From Arts North Carolina

Without editorial comment (as hard as that is for me), I would like to pass along some information that I received today from Arts North Carolina from the Gubernatorial debate.

What follows is a transcript of the portion of last night's debate that focused on the arts in North Carolina:

Cullen Browder: Let's move on to another economic-related question. We got a lot of questions across the state related to the arts here in North Carolina. I think this was representative of a lot of those questions. It's from Ira David Wood, a very well-known actor, theatre director here in Raleigh: "North Carolina is often referred to as 'The State of the Arts' because the arts generate a great deal of money in and for North Carolina. How will you create policy and support funding to focus on recruitment and retention of creative industries and small businesses here in North Carolina?"

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue: That's the future of America, not just North Carolina: the creative class. We all know that. And the mayor is correct: you can't--can no longer just depend on the old tax system and the old way of doing things. You've really got to look to the future. North Carolina has a tremendous legacy of arts. We've got the School of the Arts. A couple of weeks ago, I visited with the Film Leadership Team there. It's remarkable what's going on: the Museum of Art here, the wonderful, wonderful arts and music and cultural opportunities we have not just in Raleigh, but in Durham and this whole Triangle area, throughout the state are critical. I've got such a track record on investment in the arts from across North Carolina, in every community. It's part and parcel of who we are as a people. And we not only have to celebrate it and honor it, we have to keep growing it. And so, as governor, as the next governor of this state, you will see me highly engaged, not just in the state facilities for arts and cultural resources, but across North Carolina, community after community. That old community arts grassroots program that some of us loved so much in the '90s, you know, if there is ever a way to fund that and put it back in, we ought to do that. Because that's how little kids across North Carolina begin to get hooked on the arts and hooked on music.

Mayor Pat McCrory: Well, I think the arts do play an important role in our quality of life, but the arts won't survive if we don't have jobs. And right now jobs has to be our top priority. And I'm more worried about, for example, the farmer who's paying incredible feed prices, a lot of it due to incredible ethanol pressures, and being able to pay that feed prices. And my main focus will be to help those farmers and, because, and to help the manufacturing plants and to help the financial industry create jobs, because it is those people who then pay for the arts and then pay for the extras that add to our quality of life. But if we don't have a strong sector, private sector in creating new jobs, we aren't going to have the arts, because they're the ones who pay the bills to help train people in the arts and to also have wonderful artists throughout our cities and towns in North Carolina.

ARTS North Carolina is still seeking more formal policy statements from the candidates and I will pass them along as I receive them.