Officials announce arts-economy program

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - The North Carolina Arts Council will provide grants to up to four communities to help them use their cultural assets to create arts-driven economic development.

State Cultural Resources Secretary Linda Carlisle announced the grants Tuesday at a news conference in Durham. The grants are among the recommendations of the SmART Initiative Task Force, led by Capitol Broadcasting CEO Jim Goodmon.

The council will provide grants of $20,000 to $30,000 to three or four communities. The deadline to apply is April 2.

Officials say North Carolina already has several areas that use arts and cultural assets for economic development, including Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Kinston and Winston-Salem.

Carlisle appointed the task force in 2010 to examine arts-driven economic development in North Carolina and around the country.