Celebrating the Declaration of Independence through art

By Mike Switzer

Published June 18, 2026 at 6:30 AM EDT

Jamie M. Stukenberg

Provided

Ellen Westkaemper, head of education at the Greenville County Museum of Art

With this year being the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, many events are happening across the country and our state to celebrate this momentous occasion. Our next guest’s Upstate museum is doing this through art. Mike Switzer interviews Ellen Westkaemper, head of education at the Greenville County Museum of Art.

Greenville County Museum of Art promotional poster for "American Stories" art series

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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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