Cultural Council Announces 2014-2015 Programs

COLUMBIA, SC, September 15, 2014 – The Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties has announced its programs for 2014-2015, which includes a change of emphasis on its grant programs.

The Cultural Council’s mission is to support the entire arts community through its programs.  It offers professional development through the Arts Administrators’ Institute, networking opportunities through the bi-monthly Cultural Pow Wows, exhibition and performance opportunities, and technical assistance, in addition to the grants programs.

This year, the Council has suspended its annual operating support grants to 14 arts organizations in support of project grants to all arts organizations and individual artists throughout the Midlands.  “The project support grants that the Council awards under the quarterly grant program have a great impact among the arts community,” said Cindy Cooper, chair of the Cultural Council.  “They have made it possible for artists to further their career and organizations to launch projects that might not have been possible otherwise.”  The quarterly grant program is funded, in part, by the South Carolina Arts Commission.

The Cultural Council is currently undergoing an aggressive 3-month strategic planning process, led by Josh Jacobson of Next Stage Consulting in Charlotte, that will provide a plan to provide even more effective services to the arts community over the next 10 years.  The Council has a 30 year history of supporting, nurturing and developing the arts in the Midlands.