What a vivid, nostalgic snapshot of Bluffton’s quirky spirit! This story captures the magic of small-town parades where creativity and community collide, spotlighting forgotten artists like Sam Doyle and local legends like Babbie Guscio, Louanne LaRoche, and Mr. Hugh O’Quinn. It’s a perfect example of how the South Carolina Lowcountry turns everyday folks into stars—45 years later, it still feels like unwrapping a gift.
Key Highlights from the Parade Float
- The Float’s Origins: Louanne LaRoche’s idea, brought to life by Babbie Guscio. They dressed Louanne as the “Angel of Bluffton” in a red gown with palm frond wings, riding in Mr. Hugh O’Quinn’s rusty truck alongside her son Cash and dog Escher.
- Sam Doyle’s Role: The star attraction—his Christmas-themed paintings on tin and wood, wired to the truck bed. At the time, his Gullah folk art from St. Helena Island was overlooked, but it soon gained fame in major exhibitions like the Corcoran Gallery’s “Black Folk Art in America, 1930–1980.”
- Local Flavor: Mr. Hugh, a Bluffton resident since 1919, drove the short route down Highway 46. Babbie’s “funky” parade style allowed wild entries, like the mayor as a buzzard on the garbage truck or goat weddings.
Sam Doyle’s Lasting Impact
Sam Doyle (1906–1989), a self-taught Gullah artist from St. Helena Island, transformed scrap materials into powerful histories of Black life, root doctors, Biblical scenes, and civil rights figures. Louanne championed his work through her Red Piano gallery, helping it reach national audiences. Today, those parade pieces could fetch around $100,000, and his art preserves Gullah culture at places like the Penn Center.
This tale embodies Lowcountry peace—art, history, and joy rolling down the street on an old truck. If you’re from Bluffton or the area, have you got your own parade stories or updates on these icons?…