Arts Management Students Take Advocacy to the Statehouse
Arts management students experience the fast pace of cultural policy during South Carolina Arts Advocacy Week.
by Caitlin Ham
Above (l-r): Taryn Kaufman Tsioropoulos, Carie Eubanks ’25, Annie Davis, Bex Ferrell, Maxwell Hardy, Carson Elledge, Grace Albertson
For students studying arts management, much of the work happens behind the scenes: planning programs, managing budgets, building partnerships and supporting artists. But during South Carolina Arts Advocacy Week, a group of College of Charleston students saw another side of the field.
They experienced what it looks like when the arts meet public policy.
In February, arts management students traveled to Columbia, South Carolina, alongside Carie Eubanks ’25 and Bex Ferrell, assistant professor of arts management, to participate in the annual advocacy events hosted by the South Carolina Arts Alliance. The week included the S.C. Arts Summit and State House Arts Advocacy Day, where arts leaders from across the state met with legislators to discuss the role of the arts in South Carolina’s economy and communities.
For the students who attended, the experience brought classroom conversations into a real-world setting.
“In class, I often talk about how fast-paced these days are,” says Ferrell, who teaches Policy in the Arts at the College. “You’re running between representatives’ offices, moving from the House to the Senate chambers, adjusting to constantly shifting meeting times and sometimes making your case in an elevator. It’s hard to understand how it works until you see it firsthand.”
That firsthand perspective was exactly the point.
Students Grace Albertson, Taryn Kaufman Tsioropoulos, Maxwell Hardy, Carson Elledge and Annie Davis represented the School of the Arts as part of the Charleston County advocacy team. Rather than observing from the sidelines, they participated directly in meetings with legislators, shared arts impact statements and discussed how arts organizations contribute to education, workforce development and tourism.
Artistic Advocacy
Ferrell says one of the most meaningful moments came during a meeting with Sen. Brian Adams, when students spoke directly about the value of the arts in their communities.
“Watching our students confidently share their arts impact statements was incredibly inspiring,” she says. “It was especially meaningful for me as their professor to see the advocacy lessons we discuss in the classroom come to life in that moment.”
The Charleston advocacy team included representatives from several major cultural organizations, including Spoleto Festival USA, Charleston Symphony, Charleston Jazz, Charleston Stage, Charleston Literary Festival, the Charleston Gaillard Center, HEART Inclusive Arts Community and Engaging Creative Minds.
For College of Charleston students, the presence of these organizations added another layer of significance. Many of them regularly host internships, volunteer opportunities and early career positions for arts management majors, giving students a chance to see how professional networks form within the cultural sector.
The advocacy effort itself focused on a major statewide funding request.
This year, the South Carolina Arts Alliance called for a $3 million increase in recurring state arts funding, including $2.5 million for operating support grants and $500,000 for creative workforce initiatives. According to the alliance’s issue brief, South Carolina’s creative industries support more than 123,000 jobs and generate over $14.1 billion in economic impact statewide.
An Artistic Role
For Ferrell, the experience highlights a part of arts management that many people don’t initially consider.
“Arts advocacy is about connecting the work happening in our communities with the people making decisions about public funding and policy,” she says.
Those conversations rarely unfold in the polished way people imagine. Advocacy days move quickly and often require flexibility, confidence and preparation.
Meetings happen in hallways. Conversations continue between appointments. Students may have only a few minutes to explain how arts organizations serve the public and why funding matters.
“What I wish more people understood,” Ferrell says, “is that the arts are not just about performances or exhibitions. They’re a significant part of the economic and civic life of a community.”
Arts organizations create jobs, attract tourism, support local businesses and help shape communities where people want to live and work.
For the students who traveled to Columbia, the experience offered a clear reminder that arts management extends far beyond the stage or gallery. It also includes the policy conversations that make creative work possible.
By participating alongside faculty, alumni, arts organizations and government leaders, College of Charleston arts management students saw how ideas discussed in class become part of real public work.
Caitlin Ham is a second-year arts management major at the College of Charleston with minors in English and political science. She is interested in behind-the-scenes cultural work, arts advocacy and writing about political, cultural and intellectual issues for broader public audiences. Ham works in the School of the Arts Dean’s Office, serves as an Arts Management Ambassador, is a member of the Eta Lambda chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha and Kappa Alpha Pi pre-law fraternity, and is a two-time presenter at the College of Charleston EXPO.
