV resort – hardly prime real estate on paper, yet it has built a cult following almost entirely by word of mouth. Garden & Gun once crowned its Bloody Mary among the South’s best.  CH2CB2MAGAZINE.COM

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C2 Magazine • Oct. 2026 Edition

Fun with the Fox guests will receive a signed copy of Where Sea Meets Sky, the latest book of art photos and poetry from Jeff Keefer, former chair of the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Fun with the Fox to support Parkinson’s research As the fifth annual Fun with the Fox event unfolds, the focus will be on how the quest to discover a cure for Parkinson’s disease is vast, but not at all distant. A panel of experts at the global, regional, and local levels will discuss the latest developments and engage questions from attendees, from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, October 6, at the Community Center in The Shops at Sea Pines Center. Refreshments will be provided by the award-winning Lulu Kitchen. Mark Frasier, chief scientist of the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s global research programs, will share an intimate discussion on the latest progress to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. “This year we plan to go straight to the punchline,” said organizer Jeff Keefer. “We could see that the folks who attended Fun with the Fox in the past were vitally interested in the information we presented.” Keefer, a Hilton Head Island resident, is former chair of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, and a noted art photographer. All guests will receive a signed copy of Keefer’s most recent book of photographic art and poetry, Where Sea Meets Sky. Tickets are available at FunWithTheFox.com, with all proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Lowcountry Communities to Honor Retired U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains William “Bill” Green, Jr. Community leaders, elected officials, military veterans, clergy, family, friends, and classmates will gather on Saturday, October 10, to honor one of the Lowcountry’s most distinguished sons, Chaplain (Major General) William “Bill” Green, Jr., United States Army. The public recognition ceremony, designated as Chaplain (Major General) William “Bill” Green, Jr. Day, begins at 1 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway on Hilton Head Island. The event and will celebrate Green’s extraordinary life of faith, military service, and leadership.

HOPE on the Horizon: A Sunset of Connection, Compassion, Community As part of its Southeast Region Family Gathering, HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response (HOPE AACR) will host a sunset dolphin cruise Friday, October 9, aboard the Vagabond, departing at 5 p.m. from Harbour Town. A limited number of tickets are available to locals who wish to learn more about the organization. HOPE AACR canine-handler teams and team leaders from across the Southeast will be on the island for the weekend centered on community service, learning, and connection. The teams and leaders will meet with local first responders earlier in the day. HOPE AACR is an all-volunteer organization that prepares and certifies canine-handler teams and team leaders to respond when people and communities are facing crisis, tragedy, and disaster. When requested, HOPE teams serve alongside f irst responders, emergency management, schools, healthcare organizations, communities, and other response partners. Together, the handler and canine bring a calming presence and opportunities for comfort, compassion, and connection when people may need it most. Teams are trained to work professionally in a variety of environments while respecting the needs, structure, and priorities of those they serve. This evening offers a chance to experience HOPE beyond the moments when our teams are called to serve – to meet the people and canine partners behind the mission and learn more about what they do. Adult tickets are $30 per person. Space is limited and available on a first-come, firstserved basis. Email martina50gp@gmail.com to purchase tickets. For more about the organization, visit HOPEAACR.com.

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Oct. 2026 Calendar

THURSDAYS

BLUFFTON FARMER’S MARKET 12-4 p.m. *Oct. 7 only - Wednesday, 12-4 p.m.* 68 Boundary Street FarmersMarketBluffton.org

Saturday

FISH & GRITS FESTIVAL 12-6 p.m. Lowcountry Celebration Park fishandgritsmusicfest.com

GULLAH FOOD FESTIVAL 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Gullah Museum gullahmuseumhhi.org

Coligny Center Stage

Thursday FIRST THURSDAY ARTISAN ALLEY 4-7 p.m. Shops at Sea Pines Center

1-25

“DEAR EVAN HANSON” Arts Center Artshhi.com

1,Thursday 8, 15 MUSIC & TASTE ON THE HARBOUR 6-9 p.m. Shelter Cove Harbour Free, bring your chair and canned goods for Deep Well

Saturday

FUN WITH THE FOX 6-8 p.m. The Shops at Sea Pines Center Community Center funwiththefox.com

ITALIAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Coastal Discovery Museum Iachh.org

GOT ART? 5-8 p.m. Art League of Hilton Head Tickets: artleaguehhi.org

HOUNDS ON THE HARBOUR 10 a.m.-noon Harbour Town hhhumane.org

Wednesday CONCERT FOR THE KIDS 6-9 p.m. Poseidon Rooftop Benefit for The Children’s Center thechildrenscentersc.org

9-10

Friday - Saturday KIWANIS CHILI COOK-OFF & JEEP ISLAND Friday: Meet & Greet, Lincoln & South Saturday: Main event, 12-3 p.m., Celebration Park 3 p.m. After Party, The Bank

9-18

HISTORIC BLUFFTON ARTS & SEAFOOD FESTIVAL Music, art, street party, tours, food blufftonartsandseafoodfestival.org

Saturday PALM TREES & PISTONS 9-11 a.m. Nala’s Beach Bar & Grill Free Car Show

Wednesday

3 Saturday

Tuesday

9 Friday JEVON DALY KIDS’ SHOW 5-7 p.m. Sun, Fri

Saturday

CRESCENDO KICKOFF CELEBRATION 5-7 p.m. Shelter Cove Park Arts, music, culture Free

14-16

ARTIST OF THE MONTH Brandon Finnorn in residence Palmetto Bluff info@pbconservancy.org

22-24

ROBERTO COIN TRUNK SHOW 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Forsythe Jewelers forsythejewelers.biz

Monday GOLF CLASSIC FUNDRAISER Palmetto Hall Golf Club pregnancycenterhhi.org Click on EVENTS to enter

OCT 29 - NOV 1 HHI CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE Port Royal hhiconcours.com

Friday VIM CIRCLE OF CARING GALA vimclinic.org

CB2 MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2026