press room
For Immediate Release
06/03/2007Contact:
Virginia Anagnos
Goodman Media for Americans for the Arts
212.576.2700 ext. 222 or virginia@goodmanmedia.com
Americans for the Arts Presents Second Annual Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award to Betty Plumb
LAS VEGAS, NV — June 3, 2007 — At its annual meeting in Las Vegas, Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America, presented the 2007 Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award to Betty Plumb, executive director of the South Carolina Arts Alliance. The award was created to honor an individual who has dramatically affected the political landscape through their arts advocacy efforts at the state level.
Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO for Americans for the Arts, stated, “Betty has been a tremendous leader and passionate advocate for the arts and arts education in South Carolina. Her unwavering commitment to local, state, and national support for the arts is deserving of this recognition.”
Betty Plumb has been dedicated to state and arts advocacy for close to 20 years, and has served as executive director of the South Carolina Arts Alliance since 1994. Under Plumb’s leadership, the Alliance has developed an extensive grassroots advocacy base of informed supporters of the arts and arts education legislation and its funding at the state and federal level. In addition, the Alliance serves as a technical assistance service provider and resource for local and statewide arts administrators, providing subsidies, workshops, and consultancies in the field of arts management and leadership development.
In July 2001, Plumb completed a two-year term as president of the State Arts Advocacy League of America (SAALA), a national service organization for statewide advocacy agencies. She also served as president of the National Community Arts Network (NCAN), a statewide association of arts service providers from 2002 to 2004 when SAALA and NCAN merged as a programmatic network of Americans for the Arts to form the State Arts Action Network (SAAN).
The Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award is presented by the State Arts Action Network of Americans for the Arts.
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of more than 45 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.
