What's working: Adults only--Art Night 101

Chances are if you visit Cheraw on a Tuesday night, you might happen into a downtown restaurant where the paint, wine and friendship flows.  These are the three major ingredients that Executive Director Lindsay Bennett and others at the Cheraw Arts Commission are using to engage more people who want to make art (or who are curious about making art)  in this tiny historic town in Chesterfield County. With the help of local artists who create the theme for the evening (like the recent "Andy Warhol meets Monet")  and sit at tables to instruct and guide,  this new activity is bringing more people downtown and creating a way for Lindsay to build new relationships.

It's happening in a local restaurant that's closed on Tuesdays but willing to partner with the Cheraw Arts Commission in this venture.  This setting provides a comfortable, friendly and accessible space that is not intimidating to those who may have little art experience.

"Participants, some with painting experience and some who have never picked up a brush, are like sponges," she said, "absorbing every drop and wanting more."    Through this effort to create more arts participation among  Chesterfield County citizens, Lindsay is seeing participants become more engaged in the "art community" and anticipates this effort becoming a feeder for art classes, workshops and gallery exhibits.

What's working here?

• A partnership with a restaurant and with local artists who see mutual benefit in being part of this effort
• The practice of evaluating feedback to help plan future gatherings
• A venue that offers an easy way for people to "test" the arts and determine if they want more
• A new way to add more names to the roster of arts-inclined citizens in Chesterfield County  

The Cheraw Arts Commission is one of ten grantees currently participating in the Statewide Arts Participation Initiative.  "Everything we do now is about participation," Lindsay says.

 "Andy Warhol meets Monet"  These are the latest paintings from Art Night 101 which were incorporated in Cheraw's downtown Art Walkabout evening June 11. 

 

 

 Learn more about the Cheraw Arts Commission  and the town of Cheraw at http://www.visitcheraw.com/.

-------- Original Message --------

Beaufort County Arts Council calls "Emergency Summit"

About 90 folks showed up to discuss the state of the arts in Northern Beaufort County last week--it was incredible to see such an array of support and value for arts from a variety of arts groups, artists and citizens in that community. Some of the kinds of people I noted included a healing arts program coordinator from the local hospital, a professional billiards photographer, a tattoo artist, a librarian, a teaching artist, actors, visual artists, the local historic and community foundations, a philosophy professor, a parent, teachers and school district staff, arts board members and staff...you get the picture.

JW Rone, the director of the Arts Council, spoke briefly about the work of the Arts Council, and then the next hour was spent hearing who was in the room and why they had come. Setting the scene, JW asked everyone to think of what their vision of art is for an arts community.    The large group divided into five smaller sets, each centered around an arts discipline or arts administration. The activity? To come back to the whole group with five big ideas for Beaufort County.

As you might imagine, the big idea report-out sessions were all over the place. A lot of energy and enthusiasm for the gathering and ideas discussed led to the consensus that another meeting was necessary.  It is scheduled for March 16--in case anyone out there wants to go observe. You might have to stand though! 

My question to those of you who represent arts councils across S.C.:  

• What are you doing differently now that the economic picture has shifted? 
• What struggles and successes can you share? 
• Who values  your organization's work and how are you partnering with them going forward? 

Arts for all and all for arts...advocates take Columbia

Bright faces of local arts agency directors helped lift the gloom of the soggy day at the annual Arts Advocacy event at the SC Statehouse yesterday. While the rain poured, the advocates poured into the Statehouse and then came over for the legislative luncheon. A special highlight was the music of young students from Saluda River Arts Academy who sang "Nothing Could Be Finer than to be in Carolina" and other selections.

The common experience of lean times, a spirit of commraderie and shared challenges led several directors to ask about an executive directors' retreat. 

Perhaps this Spring?   We'll poll some of you to settle on a date for that.

(Top photo:  Anne Craig, Greenwood; Kimberly Spears, Anderson; Marty Besancon, N. Chas.; and Perry Mixter, Spartanburg.

2nd Photo on top right: SCAC Folk Director Julianne Carroll with Beth Thomas, Orangeburg.

