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Long-awaited museum to open with series of special events

International African American Museum opens this month


Details were released today related to opening week events for the heralded, and long awaited, International African American Museum opening to visitors June 27 in Charleston.

Notably, there will be a worship service on Thursday, June 22 and a dedication ceremony and community gathering on Saturday, June 24. “We have waited a long time for this moment – we have many to thank and much to celebrate,” said Dr. Tonya Matthews, president and CEO of IAAM. “It’s exciting to invite the community to join us for this historic moment. We’re preparing to open our doors with music, food, poetry, incredible visuals and words of wisdom – and to truly celebrate African American culture and its connection to and influence on the world.”
  • The festivities will begin with an opening worship service on Thursday, June 22 at Morris Brown AME Church (13 Morris St., Charleston). Beginning at 6 p.m., the multi-faith celebration of IAAM’s opening will help build community, reflect on the work that led to the museum’s opening, and celebrate the long history of the African American people and their culture, which is woven into the fabric of the museum. Registration is free but required for this event.
    • Speakers include Matthews, Bishop Samuel Green, the Rev. DeMett Jenkins (director of education and engagement for faith-based communities at IAAM) among others.
  • Then on Saturday, June 24, a dedication ceremony and community watch event in Marion Square will bring visitors and members of the community together for a live simulcast of the ceremonies and presentations taking place at the museum and on-site at Marion Square (329 Meeting St., Charleston). Presented by Boeing, the watch celebration will include live performances from the African American Songbook featuring a 12-piece band, local and big-name musicians and artists, and refreshments from Black-owned food trucks. Explore Charleston will host a Mobile Visitor Center and hospitality tent to provide guests with visitor guides, recommend activities around the Charleston area, and local swag.
Boeing South Carolina’s DreamLearners, an educational program that provides students with opportunities to learn about careers in STEM, advanced manufacturing, and aerospace, will also host a celebration event in the square. Led by the Boeing Black Employee Association, volunteers will help lead the interactive STEM-based DreamLearners programming, which will feature paper airplane building, flight competitions with free Boeing swag, and additional giveaway items. Registration for the public is not required. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

About the IAAM

The International African American Museum explores the history, culture, and impact of the African American journey on Charleston, on the nation, and on the world, shining light and sharing stories of the diverse journeys, origin, and achievements of descendants of the African Diaspora. Across 11 galleries and a memorial garden with art, objects, artifacts, and multi-media interaction, IAAM is a champion of authentic, empathetic storytelling of American history. As a result, the museum will stand as one of the nation’s newest platforms for the disruption of institutionalized racism as it evolves today. The mission of IAAM is to honor the untold stories of the African American journey at the historically sacred site of Gadsden’s Wharf and beyond. For more information, please visit iaamuseum.org or call 843.872.5352.  

Jason Rapp

SC250 Charleston Arts and Cultural Council forms, calls for members

All arts and cultural institution leaders in the greater Charleston area are invited to become a member of the newly formed SC250 Charleston Arts and Cultural Council, an organization created to bring arts and cultural organizations in the greater Charleston area together to work on organizing, promoting, and supporting events and programs related to the 250th anniversary of the U.S., the American Revolution, and our nation’s founding. The goal is to create a universal understanding of how SC250 is an excellent opportunity for arts and cultural organizations to draw people to the Lowcountry to celebrate the essential role our city played not just in the American Revolution, but in the founding of our nation. On Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 11 a.m. the SC250 Charleston Arts and Cultural Council will host an information meeting at the Charleston Library Society. Representatives from all arts and cultural institutions in the Charleston area are welcome to attend. RSVP is required by Friday, May 19. To RSVP and become a member of the council, please visit https://forms.gle/jwUo9yux4C6MM2P9A. There is no fee to become a member. At this point, the membership requirements include:

