Archive for the ‘SC Arts’ Category

« Older Entries

Why Did the SC Legislature Pass a Law Making the SC Arts Commission Spend 70% of Its Funding on Grants to SC’s Art Community?

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

So, why exactly did the SC Legislature have to pass a law demanding that the SC Arts Commission spend 70% of its state funding on grants? Why did they have to write that stipulation into law? Could it be that the Arts Commission was spending more on themselves than they were giving out in grants to other arts organizations?

Over the years I have pointed out that the SC Arts Commission, the cat with nine lives, was one of the largest state arts agencies in the country – much bigger than state art agencies in our region. Yes, they may be a lot leaner today than they used to be, but the Arts Commission is still a bloated agency which carries an expensive overhead. I’m led to understand that this 70% restriction will mean some folks at the Arts Commission will lose their jobs, which I feel sorry for, especially in these times, but this agency has brought all their current problems down on themselves.

Over my 25 + years in following the arts in this state I have always wondered what all these people are doing when I can see so little results in the general art community that they contribute – other than handing out money to their friends. They can go on and on in reports they write themselves, about all they are doing and what they have accomplished each year, and their fans – mostly people who receive funding and awards from them, will back up those self-preformed pats on their back.

Look, I’m for government funded art. You don’t see me railing against the NC Arts Council or the NEA. My problem is with the SC Arts Commission and their version of what serving the arts community means – serve yourself first – then the art community.

The truth is in the numbers. And, these are the latest numbers available from the SC Comptroller General’s office. These are some of the expenses of the SC Arts Commission – mostly their overhead in distributing funding to the people who do the real arts in our state. These numbers are from FY 2009-2010, not that long ago. Current numbers are not available – I wonder why.

Equipment – $5,076

Membership fees, rentals and rent – $347,565
(of which $268,507 is for rent of their building) I would have thought they could have purchased a building in the Vista years ago with that kind of rent.

Utilities – $42,869

Personal Services – $1,115,415
(On this item I know fewer people are there now working at the Arts Commission since 2009-2010, but here are some of the latest figures on salaries of just six employees who make over $50,000 – the limit where the State has to tell you what they’re being paid. This does not include State benefits.)

Figures as of May 13, 2011

Ken May – $91,664.00
Harriett Green – $55,284.00
Charles “Rusty” Cox – $54,596.00
Susan Duplessis – $51,854.00
Clay Burnett – $51,560.00
Joy Young – $50,609.00
(These six salaries total $355,567 and there could be 20 more people who make around $40,000.00 each if not more.)

Supplies & Materials – $23,997
($3,020 of that was postage, but I can’t imagine what they are mailing with the invention of e-mail.)

Transportation – $68

Travel – $27,568
(Now here’s a category that should be totally gone after last year’s cut-backs where the agency said it would do no more travel, but let’s see where some of this was going: $1,995 for in-state lodging; $10,441 for non-state employee travel; $903 for out of state lodging; $8,982 for leasing of state-owned cars; etc.)

The total of these expenses I’ve listed is $1,562,558.00. And, I didn’t list all the categories offered as I didn’t totally understand them, but that’s $1.5 million in overhead already – just to say we have an arts agency.

Salaries, rents and utilities don’t go away – so depending on what their budget allocation is from year to year (FY 2012 – the state budget for them is $1.9 million) it makes a big difference what’s left over each year, even when you throw in Federal monies, when so much has to come off the top on July 1 – every year. And, what do we get – an agency who decides who gets the rest of the money in the arts community or more like who won’t.

I think the SC Arts Commission has been consuming close to 50% of its budget by just existing.

The Arts Commission was also telling the public that it will also lose $250,000 the state appropriated last year in one-time stimulus funds, for a total year-to-year reduction of 16% in state appropriations. Again – they don’t seem to understand what a one-time thing is. You only get it once – you don’t get to then say the next year that  money is being cut from your budget this year. It was a one-time deal, get over it.

So in summation, I think the 70% clause was written into the law to force the SC Arts Commission to get lean like the rest of us have had to and make them spend the bulk of their budget on money for artists and arts groups – not themselves.

Don’t feel sorry for them yet, the alternative was no agency at all and they will still get their hands on $1.3 million from the Feds, which I’m sure has less restrictions on it. We all know how well the Federal government keeps track of our money.

