Arts & the Economy

For more than forty years, the Arts Commission has worked to build a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of where they live or how much money they make. With leadership and vision grounded in public planning, we have used programs, partnerships, staff services, and grants to achieve some remarkable results. We have helped to build a statewide arts network that brings quality arts experiences to people throughout the state—from Beaufort to Travelers Rest, and from Bennettsville to Belton. We have aided communities like Pacolet, Newberry, and Cheraw, as well as Charleston, Greenville, and Columbia, in their efforts to revive their downtowns and attract tourism. Through the nationally recognized Arts in Basic Curriculum partnership, we have helped schools in every region of our state improve their performance in and through the arts.

Now, despite constraints of the current budget situation, we continue to work toward the targeted outcomes of our “Creative Edge” initiative, which seeks to gain competitive advantage for South Carolina through the arts.

The three key outcomes of this initiative are:

1. More creative and culturally literate students, better prepared to take their places as citizens and workers in today's global marketplace
2. More culturally competitive communities that attract members of the “creative class” and the industries that cluster around this highly educated and mobile workforce
3. More wealth created through small business development within the arts community