cover notes
The image on our cover is a detail of a painting from the exhibit 'Manifesting the Spirit: The Visionary Art of Bruce Ingram,' on display at Penn Center now through November. For more information, see our story on page 11.
yWeekly
July 15 – July 28, 2026
ro w c o unt
LFounding Publisher and Patron Saint: Jeff Evans
Editor: Margaret Evans — Editor@LCWeekly
Marketing Director: Amanda Hanna — 843-343-8483 or Amanda@LCWeekly.com
Advertising Sales: Jere Russo — 401-787-3280 or JereRusso@gmail.com
Original Design: Lydia Inglett
Layout & Design: Amalgamated Sprinkleworks
Contributing Writers: Bradley Beck, Katherine Tandy Brown, Debbi Covington, Luke Frazier, Wendy Hilty, Jared Madison, Cele & Lynn Seldon, and Sutty Suddeth
What’s Happening Calendar: Staff – Editor@LCWeekly.com
Letters to the Editor, comments or suggestions can be addressed to: Lowcountry Weekly 106 West Street Extension, Beaufort, SC 29902 Call: 843-986-9059 or Email: Editor@LCWeekly.com
Lowcountry Weekly is published every other Wednesday and distributed throughout Beaufort County at various restaurants, retail locations, hotels and visitor’s centers. The entire contents of Lowcountry Weekly is copyrighted 2025 by P. Podd Press, LLC. No part may be reproduced without permission from the publisher. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. A stamped, self-addressed envelope must accompany all submissions expected to be returned.
Paul Slota, M.D., FACC, FSCAI
to Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists
Dr. Paul Slota, a board-certified, fellowship-trained interventional cardiologist, has joined Beaufort Memorial Heart Specialists, expanding access to advanced cardiac care across the Lowcountry.
With more than 30 years of experience in general and interventional cardiology, Dr. Slota brings extensive expertise in diagnosing and treating a wide range of heart conditions, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias and high cholesterol.
Early in his career, Dr. Slota was a founding physician of Hilton Head Heart, where he practiced for over a decade, caring for patients on Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton, as well as performing procedures in Savannah. He later relocated to Rock Hill, where he played a key role in establishing Carolina Heart Specialists and cared for patients there for nearly 20 years.
Board-certified
Interventional Cardiology
Doctor of Medicine
Jefferson Medical College (Now known as Sidney Kimmel Medical College) Philadelphia, Pa.
Residency
Internal Medicine
Cooper Hospital University Medical Center Camden, N.J.
Fellowship
Now returning to the region, Dr. Slota sees patients in Beaufort and Okatie and performs procedures at Beaufort Memorial, strengthening the health system’s ability to provide comprehensive, high-quality cardiac care close to home.
Cardiology & Interventional Cardiology
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Philadelphia, Pa.
At the practice, Dr. Slota joins board-certified cardiologists Drs. Stuart Smalheiser, Francis O’Neill and Terry Grainger, as well as board-certified physician assistant Tara Kay.
Singing For Our Lives
I took my daughter on a road trip to Alabama for the 4th of July. Actually, she took me.
My late husband always did the road trip driving, and Amelia has stepped into his role with surprising authority. I offered to drive part of the way, but she declined. Jeff didn’t like my driving, and apparently, she doesn’t either.
It’s fine by me. Even I don’t like my driving.
When Amelia drove us to Alabama at Christmas, we were a both a mess. We’d just lost her dad in September, and I think we cried most of the way to Mom’s. This time, it was different. This time we did a lot more laughing than crying. And not just because we saw more “Drunkards, Liars, and Fornicators are Going to Hell” billboards than usual.
We’re getting better.
One way I know that – besides the laughing – is that we also did a lot of singing on this trip. We sang our way to Alabama, and we sang our way back.
In between, we sang at my sister’s house on Stouts Mountain, near Hanceville, AL. No, not Huntsville. Hanceville. I’d never heard of it, either, until my sister and her husband built their charming farmhouse a few years ago. Incidentally, Stouts Mountain isn’t really a mountain. More like a very tall hill. But compared to the SC Lowcountry, it feels almost Everest-like.
And it’s a farmhouse, y’all. Who doesn’t love a farmhouse for the Fourth? There’s even an aspiring farm to go with it. Two gardens, a pond for fishing, and possible chickens in the future . . .
But back to the singing. Man, did we ever!
As a family of four musical sisters –with parents who church choired and community theatre’d – we’ve always been a bit more sing-songy than your average bears… with an emphasis on show tunes. (I’m sorry, but it’s true.) Throw in a couple
of teenage nieces who attend Charleston School of the Arts – as vocal majors – and perform regularly with the South of Broadway Children’s Theatre, and we can be downright obnoxious when we all get together.
This year, a new (old) sound entered the scene. Since I last saw them – or sang with them, anyway – two of my brothersin-law have become obsessed with yacht rock.
Unsure how to define yacht rock, exactly – though I know it when I hear it – I confess, reader, I turned to my arch nemesis/BFF, Google AI, which described it as “highly polished, West Coast-style soft rock from the late 1970s and early 1980s… defined by smooth, jazz-inspired harmonies, pristine studio production, and R&B influences.”
In other words – the pop music of my youth, which was later considered “elevator music,” before finding a cool new life – with a cool new name – back in the aughts.
We’re talking about artists like Hall & Oats, Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, and the godfather of yacht rock, himself, one Michael McDonald.
I did not know I liked yacht rock until my brother-in-law Don started blasting it by my sister’s pool, on a marvelous contraption that I, still stuck in the era when this music first occurred, can only refer to as a “jam box.” (I’m quite certain that’s not what it’s called.) We floated around in the pool for three days straight, drinking grapefruit & vodkas, singing loud and proud. (We were on a farm, remember, in the mountainous middle of nowhere. No neighbors to disturb.) Yacht rock is highly singable. And as it turns out, I know every single word to every single song. Hundreds of them. They’re just up there in my head, rattling around, taking up space that could probably be put to much better use. Who knew?
I have a feeling my bros-in-law, with
their deep affection for this musical genre, are no different from most middle-aged white guys across the USA, so the fact that yacht rock became our soundtrack for the Fourth weekend felt vaguely patriotic. This is AMERICAN music, right? You don’t actually have to own a yacht.
And while we’re avoiding any whiff of elitism, let’s avoid accusations of racism, too, by noting that we also listened to a ton of Michael Jackson at the farm. ‘Billie Jean’ seemed to be the family favorite singalong, though I have always been a ‘PYT’ girl, myself. Unless, of course, we’re talking about The Jackson Five, in which case I’d probably hawve to go with ‘I Want You Back’ or ‘The Love You Save.’
At some point, late every afternoon, a summer storm would swirl up and we’d drag our sunburned, waterlogged bodies to the farmhouse porch, where we’d bundle up in towels – or change into PJs – and put on some music, and sing some more. Typically, show tunes. Or Sara Bareilles. Or Sara Bareilles singing show tunes. (My sisters are big fans of Waitress.)
My brother-in-law, Ben Polk – of the Beaufort Polks, so you know he’s musical – is nigh-on reverent when it comes to the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic, Carousel. He’ll probably kill me for writing this, but I think he was actually praying as the rest of us sang along with Broadway’s latest Billy Bigelow (Joshua Henry) performing ‘Soliloquy.’ (‘My boy Bill, I will see that he’s named after me…I will…’ ) It may be a father-of-girls thing.
One afternoon, we watched a video of those girls, my nieces, performing in their school’s Spring Concert, which was Country-themed. Being members of the aforementioned Polk family, both girls had solos. Ellie crushed a stanza of 'Jolene' with her signature sass, and Sadie sang a verse of 'I Will Always Love You' like the angel she is. (Dolly Parton had better watch out for these two; they’re comin’ for her job.)
The rest of us allowed the girls to sing their solos – solo – then sang along with all the other numbers in the show. And we’re not even Country music fans.
All families do this, right? RIGHT?
On the way back to Beaufort, I grudgingly allowed Amelia to listen to the new Harry Styles album. (She was driving, after all, and had been such a good sport about the yacht rock and the show tunes.) I didn’t know the songs and couldn’t sing along, which was vexing. But not to worry. Soon enough, we came upon a lovely song Harry reportedly wrote about watching a friend hear ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ for the first time.
