Each dollar spent on the arts in West Virginia turns into 23, the governor of West Virginia said during the fourth annual Arts-in-our-Communities Conference today at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston, West Virginia.
Governor Jim Justice addressed groups of artists from across the state during the two-day conference hosted by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History.
The event serves as an opportunity for training and information sharing for arts organizations and individual artists throughout West Virginia.
“Every dollar we put into the arts turns into 23 back to us as a state,” Justice said. “In my opinion, we need to continue to increase funding, so we can continue telling the story of who we are.”
In recognition of the value of the arts and their positive influences, Justice signed a proclamation officially designating Thursday, February 27, 2020, as West Virginia Arts Day.
“You’re the engines. You’re doing all kinds of goodness for our state beyond belief. You are to be congratulated, and thanked, and applauded,” the governor said, emphasizing his commitment to arts programs in West Virginia and highlighting their economic impact.
“The arts enhance every aspect of life in West Virginia – growing our creative economy, enriching our civic life, enhancing tourism, and exerting a profound positive influence on the education of our children,” the proclamation reads.
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