DéLana R.A. Dameron, founder

    Columbia, South Carolina native, DéLana R.A. Dameron spent her early years at the feet of her elders—hailing from McDuffie County, Georgia and Horry County, South Carolina. Under her grandparents’ care, she learned to appreciate what the land gives. She watched and helped her grandparents turn their suburban Columbia backyard into a semi-rural oasis: garden, greenhouse, a room for daytime respite, a corner for bunnies, chickens, ducks, a bathtub fish pond and so on. It is this ingenuity that DéLana brings to Saloma’s rural oasis in Blythewood, SC.

    DéLana enjoys storytelling, story listening, and believes in the power of community and convening. When not at Saloma Acres, she is editing her prose debut REDWOOD COURT, a novel-in-stories about everyday Black folks in Columbia, SC and running her consulting firm Red Olive Culture Commons, which she founded in 2013.

    Curtis Caesar John, Outdoor Media Center Manager

    Curtis Caesar John sees cinema as the nexus for furthering our understanding of one another, even within our own cultures, and thus works tirelessly as an arts manager, advocate, and filmmaker.  He is the Founder and Executive Director of The Luminal Theater, a nomadic microcinema that defeats cinematic segregation by bringing Black independent films directly to Black communities, as well as to general audiences interested and invested in the Black cinematic voices.  As a filmmaker, Curtis’ work has been shown internationally at film festivals as well as on various streaming channels and countless universities and classrooms.

    Tay Harriett, Equestrian Instructor

    Tay Harriett’s extensive knowledge of horsemanship was acquired through more than 15 years in the equine industry. A lifelong student who actively embraces every opportunity to further his expertise through clinics, workshops, and other educational experiences, Tay believes that horses are, in fact, the BEST teachers, and that through patience, diligence, and consistency, every rider can advance his or her level of horsemanship. Tay’s passion for teaching is complemented by his commitment both to the horse and to the preservation of safe, effective, and correct classical riding. Horses and riders of ALL disciplines have benefited from his impressive background in classical dressage, sports biomechanics, and proprioception. Through a sensible, integrated approach, Tay strives to cultivate training sessions that are fun, informative, and built on a solid dressage foundation. In addition to his riding and teaching endeavors, Tay is trained in multiple methods of equine massage and acupressure, and maintains a considerable client list of equine athletes requiring his expertise in these and other bodywork and healing modalities.

    JOIN OUR TEAM! 

    There are no current openings at Saloma Acres. Please feel free to send an email to hello@playatsaloma.com if you’re interested in volunteering!