COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Arts Commission has awarded $2.3 million in arts grants during its first round of Fiscal 2008 funding to help support artists, nonprofit arts organizations, and arts initiatives in schools across the state. A complete list of awards by category is available at www.southcarolinaarts.com/awards.
"As we celebrate our 40th Anniversary, we remain focused on ensuring all South Carolinians access to the arts, regardless of their location or circumstances," said S.C. Arts Commission Executive Director Suzette Surkamer. “Dedicated arts organizations, schools and individuals that share that vision help us make arts opportunities available to their communities—directly benefiting both the citizens and the local economy."
S.C. Arts Commission Deputy Director Ken May points out that the return on each of the grants outweighs the state’s initial investment. “The University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business found in a recent update to a 2002 study that there are approximately 31,000 jobs related to the arts in South Carolina, and the total economic impact of the arts industry is $2.4 billion annually,” said May.
This round of arts grants will help fund fellowships, apprenticeships and other arts programs in the categories of Arts in Education, After School Arts Initiatives, General Operating Support, Folklife and Traditional Arts, Subgranting, Cultural Tourism, Employee Sponsored Benefits, and Arts Participation.
Arts in Education grants help cultivate comprehensive arts education programs that enhance student learning in schools across the state. Funding has been awarded to 116 schools, school districts and arts organizations for a total investment of $635,301. A total of $383,835 has been awarded to 51 schools and school districts in the Arts in Basic Curriculum Program (ABC), which works to ensure every child in South Carolina—from pre-school through college levels—access to a quality, comprehensive education in the arts. The program is cooperatively directed by the Arts Commission, the S.C. Department of Education and the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Winthrop University. Another $221,466 went to 62 schools, school districts and arts organizations for additional arts-in-education initiatives. These grants fund artist residencies and performances, and help train teachers how to incorporate the arts into their lesson plans.
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 Lowcountry theatre company, a county-wide arts council and an art museum in Spartanburg.
Cultural Tourism grants support projects and partnerships that increase arts-based tourism in South Carolina. A total of $50,000 has been awarded to support eight cultural tourism projects, including a jazz festival in the Upstate and an annual exhibit and sale in Dorchester that raises money for the community’s public sculpture program.
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 $20,000 in Folklife and Traditional Arts grants to help support five projects, including a 3-day sweetgrass festival in the Lowcountry and a series of classes, workshops and demonstrations to educate the youth about Gullah culture.
Folklife and Traditional Arts 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 $2,750 to support an Apprenticeship Initiative, where a master artist in Anderson County will train an apprentice in the art of Appalachian split oak basketry.
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 $114,599 in subgranting dollars to 15 arts councils across the state to serve the artists and citizens in their counties.
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 $1,344,193 in operating support has been awarded to 141 organizations.
Arts Participation funding has been awarded to 12 arts providers, including performing arts groups, theatres and arts organizations, to develop initiatives that will broaden, deepen or diversify public participation in the arts. A total of $150,000 has been allocated to this initiative, which is funded in part by a grant from the Wallace Foundation.
Individual Artist Fellowships have been awarded to six South Carolina artists. Grants of $5,000 went to each of the six artists in recognition of their superior artistic merit.
Employee Sponsored Benefits funding has been allocated to 10 arts organizations that are acquiring or expanding employee sponsored benefits for full or part-time employees.
For more information about the programs and services of the S.C. Arts Commission, please visit www.southcarolinaarts.com/grants or call (803) 734-8696.
About S.C. Arts Commission
The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission is celebrating 40 years of increasing public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina and by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.
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