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Amiri Geuka Farris lands artist residency

Sharing photography and painting at Penn Center


Culture and Community at the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District, a partnership between South Carolina’s Penn Center and the University of Georgia’s Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, has named Amiri Geuka Farris as its 2023 artist in residence.

Through the residency and its theme of “Land and Justice,” Farris will engage with the history and heritage of Penn Center, located on St. Helena Island, and with its surrounding community in the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. Farris is a Bluffton-based interdisciplinary artist whose work has been featured in more than 50 solo exhibitions and juried museum shows nationally and internationally. “For my Culture & Community residency I plan on creating a body of work focused on Gullah Geechee culture, land conservation, nature, and heirs’ property, which I plan to explore through various media including photography and painting,” he said. “By examining these themes, I hope to create meaningful works that can be shared with the community and exhibited in museums and galleries.” Farris was appointed to the residency by a committee including members of cultural and artistic organizations connected to Penn Center and led by Deloris Pringle, chair of Penn Center’s board of trustees. “Amiri Geuka Farris’s experience as a preservationist, educator, musical performer, videographer, and cultural curator places his bold and brilliant art at the intersection of people, place, and time,” said Penn board member Tia Powell Harris, vice president for education and community engagement at New York City Center, who served on the selection committee. “His art is often rooted in the legacy of the Gullah Geechee heritage and his desire to uplift the tenacity of the Gullah people,” Harris said. “We look forward with great anticipation to Amiri’s residency at the historic Penn Center and to the dynamic visual stories that will emerge from his interactions with our supportive staff and board, a welcoming community, and the indomitable spirit of the elders past and present, who have served as stewards of the land.” The Culture and Community project is funded by a $1 million 2021 grant to the Willson Center by the Mellon Foundation. Barbara McCaskill, professor of English and associate academic director of the Willson Center, and Nicholas Allen, Baldwin Professor in Humanities and director of the Willson Center, are the grant’s principal investigators and serve on the project’s steering committee with Pringle, Valerie Babb, Andrew Mellon Professor of Humanities at Emory University, and interim Penn Center executive director Bernie Wright. Angela Dore, the project’s research coordinator, provides day-to-day oversight of the project’s programs. The beginning of Farris’s residency launches the partnership’s second year of public programs, which will include two Penn Center Community Conversations and two cohorts of Student Summer Research Residencies: on-site classes and workshops with students and faculty from colleges and universities across the Southeast. The first of 2023’s public conversations, “Penn Center, Land, and Community,” will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 22 in Penn Center’s Frissell Community House. The research residencies, which will take place in May, will include workshops and conversations that Farris will lead with students and other participants.

About the partners

  • Penn Center is a nonprofit organization committed to African American education, community development, and social justice. It also serves as a gathering place for meetings, educational institutions, and planning activities within the Sea Island Gullah Geechee communities. It sits on the historic campus of Penn School, founded in 1862 to provide education to African Americans who until then had been enslaved in the Sea Islands region. Following the school’s closure in 1948, the site served as a sanctuary for civil rights organizers in the 1960s, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
  • The Willson Center promotes research, practice, and creativity in the humanities and arts. It supports faculty, students, and its extended community through research grants, visiting scholars and artists, collaborative instruction, conferences, exhibitions, and performances, with a focus on academic excellence and public impact.

Submitted material

ArtFields announces 2023 competition artists

#SCartists well represented


Lake City ArtFields Collective dropped an impressive list today that has The Hub ready for 2023.

Among the more than 400 artists from throughout the Southeast are 124 #SCartists who will vie for the big, $50,000 grand prize. The list features artists known well by the SCAC: fellowship recipients, emerging artists, and artist partners; and we recognize a couple South Arts fellows as well. An email from ArtFields said the panel was "extremely impressed" by the applicants' quality of work. ArtFields 2023 takes place April 19-29 in Lake City.

