Hub Quick Hits: Upstate grants, Lowcountry festival news
Some notable items for your attention as we close out another week...
On Wednesday, Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and members of city council announced
Charlton Singleton as artistic director for MOJA Arts Festival at a City Hall ceremony. As artistic director, Singleton will assist with the implementation of this year’s festival and guide the artistic planning and program development for future festivals. Singleton, you might remember,
is a recipient of the Governor's Award for the Arts in the artist category. Read more about the
Yesterday,
Chapman Cultural Center announced the #SCartists who received funding as part of the second round of grants in its newest category. The Materials and Equipment Grant was created in 2022 to serve Spartanburg's creative community by providing artists with a new avenue for funding their artistic projects and initiatives. The artists are:
Got arts news? Remember to submit it to The Hub! Got arts events? Listings are free on the only statewide arts calendar—Arts Daily!
Comms job posting serves Spartanburg arts
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: Tuesday, January 31, 2023
- COMPENSATION INFORMATION: $56,000-$60,000 / FT / Benefits offered
Chapman Cultural Center is looking for a new communications director.
From their website:
The marketing & communications director is a leader driving brand strategy, creating and activating promotion that inspires and engages patrons, creatives, and donors in our community. The director is responsible for developing innovative brand ideas, actions, and thought leadership that communicates the role, scope, and impact of Chapman Cultural Center as a leading arts, cultural, and entertainment organization and destination. Reporting directly to president/CEO, the marketing & communications director manages all aspects of marketing, communications, and promotions for Chapman Cultural Center.
The director must demonstrate curiosity and passion for the power of branding to drive demand and achieve objectives. Day-to-day tasks will include traditional and digital marketing, media planning, budget management, and design oversight.
Click here to learn more and get application instructions (PDF).
New arts job to support connections, community engagement
- APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, November 21, 2022 (priority consideration)
- COMPENSATION INFORMATION: $38,000-$40,000 + benefits
Chapman Cultural Center, Spartanburg County's arts leader, is offering a new position that supports its efforts to reach its community and stakeholders.
The Nonprofit Arts Administrator and Community Engagement Initiator provides support to the president/CEO and the board of directors to provide seamless administrative operation and supports the president/CEO with community engagement and creating connections to underserved audiences and creatives.
The successful candidate will be an individual who builds authentic relationships and values frequent engagement with diverse stakeholders. This individual will be resilient and flexible in addressing challenges and embracing opportunities; they will have a commitment to community engagement and a passion to collaborate with a wide range of artists and other professionals and promote accessibility and creativity throughout the region.
Interested?
Learn more at this link.
$4.25 million art collection donated to Chapman Cultural Center
[caption id="attachment_51033" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Works from the CCC's new Carl Plansky collection. Provided photo. Click to enlarge.[/caption]
Yesterday in Spartanburg, Chapman Cultural Center announced the gift of artist Carl Plansky’s original work from the collection of Larry and Janice Elder.
Appraised at more than $4.25 million, the Plansky Collection contains 900 plus pieces and is the largest donation of artwork in CCC history.
Carl Plansky (1951-2009) was an artist, teacher, and paint maker who maintained studios in Brooklyn and East Meredith, New York, as well as Budapest, Hungary. Born in Miami Beach, Plansky studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art and moved to New York in 1970 to attend the New York Studio School. Plansky is often associated with his close friend and mentor, artist Joan Mitchell, with whom he painted in Vetheuil, France, during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Plansky’s work was greatly influenced by Mitchell and the American abstract expressionist movement. His artwork is included in many public and private collections around the world including the Asheville Art Museum, The Mint Museum, and the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
Plansky is best known for his compositional elegance and expressive brushwork. He was a highly respected and influential teacher, guiding students at numerous colleges and universities as well as acclaimed art institutions, including the New York Studio School.
The Elders (right) managed a nationally recognized art consultancy and gallery in Charlotte for more than 18 years and, as Larry Elder explains, Plansky was a good friend and an artist whose work they admired, promoted, and collected.
“Janice and I were born and raised in Spartanburg and were both greatly influenced by the arts scene in our hometown and continue to be inspired by it. We donated the Plansky collection to give back to the community that gave so much to us. Through this gift, our goal is to increase awareness for the visual arts both in Spartanburg and regionally. We hope this gift will impact Chapman Cultural Center today and for many years to come,” he said.
Dr. B. Brant Bynum, immediate past chair of the CCC board of trustees, is leading the special Plansky Collection Committee.
“The Elders’ amazing gift will have a lasting impact on the cultural community of Spartanburg! We express to them our admiration for this visionary gift and our deepest gratitude,” Bynum said.
A plan is being developed to honor the legacy of Carl Plansky and the Elders’ gift. Chapman Cultural Center intends to invite the community to view the collection through a variety of events and exhibitions; details will be released later. Pieces from the collection will eventually be available for sale; all proceeds will go to the CCC.
