Arts Grow SC expands!

Arts Grow SC is set to become a permanent fixture in arts learning in South Carolina. The program will add statewide hubs and expand its partner network of helping schools fill learning gaps, use arts integration to remediate core subjects, and provide summer and afterschool learning.

• Arts Grow SC began in July 2021 and blossomed from the initial 3-year pandemic learning loss initiative between the South Carolina Arts Commission and South Carolina Department of Education.

• Arts Grow SC will be led by newly appointed executive director, Ashley Brown. She has been with the Arts Commission in various capacities since 2016 — most recently as deputy director.

• It will be headquartered at the new Spearman Center for Arts Innovation in downtown Columbia.

  The new Spearman Center for Arts Innovation is named for former music teacher and current S.C. Superintendent of Education, Molly Spearman. The intention is to break ground on the new Center in the coming year where it will incorporate:

  • direct programs

  • professional learning

  • events

  • resource distribution

  • exhibitions

“Arts Grow SC and the Spearman Center for Arts Innovation will work to ensure every student in South Carolina has access to quality arts education and experiences,” said director Ashley Brown. “I can’t think of a better way to honor the legacy of Superintendent Spearman and all she has done for the arts in South Carolina.”

Current Arts Grow SC partners include Arts in Basic Curriculum Institute; Engaging Creative Minds; S.C. Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities; ArtsNOW; Boys and Girls Club of the Crescent Region; S.C. Educational Television; S.C. Arts Alliance; Palmetto State Arts Education; Education Commission of the States/Arts Education Partnerships; and the Research, Evaluation, and Measurement Center at the University of South Carolina.

Learn more about the expansion of Arts Grow SC here.