Blue Ride Arts Council in Seneca, SC, Receives Grant From SC Arts Commission

The Blue Ridge Arts Council in Seneca, SC, has been granted $2,782.00 by the South Carolina Arts Commission for 2012-2013. The support will provide operational funds so that BRAC can continue serving Oconee County as the only non-profit Gallery and Art Center in the area. The center relies on volunteers and donors to present wonderful gallery exhibits of the Upstate’s art community. The next Gallery event is a Juried Photography Show, “Art through a Lens”, opening on January 18, 2013. We are still in need of sponsors for this show. Interested individuals or corporations are urged to consider donating to this event by calling the office at 864/882-2722 Tuesday through Friday afternoons.

Several area companies, organizations and individuals are helping The Blue Ridge Arts Council meet its obligation of matching the Arts Commission grant with local dollars.

Those who are supporting the grant project are:
2012 BUSINESS SPONSOR LIST

BENEFACTORS ($2000+)

City of Seneca

The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation

Oconee Accommodations & Hospitality Commission

Oconee County Arts & Historical Commission

Oconee Tourism Commission

School District of Oconee County

South Carolina Arts Commission- Operating Grant (which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts).

South Carolina National Heritage Corridor

Seneca Hospitality & Accommodations Commission

The Daily Journal-Daily Messenger

PATRONS ($1,000 – 1,999)

The UPS Store

Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative

South Carolina Arts Commission-Web Grant (which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.)

SPONSORS ($500 – 999)

Applebee’s

Duke Energy

Palmetto Spirit’s

Tiki Hut

DONORS ($250 – 499)

Flowers by the Lake

FRIENDS ($50 to 249)

Deb’s Painting Crew

D”Lishness Gourmet Cupcake

Stuffits

Thread Heads

BRAC also offers an extensive list of classes for adults and children. The upcoming Winter Term offers new and returning classes and variety of teachers. Please go to the web site for a complete list of classes at (www.blueridgeartscenter.com) where you can register on line if you wish. There are also gift certificates for classes available for Holiday presents.

The South Carolina Arts Commission provides grants, technical services and leadership to arts organizations, schools and individual artists to preserve and promote the arts across the spectrum of South Carolina’s cultures and forms of expression. The agency strives to make the arts accessible to all South Carolinians, enhancing quality of life and contributing significantly to the state’s economic well-being. Headquartered in Columbia, SC, the Arts Commission draws on the resources of state dollars appropriated by the South Carolina General Assembly and the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information, visit (www.SouthCarolinaArts.com) or call 803/734-8696.

Charleston County Public Library in Charleston, SC, Hosts Charleston Association of Grant Professionals’ Lunch & Learn Meeting – Nov. 19, 2012

The Charleston County Public Library in Charleston, SC, will host the Charleston Association of Grant Professionals’ Lunch & Learn meeting on Monday, Nov. 19, 2012, from 11:30am-12:45pm, in the Library Auditorium, at 68 Calhoun Street, in downtown Charleston.

SPEAKERS:
Susan DuPlessis, SC Arts Commission Participation Program Director & Arts Coordinator

Madeleine McGee, President of SCANPO (S.C. Association of Nonprofit Organizations)

TOPICS:
“Why Thanks Matters in Our Shared Enviornment: A Funder’s Perspective” – Susan DuPlessis will discuss making meaningful connections with your funder.
The discussion will address:
1. Working on purpose: maximizing the intersection between the funder’s purpose and yours.
2. Your Story + my story = our story.
3. Giving thanks – why it matters.

Madeleine McGee will give a preview of the recently released third edition of “Guiding Principles & Best Practices” (GP&BP); share the latest on the 2013 SCANPO conference; and talk about the benefits of SCANPO membership.

For more info visit (www.southcarolinaarts.com) or (www.scanpo.org).

