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
FY26 Rd. 2 announcement
FY26 Round 2 Grantees
- When soliciting artist statements, the South Carolina Arts Commission provides artists complete latitude for those 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.
-
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
Click images to enlarge.
-
- Ebb and Flow (2025)
-
- Fun-Guys (2025)
-
- Kåmia-Red Ginger (2025)
-
-
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.
-
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
Click images to enlarge.
-
- Still Standing (2024)
-
- Reel Lucky (2025)
-
- Getting Shucked (2024)
-
-
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
Click images to enlarge.
-
- An Unraveled Sense of Self (2023)
-
- Through the Shattered Stained Glass (2024)
-
- Echoes Through the Cosmos (2024)
-
-
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
Click images to enlarge.
-
- Fiber Mosaic (2025)
-
- Mallord (sic) Duck Colorway (2025)
-
- Essence of Plum Color Rolags (2021)
-
-
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
Click images to enlarge.
-
- Marshland Rumination (2024)
-
- For Heavens (2025)
-
- Frailty (2022)
-
-
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
Click images to enlarge.
-
- Sephiroth’s Wing (2024)
-
- Auspicious Object (2024)
-
- Xielo: After Babylon (2025)
-
FY26 Round 1 Grantees
- When soliciting artist statements, the South Carolina Arts Commission provides artists complete latitude for those 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.
-
Columbia | Media Arts: Production
BiographyA 24-year-old Walterboro native and passionate visual storyteller with a deep love for filmmaking, sports, and digital media. I thrive in bringing creative visions to life. Whether behind the camera, in the editing room, or collaborating with a team, I’m dedicated to crafting compelling, high-quality content that resonates will people and invokes questions. I take pride in every detail—because to me, creating isn’t just work, it’s what I love to do.
Social media
Representative works
-
Simpsonville | Design Arts
BiographySouth Carolina-based graphic designer/fine artist Tripp Brown reflects his worldview with a boundless approach to design. Brown studied at Coker University, earning a BFA with Honors in studio art. Utilizing found/aged materials mixed with print techniques such as risograph and image transfers, he has created a “post-apocalyptic pop” art style influenced by advertising and the degradation of time.
Website
Social media
Representative works
Click to enlarge.
-
- Red, White, & You
-
- Hands In The Rigging
-
- Dear Life
-
-
Greenville | Visual Arts/Crafts
BiographyAnna Huff is a multimedia artist who seeks pathways between physical and digital realities. Her sculptural and installation work often incorporates themes of technology and religion, using projectors, glass, and other ephemeral materials to create introspective experiences. Anna holds a BFA in interdisciplinary sculpture from the Maryland Institute College of Art and began her career as a furniture maker. Her work has been exhibited primarily in the Southeast, with notable showings at Tiger Strikes Asteroid, ArtFields, Greenville Center for Creative Arts, Artisphere, and Rattlesnake Art Magazine. She has also studied at renowned craft schools such as Penland and Arrowmont and is a current member of Zero Space Art Collective.
Anna serves as the curator for the Dolly F. Pardi Gallery at the Metropolitan Arts Council and a guest curator at The Bascom in North Carolina. She currently lives and works in Greenville with her cat, Popcorn.
Website
Social media
Representative works
Click to enlarge.
-
- Clover Crown
-
- Spirit Sim
-
- Cathedral
-
-
Blythewood | Media Arts: Production
BiographyYasmin J. (they/she) is an Afro-surrealist writer-director and interdisciplinary artist whose work explores vulnerability and humanity through mixed media and intuitive storytelling. A Wofford College alum, they create emotionally grounded films that blend modern folklore with romanticized visuals to address intersectional themes such as misogynoir, collective trauma, and belonging. Their practice is shaped by generational memory and identity, unfolding like quiet thoughts before sleep.
Social media
Representative works
-
Rock Hill | Visual Arts/Crafts/Design Arts
BiographyKathleen Sahtunkinish belongs to the federally recognized Native American tribe, the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma. Despite growing up surrounded by beautiful family beadwork, Kathleen taught herself how to bead incorporating Native American themes, techniques, and styles. Since 2019 she has sold beaded earrings online and at artisan markets. Recent traditional Caddo pottery classes, taught by a master Caddo potter, inspired Kathleen to begin exploring a new direction for her art, incorporating ceramics into her beaded jewelry. Her ceramic and beaded earrings have been featured in museum exhibits across the U.S. and Canada. Regarding her motivation for creating traditional Native American jewelry, she strives to show how her ancestors’ ancient knowledge and culture can enrich modern art. She lives with her husband and son in Rock Hill.
Website
Social media
Representative works
Click to enlarge.
-
- Cahbustoh
-
- Unnamed pottery.
-
- Kuukuh
-
-
Florence | Visual Arts/Crafts
BiographyDelaney MeSun Shin is an interdisciplinary artist whose work delves into the complex layers of her personal and cultural identity. Shin’s practice seamlessly fuses biological imagery with themes of heritage, creating a dynamic interplay between science and art. Whether through immersive installations or 2D and 3D compositions, her work offers a compelling exploration of identity, weaving together her roots, cultural experiences, and her deep interest in microbiology.
Drawing from both the natural sciences and her biracial Korean-Caucasian background, Shin’s artistic voice carries a sense of authenticity and deep self-reflection. Her mastery in drawing and painting allows her to use paper as a versatile medium, pushing its boundaries to create evocative and immersive spaces.
Delaney earned her Master of Fine Arts in two-dimensional studies from Bowling Green State University with a concentration in painting and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where she specialized in drawing and minored in art history.
Website
Social media
Representative works
Click to enlarge.
-
- Caregiver Temporal Threads
-
- Creatures Under The Moonlit Tide (2)
-
- Tales On Tap(Root)
-
-
Elgin | Media Arts: Production
BiographyMaya Simone is an award-winning director, writer, and actress based in Elgin. In 2025, Maya was awarded the Silberman Family Emerging Filmmaker Scholarship from Uptilt Film Fest. In 2024, “Mouseshrooms,” a film Maya co-wrote, won Best Film and Runner Up: Writing at the 2024 Film48 Greensboro Competition. She was a 2023 Gotham Film and Media Career Development Program participant (where she received the Sidney Poitier Scholarship), an HBCU 2020 x Martian Blueberry Writer’s Fellowship candidate, and a Pubantz Artist-in-Residence artist where she is created her romantic comedy “Rosa’s Dilemma.”
In her films, Maya creates the kind of stories her younger self longed to see growing up while exploring topics regarding the black community and personal identity in the process.
Social media
Representative works
I’m here to help!
If you are seeking more program information, please contact Deputy Director Ce Scott-Fitts (803.734.8203 | cscottfitts@arts.sc.gov).