SC Arts Alliance

10/16/2026

🚨 Yesterday, the SC Arts Commission Board of Commissioners used the recently adopted policy on work that "promotes ideology" to deny funding to a potential artist grantee.

Commissioners also discussed adopting additional policies regarding “obscenity” to be more stringent than existing state law.

The South Carolina Arts Alliance believes deeply in the value of the state arts agency. This is why we are so troubled to see its appointed leaders acting in a way that is harmful to the arts, inconsistent with its mission, and contrary to objective process.

We are continuing to fight for free expression, transparency and fidelity in public institutions, and the well-being of the arts in South Carolina.

Arts advocates, please continue to submit comments to the Commission and let them know that censorship has no place in art.

Read our full update here >> https://tinyurl.com/537pe6vt

10/15/2026

The South Carolina Arts Commission Board of Commissioners will meet today at 10 AM in Greenville.

The agenda, and a Zoom link to watch the meeting, will be available on this page:

The governing body of the SCAC is composed of nine volunteer S.C. citizens appointed at large for three-year terms by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.

10/06/2026

UPDATE: The meeting for today has been cancelled. Link to the press release from SCAC in the comments.

The South Carolina Arts Commission Board of Commissioners will hold a special called meeting today at 2 PM to vote on a candidate for the agency's next Executive Director. You can watch the meeting at the Zoom link available on this page before the meeting:

https://www.southcarolinaarts.com/about-the-scac/board/

10/05/2026

https://www.scartshub.com/s-c-arts-commission-announces-board-leadership-change/

Your source for the arts in South Carolina & beyond.

10/03/2026

🚨 Important deadlines for the November election are here!

Check your voter registration: https://vrems.scvotes.sc.gov/Voter/Login?PageMode=VoterInformation

Arts and culture are essential to a thriving democracy 🎨🗳️

That's why we are partnering with Americans for the Arts and the Arts Action Fund for the 2026 campaign.

Ensure the arts are heard at the ballot box: https://www.artsvote.org/

10/01/2026

Today, the SCAC Board of Commissioners denied funding to the Greenville Gay Men's Chorus and Proud Mary Theatre. The decision came after the organizations had met all stated requirements, were recommended for grants by an independent panel, and underwent additional scrutiny -- something not asked of any other grantees.

From SCAA Executive Director, Jeff Robinson:

"Arts organizations throughout the state rely on the consistency and objectivity of the grant making process to plan, program, and provide meaningful arts experiences for the communities they serve... Whether intentional or not, 5 Commissioners have now signaled that those communities are somehow less artistic, less meritorious, or less deserving of access to institutions that are supposed to serve all South Carolina citizens."

Read our full update here >> https://tinyurl.com/kjmpeu8p

10/01/2026

Today at 2 PM the South Carolina Arts Commission Board will hold a special meeting to cast the deciding vote on Operating Support grants for Greenville Gay Men's Chorus and Proud Mary Theatre Company. The meeting is streaming live on Youtube here:

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

09/30/2026

🚨 It's not too late to register!

Join the South Carolina Arts Alliance and Solutions by Shawn Edwards for a FREE series of trainings to help South Carolina arts organizations improve the management, governance, and engagement of boards of directors.

✅ In this session, participants will explore the “who” and the “what” of nonprofit board leadership.
✅ Participants will also explore research supported recruitment methods to cultivate the board members they desire, with an emphasis on board culture and retention.

Learn more and register >> https://scartsalliance.com/board-management-training/

South Carolina Arts Commission Ga***rd & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

09/29/2026

Can you spare 5 minutes to help inform our work?

Take our 5 minute survey by October 2 as we gather feedback on our membership programs!

💡 Whether you are a current member, or have not yet considered membership, your feedback will guide updates to our current structure, benefits, and accessibility.

Take the survey >> https://form.jotform.com/262213882660053

09/28/2026

The South Carolina Arts Foundation Stands with Every Artist in South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 28, 2026) — The Board of Directors of the South Carolina Arts Foundation affirms its steadfast support for the arts in South Carolina and for every artist who calls our state home.

Art belongs to all of us. It fills our concert halls and community theaters, our classrooms and main streets, from the Upstate to the Lowcountry. South Carolina's artists tell the story of who we are, and each of them deserves a state that welcomes them — every artist, every community, every voice.

Art thrives when artists can create freely. South Carolina has long honored that freedom, and generations of South Carolinians have benefited from a public commitment to the arts that reaches every corner of our state. We believe that commitment should continue to embrace every artist and every audience.

Our Board is paying close attention to recent developments affecting the arts in South Carolina. We will continue to follow them carefully, and we will continue to speak up for the artists and arts organizations who enrich our state.

“South Carolina's artists make our communities stronger, more joyful, and more connected,” said Elizabeth Franklin-Best, President of the South Carolina Arts Foundation Board of Directors. “Every artist in our state deserves the chance to create, to share their work, and to be welcomed by the communities they serve. Our Board stands firmly behind them.”