So, the real question of the day is: Does the law mean that the SC Arts Commission has to make sure 70% of its total budget (including Federal money) has to go to grants or does it just mean 70% of what the State of SC has given them? And, what restrictions does the Federal money have on it? Where was it intended to go and to whom?

Because 30% of $1.9 million is $570,000 and the top six employees are paid $355,567 – that doesn’t leave enough to pay the rent on the building ($268,507) those six people would be rattling around in. So unless there is some slight of hand at work here or they can use that Federal money for whatever – there is either going to be a caretaker staff at the Arts Commission outnumbered by the Commissioners or the real arts providers in SC are going to get screwed again by the Arts Commission skimming off that Federal money.

And as long as the State of SC allows the Arts Commission to report on themselves without any audits – who’s to know where that money really goes.

I’m glad I’m not part of a non-profit that is hoping for a decent piece of the pie. If the next time you see someone from the Arts Commission and they have cherry pie all over their face – well, oh my.

The link to the SC Comptroller General’s office for the SC Arts Commission’s 2009 – 2010 expenses – their overhead before grants are given are at (https://ssl.sc.gov/SpendingTransparency/CategorySearchResult.aspx). Then just click Annual Summary and then select the year and the SC Arts Commission. You may even want to look back over time to see where all its money has been going.

No pie for you!

Share this article

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in SC Arts, SC Arts Commission | Comments Off

SC Art Commission Dangles Carrot in Front of SC Legislators and Funding Recipients

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

The SC Arts Commission posted pending FY 2012 grants numbers, “early”, to show SC Legislators how much money their districts would loose in arts funding before they decide if they will override an expected veto of arts funding by our Governor, who has promised her Tea Party friends to veto any funding for the arts.

Grant awards are usually announced in July after the beginning of the new year funding cycle, but I guess the Commission felt a need to show them early so those who would receive them could carry their fight to their legislators.

It makes me wonder what the folks at the Arts Commission are doing besides trying to stay alive. It doesn’t seem like they’ve been doing anything else for the last 3-4 months.

I’m having a hard time deciding who is worse for the arts in our state – our Governor or the SC Arts Commission. It really seems to be a toss up. No wait – they’re both bad for SC.

What ever happens – next year lets hope for reconstruction – putting a new arts agency under SC PRT.

Share this article

Tags: ,
Posted in Art News, SC Arts, SC Arts Commission | Comments Off

Truth Be Told About Spoleto Festival USA – Straight from the Horse’s Mouth

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

I found these two quotes from Nigel Redden in an interview from the Reuters News Service about funding cuts to the arts on the internet. They are the first quotes I’ve seen with some truth told about the festival mixed in with a little wishful thinking.

The first quote is the wishful thinking on the financial impact of the festival: “Those cuts have come despite the fact that the Spoleto Festival brings between $55 million and $70 million to South Carolina each year,” Redden said.

$55 to $70 million – that’s quite a spread there. But, if this was true, the hotels, restaurants, and airlines should put up most of the $7.5 million budget for the festival – they’re the ones that would benefit the most. But those numbers come from economic formulas – not hard numbers. It’s economic guessing.

The second quote was the truth part: “The festival draws 25,000 to 35,000 people to the coastal city, and they buy 73,000 performance tickets and spend money on hotels, food, merchandise and tourist attractions,” he said.

Finally, we get the truth about how many people the festival attracts each year. They used to repeat this phrase until every reporter had it ingrained in their vocabulary when talking about Spoleto. “The Spoleto Festival attracts 100,000 people each year to Charleston and generates $70 million in economic impact”.

One year I called the box office after the festival was over and asked how many tickets they sold. The answer was around 70,000. Very interesting.

Unless 30,000 people were getting free admission, that was a long way from 100,000. There are a lot of folks who get given free tickets, but you have to be someone of fame, power, or at least have influence over funding. I knew there were very few people who come to Charleston to just attend one event. I also knew that a lot of locals go to Spoleto events. So, it wasn’t hard to figure that the real number was closer to 25,000 people coming to Charleston for the festival and it could even be less than that. It could be as little as 10,000 people coming from out of town to attend Spoleto events and if you start thinking about how many people come from towns and cities not too far from Charleston, but are in-State residents – the number could even get smaller.

