United Community Bank returns for second year as presenting sponsor of Antiques, Fine Art & Design Weekend
May 10, 2017
Bank continues Community Partnership with Greenville County Museum of Art
United Community Bank announced today it will return as the 2017 presenting sponsor of the Antiques, Fine Art & Design (AFAD) Weekend held at the Greenville County Museum of Art (GCMA). 2017 marks the 32nd annual celebration of the best antiques, fine art and design in the Southeast and will be held October 13-15, 2017. The partnership between United Community Bank and the Museum will provide support for new art acquisitions.
“We are honored to continue our partnership with this world-class institution and be a part of such a unique and valuable event for another year,” said Lynn Harton, President and Chief Operating Officer of United Community Bank. “At United Community Bank, we believe in supporting and enriching our communities in effective ways, and look forward to extending our relationship with the Greenville County Museum of Art.”
In addition to the sponsorship announcement, Museum leadership also announced today that the keynote speaker for AFAD Weekend 2017 will be renowned designer James Farmer. Farmer, a native Southerner, is a professional gardener, floral and interior designer, cook, author and lifestyle expert. He is an editor-at-large with Southern Living and owns James Farmer, Inc., a full-service interior design firm for projects of all size.
“Following a record-setting year for attendance, we could not be more pleased to once again partner with United Community Bank,” said Tom Styron, Executive Director of GCMA. “Partnerships like ours are essential to providing arts education and appreciation opportunities to members of this community and our growing number of visitors. This event supports our continued effort to expand our collection at the Museum and we look forward to continuing to provide visual arts to the Greenville community.”
United Community Bank first partnered with the Museum in 2016 as the presenting sponsor of the AFAD Weekend and the presenting sponsor of the Andrew Wyeth Centennial Celebration, which continues through September 2017. The Bank has 32 branches in South Carolina and more than 130 branches across the Southeast. While based in Georgia, the Bank has established a regional headquarters in Greenville and recently expanded its South Carolina presence with acquisitions in the Upstate and Coastal regions of the state.
Recognized as one of the country’s finest American art museums and perhaps best known for the renowned Andrew Wyeth collection, the GCMA holds the AFAD Weekend annually each fall at the Museum on Heritage Green. The show celebrates the Art for Greenville campaign, which to date has raised more than $9 million for acquisitions. More details about the 2017 show will be released in the coming months.
About United Community Bank
United Community Banks, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCBI) is a registered bank holding company based in Blairsville, Georgia with $10.7 billion in assets. The company’s banking subsidiary, United Community Bank, is one of the southeast region’s largest full-service banks, operating 134 offices in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The bank specializes in providing personalized community banking services to individuals, small businesses and corporations. Services include a full range of consumer and commercial banking products including mortgage, advisory and treasury management. Respected national research firms consistently recognize United Community Bank for outstanding customer service: In 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, J.D. Power ranked United Community Bank first in customer satisfaction in the Southeast. In 2017, for the fourth consecutive year, Forbes included United among their list of the top 100 Best Banks in America. Additional information about the company and the bank’s full range of products and services can be found at www.ucbi.com.
About The Greenville County Museum of Art
The Greenville County Museum of Art is home to a nationally acclaimed collection of American art that ranges from Federal portraits to contemporary works, including major holdings of work by two of the greatest artists in the nation’s history, Andrew Wyeth and Jasper Johns.
The GCMA’s permanent collection explores the breadth of American art through the Southern experience from the colonial era to the present. Among the highlights of the Southern Collection are an exceptional group of pre-Civil War vessels created by the enslaved African-American potter and poet David Drake, an extensive collection of American Impressionism, and an array of works by such 20th-century masters of Georgia O’Keeffe, Romare Bearden and Andy Warhol. In addition, the GCMA is home to an important collection of modernist works by South Carolina native African-American artist William H. Johnson.
The GCMA is located in the center of downtown Greenville’s cultural campus, Heritage Green, at 420 College Street. The GCMA is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 am until 6 pm and on Sundays from 1 pm until 5 pm. Admission is free.
