Tuning Up: On place… who’s here and why

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…


With art and advocacy, Native American women in SC are saying, ‘We are still here’

“Its goal, said commission CEO Terence Lilly Little Water, was to show people that Native American women exist here in South Carolina. And — like other indigenous women around the country — they’re fighting to raise awareness of issues that disproportionately affect their communities.

‘We have some extraordinarily talented artists who deserve to have their voices heard,” she said. “Art is a form of using your voice.'” (Read Emily Williams’ full story in the Charleston Post & Courier here.)

Along the same lines, “Tuning Up” also presents this story about Americans thriving where they are and not moving all over like we did in the 1980’s and 1990’s:

Americans have stopped moving, and it could dramatically affect society

“This narrative that Americans are constantly moving within the country is no longer true.

Over the last 35 years, the number of Americans who have moved—within their county, state, or out of state—has steadily declined to nearly half of their previous levels… Rootedness has many positive outcomes, such as greater attachment to place and more meaningful social and community connections. These connections to place may then serve to provide social and economic support during periods of economic uncertainty.” (Read Thomas Cooke’s full story in Quartz here.)

Not to add to Cooke’s report, but the S.C. Arts Commission’s program Art of Community: Rural SC is showing that rural communities, often the biggest victims of migration to larger towns and (usually) cities (and their suburbs and exurbs) are rallying. Leading the charge are often artists, who are proving more and more by the day that they can remain in place and be successful themselves while helping lead revitalization.