There is a good reason Spoleto starts its festival every year during the Memorial Day Weekend. Charleston will be full of people that weekend and it makes it look like they’re all here for Spoleto, but if you ask people on the streets if they are here for Spoleto, 9 out of 10 won’t be and 7 of those won’t even know what Spoleto is. The festival has contracted the College of Charleston to do surveys, but what that means is positioning students in front of Spoleto venues before performances and asking folks going in the doors if they’re here for Spoleto – it’s very scientific.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re lucky to have the Spoleto Festival, but it has been over-sold for years as far as its impact on the economy and the city of Charleston. And, 10,000 well-off folks spending money in Charleston is nothing to throw away. But the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, a visual art event, says they attract the same number of people, if not more, and have the same economic impact, if not more – and it’s an extended weekend compared to the three weeks of Spoleto. Of course its audience might be considered a little less refined. But they spend big bucks all the same.

Frankly, all events like this embellish the numbers on attendance and economic impact – they have to in order to attract donations and sponsorships. It’s the American way. We can’t be happy with reality – we have to be BIGGER than life.

It was refreshing to see the truth said for once – even if it was in an interview not seen in any local or regional papers. They’re all still repeating the original phrase of 100,000 visitors/$70 million impact.

Of course Spoleto could improve those numbers – if they actually put a visual art component back into the festival. But because they have no place they can present such visual arts and charge admission – they’re not interested. But it would attract more donations, more press coverage, and more people interested in visual art events.

Of course without the Spoleto Festival USA there would be no Piccolo Spoleto Festival – the “little” festival with its overkill of 700 plus events. And, without Piccolo there would be no cover for the City of Charleston to inject more funding into local performing art groups – who are paid to participate – here, there, and everywhere.

Talk about affirmative action and art welfare – Piccolo Spoleto is the poster child for propping up art groups who operate in the red constantly. And after June 11 – they will disappear until September when and if they can afford to present a “season” once more. I think of them as the part-time arts community, but with benefits. Except for the underpaid musicians of the Charleston Symphony who have to be the cheapest professionals on the planet – I’m not sure you should be able to call yourself a professional when your income is way below the poverty level.

So what’s my point in all this? It’s very simple.

The visual art community in Charleston is the real economic engine in this area and they get very little support or respect from the local, state, and national government sectors. They’re offering the arts all year long – in most cases for free. There is no “season” for the visual arts community. Sure, some times of the year are busier than others, but the show goes on no matter what.

So, maybe it’s time to concentrate on giving the visual art community some support, which will deliver a bigger economic payoff for the community, instead of pouring money down a black hole in trying to support arts groups who will always be a drain on the resources of the community.

But, then again, when I think that we have the same leadership in the arts community that we’ve had for the last 20-30 years – I know nothing is going to change.

Share this article

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Art News, Carolina Visual Arts, Charleston SC Visual Arts, SC Arts, SC Visual Arts, Unbelievable but True, Wishful Thinking | Comments Off

How Much Do SC’s Public Workers Get Paid?

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

I was surfing through The State newspaper (online version) in Columbia, SC, as I do many Carolina newspapers keeping up with what’s going on and I noticed a headline which has probably been there for months, but for some reason caught my eye today. The headline was, “How much do SC’s public workers get paid?”.

The State offers a date base (http://www.thestate.com/statesalaries/) of what some State employees make each year. This database contains names, positions and salaries of state government employees making $50,000 or more a year in base salary, as furnished by the agencies in response to SC Freedom of Information Act requests. I just had to look and then I wished I didn’t. And as far as I know, these salaries do not include the value of State benefits and other perks (use of cars, travel expenses, etc.) given to these employees.

Here’s the question. Should Ken May, head of the SC Arts Commission make $91,664.009 a year?

That’s almost as much money as our new Governor was paid to raise funds for a Columbia hospital – another headline story in The State (http://www.thestate.com/2011/03/16/1738514/hospital-no-one-here-filled-out.html). According to The State, the not yet Governor was hired as a fundraiser by Lexington Medical Center in August 2008, a position created for her at a $110,000-a-year salary, which she held until April 2010 – although the not yet Governor had no experience as a fundraiser – other than being a politician. But that’s no big deal – lots of people in SC government are given important jobs with no experience.

Now, I’m going on record here. Ken May thinks of me as his nemesis. So I guess wondering if the job he is doing is worth $91,664.009 – it could be considered another poke at him and the SC Arts Commission.

