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SCAC survey about Hurricane Ian impacts

Official Statement from the S.C. Arts Commission


As Hurricane Ian began making its way to our coastline, the South Carolina Arts Commission prioritized being ready to assist members of the creative community who might be affected.

Our communications channels provided resources for readiness, and our team started preparing for what might come after the storm. Now that the winds and rain are gone, their effects linger. Our team is ready to assist artists and arts organizations who suffered because of storm-related:
  • Closures or cancellations
  • Damage to facilities
  • Damage to artwork or equipment
Our professionals can connect you with recovery resources. If you are in need of assistance, will you please take a brief survey to help our team know your needs? The SCAC might share this information with legislators and other funders. While we do not currently have relief funding available, having information on hand is helpful if that changes. Appropriate staff are ready to help connect you with resources from other funders. All of us at the SCAC are certainly thinking of those who are victims of Ian, and it is our goal to do all we can to restore strength and vitality to South Carolina’s creative community. David Platts Executive Director PS: Hurricane season is not over, and earthquakes are oddly regular nowadays in South Carolina. If 2022 has taught us anything, it’s that we need to be prepared. Visit the SCAC’s emergency preparedness page for resources to get yourself and your organization ready for whatever comes next.    

David Platts

Tuning Up: One year of ARP funding, Art Walk returns to Aiken

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...

NEA marks one year of ARP relief

It is almost hard to believe, but it has been one year since President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan to assist recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Endowment for the Arts released an informative fact sheet about how it put its $135 million to work through three phases. It's worth noting that the SCAC received almost $819,000 in ARP funding from the NEA to grant to arts organizations. ARP ESSER funding provided the funding for the SCAC and South Carolina Department of Education to initiate the partnership now known as Arts Grow SC to address pandemic-related learning loss.

Aiken announces 11th annual Art Walk

Friday trivia! What event brings together emerging and established visual and performing artists, farmers and artisans, arts organizations, locals, and tourists during one of professional golf's holiest weeks? Nothing gets by you, dear reader. The city of Aiken announced last week that its Art Walk will return Tuesday, April 5 in the run-up to The Masters at nearby Augusta National Golf Club April 7-10.
[caption id="attachment_48939" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Promo graphic of oranges cut horizontally, arranged on an orange background. It reads, "New Year, Fresh Start. Arts Project Support Grants." Artist or arts org in South Carolina? There is very likely arts project support available for YOU. Click graphic to learn more.[/caption]

Jason Rapp

NEA announces $57 million in American Rescue Plan grants

567 arts organizations benefit, including five in S.C.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) today announced it has recommended American Rescue Plan (ARP) awards totaling $57,750,000 to 567 arts organizations to help the arts and cultural sector recover from the pandemic.

The organizations may use this funding to save jobs, and to fund operations and facilities, health and safety supplies, and marketing and promotional efforts to encourage attendance and participation. The full list of recommended awards, sorted by city/state, is available from arts.gov. “Our nation’s arts sector has been among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Endowment for the Arts’ American Rescue Plan funding will help arts organizations rebuild and reopen,” said Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, chair of the NEA. “The arts are crucial to helping America’s communities heal, unite, and inspire as well as essential to our nation’s economic recovery.” Grants are recommended to organizations in both rural and urban communities; in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington, DC; and represent all 15 of the NEA’s artistic disciplines. The NEA encouraged applications from a variety of organizations for this opportunity and provided numerous resources for navigating the application process. Among the recommended organizations, 27 percent are first-time NEA grantees and 78 percent are small or medium sized organizations with budgets of less than $2 million. [caption id="attachment_14408" align="alignright" width="250"]Catawba potter Keith Brown works on a project. Catawba potter Keith Brown works on a project in this file photo.[/caption] Grant award recommendations are for $50,000, $100,000, or $150,000 and do not require cost share/matching funds. In South Carolina, five organizations are recommended for the awards:
  1. Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce: $150,000
  2. Greenville Light Opera Works: $50,000
  3. Hampton County: $150,000
  4. Colour of Music, Inc.: $150,000
  5. Catawba Indian Nation: $150,000
The American Rescue Plan was signed into law in March 2021 and included $135 million for the National Endowment for the Arts for the arts sector. This is the third installment of ARP funding. In April 2021, the NEA announced $52 million (40 percent) in ARP funding would be allocated to 62 state, jurisdictional, and regional arts organizations for subgranting through their respective programs. In November 2021, the NEA announced $20.2 million to 66 local arts agencies for subgranting to local artists and art organizations. The National Endowment for the Arts received more than 7,500 eligible applications requesting $695 million. To review the applications, the agency employed more than 450 expert readers and panelists to review and score each application using the published review criteria. The NEA recognizes that the financial needs of the arts and culture field far outweigh the available funds that will be awarded through these programs and encourages eligible organizations to explore the agency’s other grant opportunities which can be found on arts.gov.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. To learn more, visit arts.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Jason Rapp

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.  