Additional opportunities


#SCartists at ArtFields 2023

Jim Arendt Conway
Kara Artman Hilton Head Island
Carlo A. Balistrieri Lake City
Dylan Bannister Rock Hill
Emma Margaret Barnes Beaufort
Elizabeth Barnes North Augusta
Logan Beasley Aiken
Catherine Beemer Mount Pleasant
Nakisa Beigi Irmo
Chris Bilton Eutawville
Joanna Biondolillo Johns Island
Jonathan Bolton Simpsonville
Dustin Bonner Charleston
Adam Boykin Sumter
Nikki Bracy Gaston
Dionah Bryant Goose Creek
Anna Grace Burch Greenville
Neva Campbell Myrtle Beach
Vivianne Carey Spartanburg
Carson Carroll Charleston
Shaun and Lucy Cassidy Rock Hill
Colleen Critcher Florence
Terrence Culbreath Johnston
Roberto Clemente De Leon Columbia
John Derhammer Lexington
Michael DeWitt Columbia
Adam Eddy Charleston
Morgan C. Eddy Columbia
Jewel Edwards Fountain Inn
Gerard Erley Columbia
Diana Farfán Greenville
Amiri Farris Bluffton
Ellen Fishburne Columbia
Mason Foster Awendaw
Emily Furr Charleston
Sydney Gambrell Pendleton
Brittany R. Gilbert Florence
Samantha Goss Greer
Barry Grant Rock Hill
Douglas Gray Florence
Amira Hanafi Surfside Beach
Mary Ann Haven Columbia
Malik Hayward Nesmith
Annie Heisel Spartanburg
Robb Helmkamp North Charleston
Joanna Henry Rock Hill
Joe Hiltabidel Travelers Rest
Kirsten Hoving Charleston
Alexis Howard Rock Hill
Betsy Hughes Aiken
Lori Isom Columbia
M. Jason Mt. Pleasant
Uschi Jeffcoat Florence
James Jennings Charleston
Joseph Kameen Graniteville
KELA Ravenel
Diana Kirkpatrick Aiken
Cassandra Kokenos Myrtle Beach
Maike Kowal Charleston
Robert E. Krone Greenville
Alicia Leeke Columbia
Connie Lippert Seneca
Jared T. Mack Loris
Cait Maloney Columbia
Michael Mitchell Florence
Katy Mixon Charleston
Phil Moody Rock Hill
Kevin Michael Morrissey Summerville
Jacob Mossbrook Charleston
Aldo Muzzarelli Mauldin
Dorothy Netherland North Charleston
Stefanie Wilson Neuner Summerville
Maggie Mullin O'Hara Cayce
Kate Hooray Osmond Charleston
Patrick Owens Taylors
Patrick Parise Columbia
Sean Patrick Goose Creek
Cameron Porter Columbia
Quincy Pugh Blythewood
Joshua Redfearn Cheraw
Austin Reynolds Orangeburg
Adrian Rhodes Hartsville
Ellie Marie Rose Columbia
Barbara Dunn Rowe Lugoff
Kristi Ryba Charleston
Bethany Salisbury Rock HIll
Georgette Wright Sanders McClellanville
Sandrine Schaefer Myrtle Beach
Laura Schuler Beaufort
Murray Sease Bluffton
Sam Shamard Greenville
Jackson Shaner Greenville
Jordan Sheridan West Columbia
Edward Shmunes West Columbia
Robert V. Shuler Clolumbia
Adrian Smith Darlington
Haley C. Smith Myrtle Beach
Liz Rundorff Smith Travelers Rest
Paula Renae Smith Rock Hill
Nathan Spainhour Greenville
Kevin Spaulding Florence
Alvin Staley Orangeburg
Nadia Stieglitz Charleston
George Stone Columbia
Darryl Stoneworth Mount Pleasant
"James E. Stratton, Jr." Florence
Andrea Stubbs/BurntIdentity Charleston
Janet Swigler Columbia
Raven Lewis Tarpley Pawleys Island
Bri Taylor Hamer
Stuart L. Tessler Isle of Palms
Horst Trojahn Elgin
Meghan Verret Pelzer
Cristina Victor Charleston
Rebecca Waechter Johns Island
Witzel Art Johns Island
Michael Webster Spartanburg
Ian J. Welch Hampton
Gregory Wilkin Columbia
Jordan Winiski Greenville
Monica Tovar Bluffton
Logan Woodle Conway
Gerry Wubben Easley
Olga Yukhno Columbia

