Art thou ready? The Asheville Area Arts Council’s inaugural State of the Arts Brunch will take place Wed., Nov. 2 from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. at The Orange Peel. The ticketed brunch event offers local artists and arts advocates a way to celebrate our the broader creative community.

The event includes featured speakers Mayor Esther Manheimer and Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chair Brownie Newman, along with the presentation of the 2022 John Cram Arts Leadership Award. Additionally, the event will highlight four important pieces of research:

The Creative Jobs Report. This study examines the impact of the pandemic on things like job totals through the end of 2021. “We will be looking at the projected totals for 2022, including where jobs and sales went,” says Katie Cornell, Executive Director of the Asheville Area Arts Council.
The WNC Creative Manufacturing Study. This report will offer highlights of the creative manufacturing scene across the Asheville metro. Findings will be published in early 2023.
The Outdoor Events Impact Report. An update to the 2017 study, this piece explores the community impact of the benefits Asheville’s outdoor events provide to participating nonprofits. It’s expected to wrap up next month.
The Arts and Economic Prosperity Report. Get a glimpse of the sixth iteration of this study with Americans for the Arts, which examines the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture sector. Its findings will be complete in October 2023.

Want to support our local creative sector? Become an arts ally member of the Arts Council. Membership costs go to fund the council’s work in arts advocacy, public art, and services for creatives.