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Nancy Idland has been selected as The Greenville Advocate’s Hero of the Week for her significant impact on the cultural life of Greenville.

The dedicated Director of the Greenville Area Arts Council and a lifelong resident of the city has a deep-rooted passion for both her community and the arts.

“I was born in Greenville and grew up on Hickory Street,” Idland said. “My whole life has been right here.”

From an early age, Idland’s interests were music and flowers, which later influenced her career and community work. After graduating from Greenville High School, she spent over 25 years running a local flower shop and despite her success in the floral business, her love for the arts never waned.

“My high school history and drama teacher, Bobbie Gamble, was a friend and a mentor,” Idland recalled. “I always thought how cool it would be to have a community theater group here. That’s what kind of inspired the ‘Ritz Players.’”

Under Idland’s direction, the “Ritz Players” became a well-loved fixture in Greenville, producing live musical revues for 13 years. The performances, showcased during “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” featured a variety of themes, including the music of ABBA, and iconic favorites from the 70s and the 80s.

“We did everything — the casting, the choreography, the direction,” Idland said.

Though her work with the Arts Council is a volunteer position, Idland devotes significant time to ensuring its success. She has played a key role in curating shows for the Ritz Theatre, which is now in its 42nd season. 

“I work with different managers and find out who might be a good fit for Greenville,” Idland explained. “Then we work hard to actually get the show on the stage.”

One of the Arts Council’s most recognizable contributions to the community is the decorative bicycles displayed around town.

“[Placing] bicycles around town was kind of our thing,” Idland said. “Like saying get here, even if you have to ride a bike.”

In her spare time, Idland continues to nurture her love of flowers by creating and delivering bouquets to friends.

“I can turn one big bouquet into four and take them to four people and make them happy,” she shared.

Idland’s longtime friend, Carol McArthur, praised her for transforming the Arts Council into a significant local institution.

“She has developed the Arts Council into a major business,” McArthur said. “She’s just a genius, really. She took something that was a small group and turned it into something.”

McArthur also noted Idland’s inclusive approach, attempting to involve the entire community with the arts.

“She’s developed a group of everything from children to grandparents to be involved in the arts,” McArthur said. “It’s rare to find an individual like that in the community.”