A house RESOLUTION

 

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR MAC ARTHUR GOODWIN FOR HIS SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ARTS IN THE PALMETTO STATE AND IN THE NATION.

 

Whereas, a native of Orangeburg, Mac Arthur Goodwin devoted his life to helping others express themselves through the visual and performing arts; and

 

Whereas, earning degrees from Claflin University and the University of South Carolina, he taught at every level from kindergarten through higher education and spent nearly two decades promoting arts education for the South Carolina Department of Education, serving as education associate for the visual and performing arts at the department from 1984 to 2000; and

 

Whereas, a tireless advocate, Dr. Goodwin was a leader in arts education and made tremendous strides in the development of visual and performing arts education at both the national and state levels. In South Carolina, he helped establish the Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities and the Arts in the Basic Curriculum (ABC) Project. He also played a pivotal role in securing categorical funding for arts education while at the Department of Education, and he chaired the South Carolina Alliance for Arts Education, an affiliate of the Kennedy Center Performing Arts, and the South Carolina Arts Alliance, a nationally acclaimed arts education and advocacy organization; and

 

Whereas, selected to chair the South Carolina African American History Monument Citizens Advisory Committee, he considered this project his most challenging, yet rewarding, endeavor through which he aimed to create a meaningful representation of the history of African Americans in South Carolina on the grounds of the Capitol; and

 

Whereas, beyond the Palmetto State, Dr. Goodwin served as president of the National Arts Education Association, and chaired both the National Art Education Foundation and the Consortium of National Professional Arts Associations.  He collaborated with numerous groups, including the Educational Testing Service, to enhance arts education assessments and professional teaching standards; and

 

Whereas, in recognition of his commitment to arts education, the Columbia Museum of Art established the Mac Arthur Goodwin Award in 2002, presented annually to an individual demonstrating a significant commitment to this field. He received numerous accolades himself, including the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest civilian honor; and the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Award, the Governor's Award for the Arts; and

 

Whereas, an accomplished painter and printmaker, Dr. Goodwin frequently included images of the marabou stork in his works. He enjoyed the challenge of transforming a traditionally unattractive subject into aesthetically pleasing art, believing in the deeper, spiritual truths revealed through such artistic endeavors; and

 

Whereas, passing away in 2016, this son of Orangeburg and the Palmetto State has left a legacy through which generations of South Carolinians and all Americans have access to a richer visual and performing arts education experience thanks to his contributions to our State and nation. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

 

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor Mac Arthur Goodwin for his significant contributions to the arts in the Palmetto State and in the nation.

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