Economic development for the Arts Commission?

Amazingly, now even the Arts Commission is trying to get funding for “economic development” programs. We found this tidbit in the Arts Commission’s FY12-13 budget request:

Artist Development:  The agency invests staff time and limited funding to increase the number professional artists in South Carolina who can develop sustainable, productive careers in our state.  A centerpiece of this effort is the Artists’ Ventures Initiative (AVI), which focuses on entrepreneurial development for artists.  During the last three years 155 artists attended statewide professional development retreats, 90 artists registered for entrepreneurial training (FastTrac, NxLvl, etc.), and 9 artists have been accepted into the AVI incubator program, which provides seed capital and ongoing support for new artist driven businesses.

So in essence, the Arts Commission wants money to create and develop art careers in South Carolina. This program hasn’t come up for debate, but if it does, we’ll be sure to keep you posted.