South Carolina Arts Commission

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SC Arts Commission Press Releases

15 South Carolina Artists Added to Juried Online Registry

July 15, 2009

Media Contacts:

(803) 734-8620

COLUMBIA, S.C. –The South Carolina Arts Commission and the Southern Arts Federation are pleased to welcome 15 new South Carolina artists to their online artist registry, SouthernArtistry.org.

Those artists are (by city):
Julia Elliott, fiction writer, Cayce
Michael Bruner, glass artist, Charleston
Manning B. Williams Jr., painter, Charleston
Gail G. Faust, dance educator, Columbia
Jay Knowles, musician and composer, Columbia
Irene Dumas Tyson, urban planner/designer, Columbia
Dan Albergotti, poet, Conway
Mindy Friddle, fiction writer, Greenville
Wilma W. Reitz, fiction writer, Greenville
Stephanie Geter Young, playwright and poet, Greer
Ray McManus, poet, Lexington
Philip Belcher, poet, Spartanburg
Meta Marie Griffin, poet, Spartanburg
Winston A. Wingo, painter and sculptor, Spartanburg
Sally Arango Renata, poet, Surfside Beach

SouthernArtistry.org is a free, juried registry dedicated to showcasing the lives and work of outstanding visual artists, designers, writers, performers, filmmakers and teaching artists who are living and working in the South. The site allows online visitors to search for artists by name, or browse artists based on their city and state of residence, artistic discipline, classroom experience, general services offered and/or public art experience.

Each spring, artists throughout the South are nominated by one of SAF's nine partnering state arts agencies based on the quality of their work. Forty percent of artists on the site represent the visual arts, fine arts and/or crafts, 26 percent represent performing arts disciplines, including dance, theatre, music, puppetry and opera, 18 percent represent literary arts, and 4 percent represent media and design disciplines. Additionally, 12 percent of the artists on the site have been recognized as folk/traditional artists, meaning their work incorporates methods and materials that are specific to their cultural upbringing. Since its launch in 2004, more than 1,300 nominees have been added to the site.

SouthernArtistry.org is maintained by the SAF in partnership with nine state arts agencies and the Center for Arts Management at Carnegie Mellon University.

The Southern Arts Federation, a non-profit regional arts organization founded in 1975, creates partnerships and collaborations; assists in the development of artists, arts professionals and arts organizations; presents, promotes and produces Southern arts and cultural programming; and advocates for the arts and arts education. The organization is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, our partner member states, foundations, businesses and individuals.

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 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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