Carolina First and the South Carolina Arts Foundation are pleased to present the 2008 Verner Awards Luncheon and Art Sale honoring recipients of the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Awards for the Arts and recipients of the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards.

Internationally acclaimed author John Jakes will make remarks at the 2008 Verner Awards Luncheon scheduled for noon on April 16 at the Columbia Marriott. Jakes, a resident of Hilton Head Island, is being honored with a Verner Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Folk Heritage recipients being honored at the ceremony and the luncheon are:

As part of the Arts Commission's 40th Anniversary, all previous Verner and Folk Heritage recipients will be recognized at the ceremony and the luncheon.

• Your favorite South Carolina artist from the performing arts
• Your favorite example of public art in South Carolina
• Your favorite film with a South Carolina connection 
• Your favorite South Carolina film or media artist

Visit 40 Lists Project to view list results.

The National Endowment for the Arts has announced a design competition for a statue of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, which will be permanently installed in the National Statuary Hall in the U. S. Capitol Building. The Rosa Parks statue repesents the first commission of a full-sized statue authorized and funded by the U. S. Congress since the 1870s. The deadline for applications is May 30. More information and competition guidelines are available on the NEA's Web site.

Folklife and Traditional Arts grants support the promotion and preservation of the traditional arts, with priority given to projects that recognize S.C.'s traditional art forms and their practitioners. Funded projects may include traditional artists' presentations; the production, documentation or distribution of traditional arts; the acquisition of difficult-to-obtain materials; a cultural survey; or a conservation project.

The Arts Commission is offering four scholarships to cover registration fees for the League of Historic American Theatres forum at the Newberry Opera House April 13-15. Scholarships will be awarded on a "first come, first served" basis to one person per organization. Contact your county coordinator to find out if your organization qualifies.

Organizations and communities interested in using historic theatres as catalysts for economic and cultural development are encouraged to attend the forum, which will cover the leading role historic theatres play in attracting visitors, recruiting industry, expanding existing industry and enhancing quality of life in America's small cities and towns. 

Five new commissioners have been appointed to the Arts Commission board this fiscal year. New board members are:

The governing body of the Commission, the board is composed of nine volunteer citizens appointed at large for three-year terms by the Governor for the purpose of guiding the development of the arts in the state.

"Above all, it is a matter of loving art, not understanding it."