  • Registering with the council (provide basic organizational information) through https://forms.gle/jwUo9yux4C6MM2P9A
  • Providing information about activities planned and/or confirmed that relate to 250th anniversary, the American Revolution, or the founding of our nation
  • Attending meetings and participate on committees as available
The primary services the council would provide to members include:
  • Fostering an environment where Charleston’s arts and cultural organization leaders can work together and inspire each other while working on a shared goal (the celebration of the 250th anniversary).
  • Maintenance of a website to promote the council and the individual member organizations (each member organization would have a dedicated page with hyperlinks to the organization's main website).
  • A shared public calendar of events by the member organizations that relate to the 250th anniversary or activities related to the U.S. Revolution.
  • A shared private calendar of events that are planned and published by the member organizations that relate to the 250th anniversary or activities related to the U.S. Revolution. This tool will be useful so organizations can see what others are planning, to simultaneously enable collaborative planning and to avoid conflicting programming or redundancy.
  • Detailed timeline of activities related to the U.S. Revolution (provided by the American Revolution Charleston250 Committee), to allow organizations to plan events that coincide with important historic milestones.
  • Provide information on funding available to support 250th anniversary activities
  • Provide background documents related to the 250th anniversary
Milestones
  • In 2016 a bill passed in the U.S. Congress created the United States Semiquincentennial Commission.
  • In 2018 the S.C. General Assembly chartered SC250, with the mission of celebrating and promoting South Carolina’s role in the American Revolution.
  • On January 17, 2023 the Charleston County Council recognized and approved the American Revolution Charleston250 Committee.
  • On May 4, 2023 the SC250 Charleston Arts and Cultural Council was formed
SC250 CHARLESTON ARTS AND CULTURAL COUNCIL, Founding Members
  • Martha E. Anderson (Board Member, Charleston Heritage Symposium)
  • Yuriy Bekker (Artistic Director, Principal Pops Conductor, Charleston Symphony)
  • Ann Bacot Daughtridge (Board Member, Charleston Heritage Symposium, William Means & Associates Real Estate)
  • Courtenay Daniels (Board Chair, Charleston Heritage Symposium)
  • Belk Daughtridge (Family Asset Management)
  • Laura Mina (Head Librarian, Charleston Library Society)
  • Sandra Nikolajevs (President and Artistic Director, Chamber Music Charleston)
Advisors
  • Doug MacIntyre (SC250 Lowcountry Liaison)
  • Brett Bennett (SC250 Charleston co-organizer; treasurer South Carolina American Revolution 250th Commission)
  • George McDaniel (historian, SC Battleground Preservation Trust)
 

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2023 S.C. Arts Awards: American College of the Building Arts

Governor's Award: Arts in Education Category

Graphic with white copy on a dark blue background overlaid on granite blocks. The white text reads South Carolina Arts Awards 2023. As the day nears for the 2023 South Carolina Arts Awards, The Hub is focusing on this year's recipients: five receiving the South Carolina Governor's Awards for the Arts from the South Carolina Arts Commission and two receiving the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award, managed jointly by the SCAC and McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina.

Charleston’s School of Building Arts became the American College of Building Arts in 2003 in response to real-world implications.

In 1968, the National Trust for Historic Preservation warned that American artisans in the traditional building arts were aging out of the job market as the educational system was eliminating traditional crafts training. No new generation was being trained to create or repair, restore, and preserve American architectural, historic, and cultural treasures. It hit home in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo as owners of historic Lowcountry properties had to look to Europe to find artisans who could repair and restore them. A group of Charleston’s preservation leaders created ABCA as a unique higher education experience that fills a gap. While many trade schools across America offer technical training and some traditional colleges offer preservation studies, ACBA was the first to combine old-world apprenticeship training with a liberal arts core curriculum. ACBA students graduate with the skills to practice their trade and broad liberal arts foundation that allows them to design while leading their fields. They understand not only how to do something, but to think critically within the context, science, and history of their artisanal specialization; to manage a business; and to communicate effectively with clients. ACBA students have hones their training through a wide range of community service projects—from repairing windows in the Oval Office, to designing and building a gift shop for Charleston’s Old Powder Magazine (c. 1712), to building attractive and safe bus stops that encourage public transportation use.
The South Carolina Arts Awards are coming live to SCETV on Sunday, May 14, 2023 at 8 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.

