Issue Position: Arts

Issue Position

Issue Position: Arts

"[Arts are] part and parcel of who we are as a people. And we not only have to celebrate and honor it, we have to keep growing it."

Lieutenant Governor Bev Perdue, WRAL Debate 9/9/08

Bev has been a long-standing advocate for North Carolina's arts community. During her service as a chief budget writer in the State Senate, she oversaw the appropriation of over $45 million in new state funding to local arts, cultural and historic organizations and infrastructure.

Bev knows that the arts and cultural opportunities are an important element in attracting and growing jobs in any community, but they do much more than that. They forge and reinforce shared cultural bonds that create civic pride, while at the same time serving as a magnet to attract others to visit, live and work in the community.

As Governor, Bev will:

* Hear the voice of the arts community and value their input.

* Build better collaboration between state agencies like Commerce, DENR and Cultural Resources whose work touches on the arts and the cultural landscape of our state.

* Expand North Carolina's Main Street program and help towns involve small creative businesses and nonprofits more directly in downtown redevelopment.

* Support a smart, fair system to assist local arts groups in recapitalizing the hundreds of community facilities across the state that serve artists and grassroots organizations.

* Support sustainable resources for community arts councils and grassroots organizations to help leverage private sector support.

* Protect and develop our cultural heritage sites. She knows the role they play in our $17 billion tourism industry, attracting visitors who stay longer and spend more money.

* As part of her overall education and economic plan, Bev will:

* Support arts education as a way to teach kids to think creatively -- a crucial skill to remain competitive in a global economy.

* Support expansion of arts programs in our public schools to help reduce the drop-out rate, encourage innovation, and provide students a pathway to high-paying technical jobs in multimedia, design, and broadcasting.

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