Events Calendar
Explore family friendly events, theatres, galleries, concerts, nightlife, things to do, and more in the Greenville, SC and Upstate areas.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
Clemson Career Workshop (CCW) aims to expose high-achieving, underrepresented high school students to higher education, specifically Clemson University. They are recruiting high school sophomores who will be juniors after this summer to participate in the two-year program. Scholarships to CCW students who complete the program and attend Clemson! To learn more and complete the application visit here. Applications are due March 8th*.
For questions contact Christian Barrientos, [email protected]
The Salvation Army Kroc Center is looking for donations of candy (no chocolate or peanut items), toys, youth experiences and more to make the annual Easter Egg Hunt a huge success for our community!
Baker Exhibit Center
In an age of complex environmental challenges, why not look to the ingenuity of nature for solutions? The forms, patterns, and processes found in the natural world—refined by 3.8 billion years of evolution—can inspire our design of everything from clothing to skyscrapers. This approach to innovation, called biomimicry, is becoming increasingly popular.
Nature’s Blueprints is supported in part by The North Carolina Arboretum Society, The Laurel of Asheville, RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide, and Smoky Mountain Living Magazine.
TUESDAY – FRIDAY 9 AM – 5 PM
SATURDAY 11 AM – 3 PM
n Long Overdue, Traci Wright Martin and Michelle Radford underscore the importance of recognizing and acknowledging women’s contributions. Traci Wright Martin’s charcoal and mixed media series, “Art Herstory and the Moth,” focuses on underrepresented women in art history, paying tribute to them through visual quotations and symbolism. Michelle Radford highlights the historical oversight of women’s textile work and aims to bring recognition to their innovative designs as valuable artistic expressions.
Both artists challenge traditional perceptions of gender norms, albeit in different contexts. Wright Martin challenges the overshadowing of female artists in art history by drawing a parallel to imagery of moths. Often an overlooked organism, the moth in Martin’s work symbolizes the need for representation of the feminine art experience. Meanwhile, Radford challenges distinctions between art and craft, conceptual and decorative, urging viewers to reconsider their attitudes toward women’s stitchwork and handicrafts.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
MICHELLE BERG RADFORD
Michelle Berg Radford is a multi-disciplinary artist working at the intersection of women’s craft and what is considered “fine art painting.” Michelle earned an MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design where she studied landscape painting and fiber arts. Michelle is also an educator with 16 years of teaching experience in higher education.
For millennia, women have expressed their creativity and skill in clothing their families and
caring for their private spaces through textiles. Their innovative designs have often been
overlooked as art, but are now slowly being recognized for the innovative and insightful
works that they are.
In this work, I join women’s handicrafts with landscape painting, a well-trodden genre in art, to introduce a new way of looking at both. These pieces begin as flat canvas studio paintings which I then fold and stitch to create dimensional smocked paintings. I borrow a time-honored heirloom sewing technique traditionally employed by women to construct garments and translate it through scale into contemporary sculptural paintings. By
presenting these works in a gallery setting in which fine art is viewed, the viewer is called to
acknowledge women’s stitch-work as valuable expressions of the maker and to question their own attitudes about the common distinctions between art versus craft, skilled versus
unskilled, conceptual versus decorative, and fine versus ordinary.
In the process a substantial portion of the painting is hidden, an apt metaphor for the
hiddenness of much of women’s valuable work of caring.
TRACI WRIGHT MARTIN
Traci Wright Martin is an award-winning charcoal and mixed media artist. The overall narrative in her portrait and figurative work addresses the idea of representation, weaving contemporary realism with abstract design elements. Her pioneering approach to mixed media utilizes charcoal as the foundation and brings in various combinations of paint, patterned paper collage and other experimental techniques to the finished design. The primary thematic focus in Martin’s work is the legacy and evolution of the female experience and its influence on artmaking and cultural traditions. She ties an autobiographical visual philosophy to the broader, shared human experience through symbolic elements of nature in a unique, yet relatable style.
