Asheville Reporter

At a meeting on March 11, 2025, the Asheville City Council decided to allocate $200,000 from public art funds to ArtsAVL. This funding is intended to support arts businesses in Asheville affected by Tropical Storm Helene. Of the total amount, $150,000 will be used for Arts Business Relief Grants and $50,000 will fund a campaign to promote local arts areas.

This reallocation of funds is part of the broader Asheville Recovers initiative. The arts and culture sector significantly contributes to Asheville's economy, generating $1.1 billion in sales and providing 9,000 jobs locally in 2023. The decision aligns with feedback from the 2025 Helene Recovery Priorities Survey and fits within the CDBG-DR Draft Action Plan and Council’s identified recovery priorities focusing on Economy and People.

The Public Art Fund typically receives money from 1% of qualified capital improvement project funding for new public art projects. However, $200,000 remains unassigned outside of planned projects and maintenance. With new public art projects currently paused due to disaster recovery needs, using these funds for Helene recovery will not impact long-term management of the Public Art Program.

ArtsAVL’s Arts Business Relief Grants target arts businesses in Western North Carolina located in counties eligible for federal disaster assistance post-Helene. These grants can cover salaries, fees, production costs, promotion efforts, programming expenses, supplies, and operations. Only Asheville-based businesses and organizations will receive funds from this allocation.

Additionally, ArtsAVL's Connections Campaign seeks to increase foot traffic and unify programming across local arts districts through various promotional efforts including an updated art guide and website as well as themed events connected with regional attractions like Biltmore and the NC Arboretum. The City’s funds will primarily support wayfinding/signage initiatives along with events and printed materials for these districts.

ArtsAVL leads Western North Carolina’s Arts Relief Recovery Plan by engaging extensively with artists to assess their needs after Tropical Storm Helene. As Buncombe County’s designated arts agency receiving funding from the NC Arts Council, ArtsAVL is well-positioned to administer these city funds effectively.