Building Creative Economies: The Arts, … 2003 Building Creative Economies: The Arts, Entrepreneurship, and Sustainable Development Serving Communities. Enriching Lives. “ I come

M a r c h 2 0 0 3

B u i l d i n g C r e at i ve Ec o n o m i e s :T h e A r t s, E n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p, a n d S u s t a i n a b l e D eve l o p m e n t

Serving Communities. Enriching Lives.

“I come from a tiny community of seven people. My

parents were musicians, grandpa played banjo and old

time music. I couldn’t afford a nice guitar so I made one.

I built one guitar with my mother’s dresser drawer

bottom. I met Albert Hash, a wonderful fiddle maker,

who generously shared what he knew.”—Wayne Henderson, musician, guitar maker, and National Heritage

Fellow, Mouth of Wilson, Virginia

Kenan Institute for the Arts at theNorth Carolina School of the Arts

N A T I O N A L

E N D O W M E N T

FOR THE ARTS

Small and rural communities across

the country continue to face drastic

population shifts and economic

upheaval. Many efforts are under way

in these areas to create and

implement economic revitalization

and community development

strategies. In analyzing resources,

strengths, and needs, communities

are increasingly seeing the potential

of their existing creative economies—

sectors of the economy that

include arts, cultural and heritage

organizations, businesses, and

workers—as strong revenue,

employment, and quality of life

generators, or “creative industries.”

2 | M o n o g r a p h | M a r c h 2 0 0 3

www.AmericansForTheArts.org

“It is great to have so many people

gathered in my district to discuss rural

economic development and the arts.

Western North Carolina has numerous

examples of how the arts play an

important role in boosting local

economies, from the Brevard Music Center

to the Flat Rock Playhouse to the

mountain arts, crafts, and music. The

arts attract new business, make Western

North Carolina a tourist destination and

help to preserve our culture.”—Representative Charles H. Taylor, North Carolina

“I supported the creation of an arts center

in my hometown of Hickory. Arts have a

far bigger impact than just their beauty—

the arts have helped diversify this state’s

economy.”—Representative Cass Ballenger, North Carolina

“Asheville, North Carolina, is a wonderful

example of how productive creative workers

can bolster local economies and enrich

community life.”—Eileen B. Mason, senior deputy chairman,

National Endowment for the Arts

“From the largest to the smallest communities,

the research clearly demonstrates that the

arts attract audiences, spur business

development, create local jobs, and

generate government revenue. When we

say that the arts mean business—that’s not

just a slogan—it’s the truth”—Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO,

Americans for the Arts

Eileen B. Mason

Appalachia is a large, mountainous region,

defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission

as a 200,000 square mile region that follows the

spine of the Appalachian Mountains from

southern New York to northern Mississippi. It

includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12

other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky,

Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina,

Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee,

and Virginia. Approximately a quarter of

Appalachia’s 410 counties are economically

distressed, with local economies operating well

below national norms.

M a r c h 2 0 0 3 | M o n o g r a p h | 3

To explore the potential for creativeeconomies in Appalachia, more than 300individual artists and representatives from

arts, humanities, historical, and heritageorganizations; state and local arts agencies;federal, state, and local economic developmentand tourism agencies; and foundations gatheredin Asheville, North Carolina in April 2002 toattend Building Creative Economies: The Arts,Entrepreneurship, and Sustainable Developmentin Appalachia. Participants shared informationabout the successful use of arts and heritage inrevitalizing Appalachian communities, as well aslocal, state, and national funding sources. Theparticipants also discussed marketing, culturalheritage tourism, downtown revitalization,heritage areas, and artists as entrepreneurs. The conference was intended to increase therecognition of the arts as a factor in economicdevelopment, encourage more entrepreneurialactivities by artists and arts organizations, andincrease their access to economic developmentfunding. Additionally, the conference wasdesigned to spur the development of state actionplans and increase collaboration among artists,arts organizations, economic/communitydevelopment specialists, and funders.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)and the Appalachian Regional Commission(ARC), the federal co-sponsors of theconference, saw it as an opportunity to helpcommunity leaders in Appalachia who seek todevelop local economies through the arts. JesseL. White, federal co-chairman of the ARC, stated that the ARC is “searching for newstrategies and options to help empower ourpeople to create more sustainable economicfutures for themselves. With the NationalEndowment for the Arts, we are planning todevelop a synergistic strategy to build on naturaladvantages of the region and marry this with

entrepreneurship to build sustainable economicdevelopment.” He explained that the ARC’seconomic development strategy has shifted fromeconomic development through jobs recruiting tojobs building from local resources.

This monograph provides an overview of theconference proceedings and the economic impactof the arts and culture, recommended steps fordeveloping a local creative economy, issues thatshould be taken into consideration, case studiesof successful community development strategiesutilizing available creative resources, and follow-up activities including state action planning andother initiatives.

