Today we received two items of news at Carolina Arts from the SC Arts Commission – one right after the other.
First, we learned that the SC Arts Commission Board meeting previously planned for May 26, 2010, has been canceled. The next regularly scheduled meeting is June 22 at the Arts Commission’s office in Columbia, SC.
Usually, this time of year the Arts Commission Board meeting was held in Charleston, SC – days before the opening of the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, but not last year and not this year. Actually, I don’t know why they were going to Charleston when they didn’t have meetings in any other cities around SC – except Columbia. Well, I know why, but it’s not fair to the rest of the art community in SC.
Next, we received a press release that Ken May, acting director of the Arts Commission, was named Executive Director of the SC Arts Commission. This was a little confusing to me in that if the Commission Board had not met recently – how they came to today’s announcement. An announcement which took a year to name the number 2 guy – number 1 – after conducting a three-month national search and reviewing 230 applications. I will have more on this subject after some deliberation.
Here’s the press release we got today:
Columbia, SC – The South Carolina Arts Commission Board of Commissioners today announced that Ken May has been named executive director effective immediately.
Ken May
May joined the Arts Commission in 1985 as a regional arts coordinator and served as director of planning, research and grants and assistant deputy director before being named deputy director in 1995. May has served as acting director of the agency since former Executive Director Susie Surkamer retired in May 2009.
“We look forward to working with Ken in his new role as executive director,” said Board Chairman Bud Ferillo. “Ken has proven his ability to lead the Arts Commission through the difficulties of the current budget cutbacks while positioning the agency for the future. His leadership in the agency’s core work — arts education, community development through the arts and artist development — will be crucial as we develop a new long-range plan for the state’s wide-ranging and diverse arts community.”
The executive director serves as the agency’s chief executive officer and is responsible for organization and administration, program development, fiscal accountability and staff supervision. The agency’s nine-member board is appointed by the governor and works with the executive director to make policy, advocate for the arts and ensure public accountability.
The board’s executive search committee, led by Commission Vice Chairman Dr. Sarah Lynn Hayes, conducted a three-month national search and reviewed 230 applications.
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 is celebrating 40 years of 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, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources.
For more information, visit (www.SouthCarolinaArts.com) or call (803) 734-8696.