SC Arts Commission Grant Awards

Jamie Davis

Jamie Davis earned a master's degree in English from Exeter University in England, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in visual studies from Clemson University. A passionate environmentalist, he builds three-dimensional sculptures using a combination of industrial and non-precious materials and paint to depict images in nature.

From Denver, Colo., to Rome, Italy, Davis' work has been exhibited in numerous museums, arts centers, and renowned galleries, such as the Smithsonian Institution, throughout the past 30 years. Public collections showcasing his work include the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Embassy Collection in Ottawa, Canada, and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Davis was named a SC Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellow in 1974 and 1991.

Note: The State Art Collection contains four of his works, including Vase.

John Benjamin Gilliam

John “Ben” Gilliam is an instructor and gallery director at the SC Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville. Gilliam previously taught at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and at Bucks County Community College in Newton, Pa. He received a Master of Fine Arts from Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa.

His work has been exhibited nationally since 1992 and has been featured in Metalsmith and American Style magazines. Gilliam was awarded the “Outstanding K-12 Sculpture Teacher Award” by the International Sculpture Society in 2002, and has received a number of other grants and awards. He was commissioned to create commemorative bronze plaques for the Mobay Corporation and the Palumbo Center, both in Pittsburgh, Pa.