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The Arts Council’s Creative Conversations Featuring Frank Vagnone Frank Vagnone, Old Salem’s new President, and Jim Sparrow discuss the evolution of the arts and living history sites to create relevancy, engage today’s audiences, and advance their core missions Download to Listen

The Arts Council’s Creative Conversations Featuring Mayor Allen Joines Mayor Allen Joines and Arts Council President & CEO Jim Sparrow discuss the role of the arts in the city’s growth. Download to Listen:  iTunes  •  Google Play  •  SoundCloud

Winston-Salem, NC (June 21, 2017) – A study led by Americans for the Arts and conducted by economists from the Georgia Institute of Technology shows that nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Forsyth County are having a huge impact on the local economy. The Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 Study was conducted using budgetary figures from 2015 and cultural audience surveys in 2016. The figures show that combined spending by the nonprofit art and cultural sector in Forsyth County and their audiences was $156.8 million, up some $20 million from five years ago when the last study was made. “It is abundantly clear from this benchmark study that arts and culture is an economic driver in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County and ‘City of Arts and Innovation’ is more than just a tagline.  It is a fact of life here,” said Jim Sparrow, President and CEO of The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County which commissioned the local portion of the comprehensive nationwide study. Forsyth County’s nonprofit arts and culture  industry supports 5,559 full time equivalent jobs, up from 4,769; accounts for more than $129 million in resident household income, and generated more than $14.8 million in local and state tax revenues.  In every category, Forsyth County substantially exceeded the median of similar study regions and the national median. The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $2.12 billion in direct economic activity in North Carolina, supporting almost 72,000 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $201.5 million in revenue for local governments and the State of North Carolina. Nationally, it generated $166.3 billion of economic activity during 2015—$63.8 billion in spending by arts and cultural organizations and an additional $102.5 billion in event-related expenditures by their audiences. This activity supported 4.6 million jobs and generated $27.5 billion in revenue to local, state, and federal governments (a yield well beyond their collective $5 billion in arts allocations). Randy Cohen, Vice President of Research and Policy at Americans for the Arts, the nation’s advocacy organization for the arts, came to Winston-Salem to announce the results of the local component of the study and to brief arts advocates, public officials, arts and cultural organization professionals, and media on the results of the study. Cohen is a noted expert in the field of arts funding, research, policy, and using the arts to address community development issues. Kristin Cooper, First Lady of North Carolina; Susi Hamilton, NC Secretary of Natural and Cultural Affairs; and Wayne Martin, Executive Director of the North Carolina Arts Council, participated in the announcement and made comments. Cohen revealed that nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, which spent almost $105 million during 2015, leveraged a remarkable $52 million in additional spending by their audiences – spending that pumped revenue into restaurants, hotels, retail stores, parking garages, and other local businesses. From 2000 forward, Total Economic Impact has been $76.6 million (2000); $103.9 million (2005); $136.6 million (2010); and $156.8 million (2016). About 60 percent of Forsyth County nonprofit arts and cultural organizations participated in the study and nearly 800 event goers were surveyed about their spending.  In addition to the price of tickets, they averaged spending $21.38 per person, all dollars that went into the local economy.  About 65 percent of people who attended nonprofit arts and cultural events in Forsyth County were residents of the county.. The Arts Council of Winston-Salem paid to have Forsyth County included in the nationwide benchmark study by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advocating the arts. The North Carolina Arts Council participated, also. This is the fourth time Winston-Salem and Forsyth County have participated in the studies which are conducted at five-year intervals.  Over the years this study has been noted for its credibility which is based on the reputations of internationally recognized economists and statistical models and the input of researchers at Georgia Tech and elsewhere. “As mayor, I see the value of the arts from many viewpoints. They make a huge contribution to our quality of life which helps us attract new businesses and retain current ones. I have learned to talk about the arts right up front,” said Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines.  “Look at the boards of our arts and cultural groups and you will see prominent members of our business community.  They tell me our arts and cultural offerings are among the strongest recruiting tools for our creative economy,” said Joines. “And we certainly appreciate the substantial contribution the  arts make to our local and state tax coffers!” David Plyler, Chair of the Forsyth County Commissioners, said, “This study should put to rest any misconception that public support of the arts comes at the expense of other programs and services.  In fact, as the study points out, communities that support the arts are investing in an industry that creates jobs, has impressive  payrolls, generates tax revenue, and attracts visitors.” The study confirmed what arts and cultural agencies have known for decades – volunteers make a tremendous contribution to their operations and sustainability. During 2015, a total of 6,227 volunteers donated 278,974 hours to Forsyth County’s participating organizations.  This donation of time has an aggregate value of $6,572,627.  The aggregate value of in-kind contributions from individuals, business and others was $1,934,824. The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County was established in 1949 and was the first locally established arts council in the United States. The Arts Council enriches the quality of life for people in Winston-Salem and neighboring communities by raising funds for the arts, advocating for the arts, sponsoring events in conjunction with other arts organizations, providing arts education in schools, strengthening cultural resources, developing social capital, and aiding economic development. The Arts Council’s continued effectiveness can be attributed to the thousands of dedicated volunteers and contributors who are firmly committed to the idea that Winston-Salem is a “City of Arts and Innovation.”

