“Be the coffee bean, don’t let the water change you. Change the water.”
Carla Angus is a youth advocate and arts leader from Lake City, SC, empowering young people through education, performance, and community transformation.
About
Carla Angus wears many hats but each one is woven with her passion for youth development and creative empowerment. As Director of Community Engagement for ArtFields and founder of the statewide ArtFields Jr. competition, Carla brings young voices to the forefront of South Carolina’s arts scene. She’s also the visionary behind Dramatic Coffee Beans, a youth organization that uses performing arts to help students navigate life’s challenges with confidence and purpose.
Originally an educator and school principal, Carla left behind a path to school district leadership in search of deeper, more personal impact. Through her consulting business, Transforming Minds, and community engagement work, she now supports students, educators, and volunteers by creating space for creative growth especially for those who might not otherwise have access to the arts.
Carla’s defining moment was launching ArtFields Jr., which has grown from a local youth art competition into a statewide, traveling exhibition that celebrates the talent and stories of students from grades 1–12. “If you get them when they’re young,” she says, “maybe they’ll keep going as they grow.”
For Carla, success means building inclusive spaces where creativity thrives especially for young people in rural communities. Her leadership style emphasizes listening, stepping back, and sharing the spotlight. Whether mentoring volunteers, producing youth theater, or shaping state-wide arts programming, Carla’s mission is clear: help young people become the kind of bold change-makers who don’t just survive the heat, they transform it.
“My family is from Nichols, South Carolina, one of the areas that went through the 1,000-year flood in 2016, and my family lost everything. Two years later, it happened again. It was most devastating. So I thought, ‘What can I do?’ I still wanted to be creative, but I wanted to work in the community. Clemson had just started a Resilient Urban Design degree. I quit all my jobs – almost 20 years in the graphic design industry — and went back to college.”
My name is Tonya Gore. I am born and raised Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Sara Sobota
Okay, great. And who do you work for? And from where?
Tonya Gore
I’ve worked for Myrtle Beach downtown Alliance and is located downtown Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Sara Sobota
Okay, and how long have you been working there? And what’s your official job title?
Tonya Gore
Almost two years. And my official job title is Director of Enhancement and Design.
Sara Sobota
Okay. How did you end up in this field? And how did you hear about it? Long story I guess.
Tonya Gore
it’s a long story because my creative field, creative career actually, started after I left coastal.[Coastal Carolina University]. And I did an internship, um, I don’t know if you knew this, Sara, but my degree is actually in fine art.
Sara Sobota
Oh, I didn’t know that.
Tonya Gore
So I went to Costal, graduated in 2000, in fine art. And the program just sort of introduced graphic design to the program, they had one computer lab, and Max just started. And so it was suggested that we go and get to internships if we want to make a career out of graphics. So I found the internship with a local, local small advertising agency working on the beach ball class.
Sara Sobota
I did not know any of that, that’s awesome.
Tonya Gore
That’s so mild in the fine artists, I just haven’t done a lot of fine art. So a lot of my background that I have done, or fine art pieces with some watercolor and some oils. So their position all throughout my family’s houses. So I worked I at the fish that did an internship, I finished that she hired me full time. I stayed there for a few years. So my full career for almost 20 years was with graphic design. And I simultaneously I worked as a adjunct in digital arts at Horry Georgetown.
Sara Sobota
Oh, I didn’t know that either.
Tonya Gore
I did that for almost 10 years, like eight years to be exact. And I also worked in the community a lot. So I wanted to find a career that can work because I’ve always wanted to stay creative. I’ve always said I would never get out of a creative field. I was wanting to do something that had some creativity with it. So I did soul searching, I wanted to do something with the community that combined my creative field as well. And I found the program and went back to school, to Clemson in the master’s program for urban design degree.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
So it’s a resilient Urban Design degree because my family, my family’s from Nichols, my mom’s family from Nichols, South Carolina. And a few years ago, Nichols was one of the areas that went through the 100-year flood. And my family lost everything. And then two years later, the same thing happened. I had an eighty- something-year-old aunt that lost everything that couldn’t rebuild. She was too old, she, you know, and it was the most devastating thing to me. So I said, Well, let me see what can I do, still wanting to be creative, but also wanted to go back into the community as well. So I found what happened. So Clemson just started a program called Resilient Urban Resilience and Urban Design that focus on being resilient communities. And I did that I quit all my jobs, almost 20 years.
Sara Sobota
Wow.
Tonya Gore
And I went back to college to do this, again, still wanting to stay creative, because I knew I could not do anything that’s not creative, because that will drive me crazy. And I did that. finish that up. It was a year program accelerate program for one year. And I found my first job designing streets urban design or for engineering firm.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
So while I was there, I used to attend an institute they had every once a month, they had a coffee with ULI [Urban Land Institute], and they did speakers, and the President of the ULI was Amy Barrett.
