About Us

Explore the history of the Creative Spark Center for the Arts and take a look at our fabulous
staff and faculty.

WHAT!
Creative Spark Center for the Arts' philosophy is very simple:
Everybody is creative and learning the Arts should be fun!
This philosophy infuses the three aspects to the art center's program:

Classes featuring the best of music, art, dance and drama taught by excellent professional instructors to students of all ages.
A presenting series offering the best family entertainment to the community and especially to schools.
A series of grant funded work that uses the arts as an agent of social change to address issues such as racism, handicapped children and other social issues.

The guiding principle of Creative Spark is that it is run like a business with a commitment to customer service, fiscal responsibility and consistent quality.

WHO? Creative Spark is the brainchild of Carol Antman whose career includes being a student and teacher of piano as well as an entrepreneur. Between 1981- 1995, Carol and her husband, Mark Antman, started and grew one Jack Rabbit One Hour Photo store into a retail chain of one-hour photofinishing labs with 22 stores. As Executive Director Carol oversees day-to-day operations, planning, marketing, budget, payroll, accounts payable and staff development. She is assisted in the administration of the art center by by an assistant. Currently, the professional faculty includes approximately thirty teachers who work part time. In addition, artistic talent is brought in for approximately fifteen different shows a year, each one of which is presented several times and resident artists are contracted to work in schools through Creative Spark.

WHY? The seed of the idea for Creative Spark began with a question: "Why are piano teachers still a cottage industry?" A need was identified to professionalize music and Arts education, to market it effectively and to insure its consistent quality through a business-like approach combined with an emphasis on fun and creative development. The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. In the first year of operation, Creative Spark reached its third year student enrollment goal and has continued to grow very quickly. And the rest is history.

WHEN? In 1991, after exploring what art centers are like, getting information from professional organizations, including the S. C. Arts Commission and the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, and building a potential faculty, Carol began Creative Spark in partnership with the Town of Mt. Pleasant, who provided Creative Spark with its first home in the Darby Building, an infrastructure and operating capital. In 1993, Creative Spark left the auspices of the Town of Mt. Pleasant and formed its own private, non-profit corporation.

HOW? Creative Spark is largely tuition driven. Unlike most of its not-for-profit counterparts, Creative Spark earns most (more than 80%) of its money. Grants are provided by various foundations and organizations, most notably by the S.C. Arts Commission through its various funding programs that are provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. It is also supported by its Board members through donations and fund-raisers and by individual donations.

E-mail us at Creative Spark
creativespark@bellsouth.net
Phone: 843-881-3780
Fax: 843-881-8487

WHERE? In October 1998, Creative Spark moved to its present location at 757 Long Point Rd. just off the Mark Clark , I-526, interstate (see map). The new facility was custom designed by Creative Spark to accommodate its growing program and provides classroom space for individual and group lessons and a large recital hall/dance studio as well as an outdoor pavilion. The recital hall is also used for events and rental occasions to other groups.

FACULTY & STAFF

All of Creative Spark's instructors are degreed and experienced in their media. Many are certified in particular curricula. In addition to being experts in their fields of instruction, they are committed to teaching with encouragement and creative exploration.

Students are given opportunities to improvise music, to compose and to follow tangential ideas; they are given the freedom to have as a goal the process of art rather than a product. Recitals are included but not overemphasized and allow students more time to work on a variety of projects instead of preparing for one major event.

Each instructor is qualified in their art field. It is a great opportunity to have them work with the students of all ages at Creative Spark Center for the Arts.

Please contact Creative Spark if you have any questions.

Creative Spark is a non-profit community organization committed to providing high-quality Arts education and experiences to the people of the South Carolina Lowcountry, regardless of age, ability, income or ethnic origin.