Jason Rapp

2023 North Charleston Arts Fest poster design competition underway

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Thursday, December 15, 2022


The City of North Charleston is calling upon South Carolina visual artists to participate in the 40th Annual North Charleston Arts Fest Poster Design Competition.

[caption id="attachment_51449" align="alignright" width="325"]Promotional flyer for this call for entries. Click image to enlarge[/caption] The winning piece will become the official poster design of the 2023 North Charleston Arts Fest, taking place May 3-7, and will be featured on all promotional materials and merchandise, including posters, billboards, print and digital advertisements, television commercials, program booklets, apparel, online, and more. The winning artist will receive a $500 purchase award and a solo exhibition at Park Circle Gallery during May 2023. In addition, the winning piece will become part of the City of North Charleston’s Public Art Collection, which is displayed throughout City Hall. The deadline to submit works for the competition is Thursday, December 15, 2022. There is NO entry fee to participate in the North Charleston Arts Fest Poster Design Competition. The competition is open to South Carolina residents ages 18 and older. Categories of work accepted are: acrylic, oil, drawing, pastel, watercolor, and 2-D mixed media. Entries must be submitted online at http://NorthCharlestonCulturalArtsDepartment.Slideroom.com by the December 15 deadline. Artists may enter a maximum of three pieces into the competition. The North Charleston Arts Fest is organized and presented by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department. The annual five-day celebration of arts and culture highlights regional and local artists and performers in the areas of Dance, Music, Theatre, Visual Art, Media Art, and Literature. For more than 38 years the festival has made quality arts programming affordable and accessible to the widest spectrum of the public, attracting thousands of residents and visitors from throughout the Southeast and beyond to experience free and modestly priced performances, workshops, exhibitions, and activities in a variety of venues, including libraries, community centers, schools, businesses, and parks. The event has matured into one of the most comprehensive arts festivals in the state of South Carolina. Previous Arts Fest Design Competition winners include:
  • Deborah Kinard of Kiawah Island, SC (2022),
  • Christine Bush Roman of Johns Island, SC (2020/2021),
  • Joseph Kameen of Graniteville, SC (2019),
  • Hamed Mahmoodi of Greenville, SC (2018),
  • Judy McSween of Charleston, SC (2017),
  • Lisa Shimko of Charleston, SC (2016),
  • Karole Turner Campbell (KTC) of North Charleston, SC (2015);
  • Amiri Geuka Farris of Bluffton, SC (2014);
  • and Linda Elksnin of Mt. Pleasant, SC (2013).
For more information about the 2023 North Charleston Arts Fest and other participation opportunities visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com, or contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department office at 843.740.5854 or culturalarts@northcharleston.org. Artists in need of assistance with any part of the submission process may contact the Cultural Arts Department to schedule a meeting, which can be conducted over the phone or in person.

Submitted material

Farris offers Juneteenth poster to all

Amiri Farris, a Lowcountry visual artist who's no stranger to The Hub, has a gift in honor of Juneteenth.

In honor of the annual celebration, which is also now a federal holiday, Farris created a vibrant poster. Here's the description:

This artwork pays homage to one of the oldest celebrations in existence Juneteenth. Juneteenth commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States and celebrates American freedom and achievement. The artwork encouraging unity and movement to a bright future, self-development and respect for all people and cultures.

