Wilmington and New Hanover County Arts Forum for County Commission Candidates
On Monday, February 24th, Arts Council of Wilmington & New Hanover County, in association with UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, held a Candidates’ Forum for all candidates running for the New Hanover County Commission. We had planned to celebrate this with a blog post in mid-March, but the pandemic shifted our attention. Now a second Candidates Forum on the Arts will be held virtually on October 15, 2020 from 4-6 p.m. and will include the remaining candidates for the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners as well as NC House of Representatives and Senate candidates.
Of the fifteen candidates running for three open County Commission seats, thirteen of them attended the Arts Forum held at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington in February. Arts Council of Wilmington & New Hanover County Executive Director Rhonda Bellamy served as moderator for the forum, but not before setting the context for the event with a presentation about arts in the community. She briefed candidates and attendees on the programs of the Arts Council, including grants to other nonprofit arts organizations, as well as their galleries and events. Black Box Dance Theatre was spotlighted for their work which was made possible by local arts funding. Rhonda also made sure that the candidates were thoroughly aware of the impact the nonprofit arts sector has on job creation and the local economy using data from the Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 report created by Americans for the Arts. Before these candidates even introduced themselves they received an education in the value and impact of the arts from an arts authority. Three of these candidates will be elected to the New Hanover County Commission in November and it is worth noting how much more difficult it would be to schedule time for them to receive a similar presentation after election day. In addition to the candidates, the room was full of New Hanover County residents including NC Senator Harper Peterson, New Hanover County Commissioner Rob Zapple, and Wilmington Mayor Pro Tem Margaret Haynes.
Once the stage was set, the candidates (6 Democrats and 7 Republicans) were given the opportunity to introduce themselves before being asked questions from the moderator. These questions ranged from getting an idea how each candidate had personally engaged with the arts recently to more specific inquiries concerning government involvement in local maker spaces and the need for a performance venue outside the downtown area. The most pointed question of the evening was for a “yes” or “no” response regarding an increase of the county’s investment in the Arts Council from its current level of $10,000, which is less than a nickel per resident. While there was general support for increased investment after more cost-benefit analysis, one candidate specifically cited Rhonda Bellamy’s earlier presentation as sufficient proof that more funding should be allocated.
Audience members where then allowed to ask their own questions of the candidates. This lead to an engaged discussion about the wide variety of arts offerings in the Wilmington area as well as what role County Commissioners could play, not only as a governing body, but as advocates for arts investment across other levels of government. However, the theme of much of this discussion came back to and centered on the need for increased county investment in the arts, and specifically to the Arts Council. While many candidates were cautious not to commit to more funding and were certainly wary of endorsing increasing taxes, knowledgeable arts advocates pointed to the $400,000 the new Wilson Center for the Performing Arts brings to the community and the fact that other counties in NC invest considerably more funding per capita.
The real winner of the evening was the cultural community of New Hanover County, that raised its voice and was provided a new platform to use it. These events can truly elevate the conversation in a community and allow arts advocates an opportunity to make their case before election day, which can make it a priority after all the ballots have been counted.
Decisions are made by those who show up, and guided by those who speak up. Congratulations to New Hanover County for doing both.