S.C. Arts Awards: Colonial Life
2019 Recipient Feature Series
As the day nears for the 2019 South Carolina Arts Awards, The Hub is taking 15 days to focus on this year’s recipients: nine receiving the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Awards for the Arts and five receiving the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award, which are managed jointly by the South Carolina Arts Commission and McKissick Museum at UofSC. In between the two groups, we’ll run a special feature on S.C. Arts Awards sponsor Colonial Life.
Colonial Life
Lead Sponsor
The S.C. Arts Commission 50th anniversary umbrellas traveling exhibition on display in the Atrium at Colonial Life headquarters.
When you think of an unwavering commitment to enhancing our community, especially through the arts and arts education, Colonial Life is one of the first companies to come to mind.
Strong Schools Grant recipient John Rogers at Cyril B. Busbee Creative Arts Academy in Lexington School District 2.
For 80 years, Colonial Life has been providing financial protection to customers and their families during difficult times in their lives to help protect the things they value most. This commitment extends to the community where our employees live and work. Colonial Life believes in giving back to the community and providing opportunities for employees to do the same.
We do this through corporate giving, a charitable matching-gifts program, and thousands of volunteer hours. Employees and company leaders work together with community organizations that strive to improve the quality of life for citizens through education, health and well-being and the arts.
Colonial Life’s commitment to supporting the arts extends to a variety of audiences and celebrates many cultures as diverse as its neighbors. We believe that a truly vibrant community includes engaging outlets and opportunities for cultural education.
We understand for a community to reap the benefits of these institutions, we need to provide opportunities for students and educators to use these places to connect classroom curriculum with real-world experience.
Here are a few of the ways Colonial Life supports the arts:
- Educational outreach with the Columbia City Ballet
- Professional development for educators at the Columbia Museum of Art
- Sponsorship of the Youth Theatre at Town Theatre
- Teacher Appreciation Nights with Second Shift Twosdays at the S.C. State Museum
- Sponsorship of Link Up concerts with the S.C. Philharmonic
- Strong Schools Grants program for educators that supports arts education initiatives
- Arts education sponsorship through the Lexington County Arts Association
- Underwriting of arts events and exhibits
In addition to these outreach efforts, Colonial Life is honored to feature an Art/Work gallery, in our newly renovated Columbia headquarters, showcasing original pieces produced by artists from across South Carolina. These creations enable members of our extended community to share their stories with our employees and guests.
Colonial Life is proud to partner with the South Carolina Arts Foundation as the presenting sponsor of the 2019 South Carolina Arts Awards. We congratulate the Palmetto State’s outstanding award recipients and commend them on demonstrating excellence in the arts in South Carolina.
South Carolina Arts Awards Day is Wednesday, May 1, 2019. The festivities begin at 10 a.m. with a reception that leads up to the awards ceremony at the UofSC Alumni Center (900 Senate St., Columbia). The event is free and open to the public. Following the ceremony, the South Carolina Arts Foundation honors the recipients and the arts community at the S.C. Arts Awards Luncheon and Art Sale. Tickets are $50. Please go here for more information and reservations.
Meet the Recipients
Use these links to read the long-form bios of the other 2019 South Carolina Arts Awards recipients.
- I. Florence County Museum
- II. The Gibbes Museum of Art
- III. Simeon A. Warren
- IV. Hampton III Gallery
- V. Kathleen P. Bateson
- VI. Tyrone Geter
- VII. South Carolina African American Heritage Commission
- VIII. Town Theatre
- IX. Cecil Williams