South Carolina Arts Commission

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S.C. Arts Commission Press Releases

S.C. Arts Commission Announces 2012 Elizabeth O ’Neill Verner Awards Recipients

Feb. 9, 2012

Media Contacts:

(803) 734-8899

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Arts Commission Board announces the 2012 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Awards for the Arts, the highest honor the state presents in the arts. Established in 1972, the annual awards recognize outstanding achievement and contributions to the arts in South Carolina.

This year’s recipients are:

Lifetime Achievement, Dr. Lillian Quackenbush, Columbia
Individual Artist, Robert Ariail, Camden
Individual, Sam Wang, Clemson
Arts in Education, R. Scot Hockman, Columbia
Business/Foundation, The Self Family Foundation, Greenwood
Organization, The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, with special recognition for Mark Sloan, Charleston

"It’s one of the highlights of our year at the South Carolina Arts Commission when we recognize these outstanding members of our statewide community for their contributions to the arts,” said S.C. Arts Commission Board Chairman Dr. Sarah Lynn Hayes. “Our arts community is broad, deep and diverse, and this year’s lineup of honorees is a wonderful illustration of that. We salute and thank them for being standard-bearers for the arts.”

The 2012 Verner Awards are sponsored by Colonial Life. Awards will be presented at a Statehouse ceremony tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 3. The S.C. Arts Foundation will honor the recipients and the arts community at the South Carolina Arts Gala on Wednesday, May 2. The gala is a fundraiser supporting the programs of the S.C. Arts Commission. For more about the Verner Awards or the S.C. Arts Gala, call (803) 734-8696 or visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com.

About the S.C. Arts Commission

The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission works to increase public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.

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