Even if these focus areas are not the same as those of your organization, it will still be a useful program for you to attend. This will not be a formal presentation but a chance to ‘sit and chat’, ask questions and learn. Please plan to be with us!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION?
Please bring your lunch and join us for learning and networking! (Beverages will be provided.) Reservations are requested. RSVP by e-mail to (carolynlackey@comcast.net).

PARKING: Parking Garage located on the ground floor.
Parking is free for the first hour and $1/each additional hour.

South Carolina Arts Commission Awards Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC, Grant for 2012 Fiscal Year

The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC, has been awarded $10,351 by the South Carolina Arts Commission for the 2012 fiscal year. The grant will support museum programming including the upcoming exhibition The Art of Alfred Hutty: Woodstock to Charleston, which opens on Jan. 20, 2012. One of the principal artists of the Charleston Renaissance, this retrospective exhibition of Alfred Hutty’s career features over fifty works created in Charleston and Woodstock, New York.

“Funding by the South Carolina Arts Commission will allow the Gibbes to further its mission of interpreting and presenting the arts and culture of Charleston and the Lowcountry to both traditional and new museum visitors,” said Angela Mack, Executive Director of the Gibbes Museum of Art. The museum is committed to developing multi-dimensional education and outreach programs that expand the concept of the museum experience, while addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse audience.

Several organizations are helping the Gibbes Museum of Art meet its obligation of matching the Arts Commission grant with local dollars. Those who are supporting the grant project include BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and the member auxiliary group Gibbes, etc.

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 working 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, SC, 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.

Established as the Carolina Art Association in 1858, the Gibbes Museum of Art opened its doors to the public in 1905. Located in Charleston’s historic district, the Gibbes houses a premier collection of over 10,000 works, principally American with a Charleston or Southern connection, and presents special exhibitions throughout the year. In addition, the museum offers an extensive complement of public programming and educational outreach initiatives that serve the community by stimulating creative expression and improving the region’s superb quality of life.

For further information call the Museum at 843/722-2706 or visit (www.gibbesmuseum.org).

SC Arts Commission in Columbia, SC, Calls for Nominations for 2012 Verner Awards – Deadline Dec. 15, 2011

The narrow-minded folks at the SC Arts Commission didn’t send us this info to forward on to you, but we got it third-hand and here it is.

The South Carolina Arts Commission is currently accepting nominations for the 2012 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Awards for the Arts. Guidelines and nomination forms are available online. Nominations are due by Dec. 15, 2011.

The awards, the state’s highest honor in the arts, are presented to South Carolina businesses, organizations and individuals for their achievement or contributions to the advancement of the arts. Nominations can be made in the following categories:

Arts in Education: open to S.C. individuals and/or institutions whose primary function is arts education.

Organization: open to S.C. organizations who contribute to the advancement and/or support of the arts. May include: arts discipline organizations, arts councils, arts advocacy groups, guilds, arts departments of organizations, educational institutions, etc.

Government: open to S.C. individuals and/or institutions generally described as a unit of state, local, county or municipal government, or elected/appointed officials.

Business/Foundation: open to S.C. individuals or companies/foundations whose participation, support, and/or contributions have benefited the maintenance and growth of the arts.

Individual: open to S.C. individuals who have demonstrated exceptional achievement and statewide impact through their leadership, support, and advancement of the arts. May include: arts professionals such as managers, administrators; arts supporters such as patrons, promoters, donors, etc.

Individual Artist: open to S.C. artists of exceptional talent and creativity, in any discipline, whose contribution to the arts has helped guide and influence directions, trends and aesthetic practices across the state or to national or international levels.

The SC Arts Commission Board appoints a panel to review all nominations and present recommendations. Awards will be presented during a special ceremony in Columbia this spring. For more information about the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Awards for the Arts, visit (www.SouthCarolinaArts.com/verner) or call 803/734-8696.

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.

