SC Arts Commission in Columbia, SC, to Honor Nine Recipients with 2019 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts

Nine South Carolinians are to be honored by the South Carolina Arts Commission with the 2019 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts—the state’s highest arts honor.

The following recipients from their respective categories are being recognized for outstanding achievement and contributions to the arts in South Carolina:

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Cecil Williams, Orangeburg

ARTIST Tyrone Geter, Columbia

INDIVIDUAL Kathleen (Kathi) P. Bateson, Hilton Head Island

ARTS IN EDUCATION Simeon Warren, Charleston (Individual) and S.C. African American Heritage Commission, Hartsville (Organization)

BUSINESS Hampton III Gallery, Taylors

GOVERNMENT Florence County Museum, Florence

ORGANIZATION Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston and Columbia Stage Society (Town Theatre), Columbia (Special Award)

Further info about these receipients can be found at (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/plf40ffa55oxh5g/AAAksiSWeKNQxxytp5yBM8DQa?dl=0).

Crooked Creek Art League (CCAL) in Chapin, SC, Receives Grant from SC Arts Commission to Put on Exhibit

The CCAL has been awarded a $1,000.00 grant by the South Carolina Arts Commission for the 2016 fiscal year.  The support is a project grant which will allow CCAL to conduct its 21st annual Juried Art Show.  The annual spring show will highlight over 100 pieces of art recently completed by regional artist members of CCAL.  For six weeks following the jurying and awards selection, all art and awards will be on display at the Irmo/Chapin Recreation Commissions Crooked Creek Park in Chapin, SC.  There, several hundred local individuals and school children will view the display.

The South Carolina Arts Commission grant will enable CCAL to more fully achieve our mission of:  “The purpose of the CCAL is to encourage and support new and established artists, to offer outlets to improve skills, display and sell art, and allow artists and art supporters to socialize and network.”

Local residents can observe how the arts commission grant and local matching funds are benefiting CCAL and the community by attending the reception and awards ceremony, a public event.  This event will be held Monday, March 21st, 2016 at:  Crooked Creek Park, 1098 Old Lexington Highway, Chapin, SC 29036.  This facility is open seven days a week for your review of the 2016 Juried Show.

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 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, 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.

CCAL encourages persons with art backgrounds or just a general interest in the arts to attend a monthly general membership meeting which includes light foods and a strong one and a half hour arts education program.  Contact membership chair, Jean Kirkley, at 803/359-5770, e-mail at (jeankirkley@mac.com) or President al Leitch at 803/269-2724, e-mail at (leitch@moore.sc.edu).

City of Lancaster, SC, 2015 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Awards Recipient for Government

The South Carolina Arts Commission announces the 2015 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Awards for the Arts, the highest honor the state presents in the arts. Established in 1972, the annual awards recognize outstanding achievement and contributions to the arts in South Carolina.

The City of Lancaster, South Carolina, nominated by Lancaster County Council of the Arts – as the 2015 Government Award

In recent years, the City of Lancaster has shown a remarkable commitment to serving the community through outstanding support of the arts. The vital nature of the municipal government’s efforts stands out given the severe social, cultural and economic challenges facing the city. High rates of adult illiteracy, unemployment and poverty have been barriers for the city and its citizens. The arts have been a central means through which the city has sought to address these challenges and positively shape the destiny of a rural community.

The city provides substantial in-kind and direct financial support to the Lancaster County Council of the Arts. This partnership has resulted in an impressive and rapidly growing portfolio of community-wide art projects and programs, including Night of the Living Arts, Ladies Night Out, the Spring Arts Crawl, community concerts, the Nutcracker Ballet, the Student Art Banner and Art Cubes Public Arts Project, public sculpture and mural projects, and storefront art exhibits. The city partners with USC Lancaster to support the Native American Studies Center, bringing Native American Arts and educational opportunities to the region.

Recently the City of Lancaster has achieved a high profile across the state through the success of the Ag+Art Tour initiative – providing leadership to other SC counties in developing tourism around the convergence of agriculture and the arts. Lancaster stands out as a model of civic commitment to draw upon the power of the arts to enrich communities in myriad ways.

“South Carolina’s quality of life, education and economy are enhanced tremendously by those who dedicate their work and lives to the arts,” said SC Arts Commission Chairman Henry Horowitz. “The Verner Awards recognize that service of commitment and passion. We are honored again this year to present the awards to a most worthy group of organizations and individuals. We are grateful for their contributions to our state.”

Awards will be presented at a ceremony in Columbia on Wednesday, May 13, 2015. The SC Arts Foundation will honor the recipients and the arts community at the South Carolina Arts Gala, a fundraiser supporting the programs of the SC Arts Commission.

For more about the Verner Awards or the SC. Arts Gala, call 803/734-8696 or visit (www.SouthCarolinaArts.com).

Artists’ Guild Of Spartanburg, SC, Receives Grant From SC Arts Commission

The Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg in Spartanburg, SC, has been awarded $5,998 by the South Carolina Arts Commission for the 2015 fiscal year. This support will allow the organization to partake in more community outreach and positively affect those who are not typically involved in the arts. More specifically, the money will be used to help the Guild host an annual juried show for local schools and have an artist-in-residence who will teach in various schools in Spartanburg.

