Emerging Artists
Support for career satisfaction and sustainability
“Emerging artists” are defined as those who are at an early stage in their career development (specifically, artists who are starting their careers and have been active for one to five years).
Further, the term “emerging” refers to professional accomplishments and recognition, not to stylistic evolution.
- An emerging artist is expected to have a limited performing, publishing, or exhibition record.
- Emerging artists may demonstrate potential in their practice through risk-taking and pushing their work in dynamic ways.
The South Carolina Arts Commission recognized the needs of artists who fit into this category—of any age.
Thus was born a grant and accompanying program designed to assist emerging artists in South Carolina through project grant funding of as much as $1,800 as well as free mentorship and professional support during the grant period.
Go to the grant guidelines
FY27 Round 1 Grantees
- When soliciting artist statements, the South Carolina Arts Commission provides artists complete latitude for the statements they craft to take any form. Publication of said statements does not—and should not be understood to—indicate endorsement by the state of South Carolina, SCAC, or agents thereof.
- Representative works are furnished by the artists during the application process and were not funded by public monies. All rights reserved by the artist.
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Greenville | Interdisciplinary: Installation
Project Name: I am Lazarus
Beckett will create an installation using photography to tell the story of Lazarus; the project will also include three short video projections.
Biography
Beckett Foxx creates patchwork messes out of words, photography, fabric, performance, and paint. Notable messes include: exhibited artist (Warehouse Theater, Arts Center of Greenwood, Thornback Gallery); playwright, director, & performance artist (The Poet & The Juggler); costumer (Upstate Shakespeare Festival, Vagabond Shakespeare, Mauldin Cultural Center); poet, artist, & anthology editor (Game Over Books, Shoji Press).
Beckett has consecrated their life to exploring storytelling through interdisciplinary artforms, according to the demands of the muses. Currently, they are swooning over the intersection of instant photography, sculptural assemblage, and ancient stories.
Beckett lives in Greenville with their fiance and daughter.
Artist Statement
I’m in awe to be chosen to grow my professional artistic practice with the Emerging Artist grant. I’m excited to blossom exponentially as a result of this gift.
Social Media
Website
Representative works
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- Lavinia’s Revenge | 2025
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- Hamlet and Ophelia | 2025
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- String Theory | 2025
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Mount Pleasant | Visual Arts: Painting
Project Name: Textile Surface Exploration
Tiana will create a series of textile paintings that use resist techniques such as shibori, batik, and tye-dye.
Biography
Tiana Lynaé is an emerging artist currently working in Charleston. She recently graduated from the College of Charleston (May 2025) with her bachelor’s in studio art. She grew up in Summerville, her upbringing in the Lowcountry shaping her views on history and the stories that are chosen to tell, both real and fictional. Her experiences in the South continue to shape her search for belonging within diasporic traditions. Her work aims to repair the divides between her own ancestry, providing a gateway for others to do the same. Tiana’s work finds connections between humans and nature beyond the physical. Primarily working in installation and drawing, she continues to explore these ideas and how they work to shape her visual world.Artist Statement
This is an exciting opportunity to actualize projects I would not be able to without this support as an Emerging Artist grantee!
Social Media
Website
https://tianalynae.com/
Representative works
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- Mother of Worlds | 2025 | Fabric dye and paint on hand-dyed cotton fabric | 40 x 120 in.
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- Generation | 2025 | Fabric paint on hand-dyed cotton fabric | 72 x 54 in.
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- Haus of Homes | 2025 | Installation, fabric paint on hand-dyed fabric | 100 x 100 x 140 in.
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North Charleston | Media Arts: Directing
Project Name: Geechee Sunflowa documentary
Akua will complete a short documentary film centering on women and girls in the Gullah Geechee community as they share stories of healing, lineage, and cultural identity.