But, I’m also wondering if Harriett Green, visual arts coordinator, should make $55,284.009 a year? I’m not sure that’s the kind of money anyone should be paid for moving a few exhibits (the same exhibits) around the state from year to year. So, it’s not just about Ken May.

Of course I guess these salaries are based on the old SC Arts Commission – the one that had twice the budget a few years ago – compared to the new Commission which will get smaller and smaller over the next few years – it not disappearing all together. And, I wonder how they figure in the .9 cents?

And, folks don’t forget – a smaller budget at the SC Arts Commission means smaller grant funds to groups and artists and smaller services rendered – but it seems the salaries… Well, maybe they’re less than what they used to be? Isn’t that how it works – the less money you have (I can’t say make) the less money you get?

Well, anyway – I wish I hadn’t clicked that link at The State. I was much happier not knowing. How about you?

Share this article

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in SC Arts, SC Arts Commission, Unbelievable but True | Comments Off

South Carolina Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Forms to Help SC’s Artists

Monday, October 25th, 2010

It’s good to see that the SC Arts Commission is finally getting around to providing SC’s artists a service that has been in NC for over 20 years. North Carolina Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts is a network of lawyers in North Carolina with experience in art law issues. Find info at this link.

Although I had to get the info from a third party involved – not the SC Arts Commission, I don’t mind saying this is a good thing.

Better late than never, but pretty late compared to our neighbors – who they always say they try to work in conjunction with.

Here’s the info:

The University of South Carolina School of Law in Columbia, SC, has partnered with area arts organizations to give them and the low-income artists they represent a new resource for legal assistance.

The South Carolina Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts will offer an online service that provides pro-bono assistance to the arts community.

This new resource is available at (www.SCvolunteerlawyersforthearts.org).

The SCVLA is a project of the school’s Pro Bono Program and Nonprofit Organizations Clinic, as well as the SC Arts Commission and the SC Bar Pro Bono Program. It refers those needing legal assistance to lawyers who have agreed to donate their time.

“This collaboration has been in the works for many years,” said Ken May, executive director at the SC Arts Commission. “We’re proud to see that it has come to fruition and is now providing the South Carolina arts community with this valuable service.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the law school to expand its relationship with the communities surrounding it,” said Walter F. Pratt Jr., dean of the School of Law. “Building on our nationally known Pro Bono Program, this new venture will allow even more students to learn the value of service to their community while, at the same time, acquiring skills that will make them better lawyers in the future.”

The service uses an online application system to gather facts from artists and arts organizations to match them with appropriate legal representation. SCVLA, cannot assign an attorney to a specific client, nor can it assist all clients. Some clients may be referred to an attorney outside the program.

Artists and arts organizations seeking legal advice or lawyers interested in volunteering their service can visit (www.SCvolunteerlawyersforthearts.org) to complete an online application.

Share this article

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in SC Arts, SC Arts Commission | Comments Off

Spartanburg, SC, Charter School in the Running to Win $500,000 from Kohls Cares for Kids – Do you Facebook?

Friday, August 20th, 2010

This has to be one of the most unusual request for help Carolina Arts has gotten since Teri Tynes of Walking Off the Big Apple asked us for help to win the title of Best Travel Blogger in the World. Plus, I was just up near Petoskey, MI, and we brought our son home a Petoskey stone as a gift from our travels. Don’t think how cheap – they’re not cheap and he just graduated from the College of Charleston as a Geologist, plus I also got him a Blueray disk of Dark Knight.

So here’s a shout out for help to my readers who also do Facebook – I don’t, and I guess you’ll know what it means to “like” Kohls.

Here’s the note I got from Martha Petoskey:

If you have not done so already, please vote (5 times) for Spartanburg Charter School (SCS) to receive a $500,000 grant from Kohls Cares for Kids. SCS is the only South Carolina school in the top 100. We currently are in the top 20 schools, and if we maintain this position (simply by number of votes) we will obtain much-needed funding. The direct link in facebook is noted below. Please also note that you must “Like” Kohls in order to post your vote.

Here’s that link (http://apps.facebook.com/KohlsCares/school/1371341/spartanburg-charter-school?src=SchoolBitly).

Please feel free to share this link!

For further info contact Martha Petoskey, Ph.D., Program Director by calling 864/494-0928, e-mail at (Martha.Petoskey@spartanburgcharterschool.org), or visit (www.spartanburgcharterschool.org).

