Opera-Tunity Foundation for the Arts

12/05/2025

Don’t Fight the Police. You Will Lose!

12/05/2025

My Kind of Town. Chicago is.

09/21/2018

04/10/2018

Arts lovers!

McMaster Gallery, at the School of Visual Art and Design at the University of South Carolina, is hosting thesis exhibitions of five MFA candidates over the next 4 weeks.

This week you can see a solo exhibition by artist Edmari Hernandez Silen. Her exhibition titled "A/Hogar" explores the importance and influence of the sea in her life. McMaster Gallery is located at 1615 Senate St. and admission is free.

Be sure to check out one of the exhibitions before they end on May 4th!

You can find more information here:

Your source for the arts in South Carolina & beyond.

02/15/2018

The Treasurer of Opera-Tunity Foundation for the Arts is Mr. Paul Anthony Leo, PMP.

Mr. Paul Anthony Leo is a nationally certified project management professional (PMP) with over thirty years of experience managing high-profile and high-dollar projects for banks, financial institutions, brokerages and state governments.

Mr. Leo is currently occupied providing consulting services to South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Mr. Leo resides in Columbia, SC at Forest Lake Place Condominiums, where he has been twice elected Board Treasurer of the Home Owners Association.

Mr. Leo is a lifelong fan and supporter of the arts, especially Italian Opera! It is truly a pleasure to have him on our Board of Directors!

02/13/2018

We are pleased to introduce board member Mr. Arnold Breman– a retired Impresario, author and speaker!

During his 50 year career he served as Executive Director and Artistic Director of four major Performing Arts Centers including: The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida, Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida, The Clemens Center in Elmira, New York and the Klitgord Center Auditorium in New York City. He also was the Executive Director of the Joffrey Ballet Company. From 1999-2009 he served as a professor of Arts Administration at Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois.

He has worked with and presented more than 2,000 artists and attractions including some of the biggest names in the entertainment business including: Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Duke Ellington, Liza Minnelli, Rudolph Nureyev, Peter Martins, Alvin Ailey, Cary Grant, Lucille Ball, Benny Goodman, Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, Carol Channing, Beverly Sills, Itzhak Perlman, Isaac Stern and Yo Yo Ma, to name a few. His book, “LAUGHTER IN THE WINGS,” which was published in 2007, is a humorous backstage journey that introduces the reader to many of their favorite performers. His newest book, “MORE, LAUGHTER IN THE WINGS,” will be out later this month!

Mr. Breman currently serves on the Board of Directors of Opera-Tunity Foundation for the Arts and the South Carolina Philharmonic. He also teaches and lectures to audiences about his journey into the backstage world of the performing arts that covers the last part of the twentieth century.

His wife, Linda is a professional needlepoint artist and lace maker, and they live in Columbia, South Carolina. They have two sons who were smart enough not to go into the entertainment business.

02/13/2018

We have a very important meeting this week with our own Mayor Steve Benjamin. I can’t wait to share our exciting project with him, and then finally with all of you! Just a few more days!

02/08/2018

Meet board member Ms. Eva Bennett, a 2016 graduate from the University of South Carolina, with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a minor in Music Entrepreneurship. She worked for three years at South Carolina Public Radio, hosting and producing two shows, Voices in Harmony and Classical Unknown, along with serving as the alternate host for the daily live program, Sonatas and Soundscapes. Eva served as secretary for the Opera-Tunity Foundation for the Arts board in 2016.

Presently, Eva lives in Brooklyn, New York. She works as a Production Assistant for the National Children’s Chorus in Manhattan while continuing to assist our board in many ways!

02/01/2018

Happy February! Meet board member Ms. Ronda Sullivan! Ms. Sullivan has a Bachelor's degree in Social Work and a Master's degree in Elementary Education. She was an Attorney Associate for 15 years in family law and is the owner of 'One of the Family'– a house and pet sitting company.

01/31/2018

Our Vice-President is Mr. Gary West! Mr. West is a professional singer, entertainer, and actor. Jazz, Big Band and Broadway are his primary genres. He is a USC graduate and also spent 35 years in the newspaper business.

Stay tuned to meet the rest of our Board of Directors!

01/29/2018

Say hello to Dr. Jolene Flory! Dr. Flory completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in Vocal Performance at the University of South Carolina in May of 2014, which is the same year she joined our board!

Dr. Flory is originally from Virginia, but after finishing her DMA, she chose to stay in the Columbia area where she works as a professional vocalist and pianist while also teaching 65 voice and piano students every week.

She has performed multiple recitals for the Opera-Tunity Foundation for the Arts events over the years and is serving in her first year as secretary for the board. She loves spending her free time with her dog, visiting family and friends in Virginia, and vacationing at Walt Disney World in Florida as often as possible!