“Since September 11th, we’ve seen how

important the arts are to us as individuals,

and as communities. We Americans are

reconnecting with our roots, reflecting on

our history, and expressing ourselves—in

both sorrow and celebration—through

painting, music, song, poetry, dance, and

crafts. Home and hearth are back in style.

And that’s good for the arts and good for

local communities.”—Eileen B. Mason, senior deputy chairman,

National Endowment for the Arts

Introduc tion

Jesse L. White and Eileen B. Mason


“We are proud of the arts in North Carolina.

Tourism is a $12.5 billion a year business,

$4 billion of that is from cultural tourism

and $580 million is crafts.”—Secretary Libba Evans, North Carolina Department

of Cultural Resources

The arts have long been part of the economicexchange in communities and regionaleconomies. Until recently, the importance of

the creative sector has been difficult to measure.However, evidence continues to grow that thearts are a significant sector of the Americaneconomy.

The Craft Organization Directors Association2001 survey, The Impact of Craft on the NationalEconomy, found that direct impact from sales ofAmerican handmade crafts totals $14 billion.The survey also reported that:

• 106,000 to 126,000 craftspeople work in theU.S.

• Average gross sales/revenue per craftspersonis $76,025

• Total impact of craft sales is $12.3 to $13.8billion per year, one-third the volume ofshoes purchased in the U.S. and four timesthe value of taxicab rides

• Median household income of craftspeople is$50,000 per year, 26 percent above thenational median of $39,657

• Craft activity income comprises 47 percent ofhousehold income on average

• 22 percent of craft households derive all oftheir income from craft.

In another region of the country, the NewEngland Council released The Creative EconomyInitiative: The Role of the Arts and Culture in NewEngland’s Economic Competitiveness in June 2000.The report showed that the creative economythere provides jobs for 245,000 people or 3.5percent of the New England workforce;generates more than $4.4 billion in payrollalone; and surpasses both the employment andjob growth rates of other leading industries.

On the national level, Americans for the Arts’2002 study, Arts & Economic Prosperity: TheEconomic Impact of Nonprofit Arts Organizationsand Their Audiences, revealed that America’snonprofit arts industry generates $134 billionin economic activity every year, including$24.4 billion in federal, state, and local taxrevenues, and supports 4.85 million full-timeequivalent jobs.

The research and findings in these reportsdocument the size and vigor of the arts andculture sector, provide new ways of looking atits contribution to economies, motivate otherjurisdictions to examine the role of arts andculture in their own communities, and helpmake the case to public and private investorsthat stimulating creative employment is soundpublic policy.

“We began by doing a regional economic

impact study and documented that, in 1995,

the craft community contributed $122

million to our region—four times that of

burley tobacco, our major agricultural crop.

We learned 62 percent of objects are bought

by visitors. Our first work was then cultural

tourism. This market has been here. We

didn’t have to build the market. Our tourist

attractions are based here, owned here.”—Becky Anderson, executive director,

HandMade in America, Asheville, North Carolina

4 | M o n o g r a p h | M a r c h 2 0 0 3


T h e I m p a c t o f A r t s a n d C u l t u r e o nEc o n o m i e s

M a r c h 2 0 0 3 | M o n o g r a p h | 5


Aproven way to strengthen communities and their economies is to identify theircultural assets and stimulate local creative

businesses and nonprofit organizations to build a strong local creative economy. Throughout the Building Creative Economies conference,participants shared strategies to build indigenouseconomic activity through local arts and heritagebusiness development and learned about localinitiatives and national partnerships that arecreating jobs and restoring life to rural communitiesand small towns, such as West Virginia’sTamarack crafts center and a new $7.5 million Artisans Gateway Center nearBerea, Kentucky.

Recommendations that emerged from the conferenceconcerning the development of creativeeconomies and creative entrepreneurshipinclude:

1. Identify and conserve cultural traditionsthrough folk and traditional arts fieldwork.

2. Conduct asset-based community planning.

3. Engage artists in planning.

4. Build coalitions.

5. Plan appropriate scale to fit rural lifestyles.

6. Provide technical assistance.

7. Market effectively.

8. Build local leadership and community capacity.

9. Integrate the arts into community economicdevelopment plans.

10. Assemble funding.

11. Create arts-based business incubators.

12. Stimulate cultural heritage tourism.

B u i l d i n g o n t h e A d va n t a g e s o f A p p a l a c h i a

“One of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s

objectives has been to capitalize on tourism,

heritage, and the arts to stimulate economic

development…. Flannery O’Connor wrote ‘in the

South, beauty is our money crop.’ When you think

of art, crafts, people, and music as a crop in this

wonderfully rich soil of Appalachia, it is something

that can be harvested…. The soil from which the

beauty comes must be sustained and nurtured.

