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Long Range Plan '05-'09

"I decided that we would never be civilized - in the sensitive and human sense - if we did not strive to have the arts, in the broadest definitions, become a part of the lives of all people."

Governor Terry Sanford on why he established the North Carolina Arts Council in 1964


The North Carolina Arts Council is a state agency and part of the Department of Cultural Resources, the nation's first cabinet level state department for the arts, history, and libraries. Our funding comes primarily from the North Carolina legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

As we have for over 40 years, the North Carolina Arts Council

  • Promotes excellence in its many forms of artistic expression
  • Supports the exemplary artists and organizations that make up the state's robust arts industry
  • Puts artists in the classroom to enhance student learning
  • Expands the range of opportunities for North Carolinians to experience the arts

PLAN SUMMARY

MISSION: TO MAKE NORTH CAROLINA A BETTER STATE THROUGH THE ARTS

We accomplish this in partnership with

  • Artists and arts organizations
  • Other organizations that use the arts to make their communities stronger
  • North Carolinians - young and old - who enjoy and participate in the arts

GOAL I: VIBRANT COMMUNITIES

  • Local arts councils ensure that the arts are central to community life.
  • Art makes community spaces attractive and distinctive.
  • Arts facilities invigorate downtowns and become community gathering places.
  • Art programs build crosscultural understanding.


GOAL II: CREATIVE AND PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS

  • North Carolina's strong network of arts organizations provides citizens access to a wide variety of creative experiences.
  • The state's arts industry is a potent force in economic growth and generates jobs for North Carolina workers.
  • Arts in education programs are essential to the personal and intellectual growth of North Carolina's young people.
  • Participation in the arts contributes to lifelong learning and the wellbeing of the state's citizens.


GOAL III: NORTH CAROLINA'S CULTURAL VITALITY

  • A strong artist base stimulates individual creative expression, builds the state's cultural legacy, and encourages civic dialogue.
  • Citizen awareness of the state's arts and cultural assets creates a strong state identity based on pride in North Carolina's cultural heritage.
  • Cultural tourists reinforce the relevance of North Carolina's arts and culture.


Click here to view the entire Long Range Plan