It's the Arts, Stupid!

The arts are one of the most important community building enterprises in America today. Most of the discussion on the subject focuses on how the arts build community by strengthening education, addressing social challenges and revitalizing both downtown and rural areas. Perhaps it is time for the arts to come out of the closet and acknowledge that their greatest community building potential is artistic product itself. Hear how Charlotte discovered that the most powerful community building role for the arts is artistic content and its shared experience. Placed in a national context, the Charlotte story suggests that Americans are ready to embrace the arts in civic and community life for their intrinsic value. Could it be that ordinary citizens are teaching artists, arts administrators and grantmakers in the arts an extraordinary lesson-it's the art, stupid!

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   It's the Arts, Stupid! (35Kb)