Seabrook Island Artist Guild Sponsors Fundraiser for St. John’s High School
Seabrook Island residents are active in the Johns Island community through various organizations. One such organization is the Seabrook Island Artist Guild (SIAG). Recently the artists and artisans of the Guild sold their artwork at the Black Friday art show and donated 10% of their proceeds to the St. John’s High School art department.
Another contributor to the fundraising effort 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 for the cause.
Also, Guild members provided a donation jar, explaining the need and asking for a cash donation from the many visitors attending the show. Combined, the efforts were a success. The Guild raised over $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 understand which areas educators would like to see expanded to provide a more robust and professional art curriculum.
Items used to produce artistic projects, such as paints, clay, and canvases, among others, are used daily and are soon depleted as the students produce their artwork. The funds raised will help to replenish the supplies as needed and promote a much richer art program at the school.
Fortunately, the South Carolina Department of Education provides funding to schools for these types of 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 life span 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 and the support of the Department of Education together 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.
For more information on the Guild’s events, workshops, and membership, click here.
-Submitted by Bonnie Younginer, Seabrook Island Artist Guild
(Image credit: SIAG)