But I'll do them one better. Let's start with the first 2 paragraphs.
"For years, North Carolina’s creative industry has helped drive the state’s world-class ratings for quality of life. Increasingly, it’s being called on to play an even more critical role: driver of economic growth.
Cities ranging from Asheville and Charlotte to Winston-Salem and Raleigh-Durham have built expansive arts and cultural communities. Their economic impact is powerful. The most recent report on this sector by the N.C. Department of Commerce, released in 2009, found that the state’s creative industry, which includes the arts, entertainment/new media and design, accounts for nearly 300,000 jobs in North Carolina. That’s about 5 percent of the state’s overall employment. The industry generates more than 5 percent of the state’s annual gross domestic product, with a contribution of more than $19.5 billion."
Those are good numbers. But numbers don't always tell the whole story. How far are the workers in North Carolina's creative industries traveling to and from their jobs and how does that travel impact their take home pay and the water and air none of us can live without? These economic gurus like Stephen Martin, a director at the Greensboro nonprofit Center for Creative Leadership are always quick to point out the positive economic impact but what about the negatives-- where are the negatives?
"Interest in the sector’s potential continues to grow. In December, Wilmington re-launched a local arts council for the first time in a decade in a bid to attract increased tourism and tax dollars. Greensboro is exploring a downtown performing arts center, modeled after the highly successful complex in Durham, as a tool for sparking economic development."
Notice no mention of East Greensboro? Mr. Martin's employeer is located in Northwest Greensboro and Mr Martin lives somewhere other than Northeast Greensboro.
"In Charlotte, the Innovation Institute at the McColl Center for Visual Art (featured in our column in June 2011) finds growing demand for programs that inspire creativity in business leaders through collaboration with artists. And in Raleigh, developer Gordon Smith envisions a dynamic arts and entrepreneurship campus downtown next to Marbles Museum."
How about some collaboration with Greensboro's communities? You know, like Northeast Greensboro?
"What will it take, in a state still roiled by a changing economy, to elevate the impact of the creative sector even more?"
See my question above. The more communities you involve the higher your/our chances for elevation. The money that goes downtown, stays downtown. Always has.
"Just last month, a statewide task force commissioned by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources called for the strategic use of arts and cultural district programs, as well as funds for communities to experiment with arts-driven economic development. The SmART initiative, as it’s known, is administered by the N.C. Arts Council.
Some money and resources are already on the table. As part of a pilot program, the Arts Council will provide grants of $20,000 to $30,000 apiece to three or four communities around the state to spur economic growth through their arts and culture. The deadline for submitting grant applications is April 2."
Communities as in downtowns or entire cities? Has Greensboro applied for these grants and if Greensboro gets said grants how will they help communities outside of downtown?
"So far, the creative sector’s greatest successes have come in the state’s major metro areas. But less urban regions can get in on the act, too – and go as far as their vision and collaborative skills will take them. Kinston offers a prime example."
Just so you know, the population of Kinston and the population of Northeast Greensboro aren't that far apart but what happened in Kinston can't happen in Northeast Greensboro as long as downtown Greensboro pulls the strings, controls the assets and chooses to spend them elsewhere.
"Among North Carolina’s greatest cultural assets is its long history of African American gospel, jazz and blues music, from which John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and many other acclaimed musicians have sprung. Until recently, little had been done to call attention to it."
All the better reason to locate Greensboro's performing arts center in the little green circle slap dab in the middle of one of Greensboro's largest concentrations of African American citizens and name it after another great African American performing artist and Greensboro resident, the first African American US Poet Laureate, Randall Jarrell.
"Officials say it’s too early yet to gauge the economic impact of this surge of activity. But they see it as a long-term catalyst for growth and tourism in the region – and hope it inspires communities around the state to follow Kinston’s lead."
When you're talking about stimulating the economy by putting jobs in places other than the community in which we live-- downtown, for example-- you're really just taxing the poor to entertain the rich. When it comes to the economic impact of downtown growth and tourism on Northeast Greensboro... we'd be better off in Kinston.
Continue to article #73. Complete And Unbiased My... Well You Know.
