What arts activities have you attended, participated in, or supported in the last year? (check all that apply) Is there anything else you would like to share about your recent arts activities? (optional)

Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, Dance, Literary Arts

BACKGROUND | The City currently supports the arts through facilities like Thomas Wolfe Auditorium (more about this below), programming through the Parks & Recreation Department, grants like the Event Support Grant (in partnership with ArtsAVL), and the Public Art Program. However, all of these services are failing to reach their full potential due to funding shortages for things like maintenance, operations, and staffing,

Asheville does have a 1% for the arts policy that provides some support for public art from qualifying Capital Improvement Projects (CIP)– this does not generate a lot of funding. However, it is also common for cities to have additional dedicated funding streams for arts and culture like a Food and Beverage Tax. For example, Wake County currently has a countywide 1% Prepared Food and Beverage tax which supports arts, culture, sports and convention facilities in Wake County. Similar local taxes are also in place in Dare, Cumberland, and Mecklenburg Counties, as well as in the Town of Hillsborough.

Would you support a local food and beverage tax to provide additional funding for the City’s arts and cultural services? Is there anything else you would like to share about City arts funding?

Undecided
While I am currently undecided about the introduction of additional taxes on the people of Asheville, my commitment to robustly supporting and enhancing the arts in our vibrant city remains unwavering. Asheville’s culture and creativity are our lifeblood, and it is crucial that we find innovative ways to sustain and nurture this creative heartbeat.

I believe in exploring alternative funding mechanisms that do not solely rely on new taxes. We can look towards optimizing the use of existing funds and identifying underutilized resources that could be redirected to support the arts. Furthermore, the city can foster a self-sustaining
arts ecosystem through the organization of quarterly festivals. These events would not only celebrate and showcase Asheville’s rich artistic and creative community but also generate revenue that can be reinvested into the arts.

Additionally, prioritizing the maintenance and repair of our existing theaters and art spaces is essential. These venues are the cornerstone of Asheville’s artistic expression and community engagement. By ensuring they are in prime condition, we enhance their potential as sources of cultural enrichment and economic activity.

BACKGROUND | A report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness found that Asheville is more expensive than 98% of other North Carolina cities, and rents have risen 41.7% since 2020, making it the most expensive place to rent in the state. In fact, a recent Asheville Citizen Times article showed that fair market rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Asheville has risen 78% since 2019. Meanwhile, the hourly wage has not risen to meet the living wage, reported by Just Economics as $22.10/hour in Buncombe County. This is having a devastating impact on the local creative community, forcing more arts professionals to move their residences and businesses outside of Asheville and even Buncombe County.

Affordability was identified as a problem back when rents 40-80% cheaper. The 2018 Arts Market Study showed the majority of artists (86%) and arts organizations (78%) identifying a need for affordable artist housing and/or studio space– 424 responded that they considered leaving Asheville due to cost of living. The report also identified the City’s “Ice House” property on Riverside Drive in the River Arts District as an ideal location for multiple use live/work development for artists.

ArtsAVL is currently conducting a Creative Spaces study that builds on this previous report from 2018, with the final report expected out in May 2024. Learn more at artsavl.org/spaces.

Would you support an initiative to create affordable artist housing and/or studio space in the River Arts District? Is there anything else you would like to share about City support for affordable artist live/work spaces?

Strongly Agree
Ensuring that artists and creative individuals can afford to live and thrive in Asheville is paramount. By supporting the arts, we support the soul of our city, fostering an environment where creativity flourishes and enriches us all. I am committed to working collaboratively with the arts community, local businesses, and other stakeholders to develop and implement strategies that secure the long-term prosperity of Asheville’s arts and cultural landscape without placing undue financial burden on our residents.

BACKGROUND | On July 5, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium closed its doors due to a massive failure of the HVAC system. In the short-term, that failure immediately resulted in scheduled shows being shifted to the ExploreAsheville.com Arena or other locations. In the longer-term, this current closure of Thomas Wolfe, even if it reopens in a limited capacity, is estimated to result in a loss of over $20 million for Asheville businesses.

At a work session on September 26th, Asheville City Council directed staff to explore two potential paths forward—both major redesigns of the historic space. Staff is expected to come back to Council with more fleshed out recommendations for renovation in early 2024.

You can find more information about the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium issue here.

Based on your knowledge of this issue and the information that is available, do you believe it is time for the City to finally address this issue by fully renovating or replacing Thomas Wolfe Auditorium? Is there anything else you would like to share about the renovation or replacement of Thomas Wolfe Auditorium?

Strongly Agree

BACKGROUND | A Business Improvement District (BID) is a specially designated area within a city or town where local property and business owners collaborate to enhance the economic and physical environment. BIDs are typically funded through a self-imposed tax or assessment on property owners within the district. The primary goal of a BID is to improve and promote the area, often through initiatives such as beautification, cleanliness, enhanced security, marketing, and events.

These districts are typically managed by a nonprofit organization or association (like the Asheville Downtown Association) that works closely with local government authorities and stakeholders. BIDs serve as engines for economic growth, helping local businesses thrive and contributing to the overall vitality and inclusivity of the neighborhood or downtown area they serve.

Downtown Asheville is the major arts and cultural hub for our region. Many arts organizations located in and/or presenting in downtown continue to be negatively impacted by safety and security issues facing our downtown. It is our hope that a BID could help address these challenges.

Based on your current understanding or prior knowledge of Business Improvement Districts, do you believe Downtown Asheville would benefit from the establishment of a BID? Is there anything else you would like to share about establishing a BID in Downtown Asheville?

Agree

BACKGROUND | A cultural plan is a place-based planning process that generates a vision and action plan for strengthening and growing arts and culture assets. It provides an inventory of current assets, identifies maintenance and support needs, and highlights gaps and future opportunities for growth.

There has never been a cultural plan for Asheville or Buncombe County– even though we are widely known as a arts and cultural destination and our arts scene drives many people to want to live, work, and play in our community. As we hope you are seeing for the previous questions, our cultural community is being impacted by Asheville’s continued growth. It is important that we consider conducting some sort of cultural planning process to provide a roadmap to support this growth over time for the social and economic benefit of our community.

Would you support the creation of Asheville- Buncombe County’s first Cultural Plan to support the preservation of our cultural assets, and the equitable and sustainable growth of the creative sector? Is there anything else you would like to share about a Asheville-Buncombe cultural plan?

Strongly Agree