At the start of 2008, South Carolina’s First congressional district boasted more than 1,700 arts-related businesses that employed more than 7,400 people. The presence of that number of performing and creative arts organizations demonstrates our region’s interest in and support of the arts.

The cultural wealth is present throughout the first congressional district. North Myrtle Beach’s Coastal Concert Association, the North Charleston Arts Festival, Georgetown’s Harborwalk Festival, Conway’s Rivertown Jazz and Arts Festival, Kiawah Island’s Blues by the Sea, the Burroughs and Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach, Summerville’s Sculpture in the South, and the Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival at Huntington State Park, along with other arts events in the district, attract both residents and visitors throughout the year. Groups such as The Flowertown Players, the Long Bay Symphony, and local arts councils schedule events that have counterparts in commercial presentations by businesses such as the House of Blues, making the arts a prominent part of life in the Lowcountry.

Charleston attracts national attention every year through its Spoleto and Piccolo festivals. Other events, such as the MOJA festival and the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, also bring in huge numbers of visitors to the city each year. Organizations such as the Gibbes Museum, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Stage, Pure Theater, the Charleston Ballet, and so many others partner with educational institutions such as the School of the Arts at the College of Charleston to bring numerous artistic events to the public throughout the year

The creative collateral of these organizations contribute substantially to our region’s growth, economic vitality, education, and quality of life. As a member of our local community, I have been an active supporter of the arts for many years and take great pride in having been able to help these groups sustain their programs.

When I am in Congress, I will actively promote the arts. I will champion the importance of funding arts education in our schools. I will support increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. I will promote cultural diplomacy through expansion of public-private partnerships so that our local artists, representing our values and ideals, can inspire people both at home and around the world.  

The flip side of sending our artists abroad is welcoming the foreign arts community to America. I will work to streamline the visa process to return America to its rightful place as the world’s top destination for artists and art students. I will also support the Artist-Museum Partnership Act, introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT).The act amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow artists to deduct the fair market value of their work, rather than just the costs of the materials, when they make charitable contributions.   

A society that does not value the arts lessens its own value. There is a great deal more we can do to enhance our quality of life and the creative economic impact in our state and I intend to be a part of moving that forward while in office.