Arts Advocacy Week 2026: Day Two
Ed. note: Welcome to Arts Advocacy Week in South Carolina, as organized by the South Carolina Arts Alliance. The Hub will be amplifying messages from the SCAA, our partner, as they highlight the different ways that the arts help build a stronger South Carolina. As a state agency, the South Carolina Arts Commission does not engage in or promote or encourage specific advocacy efforts, including and especially those pertaining to the SCAC, but we do provide public information related to our work, budget requests to the executive and legislative branches of state government, and general issues affecting arts and creativity in our state. The following information falls into the “public information” and “general issues” categories.
Today is all about how the arts and education go hand in hand — because arts education is essential.
Check out these resources to get your bearings, and start thinking about how you can show support for the arts this week!
More than half of the SCAC’s FY25 grantmaking was devoted to arts learning. Why do we support arts education?
- 9 in 10 Americans believe that every pre-K-12 student should be receiving an arts education, and 83% support government funding for arts education (Americans for the Arts).
- In South Carolina, students in arts-rich schools report higher hope and engagement than the national mean (Gallup).
- More than half of Americans say the arts have helped them cope during times distress, and believe the arts “lift me up beyond everyday experiences” (Americans for the Arts).
- Creativity is among the top five applied skills sought by business leaders, with 72% saying creativity is of “high importance” when hiring (Conference Board, Ready to Innovate).
Raise Your Voice
Are you, or is someone you know, a product of arts education? Make a social media post about your experience in the arts and how it has impacted your life!
Follow the SCAA on social media to tune into more advocacy content:
- Facebook.
- Instagram.
- Join the celebration using the Social Media Toolkit.