The events of 1865 are not forgotten, for all of the roots tie back to this fertile soil from which a national day of pride is recognized.

As a gift to all, Farris is offering the poster because of his relationship with the SCAC. Click here to download the full-size version (9.8MB). Wanna get yours signed? Visit with Farris at an upcoming Juneteenth event on Hilton Head Island (Saturday, June 18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) Follow Farris on social media: @amirifarris.

Jason Rapp

Tuning Up: Amiri de Artist to be featured on Juneteenth + Arts Center of Fountain Park

Good morning! 

"Tuning Up" is a morning post series where The Hub delivers curated, quick-hit arts stories of interest to readers. Sometimes there will be one story, sometimes there will be several. Get in tune now, and have a masterpiece of a day. And now, in no particular order...

New Amiri Farris exhibition tour kicks off on Juneteenth

You remember Amiri Farris, right? Farris' art figured prominently in the Art of Community: Rural SC's Creativity + Public Health initiative. He's back this summer with a touring exhibition that kicks off on Juneteenth. Before it hits the road, there's even a send-off concert with Quentin Baxter and his Quentin Baxter Quintet that will feature Farris painting live on stage. Where can you find this #SCartists goodness? All the details and more are right here.

New performing, gathering space coming to life in S.C.'s Olde English District

Big things in the works in York County. Arts Center of Fountain Park is coming to life to become the home for performing arts across York, Lancaster, and Chester counties. "The new center will be a hub for the organizations to produce and present events and activities year-round for diverse and eager audiences," according to its just-launched website. The Hub is eager to track its progress! (We promoted the search for its executive director earlier this year.)  

Jason Rapp

Black artists focus of new SCAC program

for immediate release


COLUMBIA, S.C. – The needs of South Carolina’s entrepreneurial Black artists are the focus of a new program announced by the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC).

[caption id="attachment_48308" align="alignright" width="225"] The SCAiA logo, by Amiri Geuka Farris.[/caption] Together, the SCAC and South Carolina Artists in Action (SCAiA) envision a South Carolina where Black artists have essential support for sustainable careers. The mission of SCAiA is to identify and implement best practices enabling Black artist to artist and Black artist to institutions to advance, support and sustain equitable, inclusive working relationships. “The needs of Black artists are different in that they often require a targeted level of support to get started. SCAiA wants to help navigate access and other systemic challenges. It will also provide a network of peers with similar backgrounds and experiences who either overcame those challenges or are working through them,” SCAC Director of Artist Services Ce Scott-Fitts said. Scott-Fitts is chairperson of the SCAiA committee, serving with Triza Cox, Michael Murray, and Kathryn Van Aernum. SCAiA released a survey this week to gather critical input from Black South Carolina artists (#SCartists). The observations, thoughts, and feedback will help SCAiA’s committee set program goals. The survey can be accessed from the program’s SCAC webpage: https://www.southcarolinaarts.com/artist-development/programs/south-carolina-artists-in-action/

About the South Carolina Arts Commission

The mission of the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) is to promote equitable access to the arts and support the cultivation of creativity in South Carolina. We envision a South Carolina where the arts are valued and all people benefit from a variety of creative experiences. A state agency created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the SCAC works to increase public participation in the arts by providing grants, direct programs, staff assistance and partnerships in three key areas: arts education, community arts development, and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the SCAC is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts, and other sources. Visit SouthCarolinaArts.com or call 803.734.8696, and follow @scartscomm on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for #Arts4SC and #SCartists content.

Jason Rapp

2022 N. Charleston Arts Fest opens poster design contest

The City of North Charleston is calling upon South Carolina visual artists to participate in the 2022 North Charleston Arts Fest Poster Design Competition.

