This year's conference evolved from a program initiated in 1986 when a group of University System of Georgia art department chairs gathered to create an information sharing and problem-solving forum. This forum has evolved into the “State of the Arts Conference” held on Sapelo Island, Georgia each January.

Because SOA involves all levels of schools within the University System, it is unique in its intimate size and mixture of meaningful presentations, panels, and working sessions with lively socializing and rejuvenation activities in an artistically, culturally, historically, and environmentally rich setting.

Jillann Hertel, MFA Academic Professional for the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, was awarded the first ever fellowship to attend the State of the Arts Conference (SOA) on Sapelo Island in January 2015, where she presented on her 19+ year career in the arts and education, The School of Literature, Media, and Communication's Arts@LMC initiatives, LMC's Hands On Humanities efforts, and LMC's re branding and roll out of our undergraduate degree program from STAC to LMC.

She has been invited to participate again next year and has also been asked to serve on the committee to choose the 2nd annual Fellow.