The next act for arts in Charlotte

The Arts & Science Council has played a singularly important role in building Charlotte’s current cultural sector. However, ASC’s stature, brand, and fundraising abilities have diminished significantly over the last 10-15 years as Charlotte has undergone profound changes.

Since the Great Recession, ASC and its dependent organizations have grown anemic. And one can’t overlook the trauma imposed by the pandemic on the cultural sector’s ability to raise money and to deliver high-quality and far-reaching programs.

To further add to these stresses, individual donor demographics and behavior have changed dramatically. Charlotte’s patrons of the arts are aging out and being replaced by a burgeoning youthful professional segment who are not generally as philanthropic or interested in propping up the old institutions. These cumulative impacts make for a chronically underfunded cultural sector despite the fact that it provides 11,000 jobs and $240 million in economic impact.

The 2019 sales tax referendum did not fail because people don’t value the arts in Charlotte but because ASC has a weakened position in public perception. Part of that weakened position was the lack of trust about where and how those dollars would be invested. The larger and more diverse community may not view ASC and its cultural organizations as belonging to them. Rather, it is likely perceived that the cultural sector is the province of major corporations and wealthy patrons.

Charlotte has a deep and wide talent pool of creativity that resides in every neighborhood. A new City Cultural Commission should include investments in emerging organizations and creative agencies to add jobs and generate animated and vibrant neighborhoods throughout the city. These newly-energized and happily idiosyncratic neighborhoods can become cultural tourism destinations similar to Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood.

What’s next?

Small creative enterprises like the BOOM Festival have great potential to become regional and, perhaps even, national tourist draws. Incubator funding for great ideas can be part of nurturing a rich entrepreneurial creative ecosystem. Additionally, a City Cultural Commission could require that all large funded organizations must partner with CMS to provide curriculum-based arts education programs to supplement and grow the school system’s arts, science, and history education. But the funding the organizations are awarded needs to be commensurate with the contributions these organizations make to Charlotte and its economy.

There are legitimate concerns about the potential for municipal government to exercise control over freedom of expression for funded artists and/or organizations. However, we need only look to successful models in LA, NYC, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Seattle, and Atlanta, all of which have city or city/county-run versions of a Departments of Cultural Affairs.

Ideally, Mecklenburg County should be an equal partner in this new effort, creating a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Cultural Commission that serves city and county residents. Then a budget of $18 million annually could be secured with a full-on city/county/corporate effort to put in place a larger permanent funding source. It’s time for Charlotte-Mecklenburg to make a bold commitment to our future cultural sector and the potential in our creative economy. They can be an even bigger driver of inclusive engagement, education, community-building, placemaking, and economic growth in Charlotte. The time is now to make this investment.

Suzanne Fetscher is Founding President and CEO, Emerita of the McColl Center for Art + Innovation.