Number: $200,000. In August 2016, TD Bank pledged this amount to establish the TD Center for Arts Integration in support of the Metropolitan Art Council’s SmartARTS program. This year, TD Bank pledged an additional $200,000 — a testament to SmartARTS’ proven track record of success.
The program’s mission is simple, yet hugely impactful: Connect Greenville County Schools to local artists via standards-based teaching artist residencies in science, math, history + language arts classrooms. To date, SmartARTS has provided training for 200+ professional artists and 600 teachers, and has funded more than 700 arts-integrated units in local classrooms. Think: A win-win-win for Greenville-area students, teachers, and artists.
SmartARTS began in 2002 with three US Department of Education grants to send artists into one struggling, high-poverty middle school. These federal grants expired in 2007, but thanks to community support, MAC has been able to raise over $3.8 million to keep the program going. Here’s to 20 more years. 👏
Meet the 2022 teaching artists
Shane Bryant
- Medium: Pottery
- Highlights: Shane has previously taught at Furman University and the Spartanburg Museum of Art. He’s been a teaching artist for MAC’s Smart Arts program since 2004, and won the SmartARTS Teaching Artist of the Year award in 2017. He also founded the William Felton School of Crafts.
Kimberly Simms Gibbs
- Medium: Poetry
- Highlights: Kimberly oversees the SmartARTS program in addition to working as a teaching artist. Her work has appeared in 30+ literary journals, and she is a Pushcart Prize nominee. She founded Wits End Poetry, a nonprofit celebrating 20 years of poetry events and educational outreach in SC.
Jeff Holland
- Medium: Percussion
- Highlights: A sonic artist, consultant + instrument builder in addition to his teaching, Jeff is the founder of a company called Drum4Work. He’s passionate about traveling the world and exploring cultural music as well as designing programs that inspire and motivate.
ShAy Black
- Medium: Poetry and visual art
- Highlights: A 30-year Army veteran from right here in Greenville, ShAy has been working with the SmartARTS program since 2020 and was awarded the 2021 Carrie and Skip Gordon Emerging Teaching Artist Award. She’s the owner and artist behind ShAy Black Expressions, LLC and aims to create beauty out of life’s imperfections.
Diana Farfan Valente
- Medium: Sculpture
- Highlights: Diana is a native of Bogotá, Colombia and an award-winning ceramic sculptor, educator, and cultural manager. She’s passionate about mentoring young Latino artists and advocates for animal welfare, the natural environment, and Humane Education. Check out her work on Instagram.
Kristen LaRoy
- Medium: Dance and fine crafts
- Highlights: Kristen has 15 years of experience as a dance professional, performing across the South and Midwest along with teaching in SC. In 2015, she opened shop and studio TR Makers Co., where students of all ages can hone their fine craft techniques. She joined SmartARTS three years ago to share her passion for dance and fine craft with public school students.
Kelly Davis
- Medium: Theatre, yoga, and dance
- Highlights: Kelly was awarded the 2020 Carrie & Skip Gordon Teaching Artist of the Year Award from the Metropolitan Arts Council.. In addition to SmartARTS, Kelly is also a teaching artist with Warehouse Theatre and has performed locally with Proud Mary Theatre, Greenville Theatre, Centre Stage, Mill Town Players, and the Greenville Chorale.
Learn more about the SmartARTS program — and consider donating — here.*
