Image by Arts Council of Beaufort, Port Royal and the Sea Islands announcing the 11 high-scoring acts that will continue on to round two.
"This competition is an opportunity to reach deeper, to reach musicians who have not been getting exposure. The focus of the Arts Council of Beaufort County has long been on visual arts, and the theater community is also established. Now we're opening up the scene to popular music, and all the untapped talent out there," said JW Rone, the executive director of the Arts Council of Beaufort County. "'American Idol' and 'America's Got Talent' are tried-and-true platforms, a way of showcasing talent that's been out there forever, like the Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour in the '50s that I listened to, and watched, when I was a kid."
UPDATE: preliminary competition on July 30th determined 11 high-scoring acts to continue on to the semi-final on August 13th at ARTworks in Beaufort. Enjoy the flickr slideshow of contestants so far at http://bit.ly/ae433u .