S.C. Arts Awards Spotlight Series: One Columbia
Governor’s Award: Organization Category
As the day nears for the 2022 South Carolina Arts Awards, The Hub is focusing on this year’s recipients: four receiving the South Carolina Governor’s Awards for the Arts and three receiving the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award, which are managed jointly by the South Carolina Arts Commission and McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina.
One Columbia for Arts and Culture was founded as a non-profit in January 2012 to serve as de facto office of cultural affairs for Columbia until being officially named as such earlier this year.
Since then, it has built a reputation for collaboration, project facilitation, transparency, artist support, and leadership.
Its mission is to “advise, amplify and advocate for strengthening and unifying the cultural community of Columbia, SC.” The organization promotes cultural activities taking place in the city through an events calendar, weekly email, and social media reaching over 10,000 residents and visitors.
In 2014, OC facilitated the formalization of Columbia’s public art program which has since resulted in creation of more than 60 public artworks and an online directory of public art throughout the city of Columbia. The organization facilitates other projects related to tactical urbanism, creative placemaking and enhancing public space.
In the interest of acknowledging the role of the arts, the Columbia city council established the honorary position of city poet laureate in 2015. It tasked OC with creating the selection committee that resulted in Dr. Ed Madden being named the city’s first poet laureate. In 2017, OC began developing Amplify, a comprehensive cultural plan that was approved by city council in 2020. OC also spurred the city to participate city-wide in celebrations of art such as Make Music Day and National Poetry Month.
In recent years, the organization undertook the lengthy process of developing of a modern flag for the city that was ultimately adopted by city council in 2020.
(l-r) Margie Reese, Lee Snelgrove, Tanisha Brown, and Kristin Morris pose with One Columbia’s Governor’s Award statue, presented May 19, 2022. Click image to enlarge. SCAC photo.
The South Carolina Arts Awards are coming live to SCETV on Monday, June 13, 2022 at 9 p.m. ET.
South Carolina ETV, the state’s public educational broadcasting network, will broadcast the awards ceremony through its 11-station TV network that spans the state. Viewers can access the broadcast via livestream on the homepage of SCETV.org; by using a digital antenna; or through cable, satellite, and streaming live TV providers. Further information about accessing SCETV is available here.