New numbers: SC Arts Commission grantmaking, services impacted all 46 counties in FY25

Communities receive $12.5 million through 676 grants

Artmaking and learning in and through the arts received support in all 46 South Carolina counties in FY25 thanks to $12.5 million in funding provided by South Carolina Arts Commission grants.

The actual total was $12,544,219. Grants from the SCAC and programs run directly by the agency or with diverse partners reached all 46 counties. They assisted 106 artists, 310 providers of arts experiences and 261 arts learning opportunities.

• The SCAC made 673 annual grants to in-state artists, organizations, schools, or school districts.
• Four grants went out of state to artists or partners who helped the SCAC accomplish its work in South Carolina.

Among the grants across the SCAC’s focus areas:

• Arts learning initiatives were given $6,420,079 of support.
• Community-based arts programming received $5,789,091 in assistance.
• #SCArtists received $321,981 to fund artistic projects and career development.

Constituents are encouraged to use the updated, interactive dashboard on SouthCarolinaArts.com that will visualize FY25 grant data in each South Carolina county.

“The arts impact the lives of South Carolinians every day in some way, and we at the Arts Commission remain committed to ensuring that, wherever our constituents might be, they have access to those creative opportunities,” SCAC Executive Director David T. Platts said. “We are extremely grateful to our board members for their guidance, to our dedicated staff for balancing grant distribution and program management daily, and to our state leaders for their continued funding support in making this shared vision a reality for all South Carolinians.”

“Communities in South Carolina benefit daily from the value of the South Carolina Arts Commission. That could look like helping an artist increase capacity to build a self-sustaining business or giving an arts organization support to pay utilities so it can focus on its artform. It is also giving children access to learning opportunities made better by incorporating creativity. The Arts Commission is proud to contribute in these meaningful ways,” SCAC Board Chairperson Flavia B. Harton said.

Arts learning grants led the way again in FY25 grantmaking, coming in at just less than $6.4 million—51% of the total. The SCAC helped fund new arts learning projects in and after school, during the school year and during the summer through Arts Grow SC—a partnership among local, state, and national partners led by the SCAC to offer arts-enriched learning to South Carolina students from K-4 programs through high school. For example:

• Summertime learning initiatives enriched by the arts received $732,000 in funding, while similar initiatives during the schoolyear received nearly $613,000.
• Arts in Basic Curriculum Institute-certified schools, 68 in total, received $811,000 in support.
• Special project grants to key partners, as part of Arts Grow SC, allowed for administration of arts learning programs. Those grants were headlined by:
  • ArtsNOW in Columbia, $744,000.
  • Cecil Williams South Carolina Civil Rights Museum in Orangeburg, $110,000.
  • Engaging Creative Minds in Charleston, $150,000.
  • South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities in Greenville, $700,000.
  • Winthrop University (ABC Institute) in Rock Hill, $675,000.

The SCAC’s largest single grant category remained General Operating Support. Arts organizations across the state were the direct beneficiaries of $5.8 million to support them as they provided arts experiences to residents and visitors alike. A total of 146 organizations received that assistance. Another $240,000 was awarded in operating support to 54 smaller arts organizations.

Artist funding of almost $328,000 benefitted hard-working South Carolina artists (#SCArtists on social media).

• As it does every year, the SCAC named four fellowship recipients whose achievement in and dedication to their artistic disciplines earned them unrestricted $10,000 grants each.
• Two groups of emerging artists became cohorts to develop their careers as artist entrepreneurs and received project funding of up to $1,800.
• Three artists with existing arts-based businesses received support for projects related to those businesses through the Artist Business Initiative grants.

While the majority of the SCAC’s annual funding comes from state, then federal, appropriations, additional generous FY25 funding support came from the Coastal Community Foundation (CCF) to support arts projects. A $38,244 award from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of CCF contributed to 23 SCAC grant awards serving artists and nonprofit arts organizations in five counties within the CCF service area. This helped to provide quality arts projects, artistic experiences, and arts development in public spaces, community arts development, and professional development for artists and arts administration staff.

The SCAC, along with the rest of state government, began FY26 on July 1, 2025. Taking effect on the same day was the agency’s new strategic plan, which guides its work, including what grants and services it offers constituents.

About the South Carolina Arts Commission

The mission of the South Carolina Arts Commission is to expand access to the arts and foster the cultivation of creativity in South Carolina. We envision a South Carolina where the arts are valued and all people benefit from a variety of creative experiences.

A state agency created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the SCAC works to increase public participation in the arts through grants, direct programs, staff assistance and partnerships in artist development, arts industry, arts learning, creative placemaking, and folklife and traditional arts. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the SCAC is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts, and other sources. Visit SouthCarolinaArts.com or call 803.734.8696, and follow @SCArtsComm on Facebook, Instagram, and X for #Arts4SC and #SCArtists content.

View this and other SCAC news on The Hub: https://www.scartshub.com/