N.C. Department of Cultural Resources Secretary Linda A. Carlisle released on Feb. 7 recommendations from a statewide task force that calls for arts and cultural districts planning and funding for arts-driven economic development pilot projects.
The recommendations were from the SmART Initiative Task Force appointed by Carlisle last year. She charged the Task Force with using arts-driven economic development as a catalyst in North Carolina communities. Jim Goodmon, CEO of Capitol Broadcasting, served as chairperson of the Task Force.
“The SmART Initiative reinforces Cultural Resources’ work in the creative economy,” said Carlisle. “Investment in arts and culture makes North Carolina a place where businesses want to be, where people want to live, and where visitors want to explore.”
Goodmon added that in his experience in recruiting new businesses to the Triangle, the arts are a very effective tool for bringing new companies to the area.”The big payoff is economic development, including the creation of new businesses and restoration of vacant or underutilized buildings,” said Goodmon.
“Business people, artists and state government leaders are all concerned with the economic stability and growth of our state,” Carlisle said. “Communities that invest in the arts reap the benefits of jobs, economic growth and a quality of life that positions those communities to compete in our 21st century creative economy.”
Goodmon announced the following six recommendations from the Task Force:
- Create an Arts and Cultural Districts Program.
- Provide financial assistance to cities and towns for projects that build on the arts.
- Establish resource teams to help communities inventory their assets and understand the full range of their cultural and natural resources as economic assets.
- Provide incentives to private developers to participate in arts-driven development by extending the Historic Preservation and Mill Rehabilitation Tax Credits beyond 2014.
- Create a Web-based resource center as an additional tool for communities undertaking arts-driven economic development.
- Forge partnerships with other governmental agencies to integrate arts-driven activity into their existing programs, including the N.C. Department of Commerce and the N.C. Department of Transportation
North Carolina already has many examples of communities that use arts and cultural assets for economic development, including Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Kinston and Winston-Salem.