Artist Development

Meet the team

• Tanisha N. Brown

  • Artist Development Director

  As artist development director, Tanisha provides leadership related to building and sustaining support for individual artists in South Carolina in all disciplines (literary, performing, visual, etc.) at various stages in their careers (emerging, mid-level, advanced).

  A Columbia native, Brown is a multi-disciplined artist-entrepreneur, arts administrator, leadership developer, and business consultant. She received an associate degree from Midlands Technical College and a bachelor’s degree in media arts from USC. Tanisha has served on several local boards, including Columbia Opportunity Resource (COR) and the Midlands Housing Alliance for the Transitions Homeless Center. She enjoys driving economic development within her home state through advocacy and amplification of local arts and culture.

  Contact Tanisha

  • tbrown@arts.sc.gov
  • 803.734.8043 (office)

• McKenzie Drake

  • Artist Development Coordinator

  As artist development coordinator, McKenzie shares her creativity and passion for the arts by helping #SCArtists.

  McKenzie’s knowledge of visual art from the Southern U.S. guides her efforts in assisting artists of all disciplines grow and maintain successful careers. With a decade of experience within the arts, McKenzie has held roles as educator and programs curator for nonprofit organizations and universities across the Southeast. She earned her bachelor’s in studio art and political science from Rhodes College and her Master of Fine Art in studio art (painting discipline) from the University of Texas at Austin.

  Photo coming soon!

  Contact McKenzie

  • mdrake@arts.sc.gov
  • 803.734.4464 (office)

Programs

These are direct programs of the SCAC or partnerships.

• S.C. Arts Directory

  A connector for the network of artists and arts organizations throughout South Carolina.

  • Go to the S.C. Arts Directory

• Artists' Business Initiative

  Building career sustainability for South Carolina’s professional-caliber working artists seeking to create, expand, or modify arts-based business initiatives. A program and grant.

  • Learn more about the Artists’ Business Initiatives program

• Artist Entrepreneur Incubator

  A program that gives artists living and working in South Carolina practical skills to level-up their freelance businesses. In partnership with One Columbia for Arts and History.

  • Learn more about the Artist Entrepreneur Incubator

• Emerging Artists

  Grant funding, mentorship, networking, and other professional support for South Carolina artists in an early stage of career development.

  • Learn more about the Emerging Artists program

• Individual Artist Fellowships

  Recognizing and rewarding the artistic achievements of South Carolina’s exceptional individual artists.

  • Learn more about Individual Artist Fellowships

• South Carolina Novel Series

  A competitive series to publish one of South Carolina’s exceptional prose writers biennially. Winning authors receive a monetary award, book contract, and more. In partnership with Hub City Press, South Carolina Humanities and the South Carolina State Library.

  • Learn more about the South Carolina Novel Series