You know what happened then, don’t you, reader? Of course you do. At Mother’s urging, we steered away from the stylings of young Mr. Styles and were onto a Simon & Garfunkel song fest in short order. “Bridge,” “The Boxer,” “Mrs. Robinson,” and – of course – “America.” After that, it was ELO, Crosby Stills & Nash, The Allman Brothers (for Jeff), and Journey… all the way home. (Old Journey, not new. It matters.) Oh, and Boston. How could I forget Boston?
No self-respecting American of a certain age lets a good road trip come and go without bellowing “More Than a Feeling” at least a couple of times.
It simply isn’t done.
Margaret Evans is the publisher and editor of Lowcountry Weekly. She has been writing her award-winning column, Rants & Raves, for more than 25 years.
Margaret Evans
After Beaufort Debut, SSTI Turns to 'Oklahoma!'
And explores the meaning of community
After opening its nineteenth season in a new venue, the Southeastern Summer Theatre Institute has not only arrived in Beaufort; it has hit its stride.
SSTI’s June production of the Elvis-filled musical All Shook Up proved to be an irresistible hit with audiences, welcoming both longtime supporters and new patrons just discovering what’s been called “the minor leagues of Broadway.” For an organization that spent years producing award-winning musicals at Hilton Head High School, the move to Beaufort High School came with understandable questions. Would audiences follow? Would Beaufort embrace the company? The answer has been clear.
From the nightly standing ovations to the welcome SSTI’s staff and students have received throughout town, the company has quickly found itself at home in Beaufort. Restaurants, coffee shops, and local businesses have all added new flavors for SSTI’s visiting troupe. For a company that assembles working professionals and student performers and technicians from more than 35 states and three countries, that local support matters. SSTI does not simply perform in a community for a few weekends. It lives there, eats there, works there, and becomes part of the city’s daily rhythm.
Now, as rehearsals begin for the second production of the season, the spotlight shifts to a musical where questions of community, belonging, and home are appropriately at the very heart of the story.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! opens July 26 at Beaufort High School, bringing one of the defining works of American musical theatre to the SSTI stage. For SSTI, the timing feels fitting. In a summer defined by a new home, Oklahoma! offers a story about people learning what it means to belong to one another, in a brand-new territory.
The production is being directed by Tony Award nominee and South Carolina native Jenn Colella, who is making her SSTI directorial debut after many summers teaching with the program. While Colella’s Broadway career and Lowcountry roots bring a meaningful personal layer to the production, her focus in the rehearsal room is not simply to create a nostalgic production of this classic show. She is asking the company to look beyond the familiar title and famous songs, and to examine the people inside the story with curiosity.
“This show isn’t about a good guy and a bad guy,” Colella told the company at the start of the process. “I think Curly represents promise and what everyone thinks
By Addison Alberda
someone should be. I think Jud represents loneliness and the parts of us that sometimes we’re scared to look at as individuals and as a community. I’m interested in the choices people make, the judgments communities form, and the ways outsiders are created.”
That idea runs through Oklahoma! itself. The musical is filled with iconic images and beloved songs, from “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” to “People Will Say We’re in Love” and “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top.” But beneath its bright melodies is a story about a community deciding its identity; who does that include, and who is left outside?
This production will bring that world to life on the grand scale that SSTI audiences have come to expect. Set inside a giant barn, the stage is filled with 10,000 stalks of artificial wheat and made complete with a real surrey with the fringe on top. For founder and director Ben Wolfe, that detail is central to SSTI’s work. The company’s productions are designed to offer audiences the
scale and polish of professional theatre while giving young artists a rehearsal process led by Broadway performers, top educators, and working theatre professionals.
But for all its musicality and visual grandeur, Oklahoma! ultimately comes back to something deeply human: the delicate process by which a group of people becomes a community. That question gives the production a timely resonance during SSTI’s first summer in Beaufort, where the company has not only brought theatre into a new venue, but also begun building relationships throughout the city.
Onstage, Oklahoma! asks what it means for a group of people to become a community.
In Beaufort this summer, SSTI is gratefully finding a new community of its own. Oklahoma! opens July 26 at Beaufort High School, 84 Sea Island Parkway. Tickets and performance information are available at SummerMusicals.com or by calling 866-749-2228.
Colella and longtime SSTI Musical Director Andrew Austin in rehearsal on campus
Tony Award-nominee Jenn Colella in rehearsal for SSTI's 'Oklahoma!'
Let's Protect Our Trees
By Carolyn Jebaily
Dominion Energy’s severe cutting, some say “butchering,” of Beaufort’s trees is killing our old oaks. They say it is necessary “to maintain their power line easement.”
The large, old live oak trees along Sam’s Point Road on Lady’s Island have been especially hard hit. While I understand that the utility’s easement is 30 feet, this does not necessitate the removal of every green branch within that space. The severe tree cutting that this utility has practiced in the last 5 years is extremely damaging to trees especially when they are already so stressed by drought.
According to ANSI A300, (American National Standards Institute), the national tree care standards in the US, no more than 30% of a live oak’s canopy should be cut. These standards maintain the safety of power lines while preserving the health of the trees. Other “Tree Cities,” such as Gainesville, Florida, successfully implement these standards and do not allow utilities to compromise their urban canopy. Many of Beaufort’s iconic oak trees, some over 300 years old, have had 50 to 75% of their canopy removed simply because their branches extended into the easement. The “one-size-fits-all” approach is unconscionable to these heritage trees.
I have reached out on several occasions to top management at Dominion about their severe cutting practices and was told that the utility has a ‘County agreement’ that exempts them from our Beaufort tree protection standards and gives them the authority to cut anything within their easement. It is time to demand that our county review and make changes to this agreement. Complaining to Dominion is useless. It is the County that needs to stop Dominion’s current cutting practices and demand that our iconic live oaks be given special care and are respected and protected.If a more mindful approach to cutting these extraordinary trees is not adopted, we will lose these grand old oaks; the ones that make you stop and look up, the ones that make sitting in traffic bearable, the ones that shelter birds, give us shade and keep us cool, help control flooding, and survive our biggest storms. And sadly, we will lose the identity, the character, the heritage and beauty of the Lowcountry.
Call your Council member and demand that they protect our trees even from big Utilities.
Henri Ann Logan Attorney
Photos by Carolyn Jebaily
Carolyn Jebaily is a local artist/sculptor who has also worked in conservation.
Famlee Weekend Brings Global Gullah-Geechee Family Home to St. Helena
from 2025 by Margaret Evans
The Gullah/Geechee Nation invites the world to the epicenter of Gullah/Geechee culture—historic St. Helena Island, South Carolina—for Gullah/Geechee Famlee Weekend 2026, a two-day cultural homecoming rooted in ancestral legacy, artistic expression, intergenerational unity, and the living traditions of the Gullah/Geechee people.
Hosted in the heart of the Gullah/ Geechee Nation, this annual gathering will take place Friday, July 24, 2026, and Saturday, July 25, 2026, on the historic grounds of Penn Center, where generations have gathered, organized, taught, worshipped, created, and preserved the cultural soul of the Sea Islands.
Under the powerful theme “Hunnuh mus tek cyare de root fa heal de tree!”, Gullah/Geechee Famlee Weekend 2026 calls all Gullah/Geechee descendants, cultural supporters, families, artists, educators, elders, youth, entrepreneurs, and community members to reconnect to the roots that continue to nourish the tree of Gullah/ Geechee survival, self-determination, and cultural continuation.
“Disya da we Gullah/Geechee famlee reunion and a sacred cultural gathering,” said Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/ Geechee Nation. “When hunnuh come ta historic St. Helena Island, hunnuh da come ta de heart ob de Gullah/Geechee Nation. We call all de famlee home fa celebrate who webe, support we own, and keep de root strong fa de chillun yet ta come.”
The weekend begins on Friday, July 24, 2026, at 6 PM with the Gullah/Geechee CREATE Artists Collective Reception and Exhibition at the Dr. York W. Bailey Museum at Penn Center. This spirit-filled opening evening will celebrate Gullah/Geechee creativity, visual storytelling, cultural memory, and the brilliance of artists who continue to shape and preserve the cultural landscape. Featured artist Bruce Ingram will debut folk art as part of the exhibition, and guests will have the opportunity to meet the Gullah/Geechee CREATE Artists Collective, purchase the artwork, and participate in an art auction.