We have a natural advantage in Appalachia, we

can produce economic development out of this

and can protect this rich culture that means so

much to all of us….”

—Jesse L. White, federal co-chairman,Appalachian Regional Commission

“Increasing entrepreneurship in Rural America is

an essential strategy for increasing economic

performance and prosperity. An entrepreneurship

strategy focuses on entrepreneurs, not just

businesses; creates a support infrastructure for

these entrepreneurs; and creates communities that

recognize, value, and support entrepreneurs.”

—Chuck Fluharty, director,Rural Policy Research Institute

D eve l o p i n g a L o c a l C r e at i ve E c o n o my

“Culture and place, whether connected more

by fact or by fancy in Appalachia, have

historically played a significant role in local

and regional commerce. For nearly two

centuries there has been tourism in the

Appalachian region….Music, crafts,

storytelling, and foodways associated with

the region have been presented to both

internal and external markets for at least

as long.”—Barry Bergey, director, Folk and Traditional Arts,

National Endowment for the Arts.

1. Identify and conserve cultural traditionsthrough fieldwork.

Kathleen Mundell, who pioneered the process of Discovery Research in Maine, outlined howfolklorists can conduct basic research to identifylocal cultural assets: “Field work is done beforea heritage program kicks in. Communities…havea mass of resources in people, history, artifacts,places, and skills. Fieldwork identifies anddocuments these local traditions. This is an

occasion for active listening in a community. Aperson tied to a place says what is significantabout living and working in that place. Heritageprograms grow out of such conversations.Results are place-based, local programs thathighlight local artists and traditions. Effectivefield work increases the local capacity to carryon such work.”

2. Conduct asset-based community planning.

The consistent advice to local organizers is tostart by understanding a community’s assets.Successful creative economies are built uponcommunity strengths. Too often, planning dwellson what is wrong with an area, and leavescommunity members thinking the solution totheir problems must come from outside. Plansposition communities to successfully seekfunding to implement their economicdevelopment initiatives.

3. Engage artists in planning.

Artists, craftspeople, and musicians are not only sources of creativity; they are valuablecommunity members who can contribute toplanning and community building. Artists andother creative workers have much to offer theircommunities through their ability to applycreative solutions to community problems. They should be drawn into community planningearly, not after the plans call for putting artistsinto studios.

4. Build coalitions.

Success depends upon effective communitycoalitions. The job of cultural economicdevelopment requires many types of expertiseand resources—no individual or agency can do it alone. Partnerships seem to be part of everysuccessful creative economy initiative.

6 | M o n o g r a p h | M a r c h 2 0 0 3


On dais from left: Sheila Kay Adams, Chuck Fluharty, Tog Newman,Patrick Overton.

M a r c h 2 0 0 3 | M o n o g r a p h | 7


“Ten years ago, young people were leaving

Chesnee, South Carolina. They couldn’t

persuade a doctor to live there. There was

no reason for tourists to stop. Folks cleaned

up an area by the tracks and created a park

with public art. Coalitions formed and

started another project, a foothills artisans

center. The center and its artists advertised

on the highways and brought people to

town. This encouraged local business

owners to do facelifts on storefronts. And

they got their doctor.”—Joyce Cauthen, executive director,

Alabama Folklife Association

5. Plan appropriate scale to fit rurallifestyles.

Activists have stressed the importance of buildingeconomic development projects on a scale appropriate to the way local communities actuallywork. Kathleen Mundell states that a site whichattracts too many tourists is changed by crowdsand “…is no longer what it was, it becomes some-thing else.” “What we do should remain a good fit for all,” she recommends. “Some folk artistsdon’t want to be visible. Development should be in scale with community needs even if thisdoesn’t seem ambitious enough.”

6. Provide technical assistance.

Often outside expertise is needed. Specialists inethnographic research, community assessment,planning, architecture, design, and funding maybe needed. Community leaders repeatedly stressthe need for outside experts to respect localownership and control of initiatives.

7. Market effectively.

If the creative enterprises are aimed at tourists, theprojects must be well marketed. Experienced cultural planners say: know yourself, know yourproduct, know your audience, and know yourmarketing tools. “Cultural heritage travelers are an extremely attractive target market because theytend to stay longer and spend more money,”remarked Amy Webb, Heritage Tourism programdirector for the National Trust for HistoricPreservation. “But today’s cultural heritage travel-ers also have higher expectations, and it is criticalto provide high quality, value-added experiences—and to promote those experiences accordingly.”

“Our community had lost hope….We thought

the magic would be a prison or manufactur-

ing plant. But then we started to consider

our own assets as we started to plan. We

had heritage. We decided we’d do it our-

selves, even if we weren’t selected for grants.

