MCCORMICK ARTS COUNCIL AT THE KETURAH (MACK)

Arts Alive! (Y)

Arts Alive! program is our Early Learning art program. The MACK offers a monthly program to support our educational partners: McCormick County’s First Steps and Head Start. We target early learning and visual arts standards and actively work toward helping to close the 30,000,000-word gap in early literacy. Our program works towards the goals outlined in the Profile of the Ready Kindergartner and provides projects designed to prepare our youngest students for continued learning. Instructors work with students and staff to create art projects and demonstrate the benefits of using the arts while educating children.

Arts in Basic Curriculum (Y)

The McCormick Arts Council helped to plan, develop and implement a 5-Year Strategic Arts Education Plan in partnership with the McCormick School District. Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) provides support to ensure our students receive a comprehensive arts education: dance, music, media arts, theatre, visual arts and creative writing. All curriculum and programming are designed to meet the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Standards for Visual and Performing Arts Proficiency to ensure our students receive a comprehensive arts education.

Artist in Residency (Y/A)

As an active partner in the development of local art education, the McCormick Arts Council works closely with our local school district to provide access to quality art experiences. Our goal is to match highly effective professional artists with the learning curriculum needs of our shared students. Recommended artists in residency apply and submit a proposal for consideration in the areas of visual art, theatre, dance, media arts, chorus and creative writing.

Dinner with the Scientists (Y)

The Dinner with the Scientists program is modeled after the “Dinner with the Masters” program offering a similar approach to providing a fun and engaging learning event. McCormick students research a scientist (living or not-living) who made a substantial contribution to science. Students then attend the program dinner event in costume and teach the audience about their character. By combining public speaking and acting, our students are having fun while immersed in learning about science and sharing their knowledge with their support teams during a class dinner.

Community Threads (G)

​Community Threads is an o​pen community group for​ participants interested in any stitching-styled artwork. Projects focus on quilting, smocking, crocheting, knitting, standard sewing, and much more. This program has produced hundreds of 'giving back’ projects that have gone towards a variety of services. It focuses on fellowship and friendships and is offered in partnership with Hickory Knob State Park. Community Threads participants welcome participants of all levels of abilities to “Come stitch with us”.

Cultural / Historic Field Trips (Y) Pending Program

As a proud heritage site of McCormick County, and an anchor in Historic Downtown McCormick, the McCormick Arts Council regularly promotes the opportunities to visit, view, and celebrate our local historic and cultural sites. We encourage our school planners to share our local heritage and historic assets to build community pride, offer unique educational day trips, and minimize the expenses related to important ‘out of classroom’ learning experiences. These “tour ready” sites include Historic Downtown McCormick, Historic Willington, The Dorn Mill Complex, The Strom Thurmond Visitors Center and Dam, and the various trail and historic sites within our unique state parks and community.

Dinner with the Masters / Legends (A)

Over a multi-course meal set in the beautiful town park under the stars, participants are invited to dine with a notable “Master of Art” while learning and enjoying the evening at our historic facility. This program is designed to entertain, educate, and engage our community art enthusiasts. Our goal is to unite culture, cuisine, lecture, and performance for a special night in our community. Featured Masters have included DaVinci, Van Gogh, O’Keeffe, Monet, Dali, Gershwin, Fitzgerald, Warhol among others.

Fiber Arts Program (Y/A)

Our Fiber Arts program connects the importance of agriculture and art to offer a unique learning experience for both adults and our younger students. Highlighted as a featured course in our youth programs, this program allows our teens to learn about fiber preparation and needle felting and explore all the uses of our locally sourced mohair. Adults are also encouraged to enjoy learning and exploring all the uses of mohair and wool for various needle and wet-felting projects.

Juried Art (A)

Regional artists compete for various awards. There are great exposure opportunities for the represented artists. The participants range from first-time competitors to veteran artists. Each year there is a wide representation of various mediums, compositions and techniques. The Annual Juried Art Exhibition is held in February, with submissions accepted in January.

Juried Photography (A)

The McCormick Arts Council offers another juried opportunity specifically for photographers to compete for awards and have exhibition opportunities. The Annual Juried Photography Exhibition is held in July with submissions accepted in June.

Painting A Brighter Future (G)

Painting a Brighter Future is a public art program designed to engage our community members, students, and visitors. This program is designed to enhance community aesthetics and increase identity and pride through quality pieces of art created by local artists and students together. Our goal is to enhance our community’s aesthetics, build community pride, and share our rich stories through public art. Our completed projects include: Main Street Mural, Historic Willington, Plum Branch - Long Building, and the McCormick Elementary School’s unique “Solar Systems”, “Oceans” and “Outdoor Stage” murals.

Summer Arts Camps (Y)

The McCormick Arts Council offers a summer enrichment program to our local students, ages 5 - 15 years old. These classes are provided at affordable weekly rates and focus on developing creative expression, introduce STEAM concepts (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math), and celebrates world cultures throughout the program. This summer program is designed to provide unique insight into the world through art and culture. We now offer a successful teen program to serve students ages 12 - 18.