Arts and Arts Education Caucus Announced in NC House of Representatives
Arts North Carolina is proud today that House Speaker Tim Moore has announced the creation of NC House of Representative Caucus on Arts and Arts Education. This bi-partisan caucus will be led by Rep. Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg) and Rep. Jeffrey Elmore (R- Wilkes), and made up of Representative from the NC House of Representative who will convene to study and discuss the educational, economic and civic impact of arts education and the arts industry on the state of North Carolina and the lives of its citizens. Active grassroots recruitment of Representatives will begin at ARTS Day 2018 and we need advocates to register today and be in Raleigh on May 24th. We are hopeful that a similar caucus in the NC Senate will be announced soon.
Membership in the Arts Caucus is not a pledge to support arts funding or any arts education agenda, it is an opportunity for legislators to learn about the arts and their impact on the various communities across the state, including their own districts. It will allow them to convene and experience presentations in conference rooms and inspirations in concert halls. We are optimistic that the caucus will become one of the most popular groups in the North Carolina General Assembly.
The work of advocacy is not about fighting the opposition; it is about constant education and forming coalitions. The House Caucus on Arts and Arts Education will allow the entire arts community access to an effective tool to change perceptions through information and change minds through experiences. Arts North Carolina is proud to have helped make this connection to our legislators possible, and is grateful to the arts community that has effectively contributed to this conversation, and to our Creative State.