This would be a 10- to 20-year process. We

went through visioning and formed an edu-

cational committee. It was locally driven,

but we brought in outsiders to help. We

wanted a technical assistance team that

included landscape architecture, heritage

preservation, and planning expertise to help

us flesh out our plan. We used the resources

of our community college too. Experts

helped give credence to what we were doing,

especially for people outside the county. We

received $20 million in funding for projects.

We formed a fantastic board. As a result, we

developed our civic capacity. Our communi-

ty has a plan, we have hope, we have more

pride and we have more dreams.”—Ron Daley, campus director, Hazard Community

College, Hindman, Kentucky

“Our Kentucky Appalachian Artisan Center

on Main Street helps market products and

provide services to the artisans no matter

what their skills. We started with business

assistance before marketing, so they would

be prepared. We worked with a $1.6 million

budget plus a planning grant from the

Appalachian Regional Commission.”—Ron Daley, Hazard Community College

8. Build local leadership and communitycapacity.

It is common for studies of successful businesses,nonprofits, or community development strategiesto acknowledge the critical role of successfulleadership. The same is true for building creativeeconomies. What is not so obvious is that localeconomies built upon creative enterprises alsowork to inspire new leadership. The difference isenterprising small businesses compared withdutiful factory workers. The enthusiasm generatescivic pride and local political engagement.

8 | M o n o g r a p h | M a r c h 2 0 0 3


America’s nonprofit arts industry generates$134 billion in economic activity everyyear—$53.2 billion in spending by arts

organizations and an additional $80.8 billion inevent-related spending by arts audiences. Thiseconomic activity has a significant impact onthe nation’s economy, supporting 4.9 millionfull-time jobs and generating $24.4 billion ingovernment revenue. The arts, unlike mostindustries, leverage significant amounts ofevent-related spending by their audiences.Attendance at arts events generates relatedcommerce for hotels, restaurants, parkinggarages, and more. Data collected from 40,000attendees at a range of arts events reveal an

Ar ts & Economic Prosperity:The Economic Impac t of Nonprofit Ar ts Organizations and Their Audiences

Other

Souvenirs

Transportation

Lodging

Meals/Refreshments

$10.33

$3.85

$3.51

$2.63

$2.55

9. Integrate into community economicdevelopment plans.

Cultural economic development does not succeedin isolation. An arts program is not a magicbullet that can single-handedly restore acommunity to economic health. To hold this as apromise is to set up an impossible expectation.Creative economies succeed when they are partof broader community initiatives. An artsbusiness incubator near Asheville is part of anenvironmental and energy conservation plan.Other projects partner with transportation,agriculture, parks and recreation, forestry, historicpreservation, literacy, youth development, andeducation agencies.

It is common for creative economic initiatives to be embedded into broadly-conceivedcommunity planning. The community planningthen positions the initiatives for funding fromsectors that would otherwise ignore culturaldevelopment.

Nonprofit Ar ts Attendees Spend an Average of$22.87 Above the Cost of Admission

M a r c h 2 0 0 3 | M o n o g r a p h | 9


average spending of $22.87 per person, notincluding the price of admission.

The findings also reveal that non-local attendeesspend nearly twice as much as local attendees($38.05 compared to $21.75), demonstratingthat a community that attracts cultural touristsstands to harness significant economic rewards.

Local Economic ImpactIn Asheville, North Carolina, the nonprofit artsorganizations reported spending a total of$14,669,669 in fiscal 2000, with an additional$46,313,975 of spending by their audiences.

This $60,983,644 of economic activitysupported 2,100 full-time jobs and generated$1,692,000 in local government revenue and$3,868,000 in state government revenue. Theaverage spending by the 1.6 million attendeeswas $28.18 per person, per event, in addition tothe cost of admission. Local attendees (thosewho reside within the County) spent an averageof $22.99 per person, while their non-localcounterparts spent an average of $51.05 perperson.

Source: Americans for the Arts

10. Assemble funding.

Creative economic initiatives require fundingfrom multiple sources. Arts leaders have learnedto look outside the arts for financial supportfrom other sectors including job creation,historic preservation, downtown revitalization,economic development, travel and tourism,environment, and agriculture sources. Thesetraditionally non-arts funders respond mostgenerously when an initiative is an integral partof a larger community effort. The U.S. Departmentof Agriculture, for example, supports “essentialcommunity facilities” and has supported culturalcenters, but only when they have been identifiedas priorities within a broader community plan.

11. Create business incubators.

The business incubators that have worked inurban communities to nurture new businesses arealso viable in smaller, rural towns. These typicallyinclude subsidized facilities, central administrativeservices, onsite technical assistance or training inproduct development, business planning, and

marketing. Small business loans or peer lendinggroups may be part of an incubator program.

