Governor’s Awards

Sara June Goldstein is Literary Arts Director and Senior Coordinator of Statewide Partnerships at the South Carolina Arts Commission. A graduate of Columbia College, in 1987, Goldstein joined the Arts Commission staff as a temporary project coordinator for Carolina Connections, a one-of-a-kind festival celebrating writers with ties to the Palmetto State.  That began a 30-year career advocating for the contemporary literature of South Carolina as well as building and supporting partnerships that highlight poets and writers—and other artists and communities—throughout the state.  Some of the most notable and innovative partnerships include The Art of Community: Rural SC, the SC Novel Prize with Hub City Press, the Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) Project, the Leo Twiggs Arts Leadership Scholars Program with The Riley Institute at Furman, the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission Partnership, the South Carolina Literary Arts Partnership, and the South Carolina Design Arts Partnership. Through these programs, Goldstein has developed a national network of writers, artists, scholars, and publishing professionals who are increasingly familiar with the work of South Carolina authors and have a deeper appreciation of the rich diverse expression and culture of the state. A native of Rock Hill, South Carolina, Goldstein and her family are long-time residents of Columbia.