Sara Sobota
Okay,so I’m sorry. Well, ULI is urban…
Tonya Gore
Urban Land Institute.
Sara Sobota
Land Institute, okay.
Tonya Gore
Urban Land Institute.
Sara Sobota
And that was here, or was that in Clemson?
Tonya Gore
It was in Charleston when I was in school.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
It was in Charleston and Amy was the, Amy was the president. So one of my classmates texts, and she texts all of us and let us know that Amy took a job with Myrtle Beach, downtown Lyons. And she knew I was local. She know I have my creative career. And she also knew I had my design background. So she offered me a job here to combine them all. So that’s how I get with the title and with this job is a long circle, but it’s full circle,
Sara Sobota
Wow, and so many accomplishments along the way, and so many ways that you Yeah, that’s amazing. Now, the resiliency in urban design, I thought you said it was at Clemson but it was at it was Clemson but it was in Charleston?
Tonya Gore
Charleston, Clemson have a study of full remotes, what do you call it, a remote branch or class and most branch. It’s on East East Bay Street, and it’s at the cigar factory. The full Second floor to Cigar Factory is three different programs as architecture, they have a choice to go to Charleston or go to Italy, the historical preservation. They are there for two years and the Urban Design Program share the second floor at the cigar factory floor Clemson. Okay. And it’s a one year program. So that’s, that’s how I ended up in jobs.
Sara Sobota
That’s amazing. Okay, great. The next question is, what background did you have that helped you land that role? I think you kind of walked through that a little bit, right? Yeah. Motivation and your background? Can you walk us through a typical work day? If there is one?
Tonya Gore
Mmm, okay, we sit all over the place with this because right now, if I had my interns on a Monday, my interns come in, okay, it’s three interns, digital arts, and we’re, we’re my project is the brand in the wayfinding element for downtown. Okay, so we start at nine, I meet with them, we go over their previous week work to make sure they’re on the path of what I’m asking them to do.
Sara Sobota
Yeah.
Tonya Gore
And that’s until nine to ten. 10 o’clock, we have staff, 10 to 11:30. Most of the time, our staff through our weekly projects, we have one on at about 11:30, then I go make sure the interns, okay, and I start, you know, what’s the easiest first, sorry, because I do plan events as well. So right now we’re planning all of our events for Nights of Nance. So I had to get all the bands lined up for there. And then when I finished that, then I’ll go back to my pendant and wayfinding and make sure that I give them something to do, or make sure all my input meeting and they need Pantone colors, and making sure their Pantone colors is exactly correct what they need to use it. When they send in the vows. I double check and make sure all their files, because I work in Adobe programs, make sure their files is situated. Then,once I finish that, then I’ll go check and see if any of the businesses, like a couple of businesses have an event this weekend. There’s a Pride event this weekend. I’m making sure he’s okay. He has all of his elements to make sure. Then once I finished that. Now, I’m working on a schedule because we’re going to activate the space in the pocket park. So I want to make sure you know we have to have a schedule for the whole year, in trying to come up with ideas for the whole year. So today, I was researching other people’s websites to see some ideas. So so far, we went to yoga went to a farmers market. One, trying to get Jason about our bench, but it’s not. We wanted it with Bistro lights, so, two functions. So and now today, we had to walk from downtown.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
So, that usually stops around 5:00, 5:30. But I normally do not finish all my lifts throughout the day. As long as I’m finished, because I go back and forth doing multiple things and like that.
Sara Sobota
Yeah. Well, let’s talk. Big picture of your job. You are ah, I mean you are in a way building. You’re building a city. I mean, you’re, you’re crafting. It’s kind of an upgrade, but not really. I mean, you’re kind of building from the ground up. Right?
Tonya Gore
Right, right, right. I, I call it my, my version of it, is an empty canvas.
Sara Sobota
Okay, yeah.
Tonya Gore
That’s what I my, my when I first started out, so we had an empty canvas to play with. Just, I don’t because I’m such a love of historical buildings. I don’t like tearing down I like building on what you have already.
Sara Sobota
Tell me, just in your words, although I know the mission statement of MBDA what is it? What is it doing?
Tonya Gore
From my, my perspective or just…
Sara Sobota
The whole organization, the whole organization.
Tonya Gore
We’re pretty much a place management organization.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
So, our task is to help with redevelopment, partnering with the city of Myrtle Beach redevelopment, activate spaces, bring people downtown, host events, sponsoring events, make sure people are coming downtown, and to help it revitalize, to make it a walkable community for all.
Sara Sobota
Okay, okay, awesome. Can you describe a defining moment in your creative journey? It could be a project that made an impact on you or something you produced? You know, in my opinion, it could even be a decision you made but a defining moment in your creative journey.