For example, in partnership with the Blue RidgeResource Conservation & Development Council,EnergyXchange, and Mayland CommunityCollege, HandMade in America established glassand ceramic craft business incubator studiospowered by methane gas at the abandonedYancey-Mitchell County (North Carolina) landfillnear the Penland School of Crafts.

12. Stimulate cultural heritage tourism.

Cultural heritage tourism is big business andmany creative economy success stories rely in parton attracting visitors and their money. The sametype of creative entrepreneurship that preserveslocal heritage, strengthens local community prideof place, and provides local economic opportunityalso attracts visitors. This area has been the focusof the National Trust for Historic Preservation’sHeritage Tourism Program and the Share YourHeritage Workshops developed with NationalEndowment for the Arts funding.

13. Build on local strengths.

One principle often repeated is to take advantageof local strengths and indigenous resources.Many communities in the United States struggleto find employment and preserve their quality of life. For many, the local industrial economy isgone and the new information technologyeconomy has failed to deliver jobs. While somecities and regions have been successful inattracting new outside industry, this industrialrecruitment strategy has failed many communities.Rural towns find industrial recruitment especiallyfrustrating. An alternative mode of economicdevelopment is to build upon local strengths that include a community’s creativity, heritage,and culture. This strategy strengthens the arts incommunities throughout the country whilecreating jobs and helping to restore communitylivability.

14. Provide ongoing training and education.

Training and education are important elements in successful creative economies programs. Insome communities, an arts or crafts school orcommunity college can provide arts skill training.Increasingly, entrepreneurial training is also beingoffered. Educational programs not only traincreative workers for self-employment; some growto be economic forces of their own. The long-trusted method of master artists teachingapprentices still works to build arts techniquesand successful careers. Many economicdevelopment strategies include apprenticeships in their educational programs.

Building Creative Economies conferenceparticipants also raised several issues thatshould be considered when trying to create

sustainable rural cultural entrepreneurship:

Respect rural people and ways. Successfulcreative economic development initiatives comefrom within or involve productive, respectfulcollaborations between local communitymembers and outside organizers. Appalachiancommunity leaders made it clear that plannersmust meet this condition. “Communityparticipation in all stages of planning,” saidPatricia Wells of Heritage Partnerships inMurfreesboro, Tennesse, “is critical, and anydevelopment efforts must focus on nurturingwhat is already present in these communities—sense of place, distinctive regional traditionalculture, and local history.”

Cultural stereotypes are barriers to culturaleconomic development. Sustainable communitydevelopment also requires that communitymembers respect themselves, each other, andtheir communities. Fortunately, creativeeconomic development builds community self-respect.

“Ruralism is a stereotype from the outside.

The real issue is not how outsiders view us

but how we view ourselves. Our greatest

limitations are those we impose on

ourselves. Some of the most profoundly

creative, brilliantly insightful art I’ve seen

is from communities of less than 2,500

people. It’s access to excellence. When you

have the one you will produce the other.”

—Patrick Overton, author, Rebuilding the Front Porchof America: Essays on the Art of Community Making.

10 | M o n o g r a p h | M a r c h 2 0 0 3


I s s u e s t o B e Co n s i d e r e d

Student, avocational, and noncommercial artistsare important. It is clear that not all artistswant to be publicly recognized, to market theirwork, or be accessible. Not all communitieswant tourists. It is still important to nurturecreativity, to protect and pass on traditions, andto preserve community heritage whether or notthere is a direct benefit to the economy. Just asindustry needs basic research and development,and professional sports need recreational sports,a creative economy requires a base of creativepeople, authentic places, and communities thatappreciate arts and culture.

Authenticity and quality matter. Communitycultural development requires artistic qualityand authenticity: mediocre art does not inspirecommunity development and phony touristattractions cannot sustain interest. Fortunately,most creative people who are at the heart ofcreative economies care about authenticity andquality. Joyce Cauthen, director of the AlabamaFolklife Association, contrasted authenticcultural economic development (that retainsresidents with economic opportunity and attractsvisitors) with “Anywhere USA” where “stripmalls, big box retailers, and highway bypassesundermine many communities. The highwaynumbers may be unique, but nothing else is.”

Do it for yourselves. Economic development inrural America has more often been aboutbusinesses and institutions doing things for orto people. Creative economic developmentrequires that people do for themselves; a creativeeconomy cannot be imposed.

C reative economies are making a difference in Appalachian communities. Several case studies, taken from Building Creative

Economies: The Working Papers, follow.