Tickets and registration for the Friday reception are available at: https://www.eventbrite.
com/e/1988660864178?aff=oddtdtcreator
On Saturday, July 25, 2026, from Noon to 3 PM, the celebration continues with Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day 2026 at Penn Center, 16 Penn Center Circle East, St. Helena Island, SC. This signature gathering is the annual reunion for Gullah/ Geechee people worldwide and a powerful invitation for families to return to the land, language, music, foodways, and traditions that define authentic Gullah/Geechee culture.
The day will feature authentic Gullah/ Geechee language, music, African drumming and dancing, food, books, art, handmade traditional items, cultural vendors, and famlee fun. DJ Kwame Sha of All Mobile Productions™, Wona Womalan African
Drummers and Dancers, Geechee Mayne, Marcus Allen, Beth Inabinett and For the Funk of It Band, and other cultural artists will help keep the rhythm moving and the crowd dancing beneath the oaks.
Traditional Gullah/Geechee culture keepers and business owners, including sweetgrass artist Anastatia Ketchens, painter Quadré Stuckey, and quilter Carolee Holmes Brown, will offer handmade Gullah/Geechee items. Native Gullah/Geechee vendors will also have books, T-shirts, cultural items, and Gullah/Geechee cuisine available for purchase, making this weekend not only a celebration but also a direct opportunity to support Gullah/Geecheeowned businesses.
Tickets and registration for Gullah/ Geechee Famlee Day 2026 are available at: https://www.eventbrite. com/e/1988660700689?aff=oddtdtcreator
The public is also encouraged to watch and share the Gullah/Geechee Famlee Weekend video here: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=BjeJTnQHAhk
Gullah/Geechee Famlee Weekend 2026 is a call to come home, to stand in cultural truth, to honor the ancestors, to celebrate the elders, to uplift the youth, and to continue the living legacy of the Gullah/ Geechee Nation. In a time when land, language, traditions, and sacred spaces continue to face pressure, this gathering affirms that the Gullah/Geechee people are still here, still rooted, still rising, and still moving forward together.
All Gullah/Geechee families, descendants, community members, cultural supporters, and visitors who respect authentic Gullah/Geechee culture are invited to attend, register early, bring the elders and the children, support the vendors, and come prepared for a blessed-up time fa tru.
“E gwine be a Gullah/Geechee Famlee good time! Cum celebrate who webe!”
About the Gullah/Geechee Nation
The Gullah/Geechee Nation is the internationally recognized nation of Gullah/ Geechee people whose homeland extends along the Sea Islands and coastal areas from North Carolina to Florida. Led by Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/ Geechee Nation, the Gullah/Geechee Nation works to protect and continue Gullah/ Geechee land, language, cultural heritage, sacred sites, waterways, foodways, arts, and traditions for current and future generations.
For Tickets & More Information
Gullah/Geechee CREATE Artists Collective Reception and Exhibition: https://www.eventbrite. com/e/1988660864178?aff=oddtdtcreator Gullah/Geechee Famlee Day 2026: https://www.eventbrite. com/e/1988660700689?aff=oddtdtcreator Gullah/Geechee Famlee Weekend Video:https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=BjeJTnQHAhk
Photos
Museum Opens Photo Exhibition on Rosenwald Schools
The Coastal Discovery Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, presents the photography exhibition A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4,978 Schools that Changed America. The exhibition opens on August 1 and will be on view through November 1, 2026.
The public is invited to a talk and reception with photographer and author Andrew Feiler on September 17. The talk begins at 5 pm, followed by a reception. The event ends at 7:30 pm. Admission to the museum is free.
A remarkable collaboration The Rosenwald Schools program was a partnership between Jewish philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and Booker T. Washington, prominent African American educator, leader, and founder of the
ADULT ART ADULT ART
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Tuskegee Institute. Between 1912 and 1937, this historic partnership helped fund the construction of nearly 5,000 schools for Black children in the segregated South and border states.
A Better Life for Their Children features photographs and narratives by Feiler, whose work documents surviving Rosenwald school buildings and tells the stories of people connected to them.
“This is an opportunity for visitors to learn about a significant but largely unknown chapter that connects American, Black, and Jewish history,” said Elizabeth Greenberg, Director of Exhibitions at the Coastal Discovery Museum. “A Better Life for Their Children reflects our mission to inspire people to have a deeper understanding of our region’s history and culture.”
Of the original 4,978 schools, only about 500 survive. To tell this story visually, Feiler drove more than 25,000 miles, photographed 105 schools, and interviewed dozens of former students, teachers, preservationists, and community leaders. Among the alumni of Rosenwald Schools are author Maya Angelou, civil rights activist Medgar Evers, and Congressman John Lewis, whose portrait is included in the exhibit.
“With a shared passion for education and social action, Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald reached across divides of race, religion, and region to make America a better place for all,” said Feiler. “Their remarkable accomplishments speak to us today. Individual actions matter.”
Nearly 500 Rosenwald Schools in SC South Carolina had 481 Rosenwald schools, more than any other state except North Carolina and Mississippi. Every county in the state had at least one Rosenwald school, including the Robert Smalls School in Beaufort, whose legacy lives on through the Robert Smalls Leadership Academy.
A complementary exhibit in the Sea Island Room, Bringing Back the Light, by Charleston-based physician and photographer Alan Nussbaum, documents the restoration of the Rosenwald School in St. George, SC.
Feiler’s award-winning book A Better Life for Their Children will be available for sale in the museum store. It is the first comprehensive photodocumentary of the Rosenwald Schools program.
Plan Your Visit to Coastal Discovery Museum
The Coastal Discovery Museum is located at 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island. The museum’s hours are Monday–
Saturday, 9 am–4:30 pm, and Sunday, 11 am–4:30 pm. Admission is free.
More About Andrew Feiler
Andrew Feiler is a photographer and author and fifth-generation Georgian. Having grown up Jewish in Savannah, he has been shaped by the rich complexities of the American South. Feiler has long been active in civic life. He has helped create over a dozen community initiatives, serves on multiple not-for-profit boards, and is an active advisor to numerous elected officials and political candidates. His art is an extension of his civic values. His photography is now part of the permanent collection of the Library of Congress as well as the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery. To learn more, visit www.andrewfeiler.com.
About Coastal Discovery Museum
The Coastal Discovery Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is an educational and cultural organization whose mission is to inspire people to care for the Lowcountry. Founded in 1985 and located on Hilton Head’s historic Honey Horn grounds, the museum offers year-round exhibitions, programs, hands-onworkshops, and events that explore Lowcountry history, wildlife, culture, art, and our fragile coastal environment. For more information, visit www.coastaldiscovery.org.
Penn Center to Screen Premiere of 'The Art of Believing'
New documentary headed to SCETV (PBS) in fall of 2026
A new documentary The Art of Believing screens August 1 at Penn Center’s Frissell Community House, highlighting the faith, artistry, and enduring legacy of three Sea Island artists.
BIFF Screenwriters Workshop
WHAT: A screening of the documentary The Art of Believing, a collaboration between NOW Communications and Harden Creative that explores the connection between faith and art through the stories of three Sea Island artists: Rev. Johnnie Simmons, Susan Stone, and John M. Bradley. The 30-minute screening will be followed by a Q&A and artist reception.
WHO: Hosted by Luke Frazier, Producer, and Sasha Horne Hirshout, Associate Producer. Featuring Sea Island artists Rev. Johnnie Simmons, Susan Stone, and John M. Bradley.
WHEN: Saturday, August 1, 2026, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
WHERE: Frissell Community House, Penn Center Campus, St. Helena Island, SC
WHY: The screening offers the Lowcountry community a rare chance to hear directly from three Sea Island artists whose deeply personal spiritual journeys, from Gullah pyrography to shamanic healing to spray-painted ministry art, shape everything they create. Free admission, $5 suggested donation benefits the York W. Bailey Museum.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Rev. Johnnie Simmons
Rev. Johnnie Simmons is a self-taught Gullah folk artist and ordained minister raised in the farming community of Frogmore on St. Helena Island. He graduated high school in 1969 and served as a paratrooper with the Army’s 173rd Airborne in Vietnam. Years later, while working through PTSD in a treatment program, he found an ordinary rock shaped like a lion’s head, an encounter that sparked a new way of seeing the world around him. Soon after, an impulse buy of a
wood-burning kit set him on a path as a pyrography artist. Simmons now etches Gullah folk scenes and biblical imagery into wood, often painting in vivid color and captioning his work in the Gullah language. His art has been shown at Penn Center, Four Corners Gallery, and other Lowcountry venues.
