Arts Commission grants available for those preserving S.C. cultural traditions
Update, 14 March: The deadline is extended to Thursday, March 22.
For Immediate Release:
1 March 2018
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) welcomes applicants for its Folklife and Traditional Arts Grants, which help ensure the state’s living traditions remain vibrant and visible.
Traditional arts are expressions of shared identity gained by one’s belonging to a particular group and could be characterized by family, geographic, tribal, occupational, religious, or ethnic connections, among others. As expressions of a living culture, traditional arts have been handed down from one generation to the next and reflect the group’s shared experiences, aesthetics, or values.
(At right: Storage Container with Lid, 1993, by Marguerite Middleton, State Art Collection)
The SCAC’s Folklife & Traditional Arts grants – up to $6,000 – support non-profit organizations seeking to promote and preserve the traditional arts practiced across the state. Priority for funding is given to projects that provide recognition and support for South Carolina’s traditional art forms and their practitioners. The types of work or projects funded can include the presentation or documentation of traditional art or folklife, cultural surveys, conservation projects that seek to keep cultural practices vibrant and visible, and more.
The deadline to apply for one of these grants is Thursday, March 15. Information is available at SouthCarolinaArts.com, or from Folklife and Traditional Arts Program Director Laura Marcus Green by calling 803.734.8764 or emailing lgreen@arts.sc.gov.
ABOUT THE SOUTH CAROLINA 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 SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.