Jason Rapp

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!

Jason Rapp

Highly anticipated museum sets opening date

[caption id="attachment_52698" align="aligncenter" width="951"] This shot is from the TransAtlantic exhibit, a four-minute, large-scale, immersive media experience taking visitors on a journey from African cultural roots, through tragedy of the Middle Passage, and into local and international diaspora scenes and traditions. Provided photo.[/caption]


This week, The International African American Museum set Tuesday, June 27 as its big day: the long-awaited museum will finally open to the public.

The opening festivities will feature a number of community events in the days leading up to the launch, to include an opening ceremony a few days prior on June 24. “We’re excited to open IAAM’s doors and showcase the incredible breadth of African American history,” said Dr. Tonya Matthews, president and CEO of the International African American Museum. “IAAM strives not only to provide a space for all visitors to celebrate and connect to this history, to these stories, and to this art, but also to find meaning within their own stories. The African American journey is far longer than the 20 years it took to build this museum and we are humbly proud to step up and play our part in this story. It is time.” The museum’s originally scheduled opening of Jan. 21 was delayed as city of Charleston staff and contractors worked to stabilize humidity and temperature levels within the new building. The museum says those issues are resolved, and building operations will be transferred to the IAAM over the next several weeks in preparation for the June opening. The IAAM, which sits at the site of Gadsden’s Wharf, one of the nation’s most prolific former slave trading ports, includes nine core exhibition galleries and a special exhibition gallery as well as a “floating” gallery that weaves contemporary art throughout the museum. The museum will open with more than 700 artifacts dating from 17th century to contemporary objects, alongside 1,000 image and media collection pieces—all of which help connect the African American journey to its roots and connections to African and African diaspora communities and cultures. The museum also houses the Center for Family History, a world-class genealogy and ancestry resource center, which began hosting genealogy classes and workshops in 2020. The museum’s opening date coincides with celebrations of Juneteenth, the annual commemoration of the day in 1865 when 250,000 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally learned that they had been freed by the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation nearly two years earlier. The event has been long celebrated by many African American communities and was formally designated as a national holiday in 2021. Through programming and a unique, authentic, empathetic storytelling, the IAAM activates its mission to honor the untold stories of the African American journey – celebrating the connections and contributions to American and global cultures – in unique and thought-provoking ways. Earlier this year, IAAM kicked off virtual and in-person programming in honor of Black History Month with a series of opportunities for both the local community and future visitors to engage with a variety of educational content. Next month, as final preparations for the official public opening begin, IAAM will host several in-person programs for the community to attend.
The International African American Museum explores cultures and knowledge systems retained and adapted by Africans in the Americas and the diverse journeys and achievements of these individuals and their descendants in South Carolina, the United States, and throughout the African diaspora. IAAM is a champion of authentic, empathetic storytelling of American history and is thus one of the nation’s newest platforms for the disruption of institutionalized racism as it evolves today. IAAM honors the untold stories of the African American journey from Charleston, S.C., at the historically sacred site of Gadsden’s Wharf and beyond. For more information, please visit iaamuseum.org or call 843.872.5352.  

Jason Rapp

Hub Quick Hits: Much-anticipated museum opening postponed

Challenges with the International African American Museum building’s humidity and temperature controls are resulting in a delay to its planned opening, the museum announced this week.

The IAAM said the following in a statement:

Museums require extremely stringent humidity controls in order to display the most sensitive of items for extended periods of time.