Western MarylandIn this region of the Allegheny Mountains, Amishand German farmwomen and retired textile workersare upholding the area’s longstanding tradition ofweaving rag rugs and, in the process, have createdtwo models of selling and marketing work. In addi-tion to selling their work wholesale to retail storesin the region, some enterprising weavers set upstores in their homes and sell directly to tourists.They add a small surcharge to the price of theirrugs and quilts to pay for the time they spend talk-ing about their work to visitors, something of a“cultural tourism” surcharge. This entrepreneurialmodel allows the traditional craftsperson to marketdirectly to the consumer and to retain the controlotherwise relinquished to middlemen. Secondly,the Penn Alps and the Spruce Forest ArtisanVillage provide marketing and work centers forlocal artisans exploring a range of media includingbird carving, basket making, handloom weaving,and pottery. The center also offers classes and is abig draw for tourists traveling west.

M a r c h 2 0 0 3 | M o n o g r a p h | 11


Bill Strickland Jr., founder and president, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild.

C a s e S t u d i e s

The Southern Tier Region, New YorkThe Roberson Center for the Arts and Sciencesin Binghamton has a long established andsuccessful folklife program that highlights theregion’s indigenous arts—from fly tying andwoodcarving to Ukrainian willow basketry—through exhibitions and school programs.Through a grant from the New York StateCouncil on the Arts, the Schoharie Arts Councilhired folklorists Janis Benincasa and EllenMcHale to identify traditional artists and artforms. After identifying local musicians,Benincasa applied to the NEA’s Folk ArtsProgram for support to develop programmingthat showcased the region’s Irish musicaltraditions. The resulting festival, a big success,eventually moved to East Durham and spawneda variety of annual programs including theCatskills Irish Arts Week and the TraditionalMusic Festival. These events now bringthousands of visitors back to the Southern Tierand the Catskill region.

North CarolinaUnder the leadership of HandMade in America, agroup of western North Carolinians, struggling tofind fresh approaches to economic developmentand renewal, realized that the answer couldpotentially be found in the invisible industry ofcraftspeople already working throughout the BlueRidge Mountains. Over 360 citizens participatedin a regional planning process to help determinehow HandMade could establish Western NorthCarolina as a major leader for handmade objects.Their strategies focus on providing business andfinancial support for craftspeople, nurturing theregion’s craft culture through public relations andeducation, and maintaining rural quality of life.In addition to their publication and distributionof Craft Trails of North Carolina, current projectsinclude: small town revitalization; craft businessincubator studios powered by methane gas from an abandoned landfill; and development ofgarden and countryside trails through NorthCarolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

OhioThrough traditional music preservation,storytelling, oral history, community festivals,and a community murals program, Rural Actionworks to revitalize Appalachian Ohio. Its visionis to create strategies for the region that involvepeople of diverse backgrounds in buildingenvironmental, economic, and socialsustainability. Serving as a “public entrepreneur,”Rural Action initiated the Mural Corridorprogram, encouraging communities to createpublic murals in their downtown areas. An artisthelps oversee production of each mural andcommunity members donate time, skills, andmoney, backed by matching funds from the OhioArts Council. The Mural Corridor runs through14 towns. Bus tours regularly come down fromToledo, infusing money into poor communitiesand, perhaps more importantly, generatingcommunity pride and reigniting a sense of placein towns struggling for survival.

PennsylvaniaFocusing on the heritage of iron, steel, andrelated industries, the Rivers of Steel HeritageArea is a multifaceted program that conservesand manages the cultural, natural, and historicresources of southwestern Pennsylvania.Coordinated by the Steel Industry Corporation,it plays a key role in Southwestern Pennsylvania’seconomic development strategy throughencouragement of tourism and other economicdevelopment based on the region’s steel-relatedindustrial and cultural traditions.

12 | M o n o g r a p h | M a r c h 2 0 0 3


Glouster, Ohio, a former coal-mining town, recently

completed a 60-foot mural through a process that

took over a year and involved numerous public

meetings, historical research, and interviews with

retired coal miners.

West VirginiaThe Augusta Heritage Center of Davis & ElkinsCollege in Elkins, West Virginia, is dedicated tomaking traditional music, crafts, dancing, andfolklore available to visitors and residents alike.Over 200 weeklong intensive classes are taughtin traditional crafts, dance, folklore, and music,augmented with storytelling performances, films,panel discussions, and craft demonstrations.Community workshops offer educationalopportunities for area residents and publicpresentations provide additional culturalexperiences. About 20 concerts, 12 publicdances, and two festivals are produced eachyear, as well as performances and educationalprograms for public schools, senior centers, andcommunity organizations; weekly jam sessionssponsored in partnership with Elkins Parks andRecreation; and apprenticeship programs, fieldresearch, and documentation of Appalachian folkartists and traditional folk culture.

