S.C. Arts Commission granted a record $18.5 million in FY24 through 721 awards

With final reports in, the South Carolina Arts Commission is announcing a record grantmaking investment in South Carolina artists (#SCArtists), arts organizations, and arts learning in the 2024 fiscal year.

The actual total was $18,466,756. Grants from the SCAC and programs run directly by the agency or with diverse partners reached all 46 counties. They assisted 517 artists and providers of arts experiences and arts learning.

• The SCAC made 721 annual grants totaling just less than $18.4 million to in-state artists, organizations, schools, or school districts.
• Two grants totaling $83,000 went to partners based out of state that helped the SCAC accomplish its work in South Carolina.

Among the grants across the SCAC’s focus areas:

• $12,213,094 supported arts learning initiatives;
• $5,855,934 assisted community-based arts programming;
• $211,511 funded artist projects and career development;
• $177,061 helped maintain the state’s unique traditional arts and folklife programs.

“Our vision is to help move South Carolina forward using the arts. We are excited about the South Carolina Arts Commission grantmaking reaching this level. It benefits South Carolina students, our residents, and visitors. Our staff is able to turn the vision into reality, creating impact, because of the support and funding provided by the General Assembly and Governor McMaster,” SCAC Board of Commissioners Chair Dee Crawford of Aiken said.

“The arts bring innumerable benefits to 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 benefits,” 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.”

To coincide with this announcement, a new public information tool is making its debut on the SCAC website. Constituents are encouraged to visit SouthCarolinaArts.com for an interactive dashboard that will visualize FY24 grant data in each South Carolina county.

Arts learning grants led the way in FY24 grantmaking, coming in at just more than $12.2 million—66% 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-rich learning to South Carolina students from 4K programs through high school. For example:

• Summertime learning initiatives enriched by the arts received $1.1 million in funding, while similar initiatives during the school year received nearly $600,000.
• Arts in Basic Curriculum Institute-certified schools, 67 in total, received $842,500 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, $1.2 million.
  • Engaging Creative Minds, $4.1 million.
  • South Carolina Governor’s School for Arts & Humanities, $1.2 million.
  • Winthrop University (ABC Institute), $750,000.

The SCAC’s largest single grant category remained General Operating Support. Arts organizations across the state were the direct beneficiaries of $3.5 million to support them as they provided arts experiences to residents and visitors alike. A total of 141 organizations received that assistance. Another $196,366 was awarded in operating support to smaller arts organizations.

Artist funding of almost $211,511 benefitted hard-working South Carolina artists.

• 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, in addition to getting project funding, became cohorts to develop their careers as artist entrepreneurs.
• Two 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 FY24 funding support came from the Coastal Community Foundation to support arts projects. A $37,196 award from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of CCF contributed to 95 SCAC grant awards serving artists and nonprofit arts organizations in 26 counties. 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 FY25 on July 1, 2024.

About the South Carolina Arts Commission

The mission of the South Carolina Arts Commission is to promote equitable access to the arts and support 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/