FAC News

Congratulations to Morgan Thompson!  

Morgan Thompson, a senior in the FAC Dance studio, has been offered a total of $108,000 in academic and art scholarships to attend the Point Park Conservatory of Performing Arts. Morgan attended the Point Park University summer intensive this past July and has made the most of her opportunity. While she is still auditioning for colleges and has not yet made a decision on where she will attend, we wanted to take an opportunity to congratulate her on receiving this outstanding offer! 

Congratulations to Fine Arts Center 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year: Mr. Steve Watson!

Steve has been the Director of Jazz Studies at The Fine Arts Center since 1990. He graduated from Newberry College with a BA in 1974 and The University of Miami (Coral Gables) with a MM in 1977. Steve has performed all over the world. He was a member of The University of Miami Concert Jazz Band that toured Switzerland, Cyprus, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Tunisia. From 1978 through 1984, Steve was a member of The Bruce Hornsby Band. After moving to Los Angeles, he became a studio guitarist for television, movies, and records. His credits include Hill Street Blues, Magnum PI, The A-Team, Hunter, Hardcastle and McCormick, Riptide, Murder She Wrote, LA Law, Big Business, Simon and Simon, Quantum Leap, The Young Riders, Sonny Spoon, The Greatest American Hero, Young Guns, Trains, Planes and Autos, Sixteen Candles, Rhinestone, Dragnet, Dr. Detroit, River Rats, Into the Night and The Dolly Parton variety television show. He has also recorded commercials for Coors, Budweiser, 7-11, Acura, Honda and Toyota. Steve was an adjunct professor at The University of Southern California from 1981-1990 and lecturer at The University of Miami from 1977-1978.

Sarah Blackman, Creative Writing

 YoungArts Winners!

Congratulations to the following FAC Students, who were among the 659 students nationwide to be selected as National YoungArts Winners!

Kudos to Our Chamber Strings Students!

Violist Philip Rawlinson (Grade 11) was awarded first prize last week at the Carolina Youth Symphony Concerto Competition! Phillip will be soloing with the orchestra later this spring.

Will Rawlinson (Cello, Grade 11), Philip Rawlinson, and Abigail Byrd (Cello, Grade 12), won the Greenville County Youth Orchestra Concerto competition this past fall and will be soloing with the GCYO later this spring.

Congratulations to Our YoungArts Winners!

The Fine Arts Center is proud to announce that two of our students have been honored by the prestigious National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts)!

• Congratulations to Merit Award Winner Pen Zuleger, whose novel was selected for recognition in the Writing category.
• Congratulations to National Finalist Nicholas Turgeon, who has been selected as a Visual Arts winner.

Pen and Nick join 686 of the nation’s most accomplished artists in the visual, literary and performing arts. They were selected by an esteemed discipline-specific panel of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process. This year’s award winners represent the top 9.5% of applications across ten artistic disciplines. YoungArts award winners gain access to one of the most prestigious programs for emerging artists in the United States in which they will have opportunities for creative and professional development throughout their entire careers.

As a Finalist, Nick will have the opportunity to participate in National YoungArts Week (January 5–12, 2020), the organization’s signature program providing artists with an intensive, weeklong and all-inclusive program featuring masterclasses, workshops and mentorship from leading artists in their fields. He will be eligible to be nominated to become a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of the highest honors given to high school seniors bestowed by the President of the United States

Nicholas Turgeon and Pen Zuleger