This delay is necessary to ensure that the museum building achieves the conditions necessary to preserve and protect our most sensitive objects, artifacts, and art. In the meantime, we are monitoring humidity controls, which are suitable for all objects currently installed.

We are working diligently in partnership with the city of Charleston and third-party advisors to remedy the matter and expect to welcome visitors in the first half of 2023.

We regret this turn of events and any inconvenience to our loyal members, sponsors, and community. In making this decision, we foreground the responsibility to ensure the highest standard of safety and preservation for our most sensitive objects, art, and artifacts that honor the journey of our ancestors and the tell critical stories of our nation’s history.

Early in the new year, we will accelerate efforts to engage with our community, members, and partners through several vigorous efforts, including by hosting monthly webinars through the Center for Family History and hosting on-site events featuring storytelling and music in the gardens, alongside various virtual and in-person public programs. We will announce these initiatives, as well as a revised opening schedule, in early 2023.

We appreciate your understanding, value your continued support and partnership, and will persevere to ensure that this Museum upholds its mission to honor the untold stories of the African American journey, paying tribute to the African American labor, resilience, and ingenuity that shaped our country and our world.


The Hub will share news of the revised opening schedule as soon as we are aware.

Jason Rapp

Summerville Orchestra sees momentum with new staff, partnership

Education and outreach programming see boost


Summerville Orchestra is having itself a month.

Last week, it announced DeAnndra Glenn as the inaugural director and education coordinator for the new Summerville Orchestra Youth Philharmonic (S.O. Youth Philharmonic) and education program, bringing "a wealth of teaching and performing experience to the position," according to a news release. Glenn (right) has taught strings students of all ages in the Charleston area since 2005 and has performed with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, the North Charleston POPS! and with Mannheim Steamroller, Michael Bublé and Michael W. Smith among many others. She was conductor of the Charleston County School District Honors Orchestra from 2005 to 2010, and served for seven years as a strings instructor for both the Charleston County School district summer SMAART (Students Mastering the Academic Arts) program and the West Ashley middle and high schools. Glenn founded Charleston Violin Studio, and many of her violin and viola students have gained admission to the Charleston County School District School of the Arts, Rollings School of the Arts, the Lowcountry Region and South Carolina All-State Orchestras and the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra. She holds a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from the University of Montana and a South Carolina teaching certification in instrumental music. She received her training in the Suzuki method and “Every Child Can!” from East Carolina University. She studied locally under the College of Charleston’s Lee-Chin Siow. Glenn and S.O. staff will work with area school music instructors to identify and audition students for participation. Auditions will be held on Monday, Sept. 19, 6-7 p.m., at Alston Middle School, 500 Bryan St., Summerville. Additional information is available at www.summervilleorchestra.org/youth. The S.O. Youth Philharmonic is being made possible through a $10,000 Term Arts Education Project grant from the SCAC. The mission of the Youth Philharmonic program is to provide an affordable youth orchestra experience to public, private and charter school students as well as home-schooled students in the tri-county. The Youth Philharmonic is scheduled to perform three concerts this year and will also conduct workshops and summer programs that engage students throughout the year.
[caption id="attachment_51010" align="alignright" width="350"]A Summerville Orchestra string quarter performs on an indoor stage. A Summerville Orchestra string quarter performs. Provided photo.[/caption] Additionally, a new partnership the orchestra announced will bring music and art together in a new series featuring the Summerville Orchestra (S.O.) String Quartet at the Public Works Arts Center (PWAC). Titled “A Musical SPARK,” the first of four free Saturday concert/art experiences, or PWAC Strolls, will be held on Sept. 24 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the PWAC at 135 W. Richardson Ave. This performance will include selections from Tchaikovsky’s “Children’s Album,” the music of PIXAR and more – music inspired by and about our youth – to highlight the featured SPARK exhibition concurrently on display at PWAC. Registration for the launch event is required and is open here on a first-come, first-served basis. S.O.’s PWAC Stroll events will also be held in December, February and May. “Following the overwhelming community support for our Encore Series, we have sought ways to expand the reach of our free performances,” said Andrew Price, S.O.’s executive director. “This collaboration with the Public Works Arts Center allows us to not only increase the number of free concerts, but to expand our offerings to include an interactive, multi-sensory arts experience for attendees.” Reservations will be available on the S.O.’s website beginning approximately two weeks before each PWAC Stroll event. To maximize the number of participants who can participate in this immersive arts experience, there will be three 30-minute attendance slots for this first PWAC Stroll, and registrants will be invited to select one 30-minute window for participation. There will be a cash- or check-only bar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase for $5 – state-issued ID required. Additional PWAC Series dates and programs for the 2022/2023 season include the following:
  • Sat., Dec. 17: Strings for the Season. A selection of holiday works by American composers will be paired with the work of artist Kent Ambler, the featured PWAC artist on exhibition.
  • Sat., Feb. 25: Water in Color. This performance will feature works by composers from around the world exploring themes of water, color palettes and the portrayal of daily life, to be paired with the work of featured PWAC artist Andrea Hazel.
  •  Sat., May 6: Abstract Chaos. Ensemble members will perform works by minimalist and Impressionist composers, exploring themes of layer, chaos, order, collage and color palettes to highlight the work of featured studio artists Anna Dean and Kate Ritchie.
All performances will run from 6:30-8 p.m. Registration for PWAC Stroll #1: A Musical SPARK is now open at https://summervilleorchestra.org/pwac-announcement/. To learn about the current gallery exhibits, visit https://www.publicworksartcenter.org/.
The Summerville Orchestra seeks to share its love of music by engaging and enriching the community through the orchestral art form. The 75-member orchestra performs an annual subscription series of five concerts at the Summers Corner Performing Arts Center, along with many free concerts and events during the year including an Encore Series of four chamber music concerts (held at Coastal Coffee Roasters), nine Music Chats with Wojciech (held at the Dorchester County Library), and other free concerts and events throughout the greater Summerville area. For more information about the S.O. or the S.O. Youth Symphony and Education Program, contact office@summervilleorchestra.org or call 843.873.5339.

