News from the South Carolina Arts Commission

'Tis the season of giving, and one gift that's always well received is the gift of appreciation. Nominate a deserving artist, patron or business for either the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards or the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Awards, or add your local elected officials and arts organization staff and volunteers to the 40 Lists Project.

Next round of 40 Lists closes Jan. 15!

Here's your chance to recognize the dedicated volunteers, board members and administrators at your local arts organization who work hard to support and promote the arts -- add them to the 40 Lists Project. You can also brag on local, state and federal elected officials who are champions of the arts.

These lists close to submissions Jan. 15:

Visit 40 Lists Project to view list results.

Each month during the South Carolina Arts Commission's 40th Anniversary celebration, we'll unveil new lists of people, accomplishments, ideas and milestones that have contributed to the arts during the past 40 years.

"African American Voice" exhibition moves to Clemson

The Arts Commission's 40th Anniversary exhibition, "African American Voice," travels to the Arts Center in Clemson Jan. 15 - Feb. 29. Selected pieces will also be displayed at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts at Clemson University. The exhibit includes artworks from the State Art Collection by 24 African-American artists. The exhibit is free to the public. For information about hosting the exhibit, contact Harriett Green, (803)734-8762.

Left to right: "Extended Family Portrait" by Leo Twiggs; "Sewing Basket with Domed Lid," by Linda Blake.

extended family portrait sewing basket with dome

Stories reveal memories of early arts experiences

Stories submitted to the 40th Anniversary "Tell Your Story" project express appreciation to parents, teachers and spouses for igniting and nurturing a love for the arts.

Excerpts from two stories:

"As a young girl growing up in a small Southern town in the 1950s and 1960s, my knowledge of the world was limited to a 1922 set of Compton's Pictured Encyclopedia, and this tiny museum (the Florence Museum)." Read complete story

"What I loved in my piano teacher was her passion for piano, her dedication to her students, her sense of duty toward us, and her discipline that was shown in all areas of her life." Read complete story

We also want to hear your story. Tell us how the arts have influenced your life, or how your community has benefited from the arts. Find out how to submit your story...

Verner Awards the highest honor bestowed by the state in the arts

Since 1972, the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Awards program has honored nearly 200 S.C. arts organizations, patrons, artists, members of the business community and government entities who maximize their roles as innovators, supporters and advocates of the arts. Past recipients are a diverse group, from Converse College as the first arts education recipient in 1972, to Newberry Federal Savings Bank in the business category in 1999, to Beaufort artist Marlena Smalls in 2007.

Nominations for the 2008 awards are due Jan. 15. Contact Rusty Sox, (803)734-8899, for more information or assistance with a nomination.

About Elizabeth O'Neill Verner

Elizabeth O'Neill Verner achieved an international reputation for her etchings and pastels, many of which capture the spirit of the S.C Lowcountry. Throughout her 96 years, Mrs. Verner traveled extensively through Europe and the Orient. Drawings of S.C. residences, churches and street-life portraits are Verner trademarks recognized throughout the world for their artistic merit and unique color hues.

Folk Heritage Awards recognize commitment to traditional arts

The Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards have been presented to 40 recipients since the program was established in 1999. Up to four artists and one advocate may be honored each year. Artists are recognized as practitioners of traditional arts significant to communities throughout the state. Advocates have worked to further traditional culture in S. C.

Artist recipients include J. C. Owens, a master fiddler from Easley; Willie Dereef, a master traditional boatbuilder from Pawleys Island; and Eugenia Deas, a Gullah storyteller from McClellanville. Advocates honored include the Avery Research Center at the College of Charleston; Larry Klein from Columbia, and Jennings Chestnut from Conway.

Nominations for the 2008 awards are due Jan. 15. Contact Julianne Carroll, (803)734-8764, for more information or assistance with a nomination. The awards are managed jointly by the Folklife and Traditional Arts program of the South Carolina Arts Commission and the McKissick Museum, University of South Carolina.

Free Cultural Tourism workshops

Communities and organizations interested in attracting cultural tourists can attend a free workshop sponsored by the Arts Commission. The workshop covers how to create arts-centered products, projects and partnerships. Participants will also review the Arts Commission's Cultural Tourism grant. Anyone interested in applying for a grant is strongly encouraged to attend a workshop. (Please review the grant guidelines to confirm your eligibility.)

All workshops are free of charge and open to the public, but registration is required three days before the workshop date. The same workshop is being offered from noon to 3 p.m. at these locations:

Jan. 8 at the Arts Council of York County Center for the Arts in Rock Hill
Jan. 10 at the Vista Room at Suggs & Kelly Law Firm in Columbia.

For an agenda, driving directions, or more information, click here, or contact Joy Young, (803) 734-8203.

Picture your plate here!

Barbara Ervin with her "Driven by the Arts" license plate and a class from the S.C. Art Education Association fall conference.

E-mail a photo of you and your Driven by the Arts license plate and you may be in the next issue of the e-newsletter! Show us that you're "Driven by the Arts!"

How to order your plate.

Quote this

"I have always noticed that in portraits of really great writers, the mouth is always firmly closed."

-- Gertrude Stein (1874-1946)

Milly Hough
Communications Director
S.C. Arts Commission
803.734.8698

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 and by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit South Carolina Arts or call 803.734.8696.