History

In 1979, the South Carolina Arts Commission’s (SCAC) Director, Rick George, and staff coordinator, Jay Williams, arranged a meeting with several arts council directors from various areas of the state. A group of eight met at Table Rock State Park to discuss how an alliance could be formed with the South Carolina Arts Commission, which could help local arts councils. In late 1979, an organization was formed and named the South Carolina Alliance of Community Arts Agencies. By-laws were ratified in 1982, stating the purpose of the corporation to be the promotion and development of cultural activities in South Carolina. In 1984, the South Carolina Alliance of Community Arts Agencies was renamed The South Carolina Arts Alliance, Inc. (SCAA).

Originally designed as a vehicle for networking among a small group of arts council administrators, the Alliance developed over the years into a much more broadly-based organization whose members are arts administration professionals, artists, educators, business and community leaders. The mission of the Arts Alliance is “to advance and promote the arts for all South Carolinians through advocacy, leadership development, and public awareness”, assuring that the arts have a voice in our communities, state, and nation.

The SCAA has a strong history of working in partnership with the S.C. Arts Commission and supports funding of its programs and services. The Alliance plays a leadership role in promoting the Commission’s Arts in Basic Curriculum Project (ABC), as well as many other partners in support of arts education. The Alliance offers leadership and advocacy workshops, consultancies, retreats, forums, for the professional development of arts administrators, artists, and educators. The SCAA has built an Advocacy Network in support of the Arts, sponsors the annual S.C. Arts Summit and Legislative Action Day in Columbia, and an Arts Advocacy Handbook. The SCAA also participates at the national level through advocacy and service, including leading a “team” of arts leaders to the National Arts Advocacy activities each year in Washington DC. In 2021 then Executive Director GP McLeer chaired the formation of a new national coalition of state-level arts advocacy groups, the Creative States Coalition.

In 1996, the SCAA received the official Governor’s Award for the Arts in the category of Outstanding Arts Organization. The Alliance continues to distinguish itself as the recipient of advocacy and leadership awards from the: S.C. Dance Association, S.C. Art Education Association, Americans for the Arts, Winthrop University, and the SC Theatre Association. The Arts Alliance works hard every day to be an effective voice for all the arts and arts education in South Carolina.

Board Leadership: The first SCAA President was Ellen Dressler-Moryl, who retired after serving as the founding executive director of the Office of Cultural Affairs with the City of Charleston. She was followed by:
Bobbi Wheless – Greenville
Buddy Johnson – Chapin
Diane Abbey – Charleston
Aubrey Bowie – Camden
Nancy Howell – Lancaster
Vicki Cook – Rock Hill
Cassandra Baker – Spartanburg
Diane Abbey – Interim
Ernst Hesterberg – Salem
Susan Harper – Camden (1994-1996)
Dr. Roy Fluhrer – Greenville (1996-98)
Everett G. Powers – Spartanburg (1998-00)
Charles (Charlie) W. Boswell – Orangeburg (2000 – 2002)
Kimberly H. Spears – Anderson (2002-2004)
Michael W. Haga – Charleston (2004-2006)
Ray Doughty – Fort Mill (2006-2008)
Scott Shanklin-Peterson – Charleston (2008-2010)
Dr. Mac Arthur Goodwin – Columbia (2010-2012)
Kathleen Bateson – Hilton Head Island – (2012-2014)
Rose Sheheen – Camden (2014-2016)
Karen Brosius – Columbia (2016 – 2017)
Dr. Lemuel Watson – Columbia (2017 – 2018)
Dr. Stephanie Milling – Columbia (2018 – 2020)
Dr. Cedric Adderley – Greenville (2020 – 2022)
Molly Fortune – Newberry (2022 – 2023)
Dana Gencarelli – (2023 – Present)

Staff

In 1985, the Alliance hired a part-time coordinator, and a full-time director. Due to a lack of funding, the position was discontinued after six months. In 1987, Kay Teer was hired as a paid, part-time project coordinator through a grant from the SCAC and its “Arts in Basic Curriculum” Project (ABC) until her resignation. In October 1989, Betty Plumb was contracted through the Alliance to build, maintain and coordinate the arts education advocacy network as well as a network for state arts funding on a half-time paid position. In September 1991, she was contracted as project coordinator of a technical assistance initiative to rural, underserved local arts agencies through a second grant from the SCAC on a half-time paid basis. On February 24. 1994, the SCAA Board of Directors voted to change her title to Executive Director. Betty retired in 2016 after 27 years. George Patrick “GP” McLeer Jr., who had also served on the Alliance’s Board for five years, became Executive Director beginning July 1, 2016 and left the organization in May of 2022. As the first African American Executive Director Melanie Colclough became the 3rd Executive Director in 2022 and left the organization in 2023. Jeff Robinson took over the organization in 2023 and is the current executive director.