Jason Rapp

Arts learning partnership announces name, website

 


for immediate release

COLUMBIA, S.C. – “Arts Grow SC” is the name of the three-year, $20 million partnership to address pandemic-related learning loss announced in June by the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) and South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE).

Arts Grow SC was established to help public schools throughout the state address pandemic related learning loss with proven, arts-based learning initiatives. Though managed by the SCAC, the program has its own logo and this week officially launched its website: https://artsgrowsc.org/. There, interested educators, parents, and other stakeholders can subscribe to its newsletter. “The South Carolina Arts Commission is extremely proud to take this next step in the life of arts education in South Carolina. ArtsGrowSC is uniting dedicated partners who have a wealth of experience in arts instruction and in integrating the arts across other instructional areas” SCAC Executive Director David Platts said. “Generous funding from the South Carolina Department of Education is allowing more teachers, administrators, districts, artists, and community partners to plug in to this unprecedented work than ever before.” This past spring, leadership from the SCAC proposed to assist SCDE in addressing pandemic-related learning loss with a creative pathway—rooted in innovation and evidence-based practices—that the arts are equipped to provide. Funding was requested to allow the SCAC’s team of professionals and network of partners to:
  • help schools and teachers fill learning loss gaps in the arts,
  • use arts integration to remediate core subject areas,
  • and provide summer and afterschool learning opportunities that leverage the arts in schools throughout the state.
The SCDE approved $20 million for the SCAC to implement its plan, now known as Arts Grow SC, over the course of the next three years. To realize its classroom-based goals, the SCAC will rely on its partners at the Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) Project, which currently serves about 44,000 students in 74 schools and has been cooperatively led for more than 30 years by the SCAC, SCDE, and Winthrop University. In addition, the SCAC will expand existing pilot projects with the South Carolina Governor’s School for Arts & Humanities in Greenville and Engaging Creative Minds in Charleston and will offer grant and programming opportunities for arts education providers across the state. Further information is available on ArtsGrowSC.org and by emailing info@artsgrowsc.org.

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

Dancer emergency grants announced

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, January 7, 2021


New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), in partnership with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, has announced the launch of Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grants, a new program that will provide one-time grants of up to $5,000 to professional dancers in need, who have a dire financial emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You must demonstrate an urgent and critical need for emergency support in order to apply. ​​Dire financial emergencies include the lack or imminent endangerment of essentials such as housing, medicine/healthcare, utilities, and food. If you were displaced due to COVID, expenses to enable you to return to your working home base are eligible. You can request funding for eligible expenses for up to a three-month period, ranging from four months before the grant deadline through four months after the grant deadline. 

CYCLE 1

  • For Emergency Expenses between September 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022
  • Applications Open: November 9, 2021, 10:00 AM EST
  • Applications Close: January 7, 2022, 11:59 PM EST

CYCLE 2

  • For Emergency Expenses between December 1, 2021 and July 31, 2022
  • Applications Open: March 1, 2022, 10:00 AM EST
  • Applications Close: April 1, 2022, 11:59 PM EST

CYCLE 3

A third cycle will be implemented before June 2022. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the NYFA Grants team at emergencyfunds@nyfa.org or 212.366.6900 x 239.

Jason Rapp

Tuning Up: Arts and the economy + SCAC equity work

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...  
[caption id="attachment_48026" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Click image to enlarge.[/caption] As we mentioned last week, this October is National Arts and Humanities Month! The Hub is helping drive the conversation about the cultural sector’s role in our economy, equity, education, health and wellness, and military communities. Join the conversation with #NAHM21 and #NAHM. Today we’re focusing on how the arts and humanities positively impact the economy. Before the pandemic, it was approaching a $1 trillion industry that directly employed 5.2 million people and indirectly supported millions more. Due to COVID-19, unemployment rates for the cultural community soared to among the highest in the nation. A thriving cultural sector is essential to America’s economy and its recovery, which is on the way thanks to CARES and ARP Act funds.

