Your Voice Is Needed!

To: All Friends of High Point Community Theatre and other arts organizations in Guilford County

We have a CALL TO ACTION regarding Guilford County arts funding. Please take a moment to communicate with our commissioners and encourage others to do the same; commissioner contact information is listed below. We need this action to be taken as soon as possible as the budget likely will be approved on June 21.

The front page of today’s News & Record posts an article on continued Guilford County commissioner budget deliberations. Arts funding in Guilford County is in jeopardy of being reduced or completely eliminated for the coming year. As you know, this will bear significant negative impact for us all. We must work together to ensure that all existing arts funding is sustained in Guilford County’s budget and that new requests are given sincere consideration to be funded this year.

Please take a moment to communicate with the following commissioners and encourage others to do the same. We need this action to be taken as soon as possible as the budget likely will be approved on June 21. Our key message points are:

1) We thank you for your leadership and recognize that you are dealing with a challenging environment and difficult budget decisions. However, in challenging times like these that we currently face, the arts are more important than ever. Now is not the time to cut the arts which deliver so much to the quality of life in Guilford County. The arts are what make our community such a wonderful place to live and work. It’s a great part of why people and businesses want to be here.

2) The arts touch every resident of Guilford County. In the last year alone nearly 1 million people attended and participated in events and programming delivered by Guilford County non-profit arts organizations. That’s over 2,700 people a day! This demonstrates that our residents care about the arts and are participating in the wide variety of arts offerings. Guilford County funding enables us to serve those in our community who would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in the arts. Your funding is vital.

3) The arts are an industry contributing significant economic impact in Guilford County. The findings of a recent Arts Economic Impact Study by Americans for the Arts deliver powerful results about our local arts industry in Guilford County. The arts contribute at least $30.7 million annually to our local economy, generating nearly 1,100 jobs and drawing nearly 1 million attendees. This direct impact creates an additional $22.6 million of resident household income and government revenue.

4) The arts are a great return on investment in Guilford County. Locally, we outpace peer region and national averages for the return on every $1 invested. In Guilford County, the return on every $1 invested is $1.49 as compared to peer regions at $1.36 and the national average of $1.28.

5) Sustain existing arts funding in Guilford County’s budget and give sincere consideration to new requests to be funded this year.

Commissioner contact information:

Paul Gibson – 288-7280 (h) 282-1114 (w)
pgibson@co.guilford.nc.us
3402 Cloverdale Drive, 27408

Skip Alston – 854-2910 (h) 272-5779 (w)
skip.alston@gmail.com
2705 W. Vandalia Road, 27407

Kay Cashion – 274-6272 (h) 273-2820 (w)
kcashio@co.guilford.nc.us
103 W. Greenway Drive, 27403

Carolyn Coleman – 674-4699 (h) 202-0335 (cell)
ccolema@co.guilford.nc.us
PO Box 3427, 27402

Bruce Davis - 889-4356 (h) 688-2431 (cell)
kidappeal@triadbiz.rr.com
1010 Greensboro Road
High Point, NC 27260

John Parks - 454-4254 (h) 878-7576 (w)
jparks@co.guilford.nc.us
3313 Colony Drive
Jamestown, NC 27282

Kirk Perkins - 697-9832 (h) 697-0007 (w)
kperkins@triad.rr.com
5773 Bethel Church Rd
McLeansville, NC 27301

Linda Shaw - 855-7533 (h) 641-3368 (w)
imlshaw@aol.com
PO Box 8618, 27419

Mike Winstead, Jr. - 389-9992 (w)
mwinste@co.guilford.nc.us
4 Nolen Court, 27408

Steve Arnold - 887-8383 (h)
sarnold@co.guilford.nc.us
1610 Bridges Drive
High Point, NC 27262

Billy Yow - 674-2149 (h) 674-9198 (w)
byow0@co.guilford.nc.us
1429 Country Lake Drive, 27406

Thank you in advance for responding quickly and proactively!

Jennifer

From information provided by The High Point & Greensboro Arts Council Directors