In a significant move to underscore the role of arts in disaster recovery, members of the National Council on the Arts visited Asheville this week. The visit highlighted the arts’ contribution to overcoming the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, amid concerns over the future of federal arts funding.
This trip, led by Mary Anne Carter, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, occurred against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s proposals, which put federal arts funding at risk. The National Council on the Arts convenes outside Washington, D.C., about thrice yearly to witness firsthand the impact of arts investments.
“We need to witness firsthand how the investment in arts is an investment in the communities, and in this case, how art can help a community and its people recover from disaster,” Carter stated at the meeting held at Asheville’s Wortham Center. She also praised the resilience and commitment observed during their visit to the area affected by Helene.
The National Council on the Arts plays a key advisory role to the National Endowment for the Arts, which is instrumental in funding arts initiatives nationwide.
At the meeting, local and state leaders discussed how the arts have strengthened the economy and supported communities post-Hurricane Helene. Katie Cornell, executive director of ArtsAVL, highlighted the arts sector’s economic impact, noting it contributed $3.1 billion in economic output and 34,000 jobs in 2024.
“We’re small but mighty. And we need to be able to tell that story,” Cornell emphasized, adding that ArtsAVL leveraged economic impact data to secure $6.2 million for artists and arts businesses after the hurricane.
Vicki Vitiello, deputy director of the North Carolina Arts Council, stressed the importance of protecting the cultural assets of western North Carolina. She pointed out that many arts organizations were already underfunded before the storm due to grant allocations based on population and budget size.
“Because of that underinvestment, many of our arts organizations have not been able to build up reserves and therefore were operating in a fragile state even before the storm hit,” Vitiello explained.
Despite President Trump naming disaster recovery a priority for NEA grants, he has also proposed eliminating the agency. Although Congress has rejected these proposals, numerous arts organizations have faced grant terminations due to shifting administrative priorities.
Also present at the event was Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.), who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for alleged misconduct. Neither Edwards nor the council mentioned the investigation, while his opponent, Jamie Ager, is planning a rally in Asheville on Thursday night.
