COLUMBIA, SC - Professional South Carolina artists working in prose, poetry, music performance or music composition can apply for the South Carolina Arts Commission 2008-2009 Individual Artist Fellowship Awards through Oct. 1. Artists can download applications at www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or request one by calling (803) 734-8696.

Fellowships recognize and award the artistic achievements of South Carolinas exceptional individual artists.

Fiscal year 2009 fellowships of $5,000 each are offered in the following categories:
- Prose (two awards)
- Poetry (two awards)
- Music Performance
- Music Composition

Fellowship applicants whose work is highly rated by the panel will be invited to be a part of the Southern Arts Federations' adjudicated online artist registry, SouthernArtistry.org, which SC Arts Commission Executive Director Suzette Surkamer says is just one of the benefits Fellows receive.

The Fellowship program offers a number of unique opportunities to South Carolina's exceptional individual artists each year, said Surkamer. In addition to a monetary award, Fellows receive marketing and media relations support from the Arts Commission, are showcased on the agency's Web site, and are invited to agency functions and events.

Monica Wyche, a Midlands artist who was selected as the 2007-2008 Fellow in the Theatre/Acting category, says the Fellowship has given her credibility and allowed her to be an ambassador for the art she loves. The award allowed me to travel and experience first-hand the world of television and film, and also enabled me to help people recognize the hard work SC actors and theatre professionals put toward our craft, said Wyche.

Fellows and alternates are selected through a competitive, anonymous application process. Out-of-state review panelists make recommendations for selections based solely on a review of work samples. The panels recommendations are approved by the board of the SC Arts Commission. The time period of this Fellowship cycle is July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.

About SCAC
The South Carolina Arts Commission is the state agency charged with creating a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians, regardless of their location or circumstances. Created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the Arts Commission focuses on increasing public participation in the arts by providing services, grants and leadership initiatives in three areas: arts education, community arts development and artist development. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Arts Commission is funded by the state of South Carolina and by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaArts.com or call (803) 734-8696.