Left Photo below: Anne Craig, Greenwood, with Kristin Cobb, Kershaw. Right Photo: Debra Heintz, York County)

 

Meanwhile, thanks to Betty Plumb and the SC Arts Alliance for creating this opportunity to gather again and tell the stories of art in community.  

Betty Plumb and advocate and educator Larry Barnfield, Fine Arts Supervisor of Dorchestor 2 School District, were part of the great group gathered at the Statehouse to meet and greet legislators on their exit from the Chambers. THANKS BETTY!!! and all who participated.

A moment in time....

What in the world is happening in Greenwood?
Anne Craig, executive director of the Greenwood Arts Council since 1997, talks about the current landscape in the following November 2009  Q & A  interview with S.C. Arts Commission liaison Susan DuPlessis.

Q: What’s your budget looking like this year compared to FY09?
Anne: We started this fiscal year by cutting our budget $65,000 (FY09 expenses were $240,000; this year we’ve budgeted for $185,000 in expenses).
Q: Wow. That’s a 37% decrease.

Anne: Yes, we’re anticipating a lean year; we’ve cut one full time position (leaving a total staff of two) but we’ve hardly cut any programming. We’re still trying to do it all.

Read more »

A few snippets from the field...

Last week I traveled from Beaufort County up to the Pee Dee region and got to hear reports from the field from several LAA executive directors. I plan to share more brief notes as I travel across the state and hear from those of you serving as the umbrella arts organization for your community. 
Click on read more to get a feel for what's happening around the state.--Susan DuPlessis, LAA Liaison

Read more »

Tobacco Barns of the Pee Dee

Photography Exhibit to Open November 5th at the Black Creek Arts Center

Tobacco farming was once a way of life for many in the Pee Dee region. Today, our farmlands are not dominated by tobacco, though traces of the crops past dominance are evident. Tobacco barns dot our landscape and a heritage trail in the honor of the crop runs from I-95 in Darlington County to US501 along the Grand Stand.

On November 5th from 5:30 to 7:00pm, the Black Creek Arts Center will host an opening reception for Tobacco Barns of the Pee Dee. Visually, this exhibit highlights the structures that transformed a harvested crop into a commodity that people depended on- as income and consumable good.

The exhibit, produced by BCAC and funded in part by the Humanities Council of South Carolina and the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism, features the photography of Benton Henry. Henry, a native of Latta, has a tremendous collection of photographs of tobacco barns. "These photos are a small, representative sample of the overall collection," states Bruce Douglas of BCAC. "There are hundreds more of the same quality as the ones we have on display. Narrowing them down was the hardest part of the project," added Douglas.

The narrowing down of the photos was carried out by Henry, Douglas, and Coker College Art Professor Jim Boden. "We wanted the exhibit's level of artistic quality to be on par with the historical significance of the subject matter," stated Douglas. "That's why we got Jim involved."

Also working on the project was Dr. Wink Prince of Coastal Carolina University. Prince wrote the interpretive text that accompanies the exhibit. Prince's credentials in tobacco farming in the South are unparalleled. His book, Long Green: The Rise and Fall of Tobacco in South Carolina, is widely considered the authority on the subject. Prince was interviewed by Walter Edgar of ETV's Walter Edgar's Journal about his involvement with the exhibit.

The exhibit will remain at BCAC for the month of November. The Arts Center is open from 10-1 and 3-6 Tuesday through Thursday and 11-3 on Friday.

In addition to Henry's work, a series of photos by Cliff Jones will be on display in the Arts Center's upstairs gallery. Jones won two awards during The Carolinas II photography contest this summer.

The mission of Black Creek Arts Council is to promote and foster the Arts in Darlington County. BCAC’s offices are housed in a state of the art 10,000 square foot facility at 116 West College Avenue in Hartsville, SC. BCAC offers a variety of programs including art classes of all styles, after-school activities, pre-school aged programs, private music lessons, and various types of gallery exhibits. BCAC also offers assistance with arts management, funding, education, and program coordination to arts and cultural organizations in Darlington County.