The winning piece will become the official poster design of the 2022 North Charleston Arts Fest, taking place May 4-8, and will be featured on all promotional materials and merchandise, including posters, billboards, print and digital advertisements, television commercials, program booklets, apparel, online, and more. The winning artist will receive a $500 purchase award and a solo exhibition at Park Circle Gallery during May 2022. In addition, the winning piece will become part of the City of North Charleston’s Public Art Collection, which is displayed throughout City Hall. The deadline to submit works for the competition is Wednesday, December 15, 2021. There is no entry fee to participate in the North Charleston Arts Fest Poster Design Competition. The competition is open to South Carolina residents ages 18 and older. Categories of work accepted are: acrylic, oil, drawing, pastel, watercolor, and 2-D mixed media. Entries must be submitted online at NorthCharlestonCulturalArtsDepartment.Slideroom.com by the December 15 deadline. Artists may enter a maximum of three pieces into the competition. The North Charleston Arts Fest is organized and presented by the city of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department. The annual five-day celebration of arts and culture highlights regional and local artists and performers in the areas of dance, music, theatre, visual art, media art, and literature. For more than 37 years the festival has made quality arts programming affordable and accessible to the widest spectrum of the public, attracting thousands of residents and visitors from throughout the Southeast and beyond to experience free and modestly priced performances, workshops, exhibitions, and activities in a variety of venues, including libraries, community centers, schools, businesses, and parks. The event has matured into one of the most comprehensive arts festivals in the state. Previous Arts Fest Design Competition winners include Christine Bush Roman of Johns Island (2020/2021), Joseph Kameen of Graniteville (2019), Hamed Mahmoodi of Greenville (2018), Judy McSween of Charleston (2017), Lisa Shimko of Charleston (2016), Karole Turner Campbell (KTC) of North Charleston (2015); Amiri Geuka Farris of Bluffton (2014); Linda Elksnin of Mt. Pleasant (2013); Elena Barna of North Charleston (2012); and Pedro Rodriguez of Goose Creek (2011). For more information about the 2022 North Charleston Arts Fest and other participation opportunities visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com, or contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department office at (843)740-5854 or culturalarts@northcharleston.org. Artists in need of assistance with any part of the submission process may contact the Cultural Arts Department to schedule a meeting, which can be conducted over the phone or in person. [caption id="attachment_48085" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Click image to enlarge[/caption]

Submitted material

‘Springing into the Arts’ in Lancaster

With mural debut, fun events


Lancaster County Council of the Arts is partnering with Lindsay Pettus Greenway and the City of Lancaster for "Spring into the Arts" celebrating public art with the reveal of the greenway's first mural as the event centerpiece.

