S.C. Arts Commission hosting national meeting on roles of museums and libraries
November 11, 2015
COLUMBIA, SC – The South Carolina Arts Commission is hosting an invitational community meeting, one of a series to be held across the country, to generate discussion around a new report finding that museums and libraries are helping to rebuild troubled neighborhoods and drive economic, educational and social efforts to raise the standard of living. The meeting takes place Friday, Nov. 13 at the Colleton Museum and Farmers Market in Walterboro.
The report, Museums, Libraries, and Comprehensive Initiatives: A First Look at Emerging Experience, examines the ways that museums and libraries are leveraging their positions to help fuel successful comprehensive community revitalization efforts and offers best practices for other institutions to follow. The report is part of a collaborative research effort by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Dr. Kathryn K. Matthew, a Charleston native who was named IMLS director in October, is one of the presenters.
“As part of our commitment to rural communities, we have begun a series of conversations about the opportunities for community building through the arts,” said Ken May, executive director of the South Carolina Arts Commission. “This week, we are honored to host national presenters from IMLS and LISC as they share their new report that highlights two South Carolina museums: The Colleton Museum and Farmers Market in Walterboro and EdVenture Children’s Museum in Columbia. More than 50 South Carolina leaders representing museums, libraries, the arts, and economic and community development will gather to talk about the arts, culture and collaborations in rural South Carolina.”
During the meeting, Colleton Museum and Farmers Market officials will share how providing a vibrant farmer’s market, town hall and community meeting center complements programs that connect residents with social services and community resources.
The full report (PDF) is available on the IMLS website (www.imls.gov) and through LISC’s Institute for Comprehensive Community Development at www.instituteccd.org.
The S.C. Arts Commission is facilitating this meeting as part of its ongoing work as a partner of the state’s newly designated Promise Zone, a region comprised of six counties: Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper. In September, the Arts Commission hosted ArtPlace America as part of a national conversation about comprehensive community development and the arts. Beginning in February 2016, additional meetings are planned within and beyond the Promise Zone region to expand the conversation.
IMLS and LISC will present the report at additional community meetings taking place in Indianapolis, Ind., Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., Philadelphia, Pa. and Oakland, Calif.
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.