After graduating with a BA in Art from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, she spent her early career showing extensively in the Oklahoma and Texas art scenes, with artist teaching residencies in Oklahoma, Arizona and Alaska. Solo and group shows have included the Oklahoma State Capitol gallery, Oklahoma Contemporary, The Charles B. Goddard Center, IAO Gallery, 33 Contemporary Gallery in Chicago, the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Brookgreen Gardens Museum, The Grand Bohemian Gallery, and both the Equity Gallery and the Salmagundi Club in New York City. She has received numerous awards and top accolades in international, national and regional juried shows, claiming multiple “Best in Show” titles. Her work has been featured in a number of publications including Fine Art Connoisseur, Artist’s Network: Best of Drawing, American Art Collector, International Artist, Pastel Journal, New Visionary Artist Magazine, and a selection of titles for PoetsArtists. Martin’s first book, a retrospective of her work entitled “North/South”, is being published in 2024 by Snap Collective in Copenhagen, Denmark.
GENEROUS SUPPORT PROVIDED BY MEDIA SPONSOR
For any artwork purchase inquiries, please visit the gallery during regular business hours or contact Gallery Director, Ben Tarcson for more information.
Weekly art camps at GCCA are designed to let kids ages 5-12 explore their creativity through a range of materials and concepts. Each week features a different engaging theme for children to explore through multiple mediums and includes professional guest artists who demonstrate technique and discuss what makes their work unique.
Monday-Friday
9am-12pm
Multi-Color Magic, June 3-7
Animation and Creation, June 10-14
Dive into (Water)color, June 17-21
Homegrown Art, June 24-28
ARTcycling, July 8-12
Out of this World Art!, July 15-19
Jurassic ART, July 22-26
Back to School is COOL!, July 29-August 2
Recruiting Solutions will be having an on-site hiring event March 6th at Motus Integrated Technologies. We are looking for Production and Assembly Associates for same day hire! is also offering a perfect attendance bonus and a $100 referral bonus. Thank you in advance for sharing!
Production & Assembly Associates (1st, 2nd and 3rd Shift) – Starting pay of $15/hr.
If unable to attend, please call our office at (864) 234-0072.
Join United Way of Greenville County for our annual Stronger United Awards Celebration honoring the individuals, corporate partners and communities who drive our work forward.
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Immigration Connection Citizenship Classes – Citizenship Classes for green card holders offer interactive lessons covering the citizenship process, the civic questions, the English component, how to prepare for the interview, and more. There is no cost for the class, but you have to pre-register. Call 864-596-3500 ext. 1303 for more information. Classes take place – March 6, 13, 20 and 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
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Bestselling author Katherine Reay returns with “The Berlin Letters,” an unforgettable tale of the Cold War and a CIA code breaker who risks everything to free her father from an East German prison. When Luisa Voekler discovers a secret cache of letters written by the father, she has long presumed dead, she learns the truth about her grandfather’s work, her father’s identity, and why she has never progressed in her career. With little more than a rudimentary plan and hope, she journeys to Berlin and risks everything to free her father and get him out of East Berlin alive. Author of 11 books, Katherine Reay will visit Spartanburg the day after the release of “The Berlin Letters” to speak about her latest novel, the art of writing historical fiction, and how she develops new stories without getting repetitive. Reay will sign books after the event. Free copies of “The Berlin Letters” will be given to the first 70 patrons to enter the Barrett Room, and Hub City Bookshop will be on hand to sell copies of Reay’s books. |
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Clemson Career Workshop (CCW) aims to expose high-achieving, underrepresented high school students to higher education, specifically Clemson University. They are recruiting high school sophomores who will be juniors after this summer to participate in the two-year program. Scholarships to CCW students who complete the program and attend Clemson! To learn more and complete the application visit here. Applications are due March 8th*.
For questions contact Christian Barrientos, [email protected]
The Salvation Army Kroc Center is looking for donations of candy (no chocolate or peanut items), toys, youth experiences and more to make the annual Easter Egg Hunt a huge success for our community!
Baker Exhibit Center
In an age of complex environmental challenges, why not look to the ingenuity of nature for solutions? The forms, patterns, and processes found in the natural world—refined by 3.8 billion years of evolution—can inspire our design of everything from clothing to skyscrapers. This approach to innovation, called biomimicry, is becoming increasingly popular.
