Topics Related to Arts Across NC

Header image: Students working together on a class project at Royal Oaks School of the Arts in Kannapolis, N.C. Royal Oaks is part of the A+ Schools of North Carolina network. Photo by Tibor Nemeth.We know that exposure to the arts positively impacts a child’s school experience, boosting retention, empathy, and overall satisfaction. Yet, convincing parents, administrators, and the public of the arts' importance to student performance can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. When it’s time to educate others about the value of the arts, here are five fast facts to share:

This summer, we welcomed Adrianna Long, a student intern from Durham and a recent graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She participated in a 10-week paid summer internship administered by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources for students from the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions of Higher Education (MIHEs). Adrianna graduated from the visual arts program and has a special interest in arts administration.

Header image: Teachers at the 2025 A+ Schools of North Carolina summer conference at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. Photo by Andie Freeman

This past spring and early summer, the North Carolina Arts Council partnered with Triangle ArtWorks to present a new professional development program, ArtsCore. Over the past five years, senior leadership in arts organizations has turned over because of retirements and the pressures of COVID. Consequently, younger and new leaders are stepping into these roles and seeking guidance, mentorship, and an understanding of the state's arts landscape.

Header image: Ken Sedberry working on rabbit sculpture in the studio (L) and Galen Sedberry in front a wood kiln (R). Photos by Galen Sedberry

Header image: Secretary Pamela Cashwell (L) with Al Strong (R), a Grammy-nominated trumpet player, composer, recording artist, and educator. Secretary Cashwell wears a t-shirt from Come Hear NC, a Department of Natural and Cultural Resources initiative celebrating music in North Carolina. Photo by Holly Nelson

At the upcoming LEAD Conference (Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disabilities), two Arts Council staff members—Jamie Katz Court, the music and dance director and accessibility coordinator, and Erin Rembert, the military and veterans arts coordinator—will present Considerations for Military, Veterans, and Acquired Disabilities.

Header image: Judson Guérard (L) and Sally Morgan Guérard (R). Photo courtesy of the artist

In 1995, the Kenan Institute for the Arts, in Winston-Salem, launched a program to integrate the arts in every aspect of instruction in 25 urban, suburban, and rural pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade schools. Immediately, the results were profoundly positive. Over the following three decades, A+ Schools of North Carolina has revolutionized education through the arts, helping educators create dynamic, engaging learning environments.  

Header image: Sarah Jones Decker. Photo credit: Lauren Rutton, courtesy of Sarah Jones Decker.