About Chapman Cultural Center
Chapman Cultural Center provides cultural leadership for Greater Spartanburg by developing, strengthening, and promoting the scope, excellence and educational role of the arts, humanities and sciences, and to further their significance in the life of our community.
The Chapman Cultural Center is located on East Saint John St. in downtown Spartanburg. Please visit
www.ChapmanCulturalCenter.org for more information.
11 to receive FY23 operating support from Chapman Cultural Center
[caption id="attachment_49964" align="aligncenter" width="950"]
A 2018 installation exhibit at Spartanburg Art Museum by artist Jonathan Brilliant. Photo by Jake Francek/Social Design House.[/caption]
Chapman Cultural Center is pleased to announce we’ve awarded $539,400 in General Operating Support (GOS) Grants to 11 arts and cultural organizations for the 2022/2023 fiscal year.
The funds are the highest amount awarded since the 2019/2020 fiscal year and will be critical to supporting Spartanburg’s arts and cultural community as it continues to recover from the pandemic. Grantees use GOS funding to support annual operating expenses and general funding to support and progress the mission of their organization.
In the last twenty-five years, through donations to the United Arts Fund, Chapman Cultural Center has awarded $18 million in grants to strengthen, develop, and promote the cultural vibrancy in Spartanburg County in a sustainable way, and our community’s creative ecology is stronger because of it.
Chapman Cultural Center is the leading Local Arts Agency in Spartanburg County. Each year, GOS grants are awarded based on a stringent application process to arts and cultural organizations that have been established as a 501(c)3 for three years or more and work towards advancing the arts and cultural vitality of Spartanburg County. Grantees are evaluated based on merit, need, evidence of sound management and fiscal responsibility, and service within Spartanburg County.
“We are thrilled to be awarding these grants as arts and cultural organizations emerge from the pandemic and strive to increase service to students and underserved citizens, and to bring together the community at the Chapman Center and at other venues throughout Spartanburg County. The arts and culture unite us and these grants represent important operating funds that sustain nonprofits in our area and enable us all to celebrate what makes our community so special and unique,” said Daniel Mayer, President and CEO of Chapman Cultural Center.
General Operating Support Grants were awarded to the following organizations:
Artists Collective | Spartanburg
Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg
Ballet Spartanburg
Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve
Hub City Writers Project
Proud Mary Theatre Company
Spartanburg Art Museum
Spartanburg County Historical Association
Spartanburg Little Theatre and Spartanburg Youth Theatre
Spartanburg Philharmonic
Spartanburg Science Center
Upon receiving the grant, Robin Ruppe, Executive Director of Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve said, “On behalf of Hatcher Garden Board and staff, we sincerely and most gratefully thank the Chapman Cultural Center for their very generous GOS Grant award. With this support, we can continue collaborative arts partnership activities for all ages in the community and greatly appreciate the generous financial support of Hatcher Garden!”
This year, Chapman Cultural Center received additional funding through the American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to aid in the arts and cultural sectors’ recovery from the pandemic. Chapman Cultural Center received $250,000 in funding which was used to supplement and distribute GOS grants to eligible organizations.
To learn more about Chapman Cultural Center’s various grants programs and processes,
please visit our website.
Spartanburg scholarship helps pursuit of visual, performing arts degree
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Chapman Cultural Center is pleased to announce that the application period has opened for the Mary Wheeler David Scholarship.
The Mary Wheeler Davis Scholarship is an annual award open to high school seniors
from Spartanburg County who are interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree in the visual or performing arts.
Applications for the Mary Wheeler Davis Scholarship will be accepted by Chapman Cultural Center through March 16. One scholarship of at least $1,000 is usually awarded. The selection is based on student character, financial need, and artistic potential. The scholarships are awarded based on the recommendations of a panel of community leaders with interest and expertise in the visual and performing arts. With tuition prices rising and amid a pandemic, now more than ever, this scholarship will help provide financial assistance to students looking to further their education in the arts.
The scholarship award was named in honor of Mary Wheeler Davis, who felt her purpose in life was to improve the quality of life for others, especially to enhance the artistic and cultural environment of all citizens of Spartanburg County. The family of Mary Wheeler Davis created a special trust as a memorial to her to be devoted primarily to the promotion of the arts in Spartanburg County by means of scholarships for studies in the performing and visual arts.
The Mary Wheeler Davis Scholarship is a component fund of The Spartanburg County Foundation.
In addition to completing the application, the student must submit a resume; two letters of recommendation; statements pertaining to career goals, scholarship use, and need; and support materials, such as writing samples, tapes, films, and videos. The application must be submitted to the Chapman Cultural Center offices by 5 P.M., Friday, March 16, 2022.
To apply for this scholarship, please visit
www.ChapmanCulturalCenter.org.
