SCAC selects five for Emerging Artist grant
Up to $1,500 grant includes mentorship, more
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE COLUMBIA, S.C. – A ceramicist, a dancer, a painter and fiber and installation artists make up the five #SCartists receiving South Carolina Arts Commission Emerging Artist Grants in FY2022. The South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) defines emerging artists as being at an early stage in their artistic career development with no basis in age. Five South Carolina artists were selected to each receive an up to $1,500 Emerging Artist grant from the SCAC in the current fiscal year (2022). They are, left to right:
- Robyn Arnold of Central (dance)
- Evelyn Beck of Anderson (fiber)
- Jordan Sheridan of Columbia (installation)
- Adrian Smith of Darlington (painting)
- Jordan Winiski of Greenville (ceramics)
In addition to financial support, the artists will benefit from mentorship and professional support facilitated by the SCAC and Artist Development Director Ce Scott-Fitts. The combined benefits are intended to deepen artistic practice and foster artistic excellence; encourage career growth, advancement, and sustainability; and provide professional development and opportunities for collaboration.
The SCAC awarded an inaugural class of emerging artists in 2021. Work resulting from their grant can be explored in an online exhibition on SouthCarolinaArts.com. An online exhibition of works by the new class of emerging artists is expected to be available in late summer 2022.
“It means a lot to be considered an ‘emerging artist’ in my 60s,” fiber artist Evelyn Beck of Anderson said. “Art is a second career for me, and I’ve devoted myself to it completely. This recognition and support for my project spurs me forward and makes me feel that I’m heading in the right direction.”
“Funding for emerging artists is crucial for cultivating a community of young creators who are able to discover their artistic voice. I am so thankful for this opportunity,” ceramicist Jordan Winiski of Greenville said.
Beyond funding support, Arnold, Sheridan, and Smith expressed that they anticipate benefit from the mentorship provided by the Emerging Artist program, summed up by Arnold: “I am amazed by how comprehensive and engaging the emerging artist program is. The other grant recipients and I not only receive funding to create, but we also get to meet once a month as a group and meet individually with Ce (Scott-Fitts), the artist development director. That means receiving an incredible support group of other artists as well as personalized insight and direction into our emerging journeys.”
The application period for the next round of the Emerging Artist Grant is to begin in Fall 2022. The SCAC will announce it on The Hub (https://www.scartshub.com/), on its social media at @scartscomm (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) and other channels.
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.
The South Carolina Arts Commission expresses its sadness after learning that Prof. Steven F. Gately passed last week according to reports.
Gately was a long-time tenured faculty member at Francis Marion University. He coordinated its visual arts programs and in 2006 was named an endowed chair as the C.B. and Marlene Askins Professor of Art. His work is included in the permanent collections of notable South Carolina museums, including the Gibbes and Columbia museums of art, and the 
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: 
Individual Artist Fellowship Grants
“The fellowship program is one of the arts commission’s signature programs. It directly impacts artist development, one of the agency’s three core functions,” Artist Services Director Ce Scott-Fitts (right) said.
“Increasing the award makes the program more prestigious, but better serves the recipients. They receive financial resources so that they may focus on developing and creating art. Adding disciplines allows for more inclusion while demonstrating how many aspects of the creative economy are touched by the arts.”
Fellowships are made through a highly competitive process and 
An Arts in Basic Curriculum Project site classroom. SCAC file photo.[/caption]
The SCAC will use its funding to address priorities identified at the state level, supporting the agency’s work in community arts development, folklife and traditional arts, and arts education.
“As the country and the arts sector begin to work towards a post-pandemic world, the National Endowment for the Arts is proud to fund the work of our partners,” said NEA Acting Chairman Ann Eilers. “These agreements, such as the one to the South Carolina Arts Commission, leverage federal funds for regional, state, and local impact, reinforcing the network of support that is vital for a healthy arts ecosystem.”
“The South Carolina Arts Commission honors and appreciates its lengthy and vital partnership with the NEA. This generous award, when added to the investment in the arts from our state General Assembly, helps further our work in creativity and culture on behalf of all South Carolinians,” SCAC Executive David Platts said.
Each year, 40 percent of the NEA’s grantmaking funds are designated for state arts agencies like the SCAC, regional arts organizations, and national service organizations that support the work of the states and regions. Of the $56.7 million recommended for these partners in FY 2021, $45.7 million is designated for state arts agencies. Each matches its Arts Endowment funding on at least a 1:1 basis.
Other South Carolina arts organizations were included in this major grant announcement.