The Saturday, April 24th event will feature art by children from each of the Lancaster County schools in a Youth Art Month outdoor exhibition on the greenway, an inclusive participatory project titled "Be the Art" for everyone who wishes to participate, a drone video project, live music and a poetry reading, a morning run, a rain barrel workshop, a bird count, arts and crafts for kids, food trucks, and the mural unveiling with an artist talk—all designed to bring attention to and support for Lancaster County Council of the Arts and the Lindsay Pettus Greenway's commitment to public art in the environment. [caption id="attachment_43762" align="alignright" width="150"] Amiri Farris[/caption] Artist Amiri Farris designed the Woodland Drive underpass mural, and it will be painted under his direction by teams composed mostly of UofSC Lancaster students and other interested participants. The mural will reflect the environmental mission and beauty of the Greenway. Teams will paint throughout the week beginning on April 19 and ending with an unveiling and artist’s talk by Farris on Saturday, April 24 at noon. Anyone interested in viewing the work in progress is welcome to visit the Woodland Drive underpass during Greenway open hours from dawn to dusk and at the unveiling on Saturday April 24 at noon. "Be the Art" is an interactive “Spring into the Arts” exhibition in which anyone can participate. At 11 a.m., beginning at the Founders Federal access at Barr Street School, participants will carry umbrellas on the short, 7/10 of a mile walk from Barr Street to the Woodland Drive underpass. Anyone who wishes to "Be the Art" will walk single file, wearing masks and socially distanced, along the greenway with umbrellas open while a drone films the moving line of umbrellas. Borrowing from the New Orleans umbrella tradition, this is an interactive and visually bold art piece that highlights inclusivity, movement, color, and the beautiful setting of the greenway. The drone video of this project will be used to highlight the Lancaster County Council of the Arts and the Lindsay Pettus Greenway in various media and on the LCCA’s YouTube channel. Umbrellas will be given away to the first 250 people who wish to participate. “Youth Art Month,” normally displayed at the Historic Springs House Galleries, features art by Lancaster County School District K-12 students. This year the exhibit will be a one-day event on the greenway. The exhibit will open at 10 a.m. and remain on view until 2 p.m. and take place in various greenway locations between Founders Federal access at Barr Street and Constitution Park (at the intersection of Woodland Drive and Main Street). Spring into the Arts events to celebrate the mural unveiling are as follows:
  • Katawba Valley Land Trust bird count and walk (8 a.m., Nature Pavilion, Comporium access on Colonial Drive)
  • Lancaster Runs (9 a.m., Nature Pavilion, Comporium access on Colonial Drive)
  • Keep Lancaster Beautiful litter pick up (9:30 a.m., Founders Federal access at Barr Street)
  • Nature Crafts for Kids (1-3 p.m., Pier Overlook near Comporium access on Colonial Drive)
  • Catawba Riverkeepers Foundation Rain Barrel Workshop (1-3 p.m., Nature Pavilion at the Comporium access on Colonial Drive. Please sign up at https://catawbariverkeeper.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/april-24-lpg-rain-barrel-workshop)
  • Lancaster County Council of the Arts Lemonade Stand (12-1 p.m., Woodland Drive Underpass)
  • Poetry Reading by Lisa Hammond, USC Lancaster faculty and guest poet (Noon, Woodland Drive Underpass)
  • Artist Talk by Amiri Farris, guest muralist (Noon, Woodland Drive Underpass)
  • Music on the Greenway with guest musician Bo Beaumont (11 a.m. until noon at the Almetta Street access; 1-2 pm. at Constitution Park)
Parking for “Spring into the Arts” April 24 events is available at the Founders Federal access at Barr Street, Lancaster High School Stadium, Parking Lot at 800 North White St. (former Arras Foundation building), and First Presbyterian Church at 700 North Main St. All events are free and open to the public. Donations to the Lancaster County Council of the Arts and the Lindsay Pettus Greenway are encouraged and welcome by both organizations. Food Trucks Kona Ice and Wilber’s Last Ride will have food available for purchase from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Lancaster High School Stadium lot.

Jason Rapp

New poster series promotes vaccine effort

Creativity + Public Health from the SCAC


Plan your vaccine—that’s the latest message on a series of public health posters created over the last 12 months in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the cross-sector initiative of the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) called The Art of Community: Rural SC, a community of artists, makers, organizations and local voices have helped support and advance what it means to be healthy and safe through quarantine, closing and opening schools, restaurants, offices and more.
  • BONUS CONTENT: Lea esta historia en español a continuación.
Working with artist Amiri Farris of Bluffton, the SCAC team has used artful and timely messaging to remind people to social distance, wash hands, cover sneezes and coughs, make self-care a priority, uplift and thank essential workers, and love community. “These posters use the full spectrum of ‘rainbow colors’ that get people’s attention,” Farris said. Having empathy for one another is something Farris stresses. “I really want to hug people but we can’t do that, so these posters are a way to reach out to people; to thank workers who are all keeping us all safe and healthy; and to remind us to maintain healthy protocols during times of crisis.” With the expansion of the vaccine eligibility to include a wider array of individuals, this latest poster is just in time. “Special thanks to our internal team who has worked behind the scenes to get these posters created and out—Laura Marcus Green, Abigail Rawl and Jason Rapp,” said Community Arts Program Director Susan DuPlessis. “And to our public health partners who value the role of arts and culture in our state—including the Department of Health and Environmental Control, the South Carolina Office of Rural Health, UofSC schools of public health and medicine.” “And an extra thanks to Maribel Acosta of Art Pot in Berkeley County who helped us create Spanish-language versions of these posters so they have an impact with even more people in our state,” Green said. “We know there is an intersection with the arts and everything in our lives, but it’s especially gratifying in times like these to see how arts and creativity can help our public health experts promote important messages so many people need to hear,” SCAC Executive Director David Platts said. “Partnerships like these further the public value of arts and creativity to all South Carolinians.” The Art of Community: Rural SC is a place-based initiative working in 14 rural communities and the Catawba Indian Nation. “Using arts and culture strategically to advance local places is the essence of our approach. These posters are a great example of what it means to lift local voices and amplify creative spirits for the good of everyone,” DuPlessis said. “We are truly in this moment together.”