Susan Stone
Susan Stone is a Port Royal-based artist, author, and healer. She holds an associate degree in commercial art and spent decades working in advertising, landscape design, and kitchen design while continuing to paint and teach. In 2010, Susan was struck by lightning, an event that required eye surgery and, by her account, opened a deeper spiritual awareness that continues to inform her art today. She is a Certified Crystal Healer, Reiki Master, and Initiated Shamanic Practitioner, and founded The Arts Port Royal, a school offering classes in fine, mystic, and healing arts.
John M. Bradley
John M. Bradley has roots on St. Helena Island and is known for his large-scale spray-painted tunnel installation at the Technical College of the Lowcountry, celebrated for its striking depiction of historic figures. Bradley has since developed what he calls “Ministry Art,” using bold spray-painted imagery paired with biblical passages to carry messages of faith, often inviting viewers to look beneath the surface for a deeper meaning.
PRESENTED BY NOW Communications and Harden Creative
Free tickets and RSVP: The Art of Believing Screening Event https://www. eventbrite.com/e/ the-art-of-believing-documentary-screening-tickets-1993466448811
Rev. Johnnie Simmons
John M. Bradley
Susan Stone
Lowcountry Production Tells Forgotten American Revolution Stories
GullahnTraveling Theater, Inc. (GTTI)
As communities across the nation commemorate the 250th anniversary of American Independence, one Lowcountry theatrical production is ensuring that the stories of Gullah heroes and sheroes are no longer left untold.
Gullah Traveling Theater, Inc. proudly presents the acclaimed Da’ Gullah American Revolutionary Experience on Saturday, July 18, at the May River Theatre in Bluffton, with performances at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Presented as part of GTTI’s Gullah National Salute to Service, this original musical production shines a light on the overlooked contributions of the Gullah people during the American Revolution. Through dynamic storytelling, live music, humor, and historical interpretation, audiences encounter the courage, sacrifice, and determination of Black patriots whose lives helped shape the birth of the United States.
While many Americans know the names of Revolutionary War generals and statesmen, few have heard the stories of the enslaved and free Black men and women of the Lowcountry who navigated impossible choices in pursuit of liberty, family, and survival. Da’ Gullah American Revolutionary Experience brings those stories to life with authenticity, compassion, and unforgettable theatrical artistry.
Since its premiere, the production has captivated audiences throughout South Carolina and continues to earn enthusiastic praise for its powerful performances, historical significance, and educational value. Schools, community organizations, and history enthusiasts alike have embraced the production as a compelling addition to South Carolina’s observance of America’s Semiquincentennial.
“Our mission has always been to preserve and share Gullah history through the performing arts,” said Anita Singleton Prather, Founder and Executive Director of Gullah Traveling Theater. “These are American stories. They deserve to be remembered, celebrated, and passed from one generation to the next.”
More than entertainment, the production invites audiences to reflect on the complexity of freedom, the enduring strength of the Gullah people, and the remarkable contributions of those whose voices have too often been omitted from traditional history.
Whether attending with family, church, civic organizations, students, or friends, audiences will leave inspired by stories of resilience, courage, and hope that continue to resonate today.
Tickets for both Bluffton performances are on sale now. Because seating is limited, advance ticket purchases are encouraged.
Members of the media are invited to attend. Interviews with cast members, historians, and Gullah Traveling Theater leadership are available upon request. High-resolution photography, promotional materials, and additional background information are included in the accompanying press kit.
Performance Information
Da’ Gullah American Revolutionary Experience
Saturday, July 18, 2026
2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
May River Theatre, Bluffton, South Carolina
Tickets are available now.
Sponsored in partnership with Visit Beaufort and Discover South Carolina, supporting cultural tourism and heritage preservation across the region, and by South Carolina Arts Commission, and Dominion Energy
Tickets are on sale now. Reserve your seats today. Please visit: www.gullahkinfolktravelingtheater.org.
About Gullah Traveling Theater, Inc. Gullah Traveling Theater, Inc. is dedicated to preserving and presenting the rich history and culture of the Gullah Geechee people through original theatrical productions, music, and storytelling. By bringing history to life on stage, GTTI educates, inspires, and connects diverse audiences to the stories that shape our shared heritage.
Manifesting the Spirit
The Visionary Art of Bruce Ingram at Penn Center
Penn Center’s York W. Bailey Museum is proud to present Manifesting the Spirit: The Visionary Art of Bruce Ingram, the first major museum exhibition devoted to acclaimed South Carolina folk artist Bruce Ingram. Open since July 1 and continuing through November 30, 2026, the exhibition features a compelling collection of paintings and sculptures that transform family stories, reclaimed materials, and African American history into powerful works of contemporary folk art.
An opening reception with the artist will be held on Saturday, July 18, from 6:00–9:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, offering collectors, art enthusiasts, and members of the media an opportunity to meet Ingram and experience the exhibition firsthand.
Drawing inspiration from the griot tradition of oral storytelling, Ingram creates deeply personal works that preserve the voices, memories, and experiences passed down through generations of his family in rural South Carolina. His paintings and sculptural assemblages incorporate reclaimed wood and found objects, giving discarded materials new life while honoring the resilience, creativity, and cultural legacy of African American communities.
More than an art exhibition, Manifesting the Spirit is an exploration of memory, identity, and place. Through vivid imagery and richly textured compositions, Ingram invites viewers to consider how stories become history—and how art helps preserve both.
“Bruce Ingram’s work demonstrates the extraordinary power of visual art to preserve African American oral histories,” said Monique de La Tour, Curator of the Exhibit at the York W. Bailey Museum.
“Each piece reflects generations of lived experience while transforming everyday materials into lasting cultural testimony. This exhibition celebrates not only Bruce’s remarkable artistic vision, but also the enduring traditions that continue to shape our understanding of the past.”
Widely respected for his distinctive artistic voice, Bruce Ingram has earned recognition throughout the Southeast for works
that blend folk traditions, spirituality, memory, and history. Living and working in Horry County, South Carolina, he continues to create art that bridges generations while celebrating the richness of Southern African American culture.
As one of the nation’s most significant African American historic and cultural institutions, Penn Center provides a fitting home for this exhibition. Located on St. Helena Island in the heart of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, the museum continues its mission of preserving and interpreting the history and culture of the Sea Islands through exhibitions, education, and community engagement.
Exhibition Information
Manifesting the Spirit: The Visionary Art of Bruce Ingram
Exhibition Dates: July 1 – November 30, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, July 18, 2026 | 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Location: York W. Bailey Museum Penn Center 16 Penn Center Circle West St. Helena Island, SC 29920
Museum Hours: Tuesday–Saturday | 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
About Bruce Ingram
Bruce Ingram is an acclaimed South Carolina folk artist whose paintings and sculptural assemblages draw upon family narratives, African American oral traditions, and reclaimed materials to create works that are both historically resonant and deeply personal. A native South Carolinian, Ingram lives and works in Horry County, where he continues to develop a body of work recognized for its authenticity, craftsmanship, and cultural significance.
About Penn Center
Founded in 1862 on St. Helena Island, Penn Center is one of the nation’s most important African American cultural and historic landmarks. A National Historic Landmark District, Penn Center preserves the history, culture, and traditions of the Gullah Geechee people through education, exhibitions, community programming, and historic preservation.
Fresh from the Farm Stand
Fresh from the Farm Stand
I’m a summer girl. I don’t particularly love the heat, but I do love the abundant sunshine. And I absolutely adore the fresh local produce! One of my favorite morning adventures is to drive out to St. Helena Island to visit Dempsey Farms. After my last excursion, I came home with corn, squash, zucchini, eggplant, heirloom tomatoes, peaches and a bag of shelled peas. Fresh vegetables are the best! Even the deer who visit my yard daily, have been enjoying the leftover corn cobs and watermelon rinds. We’re blessed to have local farmers, farm stands, and farmers’ markets in our area. Take advantage of the summer bounty. It’ll be pumpkin season again before we know it.
Watermelon and Arugula Salad
More of a template than an actual recipe, measurements and quantities will depend on the size of your watermelon and cookie cutter. I used a piece of PVC pipe to cut my watermelon rounds. I like ‘em extra-thick. Don’t like feta cheese? Use blue, goat, or even fresh mozzarella instead.
Watermelon
Baby arugula
Feta cheese, crumbled
Fresh blueberries
Pine nuts, toasted
Balsamic glaze
Cut watermelon into slices. Use a cookie
cutter/biscuit cutter to cut watermelon circles for individual servings. Place watermelon rounds on a serving platter. Top each piece with arugula, feta crumbles, blueberries and pine nuts. Drizzle with balsamic glaze before serving.
