EXPLORE

SmART in North Carolina

The arts in North Carolina have long been a catalyst and cornerstone of downtown and neighborhood revitalization. Even during the recent recession, dozens of new art museums, theaters and arts centers were built in communities large and small across the state, energizing city centers and small town main streets. To capitalize on this surge of public and private investment in North Carolina’s downtowns, a blue ribbon task force was appointed to create an arts-driven economic development plan for the state. From the task force’s report, the SmART Initiative was born.

Since 2012, the N.C. Arts Council has provided staff resources, public art consultants and significant funds to support creation of SmART creative placemaking plans and implementation of public art projects for selected SmART communities in North Carolina.
 

What is a SmART community? One broad definition is that these are communities that use their distinctive arts and cultural assets to revitalize neighborhoods and downtowns, instill a strong sense of place and pride in residents, attract creative workers and cultural visitors, and create sustainable economic development.

SmART Cities and Towns
View a presentation of the four demonstration projects the North Carolina Arts Council is funding in Burnsville, Durham, Kinston, and Wilson.

The SmART Vision Task Force Report
A twenty-five page report that features case studies of notable projects and recommendations for arts driven economic development practices and policies.

For More Information about the NC SmART Communities click here