Biography
Katelyn “Akua” Page is a Gullah Geechee herstorian, Certified Interpretive Guide, Charleston master naturalist, and emerging documentary filmmaker based in North Charleston. As the founder of Geechee With Akua, she creates cultural education experiences spanning tours, digital content, and film that center Gullah Geechee history, language, and land. Her debut documentary Geechee Sunflowa (2026) centers the voices of Black women and girls within the Gullah Geechee community. Akua is also a published author, co-creator of the Gullah Geechee Diaspora Flag, and founder of the Gullah Geechee Community Garden at Jenkins Youth & Family Village. She has been featured on PBS Terra’s Hungry Planet and Hulu’s Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi. Her work is rooted in the belief that cultural preservation is an act of survival.Artist Statement
Being an Emerging Artist grantee means my community’s story is being taken seriously and that means everything. I am grateful to the SCAC for investing in Gullah Geechee voices at this moment in history.
Social Media
Website
Representative works
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Greenville | Crafts: Ceramics
Project Name: Recollection Jars
Sam will create nine ceramic lidded jars; the imagery painted within each jar is inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh, Hieronymus Bosch, and ancient story-telling techniques.
Biography
Sam Perez is a ceramic artist and painter whose work blends expressive surface imagery with sculptural ceramic forms. She works in Greenville as an artist and art teacher at two ceramics studios. She has earned a bachelors in studio art. She has attended an art academy in Madrid and participated in a gallery showing. She has also shown her work locally in numerous places. Working at the intersection of oil painting and ceramics, her practice creates a raw connection between the two. She explores themes of curiosity, existence, and the wonder of being alive. Artist Statement
I am so thrilled to be an Emerging Artist grantee. The project this grant is contributing to has been in my mind for almost a year now, and I am really looking forward to bringing it to fruition.
Social Media
Website
Representative works
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- Favorite Things Series | 2025 | Stoneware clay, underglaze. |Each mug 6.5 x 3 in.
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- Lady Caterpillar | 2024 | Stoneware clay, underglaze | 9.5 x 5 in.
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- Moth Lady Mug | 2026 | Stoneware clay, underglaze, celadon. 5 in x 4 in.
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Greer | Crafts: Jewelry & Metalsmithing
Project Name: Rural Mythologies of South Carolina: Jewelry & Metalsmithing Inspired by Place and Folklore
Frank’s project explores how jewelry and metalsmithing can communicate storytelling, mythology, and regional identity through wearable art while also highlighting the cultural richness found in South Carolina’s rural communities.
Biography
Born in Peru, Frank Zwolinski was adopted at age 6 and moved to the United States. His artistic journey began in middle school, when his art teacher recognized his talent and encouraged him to apply to the Fine Arts Center in Greenville. He was accepted and immersed himself in a wide range of artistic disciplines throughout high school. During this time, art became an important way for him to explore identity, creativity, and self-expression.
He went on to study jewelry and metalsmithing at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he expanded his technical skills while developing his own artistic narrative. He graduated from RISD in 2026 and continues to create work that reflects his experiences, curiosity, and dedication to the field of contemporary jewelry and metal arts. He currently works part-time at Bijou Jeweler in downtown Greenville, where he continues to refine his craftsmanship.
Artist Statement
Receiving the South Carolina Arts Commission Emerging Artist grant is an exciting opportunity as I begin my career as a jeweler and metalsmith. It gives me the chance to create work inspired by South Carolina’s folklore and share stories of place and culture through jewelry.
Social Media
Representative works
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- Criatura del sol earrings
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- La mano del deformador metalico necklace
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- Criatura del sol nose ring
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FY26 Round 2 Grantees
- When soliciting artist statements, the South Carolina Arts Commission provides artists complete latitude for the statements they craft to take any form. Publication of said statements does not—and should not be understood to—indicate endorsement by the state of South Carolina, SCAC, or agents thereof.
- Representative works are furnished by the artists during the application process and were not funded by public monies. All rights reserved by the artist.