Search produces new president & CEO for Chapman Cultural Center
New leader arrives from N.C. next month
Today, Chapman Cultural Center announced that a roughly six-month search for its next president and CEO will bring veteran arts leader Dan Mayer to Spartanburg.
He will lead the organization beginning Feb. 10, 2022.
Mayer (right) is the current executive director of The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, North Carolina where he has served since 2015. Prior to this role he was development director and later executive director of the Kirkland Performance Center, in Kirkland, Washington, for eight years.
“A careful search conducted by a dedicated group of community leaders led by a nationally recognized search firm has brought Spartanburg’s newest visionary leader to Chapman Cultural Center. Dan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organization, and I believe he will continue to strengthen and advocate for our vibrant cultural environment,” Dr. Brant Bynum, Chapman Cultural Center board of trustees chairman, said.
Chapman Cultural Center’s board expressed confidence in Mayer’s ability to lead the organization, "specifically as we strive to achieve our 2023 strategic intentions."
A news release touted Mayer's track record of achieving results through his business and finance acumen coupled with artistic vision. His accomplishments include overseeing a $1.5 million budget, launching a $6 million capital campaign, and building a budget surplus that allowed The ArtsCenter to continue is operations during the pandemic.
Mayer brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in various roles in the arts and cultural sector. He was an attorney for the country’s largest pro bono art and entertainment law organization in New York City and served in numerous executive and advisory roles for arts organizations across the U.S., including the Spectrum Dance Theater, Photographic Center Northwest, and Seattle Jewish Film Festival.
Regarding the hot-button issues of diversity, equity, inclusion and access, Mayer has reportedly shown a commitment to using the arts as a catalyst to promote diversity and equity in community-based programming, overseeing increases in program diversity and board participation while at the Kirkland Performance Center and implementing the The ArtsCenter’s first-ever DEIA policies while its leader.
“The arts and culture will be essential in healing a post-COVID world, and the Chapman Cultural Center and its partners are a key part of bringing us all together to affirm our shared humanity. I look forward to creating coalitions and new initiatives to expand the impact of arts and culture throughout the region,” Mayer said.
About Chapman Cultural Center
Chapman Cultural Center provides cultural leadership for Greater Spartanburg by developing, strengthening, and promoting the scope, excellence and educational role of the arts, humanities and sciences, and to further their significance in the life of our community.
The Chapman Cultural Center is located on East Saint John Street in downtown Spartanburg. Please visit
www.ChapmanCulturalCenter.org for more information.
Chapman Cultural Center posts outreach coordinator position
Chapman Cultural Center in downtown Spartanburg is hiring a full-time outreach coordinator.
This position will be responsible for managing our Community Grants and General Operating Support Grants as well as some events management, data collection and reporting, and providing general support to the outreach department and the other Chapman departments as needed.
You will work with artists, board members, staff, volunteers, donors, and stakeholders; you will present information to the general public and report on progress, events, and outcomes.
Chapman Cultural Center offers a competitive benefits package and some flexibility in scheduling. We also have a creative, fun, devoted staff and positive atmosphere to work in, as well as rewarding work.
Send cover letter and resume to
mearley@spartanarts.org. Job posting will remain active until position is filled.
Mural artist need announced in Spartanburg
Artists are encouraged to apply for a two-part mural to be installed inside at Robert Smalls Townhomes in Spartanburg.
The townhomes should be ready for mural installation in the spring of 2022. This mural will be located in the clubhouse, which will serve the needs of the tenants and will be open as a meeting place for local groups and clubs. The purpose of the murals is to commemorate the life of Robert Smalls and educate the community as to his amazing feats of bravery and daring and his service in South Carolina state government.
This project is being managed by Chapman Cultural Center.
Click here for additional information. Contact Melissa Earley if you have any questions.
mearley@chapmanculturalcenter.org, 864-278-9685.
Tuning Up: S.C.’s lone ARP grant from NEA + arts learning on air
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...
Chapman Cultural Center lands big award... Last week, the National Endowment for the Arts announced grants totaling more than $20 million to local arts agencies for subgranting. The agencies will use this funding to distribute grants in their communities to eligible recipients to save jobs and to fund operations and facilities, health and safety supplies, and marketing and promotional efforts to encourage attendance and participation. South Carolina's lone recipient is Spartanburg's Chapman Cultural Center, which is receiving $250,000. The
full list of grantees, sorted by city/state, is available on arts.gov.
“The NEA’s significant investment in local arts agencies is a key element in helping the arts and culture sector recover and reopen, while ensuring that that American Rescue Plan funding is distributed equitably,” said
Ann Eilers, NEA’s acting chair. “These grants recognize the vital role of local arts agencies and will allow them to help rebuild local economies and contribute to the well-being of our communities.”
The SCAC on the air... SCETV's "Carolina Classrooms" featured an interview with SCAC Executive Director
David Platts late last week, joining #SCartists and arts educators to talk STEAM.
Stream it on their YouTube Channel at your leisure.
