The Arts Are Not a Luxury. They’re Infrastructure.
In Gaston County, it's time we invested in them like it.
ArtsGaston believes that a thriving arts community is not something that happens by accident. It is built through intentional investment, sustained partnerships, and the collective belief that creativity is essential to a healthy, connected, and economically vibrant community. Advocacy is at the heart of everything we do.
Gaston County is home to a remarkable and growing creative community - artists, educators, performers, makers, and cultural organizations doing extraordinary work every single day. And yet, our county currently invests $0 per capita in arts infrastructure - compared to a North Carolina average of $0.96 per person.
That gap matters. Not just for artists and arts organizations, but for every resident of Gaston County who benefits from a vibrant, connected, and culturally rich community.
ArtsGaston is working to change that and we need your voice to help make it happen. Join us!
The Case for the Arts in Gaston County
Economic Impact
The arts are a proven economic driver. Nationally, nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences generated $151.7 billion in economic activity in 2022, supporting 2.6 million jobs and delivering $29.1 billion in tax revenue. In North Carolina alone, the arts and culture sector generated $2.23 billion in economic impact and supported nearly 38,000 jobs. Every dollar invested in a local arts organization ripples outward into restaurants, retail, parking, and the broader local economy.
Arts & Education
Students who engage with the arts demonstrate higher academic achievement, stronger critical thinking skills, and greater rates of graduation. Arts education builds the creativity, collaboration, and communication skills that employers consistently rank among the most valuable in the modern workforce. When arts programs thrive in our schools, our students, and our community, are stronger for it.
Community & Belonging
The arts build the social fabric that holds communities together. They create shared experiences, foster empathy, bridge differences, and give people a sense of belonging and pride in the place they call home. In a county as diverse and geographically varied as Gaston County - spanning urban Gastonia, suburban communities, and rural towns - the arts are one of the few forces that bring us all to the same table.
Health & Wellbeing
Research consistently shows that engagement with the arts (whether making it or experiencing it) improves mental health, reduces stress, and even slows biological aging. A recent study found that regular arts engagement is associated with a 4% slower rate of biological aging - the same reduction seen with regular physical activity. The arts are not just good for the soul. They are good for the body.
What Are We Fighting For?
Municipal Arts Investment
We are actively working to connect with each of Gaston County's 14 municipalities to make the case for per-capita arts investment, bringing our county in line with the North Carolina average and ensuring that the arts have a sustained, reliable source of local public funding.
Arts Education
We stand alongside Gaston County's arts educators and champion arts education as an essential, not optional, component of a well-rounded education. We advocate for the resources, support, and policy environment that allows arts teachers and teaching artists to do their best work.
Fair Artist Compensation
Artists are professionals. Their work has value. We advocate for fair pay standards for artists across all public and private programming and we model that commitment in everything we do, from our grant programs to our event partnerships.
ArtsGaston advocates at the local, state, and national levels for policies and investments that support artists, arts organizations, and the broader creative community in Gaston County. Our current advocacy priorities include:
Equitable Access
We believe every resident of Gaston County, regardless of zip code, income, age, or background, deserves access to the arts. We advocate for programming, funding, and policy that removes barriers and ensures the arts are truly for everyone.
Your Voice Matters. Here's How to Use It.
Tell Your Story
What has the arts meant to you? A class that changed your life. A performance that moved you. An artist who inspired you. A community event that made you feel like you belonged. Personal stories are the most powerful advocacy tool there is and we want to hear yours.
Contact Your Elected Officials
Let your commissioners, council members, state representatives, and senators know that the arts matter to you and that you expect them to invest accordingly. Not sure who represents you? We've made it easy.
Spread the Word
Follow ArtsGaston on social media. Share our posts. Attend our events. Bring a friend. Talk about the arts with your neighbors, your colleagues, and your elected officials. Visibility is advocacy. Every conversation counts.
Sign Up for Arts Advocacy Updates
Stay informed about the issues affecting the arts in Gaston County and beyond. We'll send you timely updates, action alerts, and resources when your voice is needed most.
Tools for Arts Advocates
ArtsGaston Impact One-Pager
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A snapshot of ArtsGaston's work in Gaston County - perfect for sharing with community leaders and elected officials.
Talking Points: Making the Case for Arts Investment
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A simple, shareable guide to the most compelling arguments for arts funding at the local level.
Arts & Economic Prosperity - NC Data Toolkit
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Key economic impact data for North Carolina's arts and culture sector, from Americans for the Arts.
Creative Economy Snapshot - Gaston County
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Key economic impact data for Gaston County’s creative economy, from a Western NC study conducted by ArtsAVL.
The Arts Work Factsheet
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A comprehensive factsheet including Arts and Economic Prosperity Data in an easy to read guide from ArtsNC.
ArtsNC Advocacy Resources
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Arts NC’s primary function is to provide advocacy training, organization, strategy, and events that create a dynamic, united, and powerful grassroots voice for the arts in North Carolina.
Americans for the Arts Advocacy Resources
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Americans for the Arts is committed to providing information issues affecting the arts today. Here you will find tools, resources, and information to help make your case for the arts and arts education as well as ways you can take action today.