Current Recipients

2026 Recipients

Columbia Museum of Art

Accessibility | Columbia

The Columbia Museum of Art’s mission is to spark powerful connections through art from around the corner and around the world in an environment that is welcoming to all. At the Columbia Museum of Art, we believe in art’s unique ability to connect people, spark meaningful conversations, and deepen our understanding of one another. Art has the extraordinary power to illuminate the richness of human experience and inspire reflection on our shared journey. We are dedicated to creating a welcoming environment where everyone in our community can discover, experience, and be moved by art. Through thoughtful curation, engaging programs, and a warm, inviting atmosphere, this commitment shapes everything we do. We aim to make art accessible and meaningful to all who visit. We’re committed to being a gathering place where diverse perspectives are celebrated and where art serves as a bridge between people and ideas. As a team, we continuously strive to grow, learn, and better serve our community.

The CMA makes the following Experience Promises, that everyone who visits the museum will find it:

• Inspiring.
• Welcoming.
• Community-Centered.
• Playful.
• Vibrant.

Bill Harris

Artist Category | McConnells

Bill Harris is a master Catawba clay artist dedicated to the preservation of the oldest continuous art tradition in the United States. Under the tutelage of his grandmother, the renowned Georgia Harris, he mastered the ancient, labor-intensive cycle of the craft: harvesting hand-dug clay, coil-building forms, burnishing, and traditional wood-firing. His work is a bridge between eras, honoring ancestral shapes like the medicine bowl while introducing contemporary sculptural elements and bird effigies that push the boundaries of the medium. Harris’s artistic mastery is recognized by major institutions nationwide. His pottery is held in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Renwick Gallery, the South Carolina State Museum, the Columbia Museum of Art, and the Native American Studies Center. A 2016 recipient of the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award, Harris was also named a 2024 TapRoot Fellow, a distinction supporting his efforts to build cultural infrastructure for Native artists. Beyond his own wheel, Harris has institutionalized the survival of his craft. He founded Blue Heron Clay, a studio dedicated to creation and instruction, and established the Georgia Harris Foundation to support artist development. Through his current work with ArtFields, he is integrating indigenous art into high-profile public platforms. As a mentor to the next generation, Harris ensures that Catawba pottery remains a vibrant, evolving legacy.

Tiffany Reed Silverman

Individual Category | Columbia

With a personal mission to facilitate transformative experiences at the intersection of the arts, the military, and the community, Tiffany Reed Silverman has impacted thousands of lives within our state and beyond. Born to a Marine and a teacher in Beaufort, Silverman earned degrees in art history at the College of William & Mary and Williams College, and a certificate in arts management from UMass Amherst. She has held arts-related positions in publishing and museums, including director of education at the Gibbes Museum of Art. After starting as adjunct faculty at The Citadel, in 2011 Silverman was made the school’s first permanent faculty member in the arts then named the institution’s first director of fine arts. More than a quarter of cadets now participate in the arts. She was instrumental in the launch of the Moore Art Gallery and has curated multiple exhibits, including one now on a national tour. She has championed public art related to the South Carolina National Guard and those lost in the Emmanuel 9 tragedy. She has been honored for both her civic service and teaching. Her board service includes Charleston-area cultural organizations, Coastal Carolina Scouting USA, and the city of Charleston’s Commission on the Arts, and she is a frequent speaker on the role of art in the military. Silverman has been married for 25 years and is the mother of three sons.

Dr. Richard O’Malley

Arts in Education Category (Individual) | Florence

Dr. Richard O’Malley has served as superintendent of Florence One Schools for the past eight years. Before coming to South Carolina, he was a superintendent in New Jersey for 15 years. He is committed to ensuring every student has equitable access to the arts. Together with district staff, Florence One implemented robust music and art education across the district. His leadership transformed the district, earning local, state and national recognition for innovations in technology, teaching and learning, and student achievement, all starting with arts education. He has spearheaded numerous million-dollar investments in the arts districtwide to provide new and innovative supplies, equipment, and facilities that support success in classrooms, on the stage, and in competitions. These earned state and national recognition for Florence One’s programs, staff and students and O’Malley himself: including Superintendent or Educator of the Year by various groups, Palmetto State Arts Education’s Ray Doughty Arts Integration Award, and numerous national grants and awards including Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, S.C. Palmetto’s Finest Awards, and two arts administrators of the year awards. O’Malley attended Clemson University for his undergraduate studies and has a doctorate in educational administration from Seton Hall University. He lives in Florence with his wife of 28 years, Christina. They have three children: Ryan, Kaitlin, and Emma.

ArtsNOW

Arts in Education Category (Organization) | Columbia

ArtsNOW is a nationally recognized non-profit leader dedicated to transforming K-12 education through the power of arts integration. By weaving visual arts, music, dance, digital arts, and theatre into core academic subjects, ArtsNOW provides a creative framework that boosts student engagement and teacher effectiveness. Since its inception, the organization has reshaped the educational landscape, reaching over 448,000 students and equipping thousands of educators with the tools to foster critical 21st-century skills.

A key driver of their success is the Foundational Seminar series, which invites school leadership teams to explore instructional strategies aligned with state and national standards. In 2025 alone, ArtsNOW hosted seminars for 349 educators across 23 school districts, facilitating academic growth through innovative, STEAM-based learning. Their impact is further amplified by significant federal backing, including a $5.58M award from the U.S. Department of Education to expand literacy and arts education initiatives.

In South Carolina, ArtsNOW serves as a vital professional learning partner, specifically addressing pandemic-related learning loss through the Arts Grow SC initiative. By providing customized professional development, digital coaching, and an extensive library of integrated lesson plans, ArtsNOW ensures that the arts are not merely an elective, but a fundamental catalyst for student achievement.

Ian Welch

Special Award | Brunson

Ian J. Welch is an artist, educator, and printmaker living and working in Hampton County who was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. Welch received his master’s in curriculum and instruction from Grand Canyon University in 2025, his Master of Fine Arts in studio art with an emphasis on printmaking and fibers from Northern Illinois University in 2016, and his Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art with an emphasis on printmaking from Bowling Green State University in 2011. Welch has had his artwork exhibited both nationally and internationally, with dozens of group exhibitions, including at The Morgan Papermaking Conservatory, ArtFields, Manifest Gallery, Print Austin, and the International Print Center of New York. Welch has had several solo exhibitions, including at Black Creek Arts Center, The Marathon Center for Performing Arts and Majestic Galleries in Ohio, and The Studios of Key West. Welch is currently the visual art teacher at Hampton Intermediate and Estill Elementary schools in Hampton County and previously worked as assistant professor of art and a curator of the FAB Gallery at South Carolina State University. Welch is the owner/printer at Pegboard Press printmaking studio in Hampton and is the assistant curator at the Stanley Arts Center in Hampton. Welch was previously an adjunct instructor at Bowling Green State University and Owens Community College, as well as the gallery manager/curator at Gathered Glassblowing Studio.

Artificial intelligence was used to edit and condense full-length bios.