S.C. Arts Commission Awards $1.98 Million in Grants
to South Carolina Arts Organizations for Fiscal Year 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The South Carolina Arts Commission has awarded $1,982,396 to South Carolina communities, arts organizations and schools for the 2008-2009 fiscal year. Funding in the programs of Arts in Education, Cultural Tourism, Folklife and Traditional Arts, General Operating Support and Subgranting will support 278 grantees in 40 counties.

"S.C. Arts Commission support represents a valuable investment in the creative economy in our state,” said S.C. Arts Commission Executive Director Suzette Surkamer. "From General Operating Support that allows arts organizations to support local artists and make cultural activities available in their communities to Arts in Education grants that help schools fund artist residencies and performances, this funding helps ensure all South Carolinians access to the arts."

Arts in Education grants help fund artist residencies, performances and teacher workshops, which show teachers how to incorporate the arts into their lesson plans. The Arts Commission awarded 106 AIE grants to schools, school districts and arts organizations for a total investment of $527,995.

Of this amount, $365,627 in ABC Advancement grants has been awarded to 55 schools and school districts in the Arts in Basic Curriculum Project, which works to ensure every child in South Carolina-from pre-school through college levels-access to a quality, comprehensive education in the arts. The ABC Project is cooperatively directed by the Arts Commission, the S.C. Department of Education and the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Winthrop University.

Cultural Tourism grants support projects and partnerships that increase arts-based tourism in South Carolina. A total of $32,600 has been awarded to support six Cultural Tourism projects in Beaufort, Chesterfield, Dorchester, Greenville, Spartanburg and York Counties. One example is marketing funds for a jazz festival in Chesterfield.

Folklife and Traditional Arts grants support programs that promote a greater understanding and visibility of South Carolina's many cultures through documentation and presentation of traditional art forms, their practitioners and their communities. The agency has awarded $20,750 in Folklife and Traditional Arts grants to fund six arts projects, including a Catawba Indian Traditional Art and Culture series in Lancaster, and one Folklife and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship that will allow an apprentice to learn the art of African drumming from a master artist in Georgetown County.

General Operating Support grants strengthen arts organizations that bring ongoing arts experiences and services to individuals and other organizations throughout the state, by providing consistent, unrestricted support for basic operations. A total of $1,289,952 in Annual and Long Term Operating Support has been awarded to 145 organizations.

Subgranting funds are allocated to local arts councils to distribute quarterly grants to organizations and artists in their region. This program is funded in part by an award from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of The Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina. The Arts Commission has provided $111,099 in Subgranting dollars to 14 arts councils across the state to serve artists and citizens in 17 counties.

FY2009 Folklife and Traditional Arts Grant Awards

Purpose
The Folklife and Traditional Arts Program supports programs that promote a greater understanding and visibility of, and appreciation for, South Carolina's many cultures through documentation and presentation of traditional art forms, their practitioners and their communities.

About SCAC:
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 is celebrating 40 years of increasing 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 and by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.