With the help of The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg and Carolina Alliance Bank, the Guild meets its obligation of matching the Arts Commission grant with local dollars. Local residents can see how the Arts Commission grant and local funds benefit the community by visiting the Guild’s Gallery at the opening receptions that take place monthly, as well as ArtWalk, Guild socials, and demonstration nights. The Guild Gallery is located in Chapman Cultural Center at 200 East Saint John St., Spartanburg, SC. It is open daily.

The South Carolina Arts Commission is a 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.

Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg serves as a resource for the visual arts in the Spartanburg community by promoting, fostering, and cultivating knowledge of the visual arts, and for local artists. It strives to provide enrichment and artistic education for its members and the community thereby encouraging a growing appreciation, understanding, and love of art among the citizens of Spartanburg and surrounding counties.

For further information call Caitlin Boice, Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg at 864/764-9568.

Myrtle Beach Art Museum in Myrtle Beach, SC, Receives Verner Governor’s Award From South Carolina Arts Commission Board

The South Carolina Arts Commission Board recently named the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum as the recipient of the 2013 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts in the Organization category. The Verner awards are the highest honors the state presents in the arts. They will be presented at a Statehouse ceremony tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 2, 2013.

“It’s heartwarming to see such well-deserved recognition of our executive director, Patricia Goodwin, and her wonderful staff. Their dedication and love of the museum are reflected in every aspect of the operation of the museum and the quality of the programs offered to the community,” said John Stewart, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “This award reflects the support that the museum receives from the city of Myrtle Beach and sponsors and members. Without their loyal support, none of this would be possible.”

The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency responsible for creating a thriving arts environment that benefits the citizens. Headquartered in Columbia, SC, they work to increase public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and artist development through state funds, the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts, and other sources. Categories within the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Awards include: Individual Artist, Individual, Arts in Education, Business, Government, Organization, Special Award, and Lifetime Achievement.

“This is a wonderful award that Pat Goodwin and the Art Museum staff certainly deserve. I’m thrilled that they’ve received this award for the best arts organization in the state of South Carolina,” said Carolyn Burroughs, Trustee Emeritus. “It’s such a great thing for this community.”

Over the years, the Art Museum has become an integral part of the Myrtle Beach community and has established itself as one of the finest art institutions in the Carolinas.

“I consider this incredibly special museum to be a ‘Palmetto Crown Jewel’ to South Carolina, its community, artists, international and state visitors, adult and children students, and academic artists and creative interns,” said artist Jonathan Green. “This museum consistently through the past ten years has brought exhibitions of outstanding visual arts ranging from fine art, outdoor art, and magnificent crafts to visitors who are fortunate to see this museum.”

Visitors to the museum enjoy an array of artwork and educational opportunities, and have had the opportunity to view exhibitions of acclaimed hometown artists such as Brian Rutenberg, Frederick Hart, Sigmund Abeles and Alex Powers, and South Carolina natives Jonathan Green and Jasper Johns.

Throughout 2012, the Art Museum celebrated I Heart Art, a yearlong series of events designed to bring in new friends and funds for the museum. Events included several fundraisers (including the 1920’s-inspired Great Gatsby Affair) as well as a 9-hole mini-golf course over the summer (which was the only course in the South to use famous art as its focal point).

“The whole goal of the yearlong I Heart Art program was to increase awareness in the community and attract new patrons,” said Lineta Pritchard, co-chair of I Heart Art. “We’ve more than accomplished that goal. It’s great to see the Art Museum recognized not only within the community, but within the state as well.”

The Art Museum worked with other regional art organizations and partnered with local businesses and individuals to increase awareness of artists and available arts programs. I Heart Art concluded with new members and sponsors, and over $100,000 in new revenue.

For more information call the  Museum at 843/238-2510 or e-mail Patricia Goodwin at (pgoodwin@myrtlebeachartmuseum.org).

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.

Arts Council of York County in Rock Hill, SC, Announces Small Grants Recipients

The Arts Council of York County in Rock Hill, SC, is pleased to announce the allocation of six Small Grants awards for the firstquarter of 2011-2012.  Recipients include:

Ben Grant, $450
To fund purchase of woodturning tools.

Shakespeare Carolina, $250
To fund production of “Two Gentlemen of Verona” & “The Tempest.”

Cameron Bunce, $500
To fund chemicals & materials for darkroom.

Dominique Verechia, $245
To fund framing for upcoming exhibit at Gallery Up.

Rock Hill Community Theatre, $300
To fund production of “Camp Rock, The Musical.”

Winthrop University English Department, $600
To fund musical component of Volunteer Arts in Medicine with Piedmont Medical Center.

Small Grants are available to individual artists, non-profit organizations, teachers and schools throughout York County. These grants are designed to support specific arts activities that promote the individual artist’s professional development or career advancement and/or to support a wide variety of quality arts projects and programs that promote excellence in an arts discipline and make such excellence accessible for general community-wide audiences.

The Arts Council allocates between $2,000-$3,000 to small grant awards each quarter.  Organizations and individual artists may request up to $1,000 per grant and may receive up to two grants in a calendar year.

This small grants program is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts and the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation.

For further information contact Katie Price by e-mail at (kprice@yorkcountyarts.org) or visit (http://www.yorkcountyarts.org/).