South Carolina Business Review

S.C. sculpture garden still going strong after 94 years

By Mike Switzer

Published March 5, 2025 at 6:30 AM EST

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Robin Salmon, vice president of art & historical collections and curator of sculpture at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, S.C.

In 1931, our next guest’s organization was established as the first public sculpture garden in America. It’s also a preserve for native plants and animals and is one of our state’s most popular tourist attractions. Mike Switzer interviews Robin Salmon, vice president of art and historical collections and curator of sculpture at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, S.C.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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