SCAC featured by NASAA for equity work

How do state arts agencies ensure their practices and policies are equitable and inclusive? The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies invites you to read about how four agencies—California Arts CouncilMaryland State Arts CouncilMass Cultural Council and of course, BAE: the South Carolina Arts Commission—have integrated equity principles across multiple aspects of their work. Click here for the story.

Jason Rapp

FEMA makes aid available for arts, cultural orgs

Reimbursements for safe operating costs


Per our friends at ArtsReady, FEMA is now providing retroactive reimbursement for safe opening and operation costs incurred to address COVID safety for expenses incurred from Jan. 20, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2021.

[caption id="attachment_44517" align="alignright" width="150"]COVID-19 molecular structure image An image of COVID-19, courtesy of CDC[/caption] Eligible private nonprofits can apply. Reimbursement is exclusive to COVID-19 emergency and major disaster declarations through FEMA’s Public Assistance program. Items that may be eligible for reimbursement include face coverings, Personal Protective Equipment, cleaning and disinfection, COVID-19 diagnostic testing, screening and temperature scanning and portable temporary physical barriers for social distancing.

Jason Rapp

Tuning Up: Federal ARP funding webinar + Dreskin, Flowers news

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...

Who's tuning up on a Friday? We are!

Don't miss...

The NEA and South Arts are joining forces to present a webinar on two NEA programs to distribute American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds (more info on those here). Join the webinar TUESDAY, JULY 13 FROM 3-4:30 P.M. to explore these new programs, learn how to register your organization to be eligible for federal funding, gain other resources, and participate in a Q&A session. First-time applicants are encouraged to apply, and this workshop will provide content for first-timers as well as previous NEA applicants.

News from State Art Collection artists!

  • Head to Hampton III Gallery for a new exhibition: Jeanet S Dreskin: 100 Years. Four of Dreskin's works are included in the State Art Collection. The exhibition began yesterday and runs through Aug. 21. Preview online here, or visit in person Tuesday-Friday from 1-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The gallery received the S.C. Governor's Award for the Arts in 2019 in the organization category. 3110 Wade Hampton Blvd., Suite 10 in Taylors. Free.
  • Speaking of Governor's Award recipients, Tom Flowers, a recent, posthumous lifetime achievement recipient, left behind a vast collection of artwork. Beginning tomorrow, some of it could be yours. His family is auctioning off much of it to, in part, fund the scholarship fund in his name at Furman University. Flowers taught there for three decades and was head of the art department as well, and the State Art Collection includes two of his works. The auction runs Saturday, July 10 at noon to Saturday, July 24 at noon.
 

Jason Rapp

NEA opens ARP relief funding to arts orgs

And encourages new applicants


The National Endowment for the Arts is encouraging arts organizations not previously funded by it (along with those who have) to apply for direct American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding.

In a statement, a spokesperson said, “The Arts Endowment is committed to encouraging organizations that have not applied to the agency before to do so through ARP and other programs. We have created a new web page with more and better information about registering with [SAM.gov] and grants.gov.” The NEA received $135 million in the American Rescue Plan Act, representing a strong commitment from President Biden and Congress to the arts, and a recognition of the value of the arts and culture sector to the nation’s economy. On April 29th, the NEA announced that it was directing 40 percent of that allocation to 62 state, jurisdictional, and regional arts organizations. The NEA will award the remaining 60 percent of the funding in competitive grants to support jobs in the arts and culture sector and keep the doors open to nonprofit organizations and local arts agencies nationwide. ARP emergency relief funding is coming from many sources, and S.C. Arts Commission (SCAC) constituents can count on the agency and The Hub to help you keep it straight.

ARP funding from the NEA

There are two avenues for funding from the NEA’s $135 million. The Hub can’t stress enough that reading the guidelines is critical to know for what arts organizations or individual artists are eligible. We will post those as they arrive.
  • Direct to arts organizations (60%). Not limited to previous NEA grantees! Also new is that recipients may use funding awarded to cover general operating costs, which speaks to the “tremendous need in the sector,” according to the NEA. Guidelines are live and available here.
  • Direct to state and regional organizations (40%). The SCAC is receiving an $818,700 allotment from which it will award grants. The anticipated timing of this process is mid-summer 2021. Announcements will be made via The Hub, social media, and other SCAC outlets to ensure you're informed when guidelines go live.

State-level relief funding

Details are thin right now but yes, there will be relief funding coming from the state. Most of those details are being sorted out, to include how much and from where it will me made available. Again, count on SCAC team members and The Hub to help you keep it straight in coming weeks.

Jason Rapp