COLUMBIA, SC –The South Carolina Arts Commission has awarded nearly $2 million in arts grants to help support schools, artists and nonprofit arts organizations statewide. A complete list of FY2007 grant awards are available at www.SouthCarolinaArts.com.
"The Arts Commission is extremely pleased to offer these grants to organizations that share a common vision for the future of the arts in South Carolina," said SC Arts Commission Executive Director Suzette Surkamer. "These programs and initiatives help support arts organizations and educators whose goals are to make the arts available and accessible to citizens in communities throughout the state."
The arts grants, which total $1,988,817 statewide, will help fund arts programs and activities in the categories of Arts in Education, After School Arts Initiatives, General Operating Support, Folklife and Traditional Arts, Subgranting, Cultural Tourism, and Folklife Apprenticeship Initiatives.
“These grants produce a variety of direct impacts on the state’s cultural environment and economy, and the return on each far outweighs the initial investment,” said SC Arts Commission Deputy Director Ken May. “The majority of grants are required to be matched and often generate as much as $30 for every $1 of state investment. That gain significantly benefits communities in South Carolina.
“In addition, arts projects generate jobs and encourage artists, arts organizations and schools to develop valuable relationships with leading organizations and businesses within their communities,” said May.
Arts in Education grants help cultivate comprehensive arts education programs that enhance student learning in schools across the state. Funding has been awarded to 109 organizations for a total investment of $575,937. This year’s AIE grants will support instruction and performances at schools in rural or underserved communities, professional development for teachers and artists, and curriculum-based artist residencies and artist performances.
Cultural Tourism grants support projects and partnerships that increase arts-based tourism in South Carolina. A total of $70,690 has been awarded to support nine cultural tourism projects, including the organization and marketing of a community-wide arts festival, and the promotion of a theatre’s professional performances, festivals and concerts to targeted tourist markets.
Folklife and Traditional Arts grants support programs that promote a greater understanding and visibility of South Carolina's many cultures through documentation and presentation of traditional art forms, their practitioners and their communities. The agency has awarded $25,000 in Folklife and Traditional Arts grants to help support five projects, including a plan to educate youth about the tribal culture of the Catawba Indians and a video that illustrates the art of sweet grass basketmaking.
Apprenticeship Initiatives bring together a master artist, an apprentice and a project manager to assure the continuation of a traditional art form. This year, the Arts Commission has awarded $8,250 to support three Apprenticeship Initiatives, including a master artist training an apprentice in the art of West African Dance and a master blues musician sharing his expertise with an apprentice.
After School Arts Initiative grants are awarded to increase access for youth in South Carolina to exemplary after school arts programs that promote social, intellectual, artistic and creative growth. These arts programming funds, which total $30,000, have been awarded to a boys and girls club, a county-wide arts council and a middle school.
Subgranting funds are allocated to local arts councils to distribute quarterly grants to organizations and artists in their region. This program is funded in part by an award from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of The Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina. The Arts Commission has provided $112,600 in subgranting dollars to 15 arts councils that serve 18 counties across the state.
General Operating Support grants strengthen arts organizations that bring ongoing arts experiences and services to individuals and other organizations throughout the state, by providing consistent, unrestricted support for basic operations. A total of $1,166,340 in operating support has been awarded to 135 organizations.
For more information about the programs and services of the SC Arts Commission, please visit www.southcarolinaarts.com/grants or call (803) 734-8696.
About SCAC
The South Carolina Arts Commission provides grants, services and leadership to arts organizations, schools and individual artists to preserve and promote the arts across the spectrum of South Carolina’s cultures and forms of expression. The agency strives to make the arts accessible to all South Carolinians, enhancing quality of life and contributing significantly to the state’s economic well-being. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission draws on the resources of state tax dollars appropriated by the South Carolina General Assembly and the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.
###