Spotlight on Tara Powell

On a day when Tara Powell didn’t particularly have anything else to do, she attended a lecture on dark energy. She went in knowing nothing about the subject, but left with a head full of thoughts that she would later organize into a poem from her chapbook, Physical Science (2010, Finishing Line Press), called “From the Lecture on Dark Energy.” An English major at Chapel Hill, her family always put emphasis on practicality, asking her what career she would take: doctor or lawyer? Now, an English professor at USC, she finds herself writing poems about science, finding figurative ways of understanding it. “It’s the nature of the universe to get pulled apart,” she says. “What possibility do we have against resisting?” Questions like this one are what her poems aim to explore.

Spotlight on Jenny Maxwell

“I’m trying to be the person who writes in the scraps of time,” says Jenny Maxwell, a multi-talented, multi-tasker extraordinaire. Just this week she is prepping skirt!, a women’s magazine, for its December issue, drafting a newsletter about energy concerns, writing a script for a public service announcement about Columbia’s Woodrow Wilson House, and planning for her next public speaking seminar. So, scraps of time is all Maxwell really has, and she sure is making the best of them.

Spotlight on Rhonda Hunsinger

Behind the Scenes of the South Carolina Philharmonic with Rhonda Hunsinger by Haley Sprankle. “Quite simply, a vibrant arts community is a critical part of what makes Columbia a desirable place to live and work. It makes our city what it is.” These are the insightful words of the South Carolina Philharmonic’s Executive Director, Rhonda Hunsinger. Hunsinger has been with the Philharmonic for 16 years; four as the Development Director and the last 12 as their Executive Director.

Spotlight on Rusty Sox

A Columbia native and graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, Russell (Rusty) Sox has been a valuable member of our arts community through his commitment to the South Carolina Arts Commission and involvement in many other arts organizations around town. Rusty is the Senior Manager for Program Development at SCAC, as well as their Program Director for the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Awards for the Arts. His dedication can be witnessed through his constant involvement as a performer and supporter for the arts. We were able to sit down with Rusty to learn more about what motivates him and his work.

Kristin Morris

Kristin Morris graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2005 after studying video production and documentary filmmaking. Her passion for the arts has since launched her into a multitude of different roles crucial to the Columbia arts scene. Morris worked at the Nickelodeon Theatre from 2007-2009 as a part-time projectionist and returned this February as the marketing manager. The Nickelodeon’s big move to Main Street took place during her time away. While she loved the old theatre and says it still holds a special place in her heart, she was thrilled to return to the Nickelodeon organization at a new and state of the art location.