Jason Rapp

Donnelley Foundation posts program director job

  • APPLICATION DEADLINE: Until filled
  • COMPENSATION: $125,000-$140,000 + benefits

The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation seeks a dynamic and thoughtful leader to direct its work across 11 counties in coastal South Carolina.

The program director serves in a senior leadership role and works collaboratively with other staff to integrate the foundation’s Lowcountry work with its other efforts. The successful candidate will possess a strong combination of critical thinking, interpersonal, communications, and program management skills. This is a fulltime position based in Charleston and reporting to the executive director in Chicago. Extensive travel within South Carolina, to Chicago, and elsewhere is required. Ed. note: The GDDF is a regular partner of the SCAC. To learn more and apply, please visit the GDDF jobs page here.

Jason Rapp

Want to be Engaging Creative Minds’ digital marketing manager?

  • APPLICATION DEADLINE: Not provided, see below
  • COMPENSATION: Not provided

Please email your resume to hello@engagingcreativeminds.org with “Digital Marketing Manager” in the subject line. Position to be filled on or before 10/01/22. Responsibilities
  • Video production and editing
  • Building and supporting ECM’s brand
  • Creating marketing collateral for events and presentations such as fliers, brochures, slides, etc.
  • Capturing and storing photos and videos at ECM events
  • Managing all aspects of ECM social media presence
  • Communicating marketing plans and needs with staff and stakeholders on an ongoing basis
  • Build and maintain ECM’s website
  • Organize the storage of ECM digital assets
  • Managing consistency of messaging of branding and marketing across programs
  • Work with funders on permissions, logo placement, and recognition
  • Generate visual reports for year-end board meetings
  • Ability to work “on-site” all programs as needed to capture digital content
  • Stay abreast of local and national market research to identify trends and make recommendations
  • Drive the marketing campaign by presenting new ideas and a vision for the future
Knowledge & Experience Required
  • 3 or more years of experience working in the field of digital communications
  • Openness to continuing professional learning in the field of digital communication/marketing
  • Ability to work independently in the platforms listed below, and others as needed
  • Fluent in at least the following platforms:
  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • Canva
  • Procreate
  • MailChimp
  • Survey Monkey
  • Hootsuite and other social media scheduling apps
  • Web design in platforms such as Wix, Word Press, etc.
  • Social media platforms including but not limited to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, etc.

