COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Arts Commission has awarded Cultural Visions grants to the Lowcountry Housing & Economic Development Foundation of Charleston County and to the South Carolina Cotton Trail Heritage Retailers Association in Darlington County. The grants will help the organizations support area artists and preserve their community’s cultural heritage.
“We know that the arts play a significant role in the economic well-being of communities,” said SC Arts Commission Executive Director Suzette Surkamer. “Cultural Visions grants help advance economic development through the arts by bringing together the right combination of people and organizations to achieve the maximum economic impact for local communities.”
The Lowcountry Housing & Economic Development Foundation has been awarded $10,000 to identify artists of all ages from Charleston’s rural and economically distressed areas to participate in the Marsh Made in the Lowcountry Project. Artists will be provided with venues where they can create, market and sell their artwork. The foundation plans to collaborate with existing festivals and create a new traveling art exhibition, which will be showcased in arenas such as local hotels and hospitals.
The South Carolina Cotton Trail plans to use a $2,500 grant to uncover new ways to promote artists located within a 90-mile driving trail through northeastern South Carolina. The cultural heritage group will begin by inventorying local artists and art retail venues within Chesterfield, Darlington, Lee and Marlboro counties. The group will then create a strategy to develop retail opportunities for these artists.
Cultural Visions grants are awarded to arts organizations to support economic development through the arts and encourage partnerships between cultural and economic development agencies, particularly in underserved areas of the state. Initial planning grants are made up to $2,500 and advanced planning grants up to $10,000. Implementation grants are made up to $20,000.
The next deadline for Cultural Visions grant applications is Nov. 15 for projects beginning January – March 2007. For complete guidelines and eligibility requirements, visit www.southcarolinaarts.com or call 803/734-8696.
About SCAC
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 focuses on 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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