COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) is gathering public input this summer to guide strategic plan updates and inform a service model that will “revolutionize” access to agency programs and staff.
Every few years, the SCAC’s “Canvass of the People” gathers statewide information about interest around arts and culture in South Carolina. Historically, that information is used to launch a forward-thinking and robust strategic plan. Canvass data collected in 2024 will be used to inform updates to the current strategic plan in 2025 and to further the agency’s mission to promote equitable access to the arts as it supports the cultivation of creativity in South Carolina.
Canvass of the People 2025 has one notable additional goal. New state budget appropriations for FY25 were designated for the SCAC to establish a network of six hubs in communities across the state. These strategically located hubs are intended to give rural communities, in particular, easier access to agency programs and staff. The ongoing public input period is designed to give SCAC leadership ideas on how South Carolina citizens might use these hubs.
“Putting hubs in rural communities will revolutionize the way the South Carolina Arts Commission engages with constituents, and we are excited by this opportunity. Demand for our grants and programs has never been higher, and we do not foresee it slowing down. Having Arts Commission staff who live and work in hub communities will really give us a personal touch as we seek to provide those constituents with equitable access to the arts,” SCAC Executive Director David Platts said.
Six rural community focus groups were held from April through July to allow Arts Commission staff to hear from constituents firsthand as they suggested different services hubs could provide. Staff also reached people at larger public gatherings like Artisphere in Greenville and a Columbia Fireflies baseball game.
An online survey is open on the agency website. The survey is accessible and presented in English and Spanish. Visit SouthCarolinaArts.com/Canvass to take the brief survey. The SCAC is planning for the Canvass of the People to finish in September so work on the updated Strategic Plan for the Arts in South Carolina may begin. An estimated release of the plan is summer 2025.
About the South Carolina Arts Commission
The mission of the South Carolina Arts Commission is to promote equitable access to the arts and support the cultivation of creativity in South Carolina. We envision a South Carolina where the arts are valued and all people benefit from a variety of creative experiences.
A state agency created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the SCAC works to increase public participation in the arts through grants, direct programs, staff assistance and partnerships in artist development, arts industry, arts learning, creative placemaking, and folklife and traditional arts. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the SCAC is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts, and other sources. Visit SouthCarolinaArts.com or call 803.734.8696, and follow @SCArtsComm on Facebook, Instagram, and X for #Arts4SC and #SCArtists content.