How is the Economy Impacting You?

OK, so I am dutifully posting here at Arts Spot.... thanks toSusan DePlessis for setting this up - I think it could be incredibly useful if we all get into the habit of using it... that's the key, of course. So, here goes.


Here in Spartanburg we have not been immune from the impact of the economic downturn - refer to this article: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20090130/ARTICLES/901301057 for all the gory details. We hate that this has to happen, especially when our partner agencies are struggling to balance their budgets with increased operating costs brought on by their move to the Chapman Cultural Center. However, tough times also can result in new collaboration and new solutions to seemingly unsolveable issues. We are committed to looking at all options for providing support for the cultural sector - marketing assistance, collaborative fundraising calls, etc.

I would be interested to know how others are coping with this disastrous economic climate. Are you taking steps to position your organization for funding from the stimulus package, or the just announced $50 million allocated to the NEA? Let's talk about how we can get some of those funds flowing our way.

I look forward to the discussion!

Perry Mixter
President and COO
The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg

So here we are...

Hello Arts Council Directors!

We've nearly completed the first month of 2009--and what a month it's been. As we all embark on this new year, let's use this blog to have a conversation about the work you do in your community. Here are a couple of questions you might answer to get the conversation started:

1. Think back to the beginning of 2008--a year ago. Are you operating differently? If so, can you share one or two things you are now doing ?

2. Good or bad, share one surprise about your organization's work this fiscal year.

3. What are you most excited about in the coming six months?

Thanks for sharing.

Let's get started....

Greetings!

Why this, why now?

A group of local arts agency (LAA) executive directors gathered Nov. 12, 2008 at a meeting hosted by the SC Arts Commission and the S.C. Arts Alliance. From the enthusiasm expressed there and in the follow-up survey, we've created this blog as a way to stay connected. You can use it as a tool to communicate with your peers in the field and see what's happening in local settings around the state.


Who can participate in this blog? Access to this blog is limited to those persons listed as executive directors of their organizations. You're reading this so you're one of them. As the manager of the blog, I (Susan DuPlessis) want to make sure it is useful to you--so your initial feedback will be important as we consider what elements in this format work for you. Ideas you want to share offline can be communicated via email to me at sduplessis@arts.sc.gov.

More about the special features of this blog:

1. Posts: Please use the posts to communicate with other executive directors.
2. Hot Spot: With the creation of a photo account at Flickr (http://www.flickr.com ) or Picasa (http://picasa.google.com ), we will be able to link to photos of your facility that you want to share with other directors. We've started with the Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County since they have a Flickr account. Who will be next? Give me a shout when you create a photo account that we can draw from to upload new photos. The goal is to change it out every two to three weeks. You can reach me via email at sduplessis@arts.sc.gov or by phone at 803-734-8693.

3. Hot Shots: Have you had a great exhibit or performance and want to share some photos? Do you have an artist in your community that we all should know about? Use the "Hot Shots" feature to share a quick sample of the diversity of artists and events in your area. Again, load them up to Flickr or Picasa, add captions so we have some context and alert me. I'll pull the photos down to this site so we can all take a look.

4. Arts Spots Around S.C.: This link will take you to the recently created directory of LAAs. Please take a look at it and let me know (sduplessis@arts.sc.gov) if it is correct or if there is a reason it should not be posted.
5. Other Arts Spots: Do you ever come across an interesting arts organization's web site and wish you could share it with others? Perhaps you run across an article that you think would be especially helpful to others in the field. When that happens, send me an email and I will add the link to the list of "other spots."

6. Featured LAA Web sites: I will randomly choose three or four sites to feature every few weeks. Your organization will be featured in time. If you have a particular reason to share your Web site, contact me.

7. Arts Daily Link: Use this link as a quick reference to see what's happening across the state or in your region.

8. Links to the S.C. Arts Commission Web site and the SC Arts Alliance Web site are provided in the logos at the end of the blogsite.

Again, you can reach me via email at sduplessis@arts.sc.gov.

Let's get started!