Share this article

Tags: , , ,
Posted in SC Arts | Comments Off

A Trip Through Kentucky Adds Another Item to the List that SC has Never Done

Monday, August 9th, 2010

In July, Linda and I made a mad dash to Michigan to spend some time with a few of my high school friends, some being cousins of mine and others – just good old friends from the class of ’69 at Buena Vista High School in Michigan. And, I mean old in the literal since – as Linda often reminds me that as of this May I have entered my last days as a 50 year old. It’s back to the 60′s or bring on the 60′s – I’m not sure which.

I also wanted to visit a state that was worse off than South Carolina and California was too far.

Thanks to the generosity of our friends we were put up in some of the best (unadvertised) bed, breakfast, lunch and dinner establishments in Michigan. Without their kindness we couldn’t have made the trip. So one evening we packed up the car and made the 19 hour trip – except for one unscheduled stop. Remember, I’m in my late – very late 50′s, so we made many scheduled stops along the way. After a while it seemed like we were stopping at every other rest stop.

My friends thought it was crazy for us to drive straight through, but I explained that I do a lot of driving. In fact, I noticed that when delivering our August issue of Carolina Arts on what I call the Up the Mountain trip to Hendersonville, NC, and many stops in-between to Columbia, SC, Tryon, NC, Spartanburg, SC, Greenville, SC, Seneca, SC, Clemson, SC, Laurens, SC, back to Columbia, SC, and back home – it took 19 hours. I did three more trips that week. So, yes I could be considered a travelin’ man, but most of the time I end up back here at home base.

Traveling at night is the norm for me and since Linda has problems with thinking I’ll drive our car over the edge off the mountains – night was good for that too.

So what was that one unscheduled stop?

Since 1974, when I traveled down I-75 to South Carolina from Michigan there were signs in Kentucky that pointed out that Berea, KY, was a stop offering folk arts. Throughout the years of going back and forth to make visits, I always wondered about those signs and what may be there to see. On this recent trip up to Michigan I noticed that a new sign was also directing people to stop in Berea – it was asking people to stop at the Kentucky Artisan Center. Now that caught my attention right away. If this was a state artisan center I wondered how it would compare to the SC Artisan Center in Walterboro, SC, the Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC, or the NC Pottery Center, in Seagrove, NC.

Making comparisons is what we do. We’re always referencing things by how they compare to other things like it or other experiences. Over the years this has been a source of frustration since my early years in observing the art community in SC. Asking some people why things were done the way they are I often heard the phrase – “We do it this way because this is the way our neighboring states do things – it makes what we do relevant and consistent.” So, when I started coverage of the visual arts in NC in 1997, I started to notice that SC wasn’t doing things exactly the way our neighbors were doing things. Over the years I’ve learned more and more about those differences.

So I was curious about this Artisan Center, but when the signs also said it was a travel information center and the fact that it was about the time they may be open, I headed there. Travel centers have to open early for travelers who get early starts or for folks like me who like to travel overnight.

As I turned off the interstate at the designated exit, the first thing I saw was a large complex of buildings that looked pretty interesting and there was a sign in the sky – like the golden arches which said – Kentucky Artisan Center. Interesting! Could this be the place? Driving into the complex I could tell this was going to be an experience. And, from the moment of driving up to the complex’s parking area, which was expansive – I was not disappointed that we pulled off the highway and in fact, was impressed at every step.

This was the ultimate travel rest stop. Information, rest rooms, a restaurant, and wall to wall visual stimulation in the form of some of the best art I’ve seen collected in one place, in one of the best facilities to show off art I’ve seen in a long time. My overall impression was that someone of vision in Kentucky was able to sell that state on building an art facility that would be so impressive that anyone who stopped there would walk away with the impression that artists in Kentucky are creating excellent art and that they are supported to the max by their state. And, I got it. The center offers works by over 700 artists from throughout the state. Artists have the opportunity to jury in three times a year, and everything is for sale. And, everything is everything, including fine arts, crafts, music, literature, clothing, and specialty foods.


Stone buildings with slate roofs and fully landscaped.

It was agonizingly torturous – what a time not to be rich. And since I wasn’t, it was just a window shopping event. Plus, we had decided some time ago that any new art we buy will come from North and South Carolina, so it made the experience of not being able to buy anything a little better, but not much. And, we didn’t have one extra dime for anything but our trip. All I can hope is that some of these artists may some day move to North or South Carolina, but with support like this from the State of Kentucky – why would they?