South Carolina Arts Commission in Columbia, SC, Call for Nominations for 2012 Folk Heritage Awards – Deadline Dec. 15, 2011

The narrow-minded folks at the SC Arts Commission didn’t send us this info to forward on to you, but we got it third-hand and here it is.

To honor individuals who work to preserve the state’s diverse cultural heritage, the South Carolina Arts Commission and the University of South Carolina’s McKissick Museum invite nominations for the 2012 Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award. Guidelines and nomination forms are available online. Nominations are due by Dec. 15, 2011.

The Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award is presented annually by the South Carolina General Assembly to practitioners and advocates of traditional arts significant to communities throughout the state. Up to four artists and one advocate may receive awards each year. Nominations are accepted in two categories:

Artists: South Carolina artists who practice art forms that have been passed down through their families and communities and who have demonstrated a commitment to keeping their tradition alive. Past awards have recognized art forms such as basket making, gospel singing, fiddling, pottery and boat building.

Advocates: South Carolina individuals and groups that have worked to further traditional culture in the state. Those who are not traditional artists, but who have provided service that helps to sustain and promote South Carolina traditions, are eligible for the advocacy award.

Created by the legislature in 1987 to recognize lifetime achievement in the traditional arts, the award was renamed in 1997 in memory of the late Jean Laney Harris, an ardent supporter of the state’s cultural heritage.

For more information about the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award, or to submit a nomination, visit (www.SouthCarolinaArts.com/folkheritage) or contact Julianne Carroll, 803/734-8764, or Saddler Taylor, 803/777-3714.

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.

SC Arts Commission in Columbia, SC, Announces FY2012 Artist Fellowships

The South Carolina Arts Commission Board in Columbia, SC, has awarded Individual Artist Fellowships to two South Carolina visual artists in the categories of visual arts and craft. Each artist receives $5,000.

This year’s fellows are:
Visual Arts: Jonathan Brilliant, Richland County
Craft: Russell Biles, Greenville County

“The arts, and all the benefits they bring, depend on capable artists, who are central to the creative industries in our state,” said SC Arts Commission Executive Director Ken May. “The fellowships offer resources that artists can use to advance their careers. We’re fortunate to have funds to award thanks to a generous contribution from the South Carolina Arts Foundation.”

The SC Arts Commission board approves fellowships based on recommendations made by out-of-state review panelists, who select fellows based solely on a review of anonymous work samples. The visual arts and craft panelists were: Rene Barilleaux, chief curator/curator of art after 1945, McNay Art Museum, San Antonio; Lia Rose Newman, director of programs and exhibitions, Artspace, Inc, Raleigh, NC; and Miguel Gomez-Ibanez, president, North Bennet Street School, Boston.

The South Carolina Arts Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting the education and arts development programs of the SC Arts Commission, funded three of the four fellowships awarded this year (two others in Music). Individual artists working in poetry, prose, dance performance and dance choreography can apply for the 2012-2013 fellowship awards. The deadline to apply is Nov. 1, 2011.

FY2012 SC Arts Commission Artist Fellows’ Biographies

Jonathan Brilliant, Richland County – Visual Arts Fellow

Jonathan Brilliant holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from the College of Charleston and a Master of Fine Arts in Spatial Arts from San Jose State University. He has served as a visiting artist and artist-in-residence for numerous communities, schools and universities, including the Ox-Bow School of Art, the Penland School of Crafts, Redux Contemporary Art Center, University of Oklahoma, University of Memphis, and recently for the East/West Project in Berlin, Germany. In 2007, Brilliant was awarded a Joan Mitchell Foundation fellowship to attend the Vermont Studio Center. In 2009 he received the juror’s award at the National Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition and was named a South Carolina Arts Commission Visual Arts Fellow alternate. Brilliant creates compositional elements by weaving, welding and stacking various mediums, including such re-purposed coffee shop items as stirrers, lids and cups. From May 2009 – December 2010 he conducted his “Have Sticks Will Travel World Tour,” a series of site-specific installations in 13 galleries on two continents. In September 2010, Brilliant was named the winner of the Columbia Design League’s inaugural “Play With Your City” public art competition. In addition to site-specific installations, Brilliant works with drawing, sculpture and photography and lectures at universities across the country.