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Traveler’s Rest | Visual Arts: Ceramics
Biography
Abigail Cruz Colton is a ceramic artist based in Travelers Rest and the founder of Pårådisu Pottery. Following a career in real estate, Colton returned to ceramics in 2022, quickly gaining recognition for her work. Her Mahålang series led to her selection for The Royal Collection via Guam’s Sihek Recovery Project, and her work has been featured at Wild Hare Gallery, Topsoil Restaurant, and the Artist Collective of Spartanburg.Beyond the studio, Colton is a dedicated educator and advocate for artistic therapy. She taught at Furman University’s OLLI program in 2025 and currently leads specialized workshops for Prisma Health’s Cancer Support Community, Upstate Warrior Solution, and Shriners Children’s Hospital. By blending creativity with community-building, Colton uses Pårådisu Pottery to foster healing and connection throughout the Upstate.
Artist Statement
“I am so honored to have the opportunity to be a part of the roster of Emerging Artist grantees. Through this program, I am so looking forward to furthering my practice as an artist and business owner, and I am eager to absorb as much as I can through the mentoring group.”
Website
Representative works
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- Ebb and Flow (2025)
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- Fun-Guys (2025)
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- Kåmia-Red Ginger (2025)
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Summerville | Literature: Poetry/Prose
Biography
Tiera is a writer from Charleston working in fiction and creative nonfiction. Their work is shaped by place, memory, and observation, with a particular interest in stories where the boundary between truth and invention remains unsettled.They are currently at work on two long-form projects: the literary novel Winter in the Driveway, which explores family estrangement and homelessness, and the novel Ghostwritten, a work-in-progress about an accomplished author accused of using artificial intelligence, who returns home to uncover who is attempting to destroy her reputation. Tiera’s completed short story, “You Promised Not to Leave Me Behind,” follows a young woman’s effort to heal after sexual trauma while grappling with whether to tell her story when the man who hurt her has gone on to live freely and successfully.
Artist Statement
“The Emerging Artist grant marks my first professional recognition as a writer and arrives at a critical point in my creative practice. It has provided the validation and support necessary to advance my work with focus and confidence.”
Representative Work
Jade leaned in close to the mirror with her breath fogging the reflection of her pecan-colored skin gleaming. Her full lips—bottom red, top dark as mud—pressing together. Her honey eyes uneven with one being smaller than the other, her dimples cutting into the side of her crooked, narrow chin and her gap catching the light. Her daddy used to say her teeth were good luck in some cultures.
– Winter in the Driveway (excerpt), 2025.
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Charleston | Visual Arts: Painting
Biography
Mary Glenn Keadle is a Lowcountry watercolor and acrylic artist. Growing up on a farm in upstate South Carolina, Mary Glenn has always been inspired by the stories and imagery of rural life. Recurring subjects in her artwork—such as corn, chickens, and barns—reflect a deep connection to that landscape and its traditions. She is currently working to expand on these familiar motifs to more deeply explore the narratives and histories rooted in McLeod Plantation on James Island.Mary Glenn is a member of Charleston Artist Guild Gallery. As the 2026 North Charleston Arts Fest Poster Design Competition winner, she will have a solo exhibition in May at Park Circle Gallery.
Artist Statement
“The Emerging Artist Grant is an opportunity for me to grow artistically, deepen my storytelling, and create a cohesive, meaningful body of work that could open the door to future exhibitions and opportunities. I look forward to having access to a mentor’s experience and feedback to help me refine my artistic voice and learn how to sustain a long-term artistic practice.”
Social media
Website
Representative works
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- Still Standing (2024)
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- Reel Lucky (2025)
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- Getting Shucked (2024)
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Greer | Mixed Media: Painting
Biography
Savannah (Savvy) Ralph is a visual artist and writer renowned for her expressive figurative works and illustrative style. Her art often intertwines with poetry, offering a deeper layer of meaning and personal reflection. As an alumna of the Brandon Fellowship at the Greenville Center for Creative Arts, Ralph not only creates in her studio but also teaches visual art, guiding gifted and talented students in grades 3-8 through the ARMES program at Greenville County Schools.Ralph’s artwork is deeply rooted in her personal experiences, exploring themes of mental illness, identity, and the complexity of human emotion. Through expressive brushstrokes, vivid symbolism, and a dynamic color palette, she creates powerful narratives that resonate on multiple levels. Her style blends elements of realism, surrealism, and illustration, pushing the boundaries of traditional art by experimenting with unconventional materials and surfaces.