In 1996, 11 counties in southern West Virginiawere designated by the U.S. Congress as theNational Coal Heritage Area (NCHA). Under thejurisdiction and protection of the National ParkService, the National Coal Heritage Area wascreated “to preserve, protect, and interpret lands,structures, and communities with unique andsignificant historic and cultural value associatedwith the coal mining heritage of West Virginia.”Presently, the NCHA is in a “Start Up” phaseand has received three federal appropriations of$250,000 each through the National ParkService. With these funds, the NCHA ispreparing a management plan that will bereviewed by the Secretary of the Interior. Oncethe plan has been approved and projects havebeen identified for funding, up to $1 million peryear could be appropriated by Congress for atotal of $10 million.

In cooperation with the National Park Service,the National Council for the Traditional Arts andthe Blue Ridge Parkway have been producing athree-concert summer series to promote public

awareness of the planned Blue Ridge MusicCenter, to be situated just north of theVirginia/North Carolina state line. Visitors to theCenter will be able to hear and learn about themany different types of Blue Ridge music, and tomeet people and performers living in the areatoday. Planned programs and activities includefilms, exhibits, a listening library, publications,recordings and other media, as well as venues forboth local and legendary performance.

Southern Highland Craft GuildThe Southern Highland Craft Guild is a nonprofiteducational organization comprising some 700craftspeople living and working in the mountainousregions of nine Southern states: Alabama, Georgia,Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, SouthCarolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.One of the strongest craft organizations in thecountry, the Guild works to instill and maintainstandards of excellence in the design and work-manship of crafts taught, produced, and marketed inthe southern Appalachian region and has partneredwith the National Park Service for over 50 years. Itoperates the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Folk Art Center,the most popular attraction on the Blue RidgeParkway, welcoming 300,000 visitors each year.i at i ve s

M a r c h 2 0 0 3 | M o n o g r a p h | 13


World Bank Institute breakout: Jerri Dell, Paula Duggan, and others.

The Building Creative Economies conferencefeatured an opportunity for participants fromeach state to develop a state action plan.

Following a process developed by the NationalAssembly of State Arts Agencies, participantsidentified the best practices and lessons they had learned from the conference; developed aconsensus on key partners and audiences; anddetermined the steps they would take to addressinteragency cooperation, entrepreneurship, andother issues identified during their discussions.

Since the Building Creative Economies conference,several state arts agencies in the 13 ARC stateshave held planning meetings “back home.”Kentucky will refocus their statewide culturalheritage master plan and pursue the possibilityof a series of regional forums throughout thestate, followed by a statewide conferencemodeled on Building Creative Economies. Virginiahas also held its own planning session andhopes to establish a Virginia Creative EconomiesInitiative focused on Southwest Virginia.

According to V.A. Patterson, director of theCraftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi, representativesfrom Mississippi who first met at the conference

later began planning a cultural tour of arts organi-zations, historic sites, and artist studios in theAppalachian region of Mississippi. For the firsttime, arts groups are working with numerousconvention and visitors bureaus, the MississippiDevelopment Authority, Department of Tourism,and the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The two federal partners have also undertaken follow-up activities. The Appalachian RegionalCommission has awarded $200,000 in grants forarts-based e-commerce projects, several of whichcame out of conference discussions. The NationalEndowment for the Arts has arranged for theNational Trust for Historic Preservation’s HeritageTourism Program to offer Share Your Heritage cul-tural heritage tourism development workshops in theARC service area. Both agencies remain committedto developing additional follow-up activities suchas business training for artists.

Americans for the Arts. To find the local artsagency in your community and informationabout the economic impact of the arts, visitwww.AmericansForTheArts.org.

Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). TheARC offers information and guidelines on fundingto states and counties in Appalachia for self-sustaining economic development and an improvedquality of life. Visit www.arc.gov.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The NEAinvites applications addressing issues raised at theconference. Of particular relevance may be twocategories under Grants for Arts Projects: ArtisticCreativity and Preservation (especially Heritageand Preservation) and Challenge America: Accessto the Arts. Visit www.arts.gov.

The NEA also provides specific examples of artsprojects funded by other federal agencies. TheCultural Funding: Federal Opportunities databasecan be searched either by federal agency or byprogram type. Visit www.arts.gov/federal.html.

14 | M o n o g r a p h | M a r c h 2 0 0 3


Follow-Up Ac tivities: State Ac tion Planning and O ther Initiatives

Resources

Virginia state breakout session. Frank Hodsoll and others.

National Endowment for the Arts/U.S. Departmentof Agriculture (USDA). The NEA and the USDAForest Service offer the Arts and Rural CommunityAssistance Initiative in a limited number of stateseach year. In fiscal 2003, the following four statesin the ARC service area are eligible: Alabama,Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Visitwww.arts.gov/partner/Rural.html.

