South Carolina Arts Commission elects new officers

A new team is charting the course for the South Carolina Arts Commission’s new fiscal year.  After four years of leading the Commission, Dr. Sarah Lynn Hayes of Rock Hill is stepping down as chairman. “We owe a big thank you to Sarah Lynn,” said S.C. Arts Commission Executive Director Ken May. “She has been an active leader in the agency’s accomplishments and a tireless ally during tough times. The statewide arts community is stronger because of her support.”

Greenville businessman Henry Horowitz takes over as chairman after two years of serving as vice chairman.  Entrepreneur Delores “Dee” Crawford of Aiken will serve as vice chairman, and Hayes will continue on the executive committee as immediate past chairman.

“The Commission is in good hands,” said May. “Our officers’ business acumen and advisory experience will be key assets as we continue to work with the state legislature and partner with other organizations to ensure that the arts thrive in our state.”

Henry Horowitz Horowitz is the co-founder, principal and managing partner of Oxford Capital Partners LLC, a real estate investment firm in Greenville, S.C. and Dallas, Texas. He is a managing principal of MedProperties Holdings LLC, a private equity firm in Dallas. Previously, he served as president of RealtiCorp and in various executive management roles with Insignia Financial Group. Horowitz is chairman emeritus and founder of Greenville’s Artisphere Festival and serves on the Bon Secours Health System Board of Directors and the Wells Fargo Bank S.C. Regional Advisory Board of Directors. He is the former chair of the Metropolitan Arts Council of Greenville and former president of the Charity Ball Board of Directors. Horowitz previously served as vice chairman for the Arts Commission.

Dee CrawfordCrawford is president of a McDonald’s organization that includes seven restaurants with more than 400 employees. She serves on the advisory boards of USC Aiken School of Business, the USC Aiken Inclusion Advisory Council and the Center for African American History, Art and Culture of Aiken County. She is an advisor to the Board of Directors of Juilliard in Aiken and a Fellow of the Riley Diversity Leadership Institute at Furman University.

Sarah Lynn HayesHayes is director of the Central Child Development Center, which serves 350 at-risk four-year-olds in Rock Hill schools. She also co-owns Events per se, an event planning and management company in Rock Hill. She is past president of the Arts Council of York County.

The Arts Commission Board is composed of nine volunteer citizens appointed at large for three-year terms by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate for the purpose of guiding the development of the arts in the state. Commissioners are residents of South Carolina who are selected for their practice of, participation in or support of the creative and interpretive arts. The Commissioners meet regularly to take action on funding and formulating policy for the Arts Commission.

For more information about S.C. Arts Commission programs and services, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.

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.