Principal Jermaine Joyner with Ms. Dana Brown
Seabrook Island residents are active in the Johns Island community through various organizations. One such organization is the Seabrook Island Artist Guild (SIAG). Through the efforts of Guild members, the artists and artisans of the Guild sold their art work at the Black Friday art show, donating 10% of their proceeds to St. John’s High School art department.
Another contributor was Guild workshop artist and acclaimed sweetgrass basket-maker Sarah Edwards-Hammond. She donated one of her beautiful sweetgrass bread baskets. It was a silent auction of only one item—Sarah’s basket. The bids kept coming in, providing much needed funds to the cause. Also, Guild members provided a “donation jar,” explaining the need and asking for a donation from the many visitors attending the show. All of the efforts were a success.
In total, the Guild raised more than $1,700.00 for the High School art department. SIAG worked with Principal Jermaine Joyner and art teacher Ms. Dana Brown to learn the needs of the art department and which areas educators would like to see expanded to provide a more robust and professional art curriculum.
Items to produce artistic projects – such as paints, clay or canvases – are used daily and are soon depleted as the students produce their artwork. These funds will help to replenish the supplies as needed and promote a much richer art program at the school.
Ms. Brown and the new kiln
Fortunately, the South Carolina Department of Education provides funding to schools for durable items. St. John’s High School qualified for this program. These items must meet certain criteria for the funding to apply; the cost of the item must be an amount too cost prohibitive for the school to absorb; and the item must have a lifespan of at least a year. Through this provision, the Department of Education purchased a kiln for the school to use with glass fusion artwork, as well as offering the ability to fire clay projects for pottery.
The monetary donation by SIAG, along with the support of the Department of Education, provides a true art program exposing students to many different and unique art mediums, something that was lacking in the current art curriculum. SIAG intends to continue to work in various ways within the Johns Island community on a yearly basis. Thank you to all who participated in this important event.