National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA).NASAA offers information on state arts agencyfunding and arts success stories. Visit www.nasaa-arts.org.

National Trust for Historic Preservation. TheNational Trust, through its Heritage TourismProgram, offers cultural heritage tourism develop-ment (Share Your Heritage) workshops. Visitwww.nthp.org/heritage_tourism/index.html andwww.ruralheritage.org/heritagetourism.

U.S. Department of Agriculture. The NationalAgricultural Library Rural Information Centeroffers online publications and funding resourcesaddressing rural issues. Visit www.nal.usda.gov/ric.

Rural Business Enterprise Grants support devel-opment of small and emerging private businessenterprises located in rural areas. Visit www.rur-dev.usda.gov/rbs/busp/rbeg.htm.

The Creative Economy Initiative is a partnership ofNew England's business, government, culturaland educational leaders committed to strengthen-ing the region’s economic vitality by fostering itscreative economy. Visit www.creativeeconomy.org.

The Foundation Center. The Foundation Centeroffers directories of private foundations. Visitwww.fdncenter.org.

Partners in Tourism: Culture and Commerce. TheNEA, Americans for the Arts, NASAA, and theNational Trust for Historic Preservation aremembers of Partners in Tourism: Culture andCommerce, a coalition of cultural serviceorganizations, the travel industry, and federalagencies that provides a forum for collaborativeresearch, education, promotion, and advocacywith the common goal of advancing the role ofculture and heritage in the travel and tourismindustry. NASAA maintains cultural tourismupdates on its website at www.nasaa-arts.org/artworks/ct_contents.shtml.

PublicationsAmericans for the ArtsVisit www.AmericansForTheArts.org.Arts & Economic Prosperity: The Economic Impact

of Nonprofit Arts Organizations and TheirAudiences

National Trust for Historic PreservationVisit www.preservationbooks.org.Getting Started: How to Succeed in Heritage

TourismShare Your Heritage: Cultural Heritage Tourism

Success StoriesStories Across America: Opportunities in Rural

TourismTouring Historic PlacesWelcoming Visitors to Your Community:

Training Tour Guides and Other HospitalityAmbassadors

New England CouncilVisit www.creativeconomy.com.The Creative Economy Initiative: The Role of the

Arts and Culture in New England’s EconomicCompetitiveness

Craft Organization Directors AssociationVisit www.handmadeinamerica.org/

economic/CODA.htm.The Impact of Craft on the National Economy

M a r c h 2 0 0 3 | M o n o g r a p h | 15


A M E R I C A N S F O R T H E A R T S

Wa s h i n g t o n O f f i c e1 0 0 0 Ve r m o n t Ave n u e N W6 t h F l o o rWa s h i n g t o n , D C 2 0 0 0 5T 2 0 2 . 3 7 1 . 2 8 3 0F 2 0 2 . 3 7 1 . 0 4 2 4

N ew Yo r k O f f i c eO n e E a s t 5 3 r d S t r e e t2 n d F l o o rN ew Yo r k , N Y 1 0 0 2 2T 2 1 2 . 2 2 3 . 2 7 8 7F 2 1 2 . 9 8 0 . 4 8 5 7

i n fo @ a r t s u s a . o r gw w w. A m e r i c a n s Fo r T h e A r t s. o r g

R e p o r t w r i t t e n b y C r a i g D r e e s ze n

E d i t o r : D e l i a R e i d, H ya c i n t hCo m m u n i c at i o n s

D e s i g n : Lev i n e R i e d e r e r D e s i g n

P h o t o g r a p h e r : A n n a Vo g l e r

Co py r i g h t 2 0 0 3 , A m e r i c a n s fo r t h e A r t s.P r i n t e d i n t h e U n i t e d S t at e s.

Partners and FundersAppalachian Regional CommissionNational Endowment for the ArtsThomas S. Kenan Institute for the ArtsKenan Institute of Private Enterprise

SupportersAmericans for the ArtsAppalshopHeinz FoundationMidAtlantic Arts FoundationC. S. Mott Foundation National Assembly of State Arts AgenciesNorth Carolina Arts CouncilNorth Carolina Department of Cultural ResourcesSouthern Arts FederationWorld Bank Institute

Conference CoordinatorHandMade in America

N A T I O N A L

E N D O W M E N T

FOR THE ARTS

T h e N at i o n a l E n d ow m e n t fo r t h e A r t s i s p l e a s e d t o p a r t n e r w i t h A m e r i c a n s fo r t h e A r t s o n t h i s p u b l i c at i o n .

Asheville, North CarolinaApril 28-30, 2002

Documents

Building Creative Economies: The Arts, … 2003 Building Creative Economies: The Arts, Entrepreneurship, and Sustainable Development Serving Communities. Enriching Lives. “ I come