S.C. Arts Commission debuts new brand, websites
28 November 2023
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Arts Commission is excited to announce a striking new brand, along with a new website, that better represents the agency’s work and the South Carolina creatives it serves.
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A recent soft launch period of the new SouthCarolinaArts.com culminated a nearly 18-month process of reinventing how the SCAC presents itself and its work.
“The South Carolina Arts Commission team, along with our grant opportunities and programs, is experiencing dynamic growth and reaching and supporting a greater number of South Carolina creatives than ever before. We are eager to share this journey through a robust new visual identity that breaks convention among state agencies.” SCAC Executive Director David Platts said. “Our narrative is now portrayed through a bold and vibrant visual identity, underscoring the commitment of our team to diligently serve creatives across every corner of our state. The arts and the dedicated individuals advancing them stand as an essential influence in South Carolina, deserving of widespread recognition.”
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Already the contracted vendor for the SCAC’s web presence, the creative team of South Carolinians at York County-based Social Design House was engaged to use its skills and acquired knowledge of the SCAC’s work to develop a new brand identity along with a new website that would carry that identity out. Social Design House also applied refreshes to The Hub, the arts website curated by the agency that includes Arts Daily—the only statewide arts event and opportunity calendar.
The work resulted in new logo treatment options for any need, multiple treatments of the “SCAC” acronym, the “asterisk” design element, and more. Communications Director Jason L. Rapp was project manager for the SCAC with significant contributions from the communications team.
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“Being the arts commission makes us the commission for artistic disciplines in South Carolina—the music commission, dance commission, visual arts, poetry, photography, or sculpture commission, you name it. Our team takes that seriously. That is what our asterisk represents. The Social team did a terrific job developing a brand with elements that tell that story while demanding attention thanks to a bold mix of interchangeable colors and contemporary typefaces. Just like our team, this identity is flexible, and the elements work well together,” Rapp said.
Three type families were licensed from the ABC Dinamo font foundry in Berlin, Germany by the Social team to complete the look: ABC Ginto Nord, ABC Gravity, and ABC Marist.
The new SouthCarolinaArts.com makes grants the focal point by providing quick access to opportunities from every page on the website. Constituents can filter grants by eligibility status and type, and artists can use the new feature to search by their artistic disciplines.
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“The previous SCAC website received good reviews for functionality from grantees, whom we survey regularly. Our team had a hunch that we could do better. Given that grants are the main thing, visitors will immediately notice the easy access to the grants section and upgrades to simplify navigation sitewide. We also have new options for dynamic content, so constituents know from our home page what’s important and current at the time they visit. The website is now an even more critical component of our communications strategies,” Rapp said.
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Accessibility was a critical consideration from the beginning, with a new button to change the website from an accessibility lens based on a given user’s needs. The button allows users to change font sizes, increase contrast, or reduce motion on the site. The SCAC is also working to improve its use of alt text and other things to ensure the website can be used by everybody who needs it.
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View the new look and improvements in action at SouthCarolinaArts.com, and SCArtsHub.com, which has an explainer of the new brand with multiple examples of visual elements.
About the South Carolina Arts Commission
The mission of the South Carolina Arts Commission is to promote equitable access to the arts and support the cultivation of creativity in South Carolina. We envision a South Carolina where the arts are valued and all people benefit from a variety of creative experiences.
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A state agency created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1967, the SCAC works to increase public participation in the arts through grants, direct programs, staff assistance and partnerships in artist development, arts industry, arts learning, creative placemaking, and folklife and traditional arts. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the SCAC is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts, and other sources. Visit SouthCarolinaArts.com or call 803.734.8696, and follow @SCArtsComm on Facebook, Instagram, and X for #Arts4SC and #SCartists content.