The welcome center part – we were the first or second visitors of this day.


The exhibit area presents rotating shows.

I hope the photos I took and offer here can just begin to show how wonderful this facility was, but it can’t. You’d have to walk through this massive complex to get that feeling. And, I walked away with the feeling that once again the art community, in at least South Carolina, has been shortchanged – by the SC Arts Commission? SC Legislature? Governor? All three? But, then I’ve known that for some time now.


This is the cafe area.

Here’s what I later learned on the Center’s website: The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea, KY, is a state authority, administratively attached to the Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. (Another state like NC that has it’s arts agency tied to tourism – what a novel idea.) Established to celebrate Kentucky’s artisan heritage and to encourage Kentuckians and those traveling in Kentucky to enjoy artisan products and activities.

The funds for construction of the site were appropriated by the Kentucky legislature in 1998 and 2000. The development of the Center and oversight of its activity is provided by a 13-member board, the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea Authority Board, and assisted by numerous partnerships among cabinets of state government, with city and county government, with colleges, with other organizations and agencies, and with individuals interested in the Center’s mission and goals.

The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea is conveniently located at 975 Walnut Meadow Road, Berea, KY. They are situated alongside Interstate 75 at exit 77, just 40 miles south of Lexington, KY, and only 2.5 miles from downtown Berea, the “Folk Arts and Craft Capital of Kentucky.”

In this 25,000 sq. foot facility (no, that’s not a typo – it’s 25,000 sq. ft.) you can shop for Kentucky products; experience Kentucky hospitality; explore Kentucky crafts & history; enjoy Kentucky cuisine; learn about other must-see places; and enjoy full rest stop services, and an ATM. There is plenty of on-site parking, including pull through spaces for buses and RVs. WIFI service is also now available throughout the Center, and the first 15 minutes are free!

The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea is open to the public seven days a week, from 8am-8pm, with its cafe serving from 8:30am-5:00pm. Please note that during hours the Center is closed, the public restrooms are also closed.

The Center is closed all day to observe these holidays: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The Center also closes early on Christmas Eve.

Hours are subject to change; be sure to call or check this site (http://www.kentuckyartisancenter.ky.gov/) before finalizing your plans!

There is no admission charge for visiting this Center featuring all Kentucky-made products!

OK – back to me.

So, if the state of Kentucky can have such a center – why not in SC or NC?

It is really hard to make any comparison to the centers I mentioned earlier.

The SC Artisan Center in Walterboro, SC, is a retail outlet featuring works by some of SC’s artists, but that’s where any comparison ends. The SC Artisan Center could fit into the Kentucky Artisan’s front welcome center. Although it is located off I-95 in Walterboro, it is far from the highway and it’s my bet many people turn around before finding the Center.

The Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC, is part of the National Parks Service and the home of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, featuring works by artists from many southern states. It has an excellent retail shop, but tiny compared to the Kentucky facility.

The NC Pottery Center, in Seagrove, NC, is a first class showplace for pottery made by NC’s potters, but it is not a retail center. And although it is located not too far off what will someday be I-74, I-73 – it’s not just off I-75.

The Kentucky Artisan Center has it all and the art community of Berea, KY, too. Throw in Berea College and you have quite an artist colony.

Look, I’m not going to rub this in any longer, but officials from both NC and SC should make a trip to see what’s there. I don’t mean folks from the SC Arts Commission or the NC Arts Council  – I’m sure they already know what’s there and have sleepless nights about it. I’m talking about the movers and shakers in the Carolinas. Sure they can’t do anything now with the economy the way it is, but this is a look at what could be in the Carolinas.

I’ve always felt the perfect place for SC’s center would be the intersection of I-95 and I-26. There is nothing there now and it would be a great place for travelers to stop.

If you find yourself traveling on I-75 – north or south – stop in Berea, KY. You’ll be glad you did.

There will be more about our adventures in Michigan as time goes by.

Share this article

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in SC Arts, SC Arts Commission | Comments Off

Step Inside the Art World of Charleston, SC, Become a Roadie

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

I recently received this press release at Carolina Arts. If you’ve been wondering what the Charleston Arts Coalition has been up to for such a long silence – here it is. Click on their name to see their new redesigned website.