The latest statistics on COVID-19 in South Carolina

  • 455,495 total cases
  • 7,851 confirmed deaths
  • as of March 16, 2021
Source: South Carolina Dept. of Health & Environmental Control

Creatividad + Salud Pública del SCAC

Planifique su vacuna- Este es el mensaje más reciente de una serie de carteles de salud pública creados durante los últimos 12 meses en respuesta a la pandemia de COVID-19.

Como parte de la iniciativa intersectorial de la Comisión de Artes de Carolina del Sur llamada The Art of Community: Rural SC (El arte de la comunidad: Rural SC), una comunidad de artistas, creadores, organizaciones y voces locales han ayudado a apoyar y promover lo que significa estar sano y seguro a través de la cuarentena, con el cierre y apertura de escuelas, restaurantes, oficinas y más. En colaboración con la artista Amiri Farris de Bluffton, Carolina del Sur, el equipo de la Comisión de las Artes ha utilizado mensajes ingeniosos y oportunos para recordar a las personas la distancia social, lavarse las manos, cubrirse los estornudos y la tos, hacer del cuidado personal una prioridad, animar y agradecer a los trabajadores esenciales y el amor a la comunidad. “Estos carteles utilizan el espectro completo de los colores del arco iris que llaman la atención de la gente,” dijo Farris. Tener empatía el uno por el otro es algo que Farris enfatiza. “Tengo muchas ganas de abrazar a la gente, pero no podemos hacer eso, así que estos carteles son una forma de llegar a las personas; agradecer a los trabajadores que nos mantienen a todos seguros y saludables; y recordarnos que debemos mantener protocolos saludables en tiempos de crisis.” Con la expansión de la elegibilidad de la vacuna para incluir una gama más amplia de personas, este último cartel llega justo a tiempo. “Un agradecimiento especial a nuestro equipo interno que ha trabajado entre bastidores para crear y publicar estos carteles: Laura Marcus Green, Abigail Rawl y Jason Rapp,” dijo la directora del programa de artes comunitarias, Susan DuPlessis. “Y a nuestros socios de salud pública que valoran el papel de las artes y la cultura en nuestro estado, incluido el Departamento de Salud y Control Ambiental, la Oficina de Salud Rural de Carolina del Sur, la Escuela de Salud Pública de la Universidad de Carolina del Sur y la Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad de Carolina del Sur.” “Y un agradecimiento adicional a Maribel Acosta de Art Pot, en el condado de Berkeley, que nos ayudó a crear una versión en español de estos carteles para que tengan un impacto a más personas en nuestro estado,” dijo Green. "Sabemos que hay una intersección con las artes y todo en nuestras vidas, pero es especialmente gratificante en tiempos como estos ver cómo las artes y la creatividad pueden ayudar a nuestros expertos en salud pública a promover mensajes importantes que muchas personas necesitan escuchar", dijo el Director Ejecutivo de SCAC, David Platts. "Asociaciones como estas mejoran aún más el valor público de las artes y la creatividad para todos los carolinos del sur." El arte de la comunidad: Rural SC es una iniciativa de educación basada en la región, que trabaja en 14 comunidades rurales y la nación indígena Catawba. “Usar el arte y la cultura de manera estratégica para promover los lugares locales es la esencia de nuestro enfoque.  Estos carteles son un gran ejemplo de lo que significa levantar las voces locales y amplificar las mentes creativas por el bien de todos,” dijo DuPlessis. "Realmente estamos juntos en este momento."
  • 455,495 casos totales
  • 7,851 muertes
  • 16 de marzo de 2021
Fuente: South Carolina Dept. of Health & Environmental Control

