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Athene CEO Chip Smith |
On Aug. 23, Greenville County Superintendent of Schools W. Burke Royster
accepted a gift of 31 prints (valued at nearly $24,000) on behalf of
the school district for the Fine Arts Center from the CEO of Athene
Annuity (formerly Liberty Life), Chip Smith. The prints will become
part of what is already one of the finest art collections at any high
school in the country. The Athene collection, long considered to be one
the best held by a company in the U.S., will be a significant part of
our educational mission, and the students and faculty of the school wish
to express their gratitude for Athene's thoughtful and beautiful gift.
Valued at close to $900,000, the Fine Arts Center collection is a
teaching collection, used by all departments in the school to help
students understand the context of current and historical cultures and
to give depth and value to the historical time in which the works were
created. The collection is available for other schools in the district
(or the upstate) to view by calling the Fine Arts Center office at
864-355-2550.