Here it is:

Is it okay to clap every time the symphony stops playing? Making an “art faux pas” may be intimidating for young adults, attending their first symphony. That’s why the South Carolina Arts Commission is teaming up with Charleston Arts Coalition to present the Charleston Road Show. This already successful program that launched some years ago in Columbia, SC, will give a behind-the-scenes look at what’s involved in creating and presenting art for the stage, screen and wall to 20 Charleston residents, aged 23-39.

Participating organizations include Redux Contemporary Art Center, PURE Theatre, Charleston Ballet Theatre, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Chamber Music Charleston and Charleston Symphony Orchestra. New Audience Road Show members will visit each of the participating arts organizations three times. During the first two visits, participants will learn about the art form, from the basics of musical composition to the mood-altering effects of stage lighting and the production of a visual art show. Participants will talk with artists, staff, and board members, try their hand at each art form and take backstage tours. The third visit will include a performance or opening, and each “Roadie”, will be encouraged to invite friends and share what they’ve learned.

“This program gives the ‘Roadies’ the confidence to take their relationship with art to the next level,” says Stacy Huggins, program coordinator for Charleston.

The participating art organizations get a chance to listen more closely and design programs and experiences that really welcome the young and eager audiences in the community.

“The most shocking thing that we learned from the Road Show was that there was a certain intimidation factor for those young audiences with no previous art experience to even come into the building,” says Leslie Pierce of the Columbia Museum of Art. “It made us rethink what we were doing, made us look at the museum with fresh eyes and approach it in a different way that we have not done before,” continues Pierce.

The Charleston Road Show is based on the SCAC’s pilot program New Audience Road Show that is now in its third season. Through participation grants, the SCAC, Charleston Arts Coalition and Charleston Road Show aim to increase knowledge of local arts organizations and young adult participation and patronage in them. Each organization was carefully selected based on their commitment to making quality experiences for the “Roadies”.

Charleston-area residents ages 23-39 are invited to apply for the Road Show, which runs from Sept. 2010 to May 2011. Applications are available online by visiting (www.CharlestonArtsCoalition.com); application deadline is Aug. 26, 2010. There is a nominal fee of $25.

For further information contact Stacy Huggins by calling 843/364-8333 or e-mailing to (charlestonroadshow@hotmail.com). More information is also available on the Road Show’s Facebook page.

Charleston Arts Coalition provides a forum and virtual gateway for creative individuals, organizations and businesses to collaborate on projects, exchange ideas, host special events and promote creativity.  The CAC is open to anyone and everyone who wants to be involved. Major projects include (www.CharlestonCulture.com), a website free and open to all people, where artists of all disciplines can create profiles, post events, discuss issues and connect with others in the community, and the Charleston Road Show.

The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances.  Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission focuses on increasing public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, SC, the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina and by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit (www.SouthCarolinaArts.com) or call 803/734-8696.

Share this article

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in SC Arts | Comments Off

Charleston County Public Library is Presenting a Summer Book Sale in Charleston, SC – June 18-20, 2010

Monday, June 14th, 2010

I received this press release at Carolina Arts. I think public libraries are one of the great resources we have in this country and will be willing to pay higher taxes any day – as long as that extra money goes to support our libraries. Go buy some books.

Cheap books abound at the upcoming summer book sale held by the Charleston Friends of the Library. That SUMMER Book Sale will be at the Main Library in downtown Charleston, SC, on June 18-20, 2010. It’s a great way to do some guilt-free, green shopping!

WHO: The Charleston Friends of the Library is a 501c3 membership organization that supports and advocates for the Charleston County Public Library. The Friends raise money for over 4,000 library programs like Summer Reading for kids and teens, computer classes, Opera at the Library, concerts, film screenings, author events, new technology and more.

WHAT: Join the Friends of the Library at That SUMMER Book Sale. The books are cheap, the cause is worthy, and it’s a great way to do some guilt-free, green shopping! All books were donated to the Friends by the community.

WHERE: Main Library Auditorium, Charleston County Public Library, 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401.

WHEN: Friday, June 18th & Saturday, June 19th, 9am-5:30pm and Sunday, June 20th, 2-4pm.

A special Friends of the Library Member Sale will be held prior to the public sale Thursday, June 17th, 5:30-7:30pm. People are welcome to join the Friends of the Library at the door.

For more information or questions, please visit (www.CCPL.org) or call 843/805-6930.

