The Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Awards

The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg strives to make the arts accessible and affordable for every citizen in the county by furthering the arts, artists and arts education as major priorities for the community. It plays a leadership role in Spartanburg's growing cultural community, providing funding and technical assistance while empowering volunteers, artists, and other cultural organizations to take responsibility for advancing their respective missions.

Since its inception in 1993, the Arts Partnership has led the way in virtually tripling the size and impact of the cultural community of Spartanburg County. Attendance at arts performances, exhibits and festivals, as well as employment opportunities within the local arts community, have grown tremendously.

The organization directly or indirectly provides arts programs in every public school in the county, and in many private schools as well, and manages the largest local nonprofit arts education program supported by the SC Arts Commission. The organization raised $36.4 million in private funds to build the Chapman Cultural Center and has developed several popular initiatives, including “Impressions,” a half-hour television program on the arts that airs in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia; and The Healing Arts Program, which works to integrate the arts into local healthcare settings.