S.C. Humanities awards relief funds
$482,000 in emergency relief heads to cultural orgs
South Carolina Humanities has awarded $482,000 in emergency relief funds to 99 cultural organizations in South Carolina.
The awards reach 34 counties and all seven congressional districts. Funding for Bridge Emergency Relief Grants was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act economic stabilization plan.
South Carolina Humanities Bridge Emergency Relief Grants were designed to offer unrestricted operating and/or humanities program support to cultural organizations throughout the state that are facing financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. These grants provide immediate funds to help stabilize humanities organizations and allow them to maintain essential functions and retain core personnel, ensuring their future success.
Dr. Tom Mack, board chair of South Carolina Humanities, said, “The current pandemic has severely impacted our state’s economy; and among those most adversely affected by closure and event cancellation are museums, libraries, and other cultural centers offering humanities-based programming. SC Humanities is pleased and honored to be able to offer emergency funding to a host of cultural organizations that enrich the lives of our state’s citizens each and every day. We wish we could do more. For additional information on our ongoing grant opportunities, please visit our website at schumanities.org.”
“South Carolina has an annual $24 billion dollar tourism industry that includes hundreds of arts and cultural organizations that bolster that important economic sector. Closed since mid-March, these organizations and their personnel have suffered dramatically. We are very fortunate to be able to offer relief during these difficult times,” South Carolina Humanities Executive Director Dr. Randy Akers said.
Arts organizations receiving SC Humanities Bridge Emergency Relief Grants:
701 Center for Contemporary Art, Columbia
Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta, North Augusta
Arts Council of Chester County, Chester
Arts Council of Greenwood County, Greenwood
Arts Council of York County, Rock Hill
Ballet Spartanburg, Spartanburg
Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet
Chapman Cultural Center, Spartanburg
Coastal Carolina University – Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts, Conway
Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia
Dillon County Theatre Association, Dillon
Franklin G. Burroughs – Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum, Myrtle Beach
Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston
Greenville Light Opera Works/Glow Lyric Theatre, Greenville
Greenville Theatre, Greenville
Greenwood Community Theatre, Greenwood
The Historic Winyah Auditorium, Georgetown
Hub City Writers Project, Spartanburg
The Jasper Project, Columbia
Lancaster County Council of the Arts, Lancaster
McClellanville Arts Council, McClellanville
Newberry Community Players, Newberry
Newberry Opera House Foundation, Newberry
Nickelodeon Theatre, Columbia
Pat Conroy Literary Center, Beaufort
Penn Center, St. Helena Island
Rock Hill Symphony Orchestra, Rock Hill
South Carolina Writers Association, Columbia
Spartanburg Philharmonic, Spartanburg
Speaking Down Barriers, Spartanburg
Trustus, Inc., Columbia
USC Aiken’s Etherredge Center for the Fine Arts, Aiken
USC Beaufort Center for the Arts, Beaufort
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c) 3 organization is governed by a volunteer 20-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 350,000 citizens annually.