Marianne Carruth, executive director, Tryon Fine Arts Center

Marianne Carruth, executive director of The Tryon Fine Arts Center, will be representing TFAC as a new member of The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Partners in Education.

The program is a network of 97 partnership teams in 41 states and the District of Columbia. Partners in Education provides members with unparalleled national arts networking and research presentations with cutting edge strategies in their approach to professional learning.

In addition, being a part of this team fosters arts partnerships between a multitude of arts organizations.

Letters of support from existing South Carolina 1996 team, signed by the heads of their organizations requested to add Tryon Fine Arts Center as a new member to the team.

Agreeing to the support of the program on a professional and financial level were: Spartanburg School District One Superintendent Dr. Ronald W.  Garner, and coordinator of Visual and Performing Arts, Cindy Riddle; The Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg Director of Education Ava Hughes, CEO Jennifer Evins; and Spartanburg District Six’s Dr. Darryl Owings, Thomas Tucker and Vicki Bishop.

Ms. Riddle stated, “Tryon Fine Arts Center, under the leadership and vision of Mrs. Carruth, is considered to be doing outstanding work in the arts through exemplary programming, community outreach, professional development and a high caliber of artists on the performance stage.”

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts defines arts integration as “an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process which connects an art form and another subject and meets evolving objectives.”

In addition to being the national cultural center, The Kennedy Center is a dynamic classroom, offering professional learning opportunities, in-depth training seminars for educators, teaching artists and additional education through programs such as ArtsEdge and Changing Education through the Arts.

“I’m excited about the opportunities that this partnership will create for the teachers and students in our community,” stated Ms. Carruth. Tryon Fine Arts Center, represented by Mrs. Carruth, will join in partnership with the Chapman Center and Spartanburg District One and District Six schools in conference in February, creating strategies for the advancement of arts and arts in education for artists and educators of western North Carolina and the upstate of South Carolina.

–Submitted by Susan Brady/Rebecca Osteen