Platts updates constituents on virus response
Advocacy, policy, and funding updates from the SCAC
The South Carolina Arts Commission is working hard to monitor the rapidly evolving COVID-19 landscape and continue providing excellent service during these challenging times.
Despite working remotely, our team remains in frequent contact, collaborating to ensure your concerns receive the prompt attention they deserve.
On a larger scale, we are striving to ensure that South Carolina’s arts and culture sector retains access to the latest resources and information it needs both to survive now and to thrive once we emerge on the other side of this situation.
To that end, I write to share some recent updates we have made that warrant your attention.
By now, I hope you’re aware of the ever-evolving COVID-19 response page on SouthCarolinaArts.com. New to the page are two sections of critical importance:
Advocacy Efforts and Policy Concerns
Our partners in the South Carolina Arts Alliance are actively communicating with federal and state policy makers to ensure the arts and cultural community is included in any kind of recovery relief programs. To learn more about these efforts or to become involved in them, visit the South Carolina Arts Alliance website.
Further, Americans for the Arts is aggregating data on the real loss COVID-19 closings will have on arts and culture. Please fill out the five-minute survey linked here. This will help them acquire important data that best positions arts and culture for a seat at the relief table.
Funding
We are working with state and national partners to stay up to date on opportunities for emergency relief and will continue to communicate often via the “Artists and Arts Organizations” and “Arts Education” tabs on the COVID-19 response page.
At this time we do not have access to emergency assistance funds, but we are communicating with the General Assembly regarding the potential for state disaster funds to be allocated for artists and arts organizations. Along with our partners at the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, we are monitoring possible arts and culture emergency relief included for the National Endowment for the Arts in the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill just passed by the U.S. Congress.
The S.C. Arts Commission team understands you are likely to be experiencing high levels of anxiety and worry right now. Your physical and emotional well-being matter to us as much as does the economic impact. Please know we are making every effort to provide you with valuable information as soon as it becomes readily available. Stay home, stay clean, and stay healthy. We are here for you.