Nature’s Blueprints is supported in part by The North Carolina Arboretum Society, The Laurel of Asheville, RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide, and Smoky Mountain Living Magazine.
Women in Business 2024
Please check back for more information on agenda and speakers in the coming weeks!
Promote your business by sponsoring this event!
Contact Hope Howard for more information: [email protected]
PAVING THE WAY: Women in Business 2024 will feature regional keynote speakers and growth activities dedicated to helping you and your business perform personally and professionally.
SPEAKERS
Keynote Speakers:
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Marjorie Boafo Appiah, fondly known as Marjy Marj, is an author, management consultant, visionary, and social change advocate. An author of 8 books, she has been featured in national media, and recognized locally and globally for her acumen, wit, community work, and advocacy. In addition to her business and literary contributions, Marjy Marj is the host of the globally ranked “Humanity Chats” podcast, where she engages in dialogues about the human experience.
Her work as a consultant, community leader, writer, and podcast host, seeks to promote opportunity, understanding, empathy, and unity. She has served on the boards of the Spartanburg Regional Foundation, the Charles Lea Center Foundation, and as Chair for the Hub City Writers Project. She also served as the Education Chair for Women Giving Spartanburg, a Board of Trustee at Spartanburg Day School and was the An avid supporter of literacy and sports, she attended the Universities of Ghana, Baltimore, and Duke University. |
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Cindy Kelly graduated from Gardner Webb University with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Business Management.
She is an Honors Graduate of the Cannon Financial Institute Trust School and a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA). As part of the community, Cindy is part of the Spartanburg County Foundation Grants Committee, Development Board member for the Chapman Cultural Center, a member of the USC Upstate Foundation Capital Development Board and board member of Women Giving for Spartanburg; currently serving as Chair of the Grants committee. She is past President and Board Member of the Spartanburg and Greenville Estate Planning Councils, past Chair and Board Member of the South Carolina Bankers Trust Committee, past President and current Board Member of the Rotary Club of Spartanburg, and former Board Chair for the Hope Center for Children. Cindy is a graduate of Leadership Spartanburg and the Spartanburg Regional Hospital System, Regional Fellows Program. |
Panelists:
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DeAndria Hardy
Executive Director / Founder, Battle Betty Foundation |
Cheryl Lang
President, Tindall Corporation |
Shelley Wildenstein Owner, Signs & Designs |
Stinson Ferguson
Assistant Municipal Judge, City of Greenville
Vice President, J.W. Woodward Funeral Home |
AGENDA
| 8:00 AM | Doors Open, Check-In, Coffee |
| 8:30 AM | Welcome Session |
| 8:45 AM | Keynote 1 | Marjorie Boafo Appiah |
| 9:30 AM | Mindfulness Break | Alison Hughey |
| 9:45 AM | Short Break |
| 10:00 AM | Keynote 2 | Cindy Kelly |
| 10:45 AM | Short Break |
| 11:00 AM | Panel Discussion with DeAndria Hardy Cheryl Lang Shelley Wildenstein Stinson Ferguson |
| 11:45 AM | Lunch Buffet Opens |
| 12:00 PM | Networking Lunch* |
| 1:15 PM | Closing Session |
TUESDAY – FRIDAY 9 AM – 5 PM
SATURDAY 11 AM – 3 PM
n Long Overdue, Traci Wright Martin and Michelle Radford underscore the importance of recognizing and acknowledging women’s contributions. Traci Wright Martin’s charcoal and mixed media series, “Art Herstory and the Moth,” focuses on underrepresented women in art history, paying tribute to them through visual quotations and symbolism. Michelle Radford highlights the historical oversight of women’s textile work and aims to bring recognition to their innovative designs as valuable artistic expressions.