About Engaging Creative Minds

Engaging Creative Minds is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to diversity, accessibility, equity, and inclusion. Confidential inquiries, applications, and recommendations are welcome. ECM, a nonprofit based in Charleston, South Carolina, works with school districts, principals, teachers, and the local workforce to identify specific knowledge and skillsets all students should master before graduating high school. We hire and train local artists, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) professionals, and cultural organizations, called ECM Instructors, to work with teachers in grades K-12 to enhance student learning via arts-integrated learning using innovation, ingenuity, and creativity. Our goal is for every student to achieve academically, stay engaged in school and succeed in life while their teachers develop engaging teaching strategies like arts integration and entrepreneurship that foster communication, critical thinking, self-awareness, and future planning. Teachers and students report that ECM is a powerful model of success.

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Gibbes Museum calls for 2023 visiting artists

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET


The Gibbes Museum of Art is seeking applicants for the 2023 Visiting Artist program.

[caption id="attachment_50744" align="alignright" width="350"] Click image to enlarge.[/caption] The annual program features eight artists whose work contributes to a new understanding of art in the South. Applicants can submit now through August 31, 2022. “The Gibbes strives to provide access to contemporary art through the Visiting Artist Series, and we are so excited to see what South Carolina artists bring to the table in 2023,” says Angela Mack, executive director of the Gibbes Museum of Art. “The program promotes creativity, introduces new art forms, provides perspective on community issues, encourages freedom of thought and connects us with larger audiences. We are looking for artists that spark a conversation and advance understanding of the larger context that fostered their work.” There are four six-week Visiting Artist sessions scheduled for 2023. The Gibbes extends invitations to both emerging and nationally recognized artists of all backgrounds and is committed to cultivating an experience that is diverse and affirming. Applicants are encouraged to consider the following themes: environmental conservation, social justice, health and wellness and innovation. Their proposal should incorporate one or more of these themes and introduce their current studio practice, artwork content and type of project they would pursue in-residency. Visiting artists receive a weekly honorarium and one-time materials stipend. Following the residency, artists will have the opportunity to exhibit their works in the Ruth and Bill Baker Art Sales Gallery and collaborate on exclusive products to be sold in the Museum Store. There are also opportunities to lead adult workshops and participate in virtual programs. Applications for all sessions are being accepted through Aug. 31, 2022, by 11:59 p.m. All submissions will be reviewed by a committee of Gibbes staff members and diverse arts professionals. To review the eligibility requirements, rules and FAQs, visit https://bit.ly/3c9a7Br. The 2023 Visiting Artist studio sessions are tentatively scheduled for:
  • Feb. 20–April 2, 2023 (Session I)
  • April 17–May 28, 2023 (Session II)
  • Aug. 28–Oct. 8, 2023 (Session III)
  • Oct. 30–Dec. 11, 2023 (Session IV)

Home to the Carolina Art Association, established in 1858, the Gibbes Museum of Art is recognized among the oldest arts organizations in the United States. Housing one of the foremost collections of American Art from the 18th century to the present, the museum’s mission is to enhance lives through art by engaging people of every background and experience with art and artists of enduring quality and by providing opportunities to learn, to discover, to enjoy and to be inspired by the creative process. For more information, visit www.gibbesmuseum.org.

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