Heirloom Tomato Tarts
Way back in the day, I used to sell these tarts at the Port Royal Farmers’ Market. I had a baked goods stand the year that it began. We had about 15 different vendors that summer. These days, the PRFM is a booming market and “the place to be” year ‘round on Saturday mornings.
1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry
1 (5.3-ounce) package Garlic and Fine
Herb Boursin Cheese
2 to 3 large ripe tomatoes
24 grape tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 egg yolk
Fresh basil, julienned
Thaw puff pastry in refrigerator. Bring Boursin cheese to room temperature to soften. Slice tomatoes into ½-inch slices, cut each slice in half. Slice grape tomatoes into small rounds. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unfold puff pastry and slice each sheet into 6 pieces. Use a paring knife to score a ½-inch border around each piece of pastry without cutting through.
By Debbi Covington
Spread the middle section of each tart with a thin layer of Boursin. Lay a slice of tomato on each tart. Fill empty spots with sliced grape tomatoes. Beat egg with a fork. Using a pastry brush, brush egg on the exposed
border of the puff pastry. Place tarts on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is puffed, flaky and golden brown. Sprinkle with julienned basil before serving. Serve warm or cold. Makes 12.
Candied Squash
My next-door neighbor’s grandmother used to make Candied Squash when we’d visit her river house in Bath, NC. I’ve looked high and low for years for a comparable recipe. This is how I learned to like squash when I was a kid. It’s SO good!
4 medium yellow squash
½ stick butter
1/3 cup water
1 cup light brown sugar
Wash and slice squash into ½-inch rounds. Place butter and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and stir to combine. Add squash and stir a couple of times to coat with butter-brown sugar mixture. Bring to a boil, then turn the burner to low and place lid on the saucepan. Cook for about 15 minutes or until squash is tender but not mushy. Remove squash with a slotted spoon and serve. Serves 4.
Fresh Peach Crisp
This is a super-easy recipe that doesn’t use oats. I made individual servings by dividing the ingredients between 8 ramekins and baking them for 30 minutes. I also don’t peel my peaches, but that extra step is totally up to you. Serve Fresh Peach Crisp with ice cream or whipped cream and be sure to garnish with fresh mint.
For the topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick cold butter
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the mixture with your fingers, until crumbly. Set aside.
For the filling:
8 to 10 fresh peaches
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and slice the peaches. Arrange peaches in a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over peaches and toss lightly, until well coated. Add the topping mixture and bake for about 50 minutes, or until crust is slightly brown and filling mixture is bubbling. Serves 8 to 10.
The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of three cookbooks, Celebrate Beaufort, Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina Moon. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 843-525-0350 or by email at debbicovington@gmail.com.
Jerk Be Nimble
“How much esoteric wisdom did it take to realize the point is to experience being human?” (@_Ioanna_donna_ on Instagram)
Wow, is that not a fair question that brings it all home? From the esoteric to the practical, but is there really any difference? This is the part where I give you an, “As above, so below…” or a, “The veil is thinning…” Yeah, that sounds right.
Legend has it that jumping over a lit candle without snuffing the flame out was originally a form of fortune-telling thought to bring about good luck. This is what Google tells you when you look up the real lyrics to “Jack Be Nimble”.
Just because someone is nimble enough to navigate a gauntlet faster than you doesn’t equate to authority. Often authority is either taken or rewarded, or both, to the loudest voice—the voice that talks over the real intelligence in the room because they yearn to be the most intelligent voice within earshot. If we were able to give these types a shot of truth serum, a huge inferiority complex would likely be revealed, along with a host of other bugga-boos. Oh yes, they are usually thinskinned, which is why they will often squash you like a bug.
What happens to the real talent in these
sitches? Ask yourself this question professionally, but it applies to any walk of life, really. How often do we mistake confidence for competence? I’ve posed this question about leadership, or lack thereof, before, but it bears repeating.
I’m going to quote good ole Ioanna again: “You mistake stillness for emptiness, because at one time, chaos was the only way you knew you were alive.” I submit many, including my introverted a$$ sometimes, is intimidated by the stillness. It’s spooky what you can hear when you cease or step away from the chatter. Never pass up the opportunity to meditate on stillness. Does your inner voice ever cease, or is it a constant “companion”? Just for today, worry about the tone of voice. After all, it’s not always what’s said and done, but HOW it’s said and done.
Why do I find safety in things that no longer support my soul? Hmm, that sounds like a question we all need to ask ourselves on the reg. Safety? Eek, when you say it that way…
So, when we think about the concept of time, where does our mind take us? Does time not move differently when we sleep? Maybe, maybe not, but our perception of it does. What about time when we’re on vacation or having fun? (Notice I made vacation
and fun into two different categories. The reader can fill in the blanks.) What about when we’re tired? Fatigue makes cowards of us all. How about that meeting that could have been and SHOULD HAVE BEEN an email? Some need to have a captive audience where their games can begin and end you. It’s good sport for them, I’m sure. Bloodsport for the rest of us, rest assured…
On a sidenote regarding time, I’m told it doesn’t exist outside of our reality. I say this to say not to feel like you are imposing on your guides, angels, and God when you ask for help. They have no such constraints. I digress…
We’ve all heard that 7 to 1 ratio of dog years versus human years, right? We can at least submit that not every creature on Earth experiences time the same way, but it sure is easy to assume and presume that another person sees time just as you do. Holy separation-anxiety, Batman! By that math, a dog experiences what feels to us like a week in a whole day. Puts things into perspective, doesn’t it? Extrapolate from there, if you dare. Kinda explains why a dog loses their s*** when we just bounce out to check the mail, if you think about it. If only that honeymoon period could last a lifetime…
And let’s be clear: It’s better to light a
by Sutty Suddeth WHOLLY HOLISTICS
thousand little candles than to curse the darkness. Perhaps we need to learn to love the questions of life. “When 900 years old you reach, look as good, you will not.” While you’re contemplating loving the questions of life, exhale that breath you’ve been holding since reading that sentence. It’s okay, you don’t need to have all the answers, or any of them, for that matter. Once you recognize you’re not required to have answers to these existential questions, always remind yourself of it when you’ve forgotten exhalations.
“Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.” (Horace Mann) I feel it boils down to asking the question: Have you ever really learned to welcome new beginnings—given a fresh start a chance? There are different ways of defining the term nimble, just as long as you take the time to ponder it.
Chris (Sutty) Suddeth is a retired Mr. Mom now working as your writer Reiki realtor. Follow him @thewriterrealtor on Instagram.
Pam Hagan
I'm Melting, Melting...
Lately when I am in the garden, those immortal words of the Wicked Witch of the West come to mind, but not because someone has thrown water on me. Quite the contrary, I wish someone would throw a bucket of water on me! The heat and humidity definitely “get” to me these summer days. I am doing my gardening most days early in the morning before the sun hits my southwest facing yard.
Here are a few things to watch for in your gardens during this steamy time of the year:
Irrigation – For heavens sake, if we get one of those afternoon thunderstorms, turn off your irrigation. More plants are killed from too much water than too little. Rain water is much better for your plants than county water with its chemical treatments, but too much of a good thing is just too much of a good thing. Root rot and fungal diseases are very real problems right now. If you do need to irrigate, remember that early in the morning is the best time – before the sun heats up the soil. Our water department does request that you not water between 3AM and 9AM. Water either earlier than 3:00 or after 9:00 although this is not ideal. If you water in the evening, moisture can cause some disease issues and if you water in the heat of the day, most of it evap-
orates before the plant is able to take the water up from the roots. When the night temperatures get above 70, our poor plants continue to engage in transpiration all night long. Think of how exhausted you would be if you panted all night long.
Unfortunately, the symptoms of over watering and under watering are the same – droopy leaves. If plants are too dry, the leaves droop because they are not getting moisture. If plants are too wet and the roots have rotted, the leaves also droop because the roots are unable to bring water up the stems. A moisture meter is a good investment although I just put my finger down into the soil to see if it is moist or dry.
Mulch – Mulching is always helpful to keep the soil cooler. I have been using mushroom compost as a mulch. It helps to enrich the soil as the nutrients leach down, it keeps weed growth down, and it will keep the soil cooler. Shredded bark mulch or pine straw are perfectly fine mulches and will also break down eventually to help the soil.
