SC Arts Commission Press Releases
South Carolina to Honor 2009 Folk Heritage Award Winners
April 7, 2009
Media Contact:
Milly Hough
(803) 734-8698
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Arts Commission and the McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina announce Joseph Legree Jr. of St. Helena Island and Donald Roper of Piedmont as the 2009 Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award recipients. The S.C. State Legislature will present the awards following a joint session of the House and Senate Wednesday, April 22 in the Statehouse.
Joseph Legree, an 85-year-old cast net maker, will receive an award for his net weaving skills and for his work in preserving a folklife tradition of the Gullah culture. Donald Roper will receive the advocacy award for his work in promoting and documenting textile mill culture and traditions.
McKissick Museum is holding a special reception at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 21 to recognize both recipients, who are being honored for their lifelong commitment to a traditional art form and dedication to enriching the lives of people throughout the state. The reception will take place in the second floor lobby of the museum.
The Folk Heritage Award is named for the late Jean Laney Harris, an ardent supporter of the state's cultural heritage. The award was created by the legislature in 1987 to recognize lifetime achievement in the folk arts. The artistic traditions represented by the award are significant because they have endured, often for hundreds of years.
For more information, contact Saddler Taylor, McKissick Museum, at (803) 777-7251 or Julianne Carroll, S.C. Arts Commission, at (803) 734-8764.
About SCAC:
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 is working 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 and by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.
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