I’ve written before about some of the changes happening right here in our arts community, and one trend keeps standing out: more and more towns are choosing to invest in their arts and culture.
And I love it.
You can see it across North Carolina just in some of our largest cities. In Raleigh, the North Carolina Museum of Art is in the middle of significant campus renovations and updates—reimagining not just gallery space, but how people experience art as part of everyday life. It’s not just about preserving art anymore; it’s about making it more accessible, interactive, and integrated into the community.
Head west, and Asheville has been in ongoing conversations for years about building a dedicated performing arts center—something many residents feel is long overdue for a city so deeply rooted in creativity and culture. The push reflects a bigger realization: creative communities need intentional spaces to thrive, not just grassroots energy. Asheville also recently announced that they were resuming their ‘Art in the Airport’ program and were accepting applications from artists who wish to showcase their work in the airport’s new North Concourse.
And in Charlotte, that investment is already taking shape in multiple ways. The historic Carolina Theatre reopened last year after a roughly $90 million restoration, bringing a long-vacant 1920s landmark back to life as a modern civic and cultural hub. At the same time, Blumenthal Arts continues expanding its footprint with projects like new immersive venues and creative spaces designed to bring people into the arts in entirely new ways.
And this isn’t just happening here in North Carolina—it’s happening everywhere.
Across the country and around the world, communities are starting to recognize something that maybe should have been obvious all along: art isn’t extra. It’s essential.
In just the past few months, you can see how deeply communities are rallying around creative spaces. In Houston, residents pushed back to save a historic neighborhood theater from demolition—not just to preserve a building, but to create a future arts hub for the community. Even in places facing setbacks, like a recent vandalism incident at an arts center in Texas, the response wasn’t retreat—it was overwhelming support, fundraising, and renewed commitment.
At the same time, governments and foundations are continuing to invest millions into arts programming, recognizing its role in everything from education to economic development to mental health. Because the truth is, when you invest in the arts, you’re not just funding creativity—you’re strengthening the identity and resilience of a place.
And that matters now more than ever.
Because here’s the other side of the story: when arts funding disappears, communities feel it. Programs shrink. Spaces close. Opportunities for connection get harder to find. Globally, funding cuts have already forced organizations to scale back events, delay improvements, and reduce outreach—especially for the very groups that often benefit most.
Which is why what we’re seeing in places like Raleigh, Asheville, and Charlotte is so important.
It’s not just about new buildings or renovated spaces. It’s about a shift in mindset.
Communities are starting to ask:
What kind of place do we want to live in?
And more often, the answer includes art.
Because art brings people downtown.
Art gives families something to do together. It creates shared experiences in a time when so much of life feels disconnected. Not to mention, it supports local businesses, gives young people an outlet, and tells the story of a place in a way nothing else can.
In short—it makes a community feel like a community.
What I would love to see is how museums can design for diversity and inclusion. But that’s for another blog post.