Weeds – Weeds love hot and moist conditions. The worst weed you will see now is Chamber bitter. This innocuous looking lit-
tle weed has hundred of seeds under its stems and can grow to six feet tall. It spreads like crazy, but fortunately can be easily pulled out when young. Dog fennel grows well here and looks like a small fluffy tree. Various spurges will try to take over your garden beds as well. Pull, pull, and pull. Do not compost these unless your yard waste goes to a professional composter where the temperature is so high that weed seeds will be killed.
Sad Plants – Some of your plants may look sad right now. It is fine to cut them back. I have cut my geraniums (Pelargoniums) way back and put them in the shade. When the weather gets cooler, they will come back. I have also cut down some salvias that look tatty. It will not hurt plants to
By Wendy Hilty
have a summer haircut. Keep on with deadheading flowers. This signals the plant to produce more blooms.
Fertilizer – With our poor plants in a constant state of transpiring (or breathing to put it in human terms), you may need to fertilize. I try not to and opt to just depend upon compost for nutrients. In the middle of summer though, plants will need a pick me up. Container plants will definitely need a slow release fertilizer. Do not use a liquid as it will just wash away. Granular is better to use.
These are just a few tips to help you get through these drippy, three t shirt, two shower days. Remember to hydrate yourselves as well as your plants and we will survive.
Wendy Hilty is a Master Gardener and member of the Lowcountry Master Gardeners organization. She is also a member of the Royal Horticultural Society and likes to spend her time attempting to grow an English Cottage Garden in our heat and humidity. Her Comyagardener blog won a state-wide award from Clemson University last year. Wendy firmly believes that the most important tool for a gardener is a good sense of humor.
- Sun: 11am-9pm
LowCountry Midwifery Services Celebrates 100th Birth
LowCountry Midwifery Services proudly announces a major milestone as Certified Professional Midwife Sara Edwards facilitates her 100th homebirth, just weeks before marking four years in solo midwifery practice.
Since founding her independent homebirth practice in June 2022, Edwards has provided personalized, relationship-centered maternity care to families throughout the Lowcountry and Coastal Empire. The milestone reflects not only 100 babies welcomed into the world, but also hundreds of prenatal visits, postpartum appointments, educational consultations, and lasting relationships with the families she serves.
Edwards began her holistic birth work journey in 2012 as a doula, supporting women and families through pregnancy, labor, and postpartum recovery. She later earned a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery from The Midwives College of Utah, became a Certified Professional Midwife, and established LowCountry Midwifery Services.
“Reaching 100 births in less than four years of solo practice is incredibly humbling,” Edwards said. “Each family who chooses midwifery care places an extraordi-
nary amount of trust in me. This milestone belongs to every mother, father, baby, mentor, colleague, friend, and family member who has been part of this journey.”
The achievement follows a period of remarkable personal and professional perseverance. While building her practice, Edwards overcame significant challenges, including the loss of her home in a devastating fire and periods of public scrutiny. Throughout those experiences, she remained dedicated to supporting families and advocating for safe, evidence-informed community birth options across the Lowcountry and Coastal Empire.
Known for her holistic approach to maternity care, Edwards emphasizes informed consent, shared decision-making, education, nutrition, and individualized support throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpar -
tum period. Her work reflects a commitment to preserving birth choices while honoring the long tradition of community-based midwifery.
In addition to serving families, Edwards is a founding member of Lowcountry Birth Collective and was recently elected Vice President of the Palmetto Association of Licensed Midwives (PALM), where she advocates for maternal health, professional ac-
After four years in solow midwifery practice, Sara Edwards recently facilitated her 100th homebirth.
countability, and expanded access to midwifery care throughout South Carolina.
“As I celebrate this milestone, my focus remains exactly where it has always been—supporting healthy mothers, healthy babies, and strong families,” Edwards said. “I am honored to be part of their stories and grateful for the trust they continue to place in me.”
About LowCountry Midwifery Services
LowCountry Midwifery Services provides comprehensive maternity care for low-risk families seeking personalized prenatal, birth, postpartum, and newborn care. Founded by Certified Professional Midwife Sara Edwards, the practice serves families throughout South Carolina’s Lowcountry and Georgia’s Coastal Empire with an emphasis on informed choice, relationship-centered care, and physiologic birth.
Classifieds Classifieds
TO RENT or OWN
ITALY: Tuscany townhouse for rent by the week in historic UNESCO village. Sleeps 4, large furnished garden, easy walk to shops and excellent restaurants. www.cozyholidayrentals.com or 401-862-2377.
FURNISHED LUXURY APT In the heart of downtown Beaufort. 2BR, 2BA, W/D, Housewares. Please call 843-812-4229.
FOR RENT ON FRIPP 371 Speckled Trout Rd, Charming coastal retreat! Enjoy serene water views, mod -
ern amenities, a fully equipped kitchen, spacious living, and quick access to fishing, beaches, and local dining. $3,500/mo. Call Diana Lopez at 276-6851260. Relaxation awaits!
CLASSES & SEMINARS
FREE HYPNOSIS/HYPNOTHERAPY INFORMATION session and guided group meditation workshop. This free session will focus on stress reduction and relaxation. Open to the public, every 3rd Monday of the Month, at 7 pm Eastern via Zoom. Bring a friend, learn more and RSVP for Zoom Link at www.guidepathhypnosis.com or contact Chris at chris.guidepath@gmail.com
BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY ONGOING PROGRAMS & CLASSES Stitch Happens, Mondays @ 1:30, Bluffton; Basic Computer Skills Class 1st & 3rd Fridays @ 11:30am, Lobeco; Dungeon & Dragons Teen Club Mondays @ 4; Teen Gaming Club 1st & 3rd Wednesdays @ 4.
FRIDAY SOCIAL DANCES: The Hilton Head Carolina
Shag Club hosts Friday dances from 6-9 pm at Christ Lutheran Church (HEINRICHS HALL) , 829 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head. The Shag dance is the state dance of South Carolina. If you know it, come dance with us. If you don’t know it, we’ll teach you!! We have regularly scheduled classes. $8 Cover fee. Bring your own Food and Beverage. DJ’s provide EXCELLENT music! We have many annual events and dance parties. Come have some fun!!! www.hiltonheadshagclub. com.≠
ART LEAGUE OF HH CLASSES & WORKSHOPS With over 25 local professional art educators, and guests from around the world, Art League of Hilton Head offers classes and workshops in all media for all levels of students. Visit www.artleaguehhi.org or email academy@artleaguehhi.org for more info.
POTTERY CLASSES IN BEAUFORT McSweeney Clay Studio offers morning, afternoon and evening classes for children and adults. Pottery dates and parties available as well. Classes are on going. Beginner or advanced welcome. mcsweeneyclaystudio.com or call 843-694-2049.
LOWCOUNTRY SHAGGERS Mondays - Holiday Inn, 2225 Boundary St. 6-9pm. Shag Lessons with Tommy & Sheri O'Brien and others. Occasional Ballroom and once a month Line Dance. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced lessons. Open dancing after lessons. Visit www.lowcountryshaggers.com or lowcountryshaggers@aol.com
WEDNESDAYS, BEAUFORT SHAG CLUB meets evenings at AMVETS, 1831 Ribaut Rd., Port Royal from
7-9pm, and the 2nd Sat. of the month 7-10pm. Free lessons to members Sep. to June. Visit The Beaufort Shag Club on Facebook
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
FREE VESSEL SAFETY CHECK by local members of the America's Boating Club of Beaufort. If your boat passes, you will receive a VSC decal to mount on your boat that will be visible to other boaters and maritime law enforcement personnel. Contact safety@beaufortboatingclub.com
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to staff The Lending Room, 954 Ribaut Rd across from Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Help us receive donations of gently used medical equipment and distribute them to those in need. We need to staff our showroom M-F 9:30-3:30 and Sat. AM. Shifts only 3 hours long. No experience is required but a familiarity with commonly used medical equipment helpful. Training will be provided. If you are looking for a rewarding volunteer job, learn about TLR and find volunteer application forms at lendingroombft.com or call Barbara at 314-660-4233.
LOCO SCRIBBLERS 3:00 5:00 p.m. every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. Are you a scribbler (professional or hobby writer)? Check out our small, informal Beaufort area writers club. All skill and subject levels welcome: fiction, short stories, poetry, non-fiction, and memoirs. Free. Call or email for more info and meeting location in Port Royal: beaufdick@gmail.com or 843-322-0616.
