South Carolina Arts Commission Defends Itself Against Ideology Charges: New Director Less Than Two Months In, First-Year Budget Request of $2.9 Million
In Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina, the state Arts Commission recently denied funding to two LGBTQ+ performing arts organizations and an artist focused on immigration issues, a decision reported on October 30 that has stirred a debate over artistic freedom.
The commission, made up of nine governor-appointed volunteers, has distributed more than $132 million in grants to artists, schools, and cultural organizations statewide since Governor Robert McNair established it in 1967. In August, the commission adopted new guidelines prohibiting grantees from using funds to promote "any ideology," and earlier this month it denied the three applications.
The National Coalition Against Censorship condemned the commission in a statement on October 28, saying the grant rule echoes President Trump's approach to federal grants involving related topics. As South Carolina voters prepare to vote on November 3, some are considering how the results could affect the governor-appointed commission. Critics say the vague wording could exclude artists because of their subject matter; the denied groups and artist may still seek support through other channels.
Source: GSM America
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：南卡罗来纳州议会大厦（哥伦比亚）。Farragutful摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经Wikimedia Commons。 / South Carolina State House in Columbia. Photo by Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
