Piano Map

Artist Crosby Jack has unveiled his Zalipie-inspired piano and Please Play Me Piano's first piano in Greenville, SC! Find Crosby at @Crosby_Jack on Instagram or at  https://society6.com/crosbyjack. 

Howard the piano is named after the original piano that graced Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery for many years. The original Howard was a donated Baldwin Howard upright model. It weathered many storms, entertained countless customers, and served the public well. The original piano has been put out to greener pastures to be loved in new ways, while the new piano will honor its predecessor by name.

The new Howard was donated by a family in Fountain Inn. It's a much-loved 1970s Cable Nelson that was bought used and played by the family's daughter for many years. It lived in a room where the mom took tango lessons and the daughter happily learned that "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge." (That's a classic mnemonic for learning the names of the treble clef "line" notes, btw!) With much gratitude to our donors and to the original donors of Howard Sr., we wish the public many years of entertainment and delight playing the newly christened Howard of Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery!

Artist Erika DeRoberts painted GSP Airport's "Ladybird" piano with the idea of evoking the sensation of being in the cockpit of an approaching jet as it crosses over the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Find Erika and her beautiful work at her studio inside Good Art Co. at 10 Central Avenue in downtown Greenville or at CherryLaneArt.com or on Instagram @cherrylaneart 

Artist Gayle Miller, owner of Gallery One Greenville at 640 South Main St., conceptualized and created Sunny the Piano with zest and delight, resulting in an eye-catching piano that brightens Greenville's West End every day! Follow Gayle at @Gayle_43 on Instagram or stop in and see her artwork at Gallery One Greenville, which shares a lovely alcove with Samantha Grace Designs and Rocket Fizz Candy Store. Inside Gallery One, you'll find carefully curated yet approachable art from local artists. 

Sunny would not exist without tremendous effort and encouragement from: Sonja Miller, a veritable force in shaping and supporting Greenville's West End and owner of Samantha Grace Designs, a gift and apparel boutique; Patrick Cox of Cox Photography; and Nancy Davis, artist and co-owner of Gallery One Greenville. They made the entire process as easy as a summer day!

Sunny has been tuned by our volunteer Tom Wilson and professional pianist and tuner Simon Donoghue, who can be heard playing the impressive piano inside the The Grand Bohemian Hotel--all while holding cheerful conversations with the guests!

Sunny was donated to Please Play Me Pianos by Cathy and Jim Lagerman of Greenville. After hearing it played lovingly by their sons for many years, they were kind enough to offer it to us. Thank you, Cathy and Jim!

Lotus the piano was painted live onsite at the Altered States Festival 2024. Eight artists donated their time and talent to paint different sections of this piano with the theme of ENLIGHTENMENT, which came together remarkably well. Lotus is available to play inside the Judson Mill Annex, in the common hallway shared by Magnetic South Brewery, Stumpy's Hatchet House, and Mill City Kitchen. Please play him!

We extend tremendous gratitude to our ARTISTS: Erika DeRoberts, Gayle Miller, Payton Hood, Orlando Corona, Dumah Morgan, Renzi, Hannah Bunzey, and  Tyler Ashe.

This project could not have come together without the amazing efforts of Donald Clark, PPMP Volunteer and Awesome Sound Guy; Cameron Owen, creator of the Altered States Festival; Tom Wilson, PPMP Volunteer Tuner; Hubert Yarborough, piano donator and the original painted-piano guy; and the Yarborough Family, who originally painted this same piano for Luna Rosa Restaurant.  With so much beautiful detail in this piano's design, we encourage you to see it in person. And while you're there, play play a tune because if Lotus could talk, he'd surely say, "Please Play Me!"

We were lucky enough to inherit a painted piano that was already in place at Good Art Co. when Please Play Me Pianos came into existence—and we promise that a hidden swamp rabbit or two will be added in the near future!

Painted by the multitalented Morgan McCallum, who owns Good Art Co. with her husband and fellow artist, Shaun McCallum, this piano is yet to be named. (Is it just us or do you think there might be a fun piano-naming contest coming to our social media pages soon?) In the meantime, feel free to stop in and play this beauty during Good Art Co.’s business hours. As you approach their hidden gem of a building, prepare to be awed by the exterior mural painted by Nick Burns. Once inside, your eyes will feast upon the eclectic and ever-changing displays created by local artists, many of whom have working studios you can visit as you make your way to the piano! Happy playing, Greenville!

Artist Courtney Lewis is one of the most positive and inspirational people we have ever had the pleasure to meet! As soon as she heard about our mission to make art and music more accessible to the public via painted pianos, she jumped on board and persevered with us through our early growing pains. She is an accomplished sculptor, pianist, vocalist, songwriter, and all-around delight, and we could not be more pleased that she painted Chuckles for us! You can keep up with her on @Christ_chums on Instagram, and we can't wait to see what else she produces. Courtney was also our first artist to paint a piano inside The Artistry Gallery, where owner Ryan Calloway generously donated space to our organization for artists to work. The Artistry Gallery is a unique and inviting space that hosts rotating art shows, which feature an eclectic array of OUTSTANDING artists from Greenville and beyond. You'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger supporter of the arts—and Greenville, South Carolina—than Ryan Calloway. Ryan also owns the highly esteemed Creative Iron Works, a company renowned for its custom ironwork and unmatched level of customer service. Let's face it, Ryan Calloway is a local treasure, and we couldn't be happier to have a piano available for the public to play inside his beautiful Artistry Gallery! 

Happy playing, Greenville!

"Bauerney West," our beautiful Baldwin piano, was painted by prize-winning, highly esteemed Greenville artist David Gerhard (@davidgerhard). David recently won 3rd Place in MAC's Flat Out Under Pressure 2024 Contest and he has a lovely studio inside Good Art Co. on Central Ave (where we just happen to have another piano)! David is also the Visual Arts Department Chair at The Governor's School here in Greenville. We are honored that David agreed to paint Bauerney, whose design celebrates not only Davi'ds playful farm experiences with his children but also the farm-based food and beverages served at hyperlocal brewery Carolina Bauernhaus in West Greenville! You'd be hard-pressed to find a better outdoor setting, and their beer is so fresh, you'll want to slap it😉! Carolina Bauernhaus is a big supporter of local artists and the Greenville art scene, and they regularly host musicians to entertain the crowds. So stop by to enjoy farm-fresh brews and ciders, mouthwatering food, great indoor/outdoor seating, and now... a PUBLIC PIANO for you to play. Believe us, if Bauerney could talk, he would say, "Please Play Me!" And we hope you will!