SEA ISLAND ROTARY CLUB has a 12:15 lunch meeting every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Lady’s Island. Social gathering every 3rd Tuesday at 5:30 pm, locations vary and posted on our website. For more information about the Rotary Club of Sea Island please visit our website at www.seaislandrotary.org
BRIDGE CLUB at the Beaufort Branch Library Wednesdays at 11am. Join a session for beginners new to the game, other sessions will provide some instruction and we will learn as we play. Join us if you want to learn a new game, practice your skills, or need more players. Call the Library at 843-255-6458 for more information.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for military lounge at the Savanna/Hilton Head Airport operated by a cadre of volunteers. The former USO Lounge is now “Savanna Salutes,” and continues to provide a respite for travelling active duty, retired and reserve military, veterans and families. We need volunteers to keep the lounge open from 8 am to 9 pm, 7 days a week. There are 3 shifts each day, with 2 volunteers for each. Interested? Info and application forms are at the www.savannahsalutes. org or contact Tedd Sheyda at (843) 368-2341. or TSheyda@savannahsalutes.org The airport provides free parking.
VETERANS FIRST THRIFT STORE is in need of volunteers. Summer hours are Thursday thru Saturday10am-4pm. Volunteer hours are very flexible! Stop in the store at 612 Robert Smalls Parkway to fill out a volunteer application or call the store at 843-263-4218. Please consider helping this very worthwhile organization!!
SECOND HELPINGS seeks volunteers to crew trucks in Bluffton and Beaufort to distribute food to local charities. Offering a flexible schedule at your convenience. Email officeadmin@secondhelpingslc.org
BEMER LONGEVITY TECHNOLOGY 9a Wednesdays via Zoom. Seen the buzz on “life span VS health span”? Want to grow better, not older? Haven’t heard of BEMER yet? Come for Q&A about how this longevity-enhancing
medical device can enhance your health, fitness and overall well-being in just 8 minutes 2X/day. Offered by BEMER Specialist - Human & Equine, Elizabeth Bergmann. Text 410-212-1468 to get the Zoom link. Free. CARIS HEALTHCARE: WE HONOR VETERANS Hospice Program. You a Vet with a little time to share with other Vets with limited time? The We Honor Veterans program seeks volunteers who are Vets to offer a listening ear for our Veteran patients. Volunteers also participate in our Pinning Ceremonies for Veteran patients. Contact 843473-3939 or smilliken@carishealthcare.com
SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY: Non-denominational meditation, silent prayer and healing group forming. All welcome. No meditation experience needed. 843-489-8525.
HABITAT RESTORE NEEDS VOLUNTEERS We're looking for volunteers. Cashiers, sales floor associates, donation processing, donor data entry, and donor ambassadors. Visit lowcountryhabitat.org/volunteer or call 843-525-0055.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for Calhoun Station Thrift Store in Bluffton. All funds generated are returned to other nonprofits in the community. Open Wed & Sat 10am to 1pm at 77 Pritchard St. Volunteers can stop by or contact Cate Taylor, 843-310-0594 or catetaylor@frontier.com
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for HELP of Beaufort, 530 Charles St. Looking for committed volunteers for clothes sorting, pantry help, front desk help and Mobile Meals drivers. We are open M-F from 9:30-12:30, Mobile Meals delivers to home bound seniors 5 days/week, routes takes about 30-45 mins. Email Lori at helpbeaufort@gmail.com, or call 843-524-1223, or stop in and fill out an application.
PORT ROYAL MUSEUM is open Thursday through Sunday at 1634 Paris Ave., from 10 - 3 or upon request. Free admission! Call 843-524-4333 or email historicportroyalfoundation@gmail.com to request a special opening.
PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP - First Thursday of the month at Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Center, from 1:30-2:45pm, 900 Ribaut Rd. Beaufort. We're individuals with Parkinson’s, care partners of those with Parkinson’s, and individuals or companies providing products or services for Parkinson’s patients. For more info: Rick Ostrander at pdawaresc@gmail.com or Facebook at Parkinson’s Support Group Of Beaufort SC Port Royal & Lady’s Island.
TOUR HISTORIC FORT FREMONT – Running through July, the Fort Fremont History Center will expand operating hours to Thursdays from 1 to 4 pm, Fridays from 1 to 4 pm, Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm, and Sundays from 1 to 4 pm. No admission fee. Docent-led tours are available by request. The Fort Fremont Preserve is open from dawn to dusk, Monday through Sunday. A self-guided walking tour is available for smartphones from the Apple or Google Play stores. For more information or to download the app, visit www.fortfremont.org
US COAST GUARD AUXILIARY, Flotilla 07-10-01, Port Royal Sound, a uniformed, all volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard. We conduct safety patrols, assist search & rescue, teach boat safety, conduct free vessel safety checks and other boating activities. Monthly meetings are open to all and held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at the Port Royal Sound Foundation classroom at 7pm. For info call Flotilla Commander Pattie McGowan (706-633-6192) and on FacebookUSCGA Beaufort.
BEAUFORT TOASTMASTERS CLUB meets from 5:30 pm - 6:45 pm the first & third Tuesday, in the Beaufort College Building, Rm. 103 (USC-Beaufort Campus), 801
Carteret Street, Beaufort. To learn more visit beauforttoastmastersclub.toastmastersclubs.org
FREE ACUPUNCTURE FOR VETERANS – Veterans, Active Duty, Transition. Their Families and First Responders are Eligible. First & Third Wednesday 46pm. Walk In Clinic. No Need to Pre-Register or Call. Nourishing Health Acupuncture and Herbs Clinic. 1214 Prince Street, Downtown Beaufort.
CRESCENT HOSPICE SUPPORT GROUP: Last Wed. and Thurs. of the month. Weds. 10-11am at Sun City; Thurs. 12-1pm Brookdale Hilton Head Ct., Hilton Head; for those who provide physical, emotional or practical support to a family member or friend. Jodi Johnson, LMSW. Bereavement Group: 5-6 pm., Fridays, 10 Buckingham Plantation Drive, Suite A, Bluffton; for those who have experienced a loss and would like support and info associated with grief and bereavement. Corrie VanDyke, LMSW or Marie James, MA. 843-757-9388.
INTERESTED IN HEALTHY EATING? Second Helpings, of Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper counties, seeks committee members and chairperson for Healthy Food Program. Funding available to procure fresh produce and protein for the 60 food pantries and soup kitchens served by Second Helpings. Contact Exec. Dir. Lili Coleman, 843689-3616 or execdirector@secondhelpingslc.org
BORN TO READ working for early childhood literacy, needs volunteers to deliver books and materials to new mothers at Coastal Community Hosp., HH Hosp., and BMH. Visits are from 10am – noon. More info at borntoread.org or call 843-379-3350.
THE LITERACY CENTER is seeking volunteers to tutor adults in reading, writing, math and ESL. Students hope to acquire skills to pursue life goals, support families, and contribute to our community. Daytime and evenings in Bluffton and HHI. Call 843-815-6616 (Bluffton); 843-6816655 (HHI). No teaching, tutoring or other language knowledge necessary. www.theliteracycenter.org
THE SANDALWOOD COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY. Volunteer-based, non-profit provides groceries, clothing and basic items to ANYONE in need. Open Tuesdays 9am12pm at 114 Beach City Rd., Hilton Head. Donations of food and funds needed. For info: Rev. Dr. Nannette Pierson at 843-715-3583 or sandalwoodpantry@gmail.com
PARRIS ISLAND MUSEUM. The legacy of the Marine Corps and the history of the Port Royal region. Thousands of artifacts, images, and other materials illustrate the stories in exhibit galleries from Native American to modern Marines. FREE admission. Mon-Sat 10am4:30pm and 8am on Graduation Days. Closed Federal Holidays. Info at parrisislandmuseum.org or 843-228-2166.
CHRIST CENTERED RECOVERY MEETINGS At Praise Assembly Church Fridays for “Celebrate Recovery”, addressing life’s problems by looking to scripture. Meal at 6pm; Praise, Worship; Big Meeting. 6:30pm; Small Groups at 7pm. 800 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort. Info at 205-475-3600 or 303-521-1891.