Tonya Gore
The entire time?
Sara Sobota
You’re defining yourself.
Tonya Gore
I think my defining moment is when I,when I was talking about with my family, the impact and the impact that had on my family and my community because of Vietnam. I was born and raised here, let me think of a specific one outside of the flood. I think it was 2017, something like that. Yeah, I think that’s what was close to the research on that with that.
Sara Sobota
Was it Mathew?
Tonya Gore
I’m not sure, probably, it was it was two back to back.
Sara Sobota
Yep, yep.
Tonya Gore
Matthew, maybe Floyd, Matthew, maybe Floyd, back to back. It’s two years apart.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
Let me think, what was defining moment in my career? That made me think about my career in a different way? or just…
Sara Sobota
Or that when you, when you produced it, you went, wow, look at what I can do.
Tonya Gore
Let me think. My last job, I did a lot of mentoring for cities.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
For a street, that, when its revitalized, the street with it was more of street design, not buildings. So to add in bike lanes, to add in different type of parking, some medians, some roundabouts, and you would take a picture of the street the way it is. And then I would add all the elements to the street, and sometimes even now when I look back, I’m like, Whoa, wow. Like, who did this? I’m amazed myself with that, because I took something that didn’t look like anything. And I produce something that look, you know, a rendering that people can associate with how they want the community to vote. So I hope to take that skill, and pass it on to what I’m doing now. Where I’m working with that.
Sara Sobota
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And when you know, with your job, you can go see what you’ve done. I mean, it’s there people use it. Oh, that’s amazing.
Tonya Gore
Yeah, yeah.
Sara Sobota
Was it challenging for you to find this career path? Or what are some challenges that you faced, or even every day, your challenges now, whatever.
Tonya Gore
What challenge, what made me, stop 20 years of graphic design that, when I was teaching, I saw a lot of talented young artists coming through, and I realized that they also their, the market value for them was increase. Even though I had more experience, I did not keep up with my, my skill, my craft. Meaning they knew how to write programs, they kept up with developing websites. And I did not keep up on that element. So that was a, that was real challenging to me. Because I felt like, Okay, if I want to be more marketable, the kids coming out of high school know a little bit more than I do right now. So, I need to think about,that was the hardest challenge about my career, that I’ve still find, I don’t find it as much challenging now, as I did then. So that was another reason why I, I felt like I needed to gain more just saying, and, again, every time I always says I’m always I’m utilizing this to go back into my community as well.
Sara Sobota
Yeah.
Tonya Gore
So, so that was a challenge, that was like a eye-opening experience for me because, younger generation is so much more technically advanced than I was.
Sara Sobota
Yeah, yep. I think a lot of people would agree with that. Can you recommend any specific skills that an aspiring applicant should have to increase their chances of landing a role in your field? Specific skills.
Tonya Gore
Specific skill in my career, when I’m doing now. It helps that I have the graphic skill, but I think my knowledge base might be a little bit more valuable, then my….. the skill is valuable but, it also could be taught. Knowledge with my experience over the years cannot be taught. So I think that when you enter in a career value those around you will have the experience.
Sara Sobota
That’s smart. That’s, yeah, absolutely true. Yeah. Okay. Great. Are there any local organizations programs or events that you recommend for aspiring creatives?
Tonya Gore
Art is so subjective when it comes to creating, so I don’t think that there’s any kind of like event or any kind of like program that,that can teach you that because, I don’t feel like art can be bad, because it’s subjective, but I would I would if I had to think of a skill that you would learn, I think technology is changing so much that it it will be in your best interests if you took some classes to enhance your skill level.
Tonya Gore
Rather it be the Adobe programs, or if you want it to because this career, finding that,you know, when I was doing my, not graphics,but doing my urban design portion, my graphics laid so heavily, but I also gained knowledge in more skills as well like architectural skills far as AutoCAD, 3d programs. So I would think that if you had to learn, I would brush up on this skill level when it comes to Technology and take as many classes, or go to any seminars or any type of podcast that you can, to brush up on that and stay up to date with it. I never let my; even though I don’t techniacaly, I’m not techniacaly an graphic designer anymore. I always keep my skills up to date. I’ve never gotten rid of my programs. I always kept my programs always stay in the programs. I made sure I brought laptops that I could use program because, I’m from the old school generation but my my father taught me if you always have a skill, you’ll always have a job. So I kept my skills, always kept my skills up.
Sara Sobota
Yeah, and that’s, that’s important and hard right now, I think. Okay, do you have advice for current college students or pre professional young adults who are pursuing a career in the creative world?
Tonya Gore
You don’t know everything? Excellent. Just because you have an education doesn’t mean you know everything. You do not know everything. Sometimes,people who don’t hold a career, the degree have more knowledge than you do. Listen, willing to learn and be patient. It will come.
