Strengthening the Regional Creative Economy of Anson and Stanly Counties—First Public Meeting

More than 60 local community leaders, artists, business owners, and journalists gathered at the Lockhart-Taylor Center of South Piedmont Community College in Wadesboro on January 14 to discuss the creative assets that Anson and Stanly counties, working together, can develop to strengthen the two-county region’s creative economy.

This ongoing creative economy project is funded by a grant from the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center. It is part of a pilot project that will yield a creative economy asset mapping tool kit and training opportunities for Cooperative Extension agents across North Carolina. Key partners in implementing the project are the Institute for Emerging Issues, N.C. Cooperative Extension, and Regional Technology Strategies, Inc. (RTS).

Participants at the January 14 meeting listened to several short presentations about the challenges and potential benefits involved with developing the regional creative economy. They also met in small group sessions to assess the region’s creative economy assets, strengths, and opportunities.

Attendees identified gaps in the region’s creative economy support structure and made some preliminary recommendations that will be considered for possible future action. In particular, they requested that the ongoing creative economy project expand the list of assets already identified to include related assets and opportunities in agriculture and tourism. They pointed out the importance of the region’s attractive natural resources, such as the Morrow Mountain, the Uwharrie National Forest, the Yadkin/Pee Dee River, the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, Badin Lake, and Lake Tillery.

Participants also formulated preliminary strategies that included: 1) promoting natural resources as tourist attractions; 2) working collaboratively to brand and market the two counties; 3) branding local value-added food products; 4) developing wayfinding trails to promote local crafts and local foods; 5) marketing vineyards and wineries as premier attractions; and 6) supporting senior enrichment opportunities to encourage retirement in the area. The working groups further encouraged the cultivation of educational and support programs for entrepreneurship, science and technology, and business education.

The next public meeting to further refine and consider specific strategies for strengthening the regional creative economy will take place at Dennis Vineyard Winery in Albemarle at 7 pm on Thursday, April 14. For details about that meeting, please contact Anson County extension agent Janine Rywak at janine_rywak@ncsu.edu or Stanly County extension agent Lori Ivey at lori_ivey@ncsu.edu.

The Anson Record reported the January 14 creative economy meeting in an article that may be viewed at its website. To view the article, please cut and paste the following URL into your web browser: http://www.ansonrecord.com/view/full_story/11057516/article-Anson--Stanly-leadersget-- creative--juices-flowing?