For the third time, Coastal Carolina University’s Athenaeum Press has received a $150,000 grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC).
The Athenaeum Press is CCU’s publishing lab which produces diverse media forms including books, podcasts and museum exhibits.
According to SCAC’s website, their mission is to “expand access to the arts and foster creativity for all South Carolinians.” The Athenaeum Press earned their recent grant with initiatives that encourage artistic expression and awareness of the creative career field.
Emilierose Volpe, a graduate student in the music and technology program and assistant for the athenaeum press, said one of the most fulfilling parts about The Athenaeum Press is how it benefits those pursuing an artistic career.
“Because the big thing with art careers is, ‘you need a real job so you’re never going to make money’ and that’s so untrue, but it has always been super hard. And I just love that we’re opening this door and giving people this platform to start pursuing these careers that are viable and have so much potential and give so much back to the world and the community,” Volpe said.
Alli Crandell, the Athenaeum Press and digital initiative director, explained the professional level of work The Athenaeum Press produces.
“We’re always regionally engaged, and anything that leaves our press is at a professional level. So, our museum exhibits, our books, consistently win awards like paired next to professional firms or creative firms,” Crandell said.
Crandell also mentioned how publishing with The Athenaeum Press is a great opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience.
“We’re very student driven. We provide students with professional experiences like working and what does it mean to work in a creative firm. But we also learn alongside our students with all of our projects,” Crandell said.
The Athenaeum Press is currently working on two initiatives: The Communal Pen and Uncharted.
Volpe gained interest in the organization when she heard about their Creative Careers initiative, now referred to as Uncharted.
According to the project’s website, “Uncharted brings attention to creative professionals all over South Carolina through our interviews, podcasts, video guides and social media promotions.”
Volpe assists in producing the Uncharted podcast where she works with interview selection, as well as the recording, writing and editing process. She explained that this grant will improve the podcast quality by allowing her to get new equipment.
Finishing these podcast episodes brings Volpe a feeling of hope that she may be helping another artist.
“It always makes me so happy to finish one of these podcast episodes and put it out there and be like, ‘well, now whoever wants to be an artist has this little guidebook on how to start their career and how to be successful,’” Volpe said.
Caleb Merckle, a graduate student pursuing a degree in Asian Studies, is another member of The Athenaeum Press. Merckle credited Crandell for her determination in securing grants like the SCAC award.
“The beginning of this year was a bit turbulent in terms of academics and sort of funding in general. To be completely honest, we weren’t sure if, you know, this was the end of our paychecks,” Merckle said.
Merckle encouraged students to attend the Communal Pen workshops as well as their monthly Clicking the Pen workshops.
The Communal Pen aims to collect and preserve the lived histories of South Carolinians. Participants can submit their own writings, which are then added to a public database that allows people to interpret and engage with other stories.
The goal of Communal Pen is to document personal histories that often go unrecorded.
Merckle reflected on his favorite project at The Athenaeum Press thus far: “Waiting in Segregated Spaces,” a workshop series held in one of the last segregated waiting rooms in a doctor’s office, preserved in Georgetown, South Carolina.
The team researched the hospital’s history and gathered stories from people who had lived through segregation. They set up an interview space where visitors could share their own stories and also spoke to younger generations who reflected on the lessons passed down from their parents.
Members of The Athenaeum Press encouraged others to attend the Gullah Community Day this February in Downtown Conway. The event brings together local creators to showcase their work. The team plans to attend and gather community responses to writing projects and collaborate with several artists.
“We’re always just grateful for the opportunity to be able to partner with the statewide organization and get our students involved,” Crandell said.
Crandell explained how the name ‘Athenaeum Press’ originates from the ancient Greek and Roman athenaeums, which are places that promoted knowledge and learning.
“That’s why it’s a symbol for our university, that’s why it’s a symbol for us. We very much recognize our space, our place, as a storytelling lab within a regional public university,” Crandell said.