Artist Statement
“Receiving this grant affirms the importance of my work and gives me the support needed to create art rooted in identity, mental health, and social justice. It allows me to grow not only as an artist, but as a contributing member of South Carolina’s creative community.”
Social media
Website
Representative works
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- An Unraveled Sense of Self (2023)
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- Through the Shattered Stained Glass (2024)
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- Echoes Through the Cosmos (2024)
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Greenville | Visual Arts: Crafts (Fiber)
Biography
Dia Robinson is a textile artist working with wool and fiber-based materials. By blending, layering, and constructing textiles, she creates compositions that explore color, perception, and human connection. Her process-driven approach treats fiber as a visual language that conveys memory, emotion, and narrative. She is currently developing a multi-phase project focused on portraiture & legacy, using fiber arts to examine lineage.Robinson is also the founder of Twisted Urban Fiber Arts, an educational platform focused on textile education and learning development. Her instruction highlights color theory, fiber processes, and reflective-making practices that support creative confidence and mental well-being. She has taught at fiber arts conferences and events, including the Mid-Atlantic Fiber Arts Association Conference, Maryland Sheep & Wool Winterfest, and Long Thread Media’s SOAR Conference, as well as through multi-year virtual workshop series. Her work and teaching have appeared in several magazines Ply, Spin Off, Interweave Knits, and tinyStudio.
Artist Statement
“As an Emerging Artist grantee, I look forward to using this opportunity to grow my textile skills, learn with others, and create meaningful connections with fellow artists and mentors.”
Social media
Website
Representative works
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- Fiber Mosaic (2025)
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- Mallord (sic) Duck Colorway (2025)
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- Essence of Plum Color Rolags (2021)
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Greenville | Visual Arts: Painting/Drawing
Biography
Alexander Rouse is an artist, designer, and writer from South Carolina. Rooted in Southern history and agrarian lineage, his work reflects a hereditary connection to place, nature, and inherited systems of belief. His practice centers the natural world as subject and symbol, framing it within narrative and conceptual contexts. Alexander’s work explores selfhood, inheritance, and metanarrative through classical references, religious aesthetics, and material semiotics. Primarily focused on water-based painting with a strong emphasis on draftsmanship and illustration, he also works in cyanotype, assemblage, and pyrography, often combining traditional methods with unconventional materials such as bone and wood. As a designer, Alexander has received awards from the American Advertising Federation; as an artist, he has exhibited in galleries across the Southeast, received publication, and completed client work across varied applications. He looks forward to developing an ambitious and varied career fueled by his passion for creative growth and community enrichment.Artist Statement
“I’m grateful for the support of SCAC in advancing a project that integrates focused research, artistic development, and community engagement, while allowing me to connect with fellow creatives and expand my practice.”
Social media
Website
Representative works
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- Marshland Rumination (2024)
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- For Heavens (2025)
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- Frailty (2022)
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Florence | Visual Arts: Mixed Media/Sculpture
Biography
Luke Sarmiento is a visual artist born in Manila, Philippines, and raised in Florence. Growing up Filipino-American, he embodied a sense of self through fragments of his familial history, the church, and popular culture. Between mediums of drawing and sculpture, his practice seeks mediation through our contemporary moment, the age of rapid technological information and globalization. Luke graduated from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 2022. He is currently living in Florence with a studio on Acline Street in Lake City.Artist Statement
“I’m grateful for this opportunity to be able to expand my development as a visual artist, learn from a statewide cohort, and express critical ideas. As an Emerging Artist Grantee, I am able to commit to enriching the arts in my community and beyond.”
Social media
Website
Representative works
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- Sephiroth’s Wing (2024)
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- Auspicious Object (2024)
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- Xielo: After Babylon (2025)
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I’m here to help!
If you are seeking more program information, please contact Artist Development Manager McKenzie Drake (803.734.4464 | mdrake@arts.sc.gov).