Traditional arts funding available for artists and organizations

Bobby Rutland

Chair caner Bobby Rutland of Winnsboro, S.C.

South Carolina traditional artists and nonprofits working in the traditional arts are eligible to apply for the South Carolina Arts Commission’s Folklife and Traditional Arts apprenticeship program (for artists) and grants (for nonprofits).

The Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Initiative assists master artists in passing their artistic and cultural knowledge to qualified apprentices, who continue to pursue the art form beyond the life of the apprenticeship. The program provides funds for a master artist’s time and for the cost of travel and materials. Artists must contact Folklife and Traditional Arts Program Coordinator Doug Peach, peachd@mailbox.sc.edu, 803.734.8764, by Feb. 14, 2015, to discuss the project before applying. If your project meets the guidelines, Peach will assist in preparing the application. The apprenticeship application process must be completed by March 16, 2015.

South Carolina nonprofit organizations working in the traditional arts may apply for a Folklife and Traditional Arts grant of up to $6,000 to present, produce, document or preserve the state’s traditional arts. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Folklife and Traditional Arts Program Coordinator Doug Peach, peachd@mailbox.sc.edu, (803) 734-8764, before submitting an application. The application deadline is March 16, 2015.

The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina is using a Folklife and Traditional Arts grant to help produce the 2015 Taste of Gullah Festival, according to Senior Development Director Linda Bloom. “The Festival (offers) multi-disciplinary performing and visual arts presentations by outstanding S.C. traditional Gullah artists and an exhibition of regional sweet grass baskets. This unique opportunity provides another layer of accessible arts expression, education and preservation of Gullah history, traditions and culture, and (helps fulfill) the Arts Center’s mission to enrich and benefit the community through the arts.”

For more information about the apprenticeship or the grant, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.