Jason Rapp

SLAY, Lowcountry artists, slay

"Support Lowcountry Artists Y'all" debuts Wednesday


Local artists have joined together to respond to the havoc that SARS-COV-2 and Covid-19 have caused for the world and the arts community. SLAY is an acronym for "Support Lowcountry Artists Y'all." This is a relief effort for the arts community led by noted Bluffton based artist Amiri Farris. Farris wanted to do something about the many Lowcountry artists who experienced a significant loss of income when the COVID-19 virus caused the cancellation or rescheduling of many local art shows, festivals, and galas. Knowing that many in the art community are facing similar difficulties, he assembled SLAY as a collaborative of artists to create content to inspire and engage the community, recover some of that income, and raise funds at this critical time. [caption id="attachment_44582" align="alignright" width="175"]Amiri Geuka Farris' handwashing artwork Handwashing artwork by Amiri Geuka Farris[/caption] SLAY’s founding roster includes:
  • Amiri Farris
  • Natalie Daise
  • Michael Dantzler
  • Sophie Docalavich
  • Dr. Thaddeus Jones
  • Ment Nelson
  • Victoria A. Smalls
  • Calvin Woodum
Heather Bruemmer, executive director of SLAY, knows well the challenges SLAY wants to address. "Many artists, musicians, and other creatives will be left behind by The CARES Act," Bruemmer said. "If you are selling your artwork here and there at shows, or are a recent graduate just getting started, you are going to be left out. The relief only covers people who had an established LLC filed prior to January 31st or were getting paid as independent contractors via IRS Form 1099. Many small independent artists won't qualify." Bruemmer continued, "Worse, recent art school grads who were claimed by their parents last year won't receive the $1,200 per person assistance either. We could lose a generation of young artists who have to set aside their craft. These are the types of artists who are often also without health care. The need is urgent and legitimate." The group is moving quickly to respond to these challenges. SLAY has incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit and is expected to launch the website www.SLAYart.org April 1. The initial site will accept donations and requests for relief. As it grows, plans call for the site to be monetized through a membership model. Through this virtual co-op, donor members will receive unique content created solely for this platform from SLAY's roster of established and emerging Lowcountry artists, all of whom have experienced cancellations in recent weeks. A mix of online content, downloads, and mailed deliverables is planned. Farris states that the group will welcome new artists who are passionate about this work and have a connection to the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia to join the effort. At this time the group is focused on serving the coastal counties of South Carolina and Georgia, along with the rural areas that comprise the South Carolina Promise Zone.

BONUS CONTENT: Does his name sound familiar? Learn more about Amiri Farris at the South Carolina Arts Commission COVID-19 response page.

SLAY’s goal is to be able to offer financial support to all kinds of artists and creatives who experience financial hardship during this difficult time. They will be able to apply for relief through a simple application on our web portal and can receive up to $500 in assistance rapidly via the Zelle app. This work will benefit the general public as well as the art world. SLAY will create high quality, contemporary art that comforts, inspires, and educates about practices which will need to be a long term "new normal" in our world long after the immediate threat from COVID-19 has diminished. To this end, public health experts have been engaged to advise on messaging and content that will be beneficial to the overall fight against the virus.

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