Share this article

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Our Fading Culture, SC Arts | Comments Off

Hey, Ken May and the SC Arts Commission – Welcome to Our World

Saturday, June 12th, 2010

I’ve been receiving the following letter by e-mail at Carolina Arts – from some who think I’m going to contact my representatives to ask them to override these vetoes and by some who want to make sure I see this for comment.

Here’s the letter from Ken May, Executive Director of the SC Arts Commission, one person who won’t be losing his job and won’t see a pay cut according to his statement. He may live and operate in a shell and serve no one, but it sounds like he’ll go on.

June 10, 2010

The governor has vetoed the bulk of the Arts Commission’s budget, effectively crippling the agency if the legislature does not override the veto. This cut eliminates all state funds for grants, programs and services, and more than 70 percent of our personnel. The cut also eliminates federal stimulus funds earmarked for grants to local arts organizations. The vetoed funds support arts curriculum and artist residencies in our schools; plays, concerts, dance performances and exhibitions in our communities; and thousands of jobs statewide. These targeted cuts (veto #32 Statewide Arts Services, $1,212,733 and veto #105, ARRA funds, $250,000) will destroy the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission, leaving it with little more than an administrative shell lacking the resources to support the arts industry that benefits all the people of our state. If this concerns you, there are a variety of ways to reach your state legislators this week before the legislature reconvenes on Tuesday, June 15, 2010.

Ken May

Executive Director

How do I feel about this plea to the art community to ask the SC Legislators to override the Governor’s veto? First, I was never sent this letter directly so I can only figure that the Arts Commission doesn’t see me as a friend they can call on, which I guess matches my feelings about them. I know any request for a helping hand by me to them would fall flat. Second, since I can receive no funding from the Arts Commission or any of the people they distribute money to – I don’t see this as a problem which effects me. Yes, some non-profits who receive funding from the Arts Commission have taken out ads in our paper, but we give them a 25% discount on our prices and they get an ad in our paper. We earn every penny of that advertising money. And, just because they receive some funding from the Arts Commission doesn’t mean the money they put towards advertising came from the Arts Commission. I know of no arts organization or artist who solely exist off of the funding they receive from the SC Arts Commission. So, the loss of their funding is just a part of any individual’s or groups’ funding picture. Third, although I still support public tax dollars going towards funding the arts I have learned from watching the SC Arts Commission that the money doesn’t always go to the most deserving, most qualified or groups that represent the overall art community in SC. Fourth, Ken May is wrong when he says, “…lacking the resources to support the arts industry that benefits all the people of our state.” The Arts Commission doesn’t support all the arts industry and not all the people of this state benefit from the arts – many are not even interested in them.

In this case I feel the plea is a little suspect. Is it a plea to save the funding of the Arts Commission staff or money which would go to the artists and art groups of this State? If this cut goes through and the agency is so handicapped as Ken May states – how will they go on? What purpose will they serve other than one for themselves? If there is no money left for funding grants, programs and the staff is reduced by 70% – why doesn’t May state that without this funding he and the rest of the staff will just resign and leave the budget they use up – for the art community?

The art community I know has been suffering for years without help from the Arts Commission – long before the economy went sour. And, not all help requires funding – so that is why I titled this entry – welcome to our world. We’ve been doing without, cutting back – watching a shrinking future, just like many others in the art community, but we’ve been doing it without benefits – like retirement, health insurance, dental plans, paid vacation days, etc. And, we’ve been doing it without taxpayer dollars.

Artists and art groups should operate like regular businesses – within their budgets – budgets that reflect earned revenues. And, all who are involved in producing art which the public can benefit from, should be eligible to apply for public funding. Operating on the hopes that there will always be more funding is like living a dream. It’s time for some to wake up and face the world the rest of us live in. This just might be that day, but I’m not holding my breath.

Yes, a lot of good artists and good arts groups will lose some funding if this cut goes through, but a lot of good artists and good art groups have been going without a lot longer – and, will still go without whatever happens with the budget. Plus, it’s hard to defend restoring funding to the Arts Commission in light of what other cuts are being made in this State. It may seem like a drop in the bucket to some but to some individuals who may lose health services, food allotments, housing, etc. – it’s very important. What’s more important?

Share this article

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Politics and the Arts, SC Arts, SC Arts Commission, State of the Arts | Comments Off

« Older Entries