The Arts Council’s Creative Conversations Featuring Representative Ed Hanes, Jr. NC Representative Ed Hanes, Jr. and Arts Council President & CEO Jim Sparrow discuss our community’s role and evolution as we use the arts to create new business, bring people together, and build a unique lifespace. Download to Listen:  iTunes  •  Google Play  •  SoundCloud

Arts Council Seeking Applications for Duke Energy Regional Artist Project Grants Artists in Forsyth, Davie, Davidson, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin counties eligible Online and in-person information sessions scheduled Winston-Salem, NC (November 20, 2017) — The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County is seeking applications for Duke Energy Regional Artist Project Grants which offer support to artists in a six-county region to help them further their professional development. Committed, gifted individual artists and collaborative groups in Forsyth, Davie, Davidson, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin counties are eligible to apply. Deadline for applications is Friday, January 5, 2018, at 5:00 p.m. “We are looking for opportunities to make grants that support the careers of area artists at pivotal points in their professional lives. These grants always are diverse because the needs and disciplines of individual artists vary dramatically,” said Dara Silver, Grant Program Manager for The Arts Council. Guidelines, applications, and information sessions are available online at www.intothearts.org. In addition, Arts Council staff will hold an online information session on Wednesday, November 29, at 12:00 p.m. and an in-person information session at 6:00 p.m. on the same day in the Hanes Conference Room, Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce Street, Winston-Salem. Details for the online information session are posted on The Arts Council website. The grants are sponsored by Duke Energy with support by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Last year, The Arts Council made a total of $25,000 in awards in this grant category to 12 individual artists, collaborations, or music groups. For more information about Duke Energy Regional Artist Project Grants contact Dara Silver, Grant Program Manager at 336-747-1426 or dsilver@intothearts.org. Winston-Salem, known as a City of Arts and Innovation, and Forsyth County have a robust arts community that enriches the lives of area residents every day and accounts in large part for the recognition they continue to receive as a great place to live, learn, work and play. The Arts Council raises funds and advocates for the arts, sponsors events in conjunction with other arts organizations, promotes and funds arts education, creates cultural and learning opportunities, develops social capital and aids economic development. Last year, The Arts Council made 98 awards totaling $1,699,500. (END) For more information, please contact: Dara Silver Senior Administrative Assistant, Special Projects, and Grant Program Manager 336.747.1426 dsilver@intothearts.org

The Arts Council’s Creative Conversations Featuring Superintendent Beverly Emory Superintendent Bev Emory and Arts Council President & CEO Jim Sparrow discuss how the arts are partnering with our schools to enrich our children’s education and prepare them for a bright future. Download to Listen

