S.C. Arts Commission awards $3.1 million in grants
July 22, 2016
The South Carolina Arts Commission has awarded $3,148,120 in grants to South Carolina communities, artists, arts organizations and schools for the 2017 fiscal year as of July 1.
“We are continuing our emphasis on arts education by expanding last year’s pilot program to serve low income children through summer arts camps,” said S.C. Arts Commission Executive Director Ken May. “We worked with local school districts, nonprofit partners and the State Department of Education to deliver a high quality arts program designed to combat summer learning loss.”
In addition, seven new Arts in Basic Curriculum sites have been awarded grants to strategically plan and implement arts education as part of the school day.
The push to expand arts education access is the result of recommendations from the 2014 Arts Education Task Force, created to respond to new research and a new climate for education and arts education reform in South Carolina, according to May. “The task force was charged with answering the question, ‘What must South Carolina do to ensure that all of its young people explore, create, learn and grow in and through the arts?’ The answer was, in a nutshell, ‘do more of the good projects you’re already doing and find new approaches and new partners to reach kids, especially in high poverty areas.’ We will continue to support projects in traditional settings such as schools, but we want to work with community partners and afterschool/summer program providers to reach children beyond the school day and school year.”
The agency’s support of the broader arts sector has increased as well, with 25 new operating support grantees. “As a result of our work in rural communities and with new alliances around the state, we have attracted additional grant applications for our operating support funds,” said May. “These awards help ensure that we support a wide variety of projects in more places, helping to boost the state’s creative economy,” said May.
A total of 288 grants were awarded in 37 counties and range from operating grants and project support for organizations to seed money and fellowships for individual artists, ensuring a diversity of relevant arts experiences around the state.
Grants were awarded in these categories:
- Arts in Education $1,499,645
- Operating Support $1,418,873
- Folklife and Traditional Arts $95,502
- Subgranting $66,437
- Artists Ventures Initiative $40,000
- Individual Artist Fellowships $20,000
- Quarterly Project Support $7,663 (1st quarter only)
For a complete list of grant recipients by program or by county, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com/awards. For more information about S.C. Arts Commission programs and services, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.
About the 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 works to increase 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, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.
