SUMMERVILLE — Schools from Dorchester District Two have received more than $100,000 in state arts grants.
The South Carolina Department of Education awarded the Arts Curricular Innovation Grants to DD2 through the Distinguished Arts Program. The program provides funds for one-year projects, and part of the criteria includes having a strategic plan to incorporate art forms that include dance, music, theater and visual arts.
The $108,000 the district received will be split equally among six schools: Alston Middle School, Ashley Ridge High School, Fort Dorchester High School, Joseph R. Pye Elementary School, Knightsville Elementary School and Spann Elementary School. Each will get approximately $18,000 to spend.
Kevin Morrissey, an art teacher at Fort Dorchester High School, said part of the money will pay for visiting artists and artists-in-residence to work with the students, as well as special teacher projects.
April Cross, an art teacher at Knightsville Elementary, said her school will use the funds for some of the same purposes, such as having visiting artists and illustrators. Last year, Knightsville hosted some indigo artists who taught students about working with dye and then gave students the opportunity to try it themselves.
“We can only do this with funding from the grant,” Cross said.
Both Morrissey and Cross said their schools are now four-time recipients of the grant. Another DD2 school surpasses that, according to Jason Walsh, director of fine and performing arts. Alston Middle School has been a recipient of the grant for at least nine years.
Adam Weiner, an art teacher at Alston Middle School, said the grant funds the spring musical. He added that they strive to spend the money in ways that benefit multiple programs, such as procuring new equipment for stage lighting and sound.
Walsh said DD2 is a leader in the arts, adding that the district has been voted one of the best communities for music education by the National Association of Music Merchants three years in a row.
“Because we have strong support here, we have great leaders who push arts forward in the district,” Walsh said.
Morrissey, himself a product of DD2, said he grew up with the encouragement of art teachers.
“There’s something special in the water in Summerville, in the Dorchester District Two community for the arts,” Morrissey said. “I don’t really know what it is … it’s just something special here, where our art teachers are supported and encouraged to go off and be leaders in their fields. Likewise, with our students, they go off and perform at really high levels as well because we have high-caliber art teachers.”
Superintendent Shane Robbins said he was proud of the schools that received the grant money and that he will continue to support the district’s arts education.
“Our fine and performing arts program’s ability to secure these grants is a testament to its status as a state leader in nurturing artistic talent,” Robbins said. “These grants not only highlight our commitment to excellence, but also the exceptional educators who consistently inspire our students to reach new heights in the world of the arts.”