Both artists challenge traditional perceptions of gender norms, albeit in different contexts. Wright Martin challenges the overshadowing of female artists in art history by drawing a parallel to imagery of moths. Often an overlooked organism, the moth in Martin’s work symbolizes the need for representation of the feminine art experience. Meanwhile, Radford challenges distinctions between art and craft, conceptual and decorative, urging viewers to reconsider their attitudes toward women’s stitchwork and handicrafts.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
MICHELLE BERG RADFORD
Michelle Berg Radford is a multi-disciplinary artist working at the intersection of women’s craft and what is considered “fine art painting.” Michelle earned an MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design where she studied landscape painting and fiber arts. Michelle is also an educator with 16 years of teaching experience in higher education.
For millennia, women have expressed their creativity and skill in clothing their families and
caring for their private spaces through textiles. Their innovative designs have often been
overlooked as art, but are now slowly being recognized for the innovative and insightful
works that they are.
In this work, I join women’s handicrafts with landscape painting, a well-trodden genre in art, to introduce a new way of looking at both. These pieces begin as flat canvas studio paintings which I then fold and stitch to create dimensional smocked paintings. I borrow a time-honored heirloom sewing technique traditionally employed by women to construct garments and translate it through scale into contemporary sculptural paintings. By
presenting these works in a gallery setting in which fine art is viewed, the viewer is called to
acknowledge women’s stitch-work as valuable expressions of the maker and to question their own attitudes about the common distinctions between art versus craft, skilled versus
unskilled, conceptual versus decorative, and fine versus ordinary.
In the process a substantial portion of the painting is hidden, an apt metaphor for the
hiddenness of much of women’s valuable work of caring.
TRACI WRIGHT MARTIN
Traci Wright Martin is an award-winning charcoal and mixed media artist. The overall narrative in her portrait and figurative work addresses the idea of representation, weaving contemporary realism with abstract design elements. Her pioneering approach to mixed media utilizes charcoal as the foundation and brings in various combinations of paint, patterned paper collage and other experimental techniques to the finished design. The primary thematic focus in Martin’s work is the legacy and evolution of the female experience and its influence on artmaking and cultural traditions. She ties an autobiographical visual philosophy to the broader, shared human experience through symbolic elements of nature in a unique, yet relatable style.
After graduating with a BA in Art from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, she spent her early career showing extensively in the Oklahoma and Texas art scenes, with artist teaching residencies in Oklahoma, Arizona and Alaska. Solo and group shows have included the Oklahoma State Capitol gallery, Oklahoma Contemporary, The Charles B. Goddard Center, IAO Gallery, 33 Contemporary Gallery in Chicago, the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Brookgreen Gardens Museum, The Grand Bohemian Gallery, and both the Equity Gallery and the Salmagundi Club in New York City. She has received numerous awards and top accolades in international, national and regional juried shows, claiming multiple “Best in Show” titles. Her work has been featured in a number of publications including Fine Art Connoisseur, Artist’s Network: Best of Drawing, American Art Collector, International Artist, Pastel Journal, New Visionary Artist Magazine, and a selection of titles for PoetsArtists. Martin’s first book, a retrospective of her work entitled “North/South”, is being published in 2024 by Snap Collective in Copenhagen, Denmark.
GENEROUS SUPPORT PROVIDED BY MEDIA SPONSOR
For any artwork purchase inquiries, please visit the gallery during regular business hours or contact Gallery Director, Ben Tarcson for more information.
Weekly art camps at GCCA are designed to let kids ages 5-12 explore their creativity through a range of materials and concepts. Each week features a different engaging theme for children to explore through multiple mediums and includes professional guest artists who demonstrate technique and discuss what makes their work unique.
Monday-Friday
9am-12pm
Multi-Color Magic, June 3-7
Animation and Creation, June 10-14
Dive into (Water)color, June 17-21
Homegrown Art, June 24-28
ARTcycling, July 8-12
Out of this World Art!, July 15-19
Jurassic ART, July 22-26
Back to School is COOL!, July 29-August 2
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Join a National Park Service park ranger from Cowpens National Battlefield to explore replica historical and natural objects, learn about local American Revolution history, and receive a reading list highlighting books about the American Revolution for all ages! |
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Uncensored expression: anyone is invited to step up to share song, music, poetry, comedy, rants & raves!
The most eclectic open mic around, in a welcoming gallery setting! 6 pm signup, perform 6:30-8:30 pm.