A guest column by North Carolina Writers’ Network Executive Director Ed Southern appeared in yesterday’s Winston-Salem Journal.
For nearly a century now, our state has built, sustained and justified a remarkable tradition of support for the arts. We opened a state-sponsored School of the Arts despite the opponents who dismissed it as “toe-dancing school.†We revitalized depressed neighborhoods in Charlotte, Asheville, Winston-Salem and dozens of other Tar Heel towns through the power of the arts. We welcome thousands of visitors who come to Seagrove for the pottery, to Wilkesboro for MerleFest, to Wilmington for the movies.
To read the full article, click here.
The current state budget proposed by the senate slashes funding to the North Carolina Arts Council and endangers arts organizations in all 100 counties. The positive economic impact of the arts has been well-documented. Please consider contacting your representatives in our state government today and letting them know how much you value the arts in North Carolina.