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About

Rowan County has a rich arts community with many arts and cultural venues and displays of public art. Salisbury has three theaters downtown, a nationally accredited art gallery, a symphony orchestra, and a revered outdoor sculpture show. 

A key component of public art in the community is the  Salisbury Sculpture Show, an annual show featuring large outdoor sculptures from artists around the country. These pieces are displayed throughout downtown Salisbury, and on the local college campuses, and rotate on an annual basis.

The Salisbury History & Art Tour celebrates the city’s rich and diverse history. This unique walking tour is organized into five eras significant to Salisbury’s history along a trail of markers that highlight history and art. 
 

Our History
1971 - As the United Arts Council of Rowan, the Rowan Arts Council (RAC) was formed by local visual artist, Lou Murphy as a means of fundraising for area arts organizations.

2003 - The RAC expanded its direction to include support for a variety of educational and community programming that further served to embed the arts in our local culture.

2010 – Present - The RAC entered a partnership with the Rowan County Tourism Development Authority (RCTDA) as a means of combining resources and expanding our cultural offerings to visitors of Salisbury and Rowan County. The RCTDA assumed management of the administrative processes and the RAC moved into the RCTDA Offices.

Our Vision
The Vision of the Rowan Arts Council is to bring appreciation, enjoyment and awareness of the arts to the community, while establishing Salisbury and Rowan County as a regional resource for arts, education, and culture.

Our Values
Innovation: We support and value innovation in arts and culture.

Diversity: We believe in the value of a diverse community as well as the diverse offerings of a strong and vibrant arts and cultural community.

Education: We believe that arts education is important for artists, children and adults and should be part of the life-long learning process.

Accessibility: We believe that arts and culture must be accessible in all ways to everyone in the community.

What We Do
•    Advocate arts in education
•    Advocate multi-cultural arts
•    Promote artistic development of individuals and organizations
•    Build sustainable relationships and partnerships among the artists and arts organizations in the county
•    Serve as a networking and information resource for the arts
•    Provide information resources for citizens and artists
•    Offer calendar of ongoing arts and cultural events online
•    Oversee and distribute Grassroots Grants Program funds to local arts and cultural organizations
•    Provide grant writing assistance
•    Oversee the regional artists grant program
•    Provide art programming to the citizens of Rowan County

Who We Serve
Citizens, Artists, and the Arts Community of Rowan County

To download the Rowan Arts Council logo, click here.