Russell Biles, Greenville County – Craft Fellow

Russell Biles received his Bachelor of Visual Arts in Sculpture from Winthrop University. His works have been displayed throughout the Southeast and are in collections from Arizona to the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. Described as a “sculptural satirist,” Biles focuses on culture’s obsession with celebrity to engage his audience. His works range from 1 to 10 feet in scale and have been featured in many national publications, including American Craft and The Ceramic Narrative. Biles received the Juror’s Choice Award for his work, “The Red Clay Survey,” at the Huntsville Museum of Art in 1994 and was named a South Carolina Arts Commission Visual Arts Fellow in 2001. He continues to serve the arts community by doing commissioned work and providing workshops, school residencies, master classes and other educational programs. In September, his work will be displayed in “Contradictions,” an exhibition at the Mindy Solomon Gallery in St. Petersburg, Fla.

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, SC, 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.

South Carolina Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Forms to Help SC’s Artists

The University of South Carolina School of Law in Columbia, SC, has partnered with area arts organizations to give them and the low-income artists they represent a new resource for legal assistance.

The South Carolina Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts will offer an online service that provides pro-bono assistance to the arts community.

This new resource is available at (www.SCvolunteerlawyersforthearts.org).

The SCVLA is a project of the school’s Pro Bono Program and Nonprofit Organizations Clinic, as well as the SC Arts Commission and the SC Bar Pro Bono Program. It refers those needing legal assistance to lawyers who have agreed to donate their time.

“This collaboration has been in the works for many years,” said Ken May, executive director at the SC Arts Commission. “We’re proud to see that it has come to fruition and is now providing the South Carolina arts community with this valuable service.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the law school to expand its relationship with the communities surrounding it,” said Walter F. Pratt Jr., dean of the School of Law. “Building on our nationally known Pro Bono Program, this new venture will allow even more students to learn the value of service to their community while, at the same time, acquiring skills that will make them better lawyers in the future.”

The service uses an online application system to gather facts from artists and arts organizations to match them with appropriate legal representation. SCVLA, cannot assign an attorney to a specific client, nor can it assist all clients. Some clients may be referred to an attorney outside the program.

Artists and arts organizations seeking legal advice or lawyers interested in volunteering their service can visit (www.SCvolunteerlawyersforthearts.org) to complete an online application.

SC Arts Commission Calls for Fellowship Grant Applications by Oct. 1, 2010

Columbia, SC -  Artists working in visual arts, craft, music performance and music composition may apply for a 2011-2012 Individual Artist Fellowship Award from the S.C. Arts Commission. Up to four fellowships of $5,000 will be awarded. The deadline to apply is Oct. 1, 2010. Applications are available at (www.SouthCarolinaArts.com).

Past fellows agree that fellowships offer endorsement that may open doors to other resources and employment opportunities. Kim Keats, the 2009-2010 craft fellow from Beaufort, said, “The fellowship award gave me an opportunity to garner recognition in the Beaufort area that I would not have otherwise received.”

The Arts Commission’s Individual Artist Fellowship Program encourages the pursuit of artistic excellence and provides financial support to South Carolina artists of merit. Since 1976, the Arts Commission has awarded 200 fellowship awards to actors, craftsmen, poets, screenwriters, musicians and more in recognition of exemplary artistic talent. Fellowship awards have no restriction on use of funds.

The Individual Artist Fellowship Program is one of the agency’s most competitive grant programs. Fellows are recommended by out-of-state review panelists, who make selections based solely on a review of work samples. These recommendations are approved by the Arts Commission Board.

For more information or to request an application by mail, call 803/734-8696.