The Charlotte Arts and Culture Plan

The City of Charlotte and partners across the county have developed a comprehensive plan to sustain and grow arts and culture in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. On Oct. 23, 2023, city staff presented the plan to Charlotte City Council for discussion. The City Council is expected to vote on whether to accept the plan on Nov. 13, 2023.

The Charlotte Arts and Culture Plan process involved listening to communities, gathering and analyzing data, and building consensus on a shared community vision for the future of local arts and culture. This vision will be used to create policies, funding strategies, and activities that will cultivate and support a thriving, sustainable arts and culture community that benefits everyone.

Thank you to the more than 3,400 participants who helped shape the future of arts and culture by sharing what is important to you, identifying how you participate in the creative sector, and helping identify where the city and its partners should focus their efforts.

If you are interested in being involved in implementing the Charlotte Arts and Culture plan, email artsandculture@charlottenc.gov.

Charlotte Arts and Culture Plan Vision

A community where all people value, support, and thrive through arts, culture, and creativity.

Charlotte Arts and Culture Plan Philosophy

Arts and culture are essential to our community.

Through arts and culture, we come to know and understand each other. We appreciate our pasts and build a better future together. Through arts and culture, our daily lives vault from existing to thriving.  

Arts and culture are vital, and we do not take them for granted. Every person deserves to experience creativity and cultural enrichment. Together, we must cultivate arts, culture, and creativity for everyone.

State of Culture Report

Read the State of Culture Report(PDF, 6MB), a 360-degree review of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area's current cultural environment. The report includes:

• Analyses of existing data and plans pertaining to the area's arts and culture sector.
• A cultural asset inventory and map.
• An in-depth assessment of how arts and culture is funded in the area, including grants, fees for service and building maintenance, and of funding strengths and challenges from the perspectives of artists, organizations and funders.
• An examination of arts funding and governance in comparable communities across the nation.
• A robust, three-month, areawide community engagement effort.

For a snapshot of the report’s findings, read the State of Culture Report At a Glance(PDF, 435KB).

A survey is also available to provide input on the State of Culture Report and the cultural planning process. The deadline to complete the survey is March 15.