Winston-Salem, NC.  (April 11, 2017) – Jim Sparrow, President and CEO of The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, is quick to tell you how generous friends of the arts are and how constant their support has been here in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County over the decades.  “But we don’t take them for granted,” he said, “and we understand that giving trends change and that as a nonprofit we have to not just keep up with those trends but stay ahead of them.” This year the Arts Council’s Annual Campaign goal is $2.81 million. Sparrow said the campaign is proceeding on schedule, but with a bit of a “twist.” The Arts Council has been gradually moving away from a broad, unrestricted-gift campaign to one that aligns contributors’ particular interests with programming supported by The Arts Council. ‘We don’t feel it is enough to just ‘collect and direct’ funds to arts organizations. We have to look at the community and decide what initiatives in our arts world, stated in popular verbiage, we want to own,” said Sparrow, “and then provide an easy way for donors to direct support to them.” He thinks he has found it. For the first time, as a part of its 2017 Annual Fund Campaign, The Arts Council is asking donors to consider making a gift directly to one of four “Targeted Initiatives” in addition to their normal unrestricted annual fund gift.  The initiatives were identified through  a series of group conversations within the arts community.  “We see these initiatives as cornerstones for the arts,” said Devon MacKay, Annual Fund Director “They go well beyond traditional organizational grants and arts offerings and reach into all corners of our community.” They are Early Learning and After-School Youth Arts Enrichment, Creative Ventures, Art in Unexpected Places, and Novant Health Arts and Healing. Early Learning and After-School Youth Arts Enrichment “We see this as a way to make Forsyth County a leader in accessible arts-enrichment for youth by expanding our arts education program to reach infants (birth to age five) and students outside of the public school classroom,” said Sparrow. The Arts Council has been partnering with the Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools for decades because of its strong belief that it can leverage its dollars by ensuring that children receive a high-quality arts education in the public schools. In addition to the $100,000 it invests in arts enrichment in the schools every year, The Arts Council recently took additional steps to make youth arts enrichment an even bigger priority: It funded $10,000 of professional development for arts teachers who work within the WSFCS and began working more closely with lead arts teachers and their curricula. It has rolled out its first “pilot” year of funding for Early Learning and After-School Youth Arts Enrichment to two arts organizations: Authoring Action and Peppercorn Children’s Theater. One objective is to introduce more children from low-resource families, families with language challenges, and families who don’t live close to downtown Winston-Salem to quality arts enrichment. Creative Ventures The Arts Council will provide seed funds and start-up support for new and creative ventures in the arts community.  “We have done well is supporting traditional arts groups but could do more to spark innovation and creative arts entrepreneurship in the broader arts community,” said Sparrow. “We aim to create a healthy ecosystem of entrepreneurial artists and creative workers drawing inspiration from the world around us, forging new ideas through inter-disciplinary collaboration, and exporting world-class original work that reflects the values and character of our community,” said Sparrow. “This is the dream, and we believe many of our Annual Fund contributors share this dream and will be willing to give a bit more to help us achieve it. To accomplish this, however, we must provide  resources and remove obstacles to new creative ventures,” Sparrow said. “What is it like for young artists and organizations in our community today? Do their business models look differently than they did 10 or 25 years ago? What is different about their audiences’ appetite for arts and culture? These are some of the questions we want to answer through this initiative. Art in Unexpected Places Click here to make a donation to Art in Unexpected Places. The goal here is simple: Create access to the arts by bringing programs out of traditional museums and concert halls and into welcoming, accessible public spaces.  “In a City of the Arts, residents shouldn’t always have to buy a ticket to experience amazing art. We should encounter it on the streets in unexpected places. We want to partner and support artists with ideas that bring art closer to the people and change the way we see the world,” said Sparrow. Novant Health Arts and Healing Click here to make a donation to Arts and Healing. The healing arts are central to the economy and life of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. Creative arts and cultural experiences for patients and community members provide measurable improvements in the health and wellness of a community. Arts programming at Brenner’s Children Hospital has been in place for some time. Those who depend on music to clear their minds, writing to combat anxiety, and dance to get their heart rate moving know that community health goals are more easily achievable with arts at the table. Winston-Salem, known as a City of Arts and Innovation, and Forsyth County have a robust arts community that enriches the lives of area residents every day and accounts in large part for the recognition they continue to receive as a great place to live, learn, work and play.  The Arts Council raises funds and advocates for the arts, sponsors events in conjunction with other arts organizations, promotes and funds arts education, creates cultural and learning opportunities, develops social capital and aids economic development.  Last year, The Arts Council made a total of 109 grants totaling $1,807,116.  Organizational Support Grants, $1,398,500; Annual Event & Series, $112,000; Wells Fargo Arts-In-Education Grants, $100,000; Duke Energy Regional Artist Grants, $25,000; Innovative Project Grants, $49,000; and Community Enrichment Mini-Grants, $15,000. For additional information, please contact Devon MacKay Director of the Annual Fund The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County dmackay@intothearts.org (336) 747-1417

State Of The Arts In Winston-Salem And America The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County launches its first podcast and it features a conversation with President & CEO Jim Sparrow and Randy Cohen, VP of Research and Policy with Americans for the Arts, national arts advocacy organization. Download to Listen:  iTunes  •  Google Play  •  SoundCloud