About Metropolitan Arts Council
The Metropolitan Arts Council (MAC) supports Greenville and the Upstate arts community through grants, programs, events, an arts directory, and resources to advance arts education, access, and engagement.
Focus Areas
Visual artsPerforming artsArts educationArtist grants and organization grantsCommunity arts programming
Who They Fund
Greenville and Upstate regional arts communityindividual artistsarts organizations and cultural institutionsstudents and learners in arts educationgeneral public/audiences
Funding Style
project-based grants
About Metropolitan Arts Council
Metropolitan Arts Council centers its grantmaking on Greenville and the Upstate arts community, with support that reaches visual arts, performing arts, arts education, and public-facing cultural programming. A defining recent pattern is its support for large local arts institutions alongside smaller arts groups and individual artists, with grants ranging from operating support to project and partnership awards. In 2023, Artisphere received a $510,455 operating grant, showing the scale of support MAC can direct to a single community arts institution. In 2024, the council continued with sizable awards to South Carolina Children's Theatre, The Warehouse Theatre, Greenville Theatre, Greenville Chorale, Centre Stage, Peace Center, and Greenville Symphony, all based in Greenville. Its programs also include Artist Grants, School Grants, and the Alaina Fisher Scholarship, reflecting a mix of organizational support and arts education funding. The foundation’s role extends beyond one-off awards through grants, events, an arts directory, and other resources tied to arts access and engagement.
What Metropolitan Arts Council Funds
In performing arts, Metropolitan Arts Council backed several Greenville institutions in 2024, including $50,500 to The Warehouse Theatre, $48,500 to Greenville Theatre, and $47,500 to Peace Center. Arts education is also part of its portfolio: South Carolina Children's Theatre received $58,000 in 2024, while Carolina Youth Symphony received $6,000. The council supports music and choral programming as well, with grants to Greenville Chorale, Greenville Symphony, South Carolina Bach Society, and Foothills Philharmonic. Visual arts appear in the recent record through a $20,000 grant to Greenville County Museum of Art. Across these areas, the foundation’s funding connects established cultural institutions with educational and community-oriented arts organizations in Greenville.
How Metropolitan Arts Council Gives
Typical grant size centers around mid-five-figure awards, with a p25 of $6,000, a median of $47,500, and a p75 of $50,500. The recent record includes both larger operating support and smaller program-level grants, along with a broad category labeled Other Organizations in 2024. Artisphere appears in multiple years, indicating at least some recurring support rather than a one-time award. Metropolitan Arts Council is a local funder, and the recipient pattern is concentrated in South Carolina. The council also operates several named grant programs, including Artist Grants, School Grants, Organization Grants, Artistic Collaboration (MAC), TD Bank Business & the Arts Partnership Awards, and About MAC Grants.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$482K
Total Assets
$6M
Total Revenue
$3.6M
Total Expenses
$2.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $6K and $51K, with a median of $48K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$48K
75th Percentile
$51K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ALAN M ETHRIDGE
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