This is Personal….
We asked advocates to submit stories about how the arts have personally impacted their lives. We’ve chosen our favorites to share each day during Arts Advocacy Week 2020, to show legislators that ALL South Carolina citizens have a dog in this fight.
My first introduction to the arts came as a child in my church and through piano lessons! Later in grade four I began to play clarinet and continued to study music and majored in music at Ohio Wesleyan University, became certified and worked as a music teacher, consultant and finally as an administrator.
When I moved to South Carolina to Laurens, I found the dregs of a former marching band in the black high school and a band program at the white high school. No organized elementary music program, no choral programs and no art classes existed at the time. That was 1967! Laurens School District 55, under the direction of K.C. Hanna, Superintendent, began to build a music program, added art instruction, and drama at the high school level. Upon the completion of integration we had one comprehensive high school The district later bought into the Arts in Basic Curriculum program when the district had nine schools in total.
During that period of time the arts expanded to music, art, drama, dance and Intermesh Arts, a program for gifted students in grades 4, 5, and 6 that served students for eighteen years. The latter met on Saturdays once per month and included field trips and exposure to all of the arts through trips to the theater, museums, performances at Presbyterian College and other venues such as Newberry Opera House and Abbeville Playhouse , as well as the Peace Center which opened at that time. It won an award at the state level from the Gifted Association ( first on ein the arts) By 1989, the district was an established Arts in Education model site for SC. Many students were served and today make reference to the instruction they received during that time. It was apparent that the Artists-Residence Programs and residencies did much to educate the children as well as the parents and the community!
All along, my own personal arts education was improved as I observed the students and teachers at work. The District added a strings program, which is still operating today. This gave instrumental students and opportunity to participate in something other than the marching band.
The SC Arts Commission and its programs were instrumental in developing this program. Unfortunately, not all of the components have survived, but the program which began with one teacher visiting the elementary classrooms and demonstrating for the teachers to teach in between visits grew into a well developed music program with certified elementary music teachers, arts teachers, and developed programs in both instrumental and choral. The dance program did not survive and only the drama program at the high school remains, but many students were exposed to events and curriculum that had never been introduced to the arts before.
As the coordinator of that process, I learned much from observing the visiting artists, attending the art shows in the downtown, and observing in the classrooms throughout the district. I can testify first hand that children can thrive being taught through the arts! My own education was developed as well.
South Carolina needs to continue to provide for ALL children to be taught through the arts! Many young people and their parents will never experience the pleasure of learning in this manner unless supported by additional funding from many sources: state, grants, local support events, etc. If space permitted I could give examples of students who have gone on to excel in their work and they have represented Laurens County School District 55 in a very positive manner. I strongly support arts programming in our state and local community.
Edith Cook Davis, Laurens, SC
Former board member of the SC Arts Commission