ALZHEIMER'S FAMILY SERVICES OF GREATER BEAUFORT, Support Groups: Caregiver - Friday, 12:30 p.m., Living with Alzheimer's - for those in very early stages - Mondays 1:00 p.m., Respite Programs: Social Day Program 10:00 a.m. - 1:45 p.m. $45 Day Fee, Tuesdays and Fridays. Meetings at Carteret Street Methodist Church, 408 Carteret St., Beaufort; In Home - Respite Aides available for 2 hr. minimum, $14-$27. Early Memory Loss: Maintain Your Brain2nd and 4th Thursdays, 10-11:30 a.m., $10/person, $15/couple, Carteret Street Methodist Church, Beaufort; Memory Screenings available call 843-521-9190 or make an appointment, 1500 King St, Beaufort, free; Purple Haven ProjectEducate local establishment staff to better interact with a person with Alzheimers call 843-521-9190.
BEAUFORT/PORT ROYAL
Foolish Frog, 846 Sea Island Pkwy, St. Helena Island. (843) 838-9300. Foolish Frog on Facebook
Luther’s Rare & Well Done, 910 Bay Street. (843) 521-1888 or Luther's on Facebook
Q on Bay, 822 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 524-7771 or www.qonbay.com
Rosie O’Gradys Irish Pub, in Beaufort Town Center. Irish American Sports Pub & Eatery. C'mon down! Rock & Roll Lunch. Monday - 25% Off Burgers; Tuesday - 25% Off Fish & Chips. Wed, Fri & SatKaraoke. (843) 379-7676 or Rosie's on Facebook
Saltus River Grill, 802 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 379-3474 or www.saltusrivergrill.com
BLUFFTON/HILTON HEAD
Big Bamboo, Coligny Plaza. (843) 686-3443 or www.bigbamboocafe.com
Captain Woody’s, 14 Executive Park Rd., Hilton Head, 843-785-2400; OR - 17 State of Mind St., Bluffton, . Tuesdays - Chris Jones, Wednesdays - Trivia. Thursdays - Jevon & Andy. www. captainwoodys.com
The Jazz Corner, Village at Wexf1ord, Hilton Head. Sundays - Deas Guyz; Mondays - A Journey Through Jazz with The Martin Lesch Band; Tuesdays - Fat Tuesdays: A Swingin' Celebration of New Orleans and Beyond; Wednesdays -Quiana Parler w/Lavon Stevens Trio; Thursdays - Lavon Stevens with Louise Spencer. Check website for other dates. (843) 842-8620 or www.TheJazzCorner.com
OUT OF TOWN
The Music Farm, 32 Ann Street, Charleston. For live music schedule, call (843) 853-2252 or www.musicfarm.com
The Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston. For live music schedule, visit (843) 571-4343 or www.charlestonpourhouse.com
Windjammer, 1008 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms. For live music schedule, call (843) 886-8596 or visit www.the-windjammer.com
Editors Note: Events listed here may be subject to postponement or cancellation. Please check for further information.
FILM/THEATER/DANCE
Now - 8/9, Mean Girls: The Musical, at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. For tickets and more information, visit www. artshhi.com
Now - 7/5, All Shook Up: A New Musical Comedy, produced by the Southeastern Summer Theatre Institute at Beaufort High School. For more information, times, and tickets, visit www.summermusicals. com or call 866-749-2228.
Sat 7/18, Da Gullah American Revolutionary Experience, presented by GTTI, at the May River Theatre, Bluffton. Shows at 2pm and 6pm. Tickets available at www. gullahkinfolktravelingtheater.org
Tues 7/21, Lights Out Present a Tribute to Frankie Valli & More. The nation's #1 tribute to Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. Tight harmonies, soaring falsettos, audience participation, and comedy. Tickets are $32 and are available at www.uscbcenterforthearts.com
Mon 7/27, 'The Ballad of Wallace Island' will be the Monday Movie at USCB Center for the Arts. Screenings at 3pm and 7pm. Tickets available at the door, or at www.uscbcenterforthearts.com
Sat 8/1, The Art of Believing, a new documentary about the faith, artistry, and legacy of three Sea Island artists, will be
screened at Penn Center's Frissell Community House from 1 - 2:30 pm. For free tickets and more information, visit eventbrite.
GALLERIES/ART
Now - 8/31, Betty Thorpe Hintz exhibit at Fair Winds Bar & Grill in Rose Hill Plantation, Bluffton. For more information, visit www.sobagallery.com
Now - 7/24, A Feathered Focus, featuring wildlife photography by Morgan Thompson. Opening reception Wed 6/24, 5-7pm. Art League of Hilton Head Gallery, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head. 843-681-5060
Now - 8/30, Wings Over the Lowcountry, an exhibit of artwork by John Meckley, at the Beaufort Art Association Gallery. Opening Reception Friday 7/3, 5-8pm. 913 Bay Street in downtown Beaufort. www.beaufortartassociation.com
Now - 8/1, Quiet Contemplation with Expressive Flair, a collaborative exhibition featuring paintings by Virginia Cassidy and handcrafted jewelry by Doris Jones Vargas. Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA) Gallery in Old Town Bluffton. Opening Reception Fri 7/10, 4-6pm. www.sobagallery.com
Now - 11/30. Manifesting the Spirit: The Visionary Art of Bruce Ingram at the York W. Bailey Museum at Penn Center. Opening Reception Sat 7/18 from 6-9pm.
7/21 - 7/31, Halfway Home: An Art Exhibit Supporting Sea Turtle Patrol HH at Art League Academy. Featuring sea turtle themed artwork. Closing Reception, Fri 7/31, 5-7pm . 106 Cordillo Parkway, Hilton Head. 843-842-5738.
7/28 - 8/28, Finding Light, an exhibit of artwork by L. Robert Stanfield at Art League Gallery inside the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina on Hilton Head. Opening Reception Wed 7/29, 5-7 pm. www.artleaguehhi.org
Sun 8/23, Entry Deadline for SOBA's 32nd Annual Judged Show & Fundraiser. For more information visit www.sobagallery.com or call 843-757-6586.
BOOKS & WRITERS
Wed 7/15, Family Reading Circle (third Wednesdays). Toddlers - 10 year olds. Prizes & Refreshments! 3:30 - 5:30 pm at the Beaufort Bookstore, 2127 Boundary St, Beaufort. www. beaufortbookstore.com
Sat 7/25, Books & Bites, Paul Attaway (Atkins Family Dramas), 4:30-6:30pm at the Beaufort Bookstore. Meet & Greet w/refreshments. 2127 Boundary St, Beaufort. www.beaufortbookstore. com
Thur 7/30, Evening with Paul Attaway, author Blood Rivalry, at the Pat Conroy Literary Center , 601 Bladen St. in downtown Beaufort. 5 - 6:30 pm.. Space is limited, so please reserve your spot by calling 843-379-7025. Visit www.patconroyliterarycenter.org
MUSIC
Tues 7/21, Lights Out Present a Tribute to Frankie Valli & More. The nation's #1 tribute to Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. Tickets are $32 and are available at www. uscbcenterforthearts.com
OTHER EVENTS
7/17 - 7/26, 70th Annual Beaufort Water Festival in Waterfront Park. For a full schedule, visit www.bftwaterfestival.com
Sat 7/25, Giveback Day at The Sunshine Playhouse. Sponsored by Lowcountry Autism Evaluation Fund. For more information visit www.thesunshineplayhouse.com
7/24 & 7/25, Gullah-Geechee Famlee Weekend 2026 at Penn Center. Arts, music, drumming, dancing, food, etc. For a full schedule of events and more information, visit eventbrite.
Last Saturdays in July, August & Sept, ROOTED: Summer Concert Series at at Historic Penn Center on St. Helena Island, featuring live music, food vendors, cultural experiences rooted in Gullah-Geechee heritage, and more. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the gate. For more information, visit www. penncenter.com
Tuesdays, Tours of Hunting Island sponsored by Friends of Hunting Island Keeper Ted and his team. For info call the Nature Center at 843-838-7437. Tours free are and park entry fees apply.
Third Thursday, TECHconnect is a monthly networking event for professionals working in and around technology. Come join the conversation at BASEcamp 500 Carteret 5:307:30pm. 843-470-3506. www.beaufortdigital. com
Thursdays, History Tours of Fort Mitchell by Heritage Library, 10am. $12/Adult $7/Child. 843-686-6560.
Ongoing, Beaufort Tree Walk by the Lady’s Island Garden Club through the historic Old Point. Takes about an hour and is a little over a mile. Starts at the corner of Craven & Carteret Streets ending in Waterfront Park. Booklets with a map and tree info available FREE at the Visitors Center in the historic Arsenal on Craven St.
