The SCAC’s arts learning program is designed to help South Carolinians of all ages develop creativity, problem solving, collaborative skills and other knowledge, skills, and characteristics outlined in the Profile of the S.C. Graduate.
The SCAC’s arts learning program helps accomplish that outcome of the strategic plan in a variety of ways:
Putting her theatre background to good use, Ashley Brown serves a dual role at the agency.
In addition to her leadership with Arts Grow SC, she serves as the SCAC deputy director over grants and arts learning. Ashley has worked throughout the Southeast as a nonprofit and higher education administrator, public school teacher, stage manager, and teaching artist. She received her Bachelor of Arts in theatre from Winthrop University and her Master of Fine Art in theatre management from Florida State University.
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As arts learning director, Kimberly brings an artist’s eye and a teacher’s experience to her role.
An artist herself, Kimberly is a former visual art teacher, having taught across the K-12 spectrum in Darlington County. She came to the SCAC from the Florence County Museum, where she has served as curator of education since 2012. She received her bachelor’s in art education from Francis Marion University. Kimberly’s work at the agency focuses on a continuum of learning in and through the arts— from enrichment with very young learners through creative aging experiences.
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Amanda’s role at the SCAC focuses on learning in and through the arts in K-12.
She has worked as an art therapist, pre-K teaching assistant, and art instructor and holds a bachelor’s in fine art and psychology from Hope College in Holland, Michigan and her master’s in art therapy from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Amanda joined the team after having served as a disability resource coordinator at the University of South Carolina, which is appropriate because, in addition to her arts learning role, she also serves as the SCAC’s accessibility coordinator.
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Arts Grow SC began as a landmark three-year, $20 million partnership between the SCAC and S.C. Department of Education to help public schools throughout the state address pandemic related learning loss with proven, arts-based learning initiatives.
In that time, it proved itself to be a new framework for engaging local, state, regional, and even national partners to provide equitable access to learning in and through the arts for South Carolina students.
Presenting “Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest” to South Carolina high school students in schools and individually. In partnership nationally with the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation and locally with Richland Library.
A connector for the network of artists and arts organizations throughout South Carolina.