Art

SC Arts Advocacy Week Brings Administrators, Artists, and Enthusiasts Together to Celebrate and Promote the Arts in SC

Published

2 years ago

February 13, 2023

Press Release

The South Carolina Arts Alliance (SCAA) is hosting SC Arts Advocacy Week, February 13th through 17th. The annual event brings arts practitioners and supporters together to celebrate the universal impact of the creative community in South Carolina.

“Whether we realize it or not, the Arts really impact just about every area of our lives,” said SCAA Executive Director, Melanie Colclough. “It boosts morale, sparks innovative thought, assists in decision making, positively shifts our moods, and provides a significant impact to the economy.”

This is the first in-person event since the pandemic and the schedule includes both virtual and in-person events. The SCAA will host virtual discussions on Facebook at noon each day except for Thursday when advocates will meet at the statehouse to talk in-person to legislators. Speakers for the week include leaders from the SC Arts Commission, South Arts, the Arts in Basic Curriculum Institute, legislators, and SC artists. The entire schedule is available at scartsalliance.net/aaw.

“SC Arts Advocacy Week is a time to celebrate the Arts in SC and is a reminder to everyone just how extremely valuable the creative community is to our state,” said Colclough.

SC Arts Advocacy Week Schedule

Monday, February 13th at noon

Live on facebook.com/scartsalliance

Educational Impact of the Arts

Panelists:

David Platts, Executive Director, SC Arts Commission

Ashley Brown, Deputy Director, SC Arts Commission & Executive Director, Arts Grow SC Kim Wilson, Director, Arts in Basic Curriculum Institute

Melanie Colclough, Executive Director, SC Arts Alliance

Tuesday, February 14th

Live on facebook.com/ABCInstituteSC

8:00 am Welcome from Arts in Basic Curriculum

Saluda River Academy for the Arts, Lexington, SC

8:30 am Nursery Road Elementary, Columbia, SC

9:00 am League Academy of Communication Arts, Greenville, SC

9:30 am Stone Academy of Communication Arts, Greenville, SC

10:00 am Lower Richland High School, Hopkins, SC

10:30 am Lake City Early Childhood, Lake City, SC

11:00 am Ridge View High School, Columbia, SC

11:30 am Hilton Head Elementary School, Hilton Head, SC

12:00 pm Impact of the Arts – Live on facebook.com/scartsalliance

South Arts President/CEO, Suzette “Susie” Surkamer

Melanie Colclough, Executive Director, SC Arts Alliance

12:30 pm Pine Street Elementary, Spartanburg, SC

1:00 pm Mabry Middle School, Inman, SC

1:30 pm Rosewood Elementary, Columbia, SC

2:00 pm East Aiken School of the Arts, Aiken, SC

2:30 pm Beaufort Middle School, Beaufort, SC

3:00 pm H.E. Bonner Elementary School, Moncks Corner, SC

3:30 pm SC Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities, Greenville, SC

4:00 pm Closing Statement from Arts in Basic Curriculum

Wednesday, February 15th at noon

Live on facebook.com/scartsalliance

Artists’ Talk Panelists:

Ce Scott-Fitts, Deputy Director, SC Arts Commission

Chris Jenkins, Songwriter and Audio Engineer

Diko Pekdimer-Lewis, Fashion Designer

Molly Fortune, Executive, South Carolina American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission

Thursday, February 16th

Day at the Statehouse

8:00 am Legislative Breakfast

10:00 am Legislator Visits

Friday, February 17th

Live on facebook.com/scartsalliance

12:00 pm Community Investment in the Arts

Panelists

Anne PInckney Smith, Executive Director, Newberry Opera House

David B. Vehaun, City Manager, City of Rock Hill

Erika Williams, Communications and Strategic Initiatives Manager, Sumter Economic Development Melanie Colclough, Executive Director, SC Arts Alliance

1:00 pm State Investment in the Arts

Panelists

SC Legislators (Received verbal commitments. Awaiting final confirmation)

About the SC Arts Alliance

Founded in 1979, the SC Arts Alliance is the only statewide arts service organization in South Carolina that focuses on advocacy, leadership development, and public awareness for the arts industry. The leading advocacy organization in the state for the arts, the SCAA has a long history of successful efforts to increase public support for the arts and arts education at the state and federal level.