Rural communities across the are confronting economic development issues through the arts. In support of these efforts, many states have created arts-based economic development strategies to improve quality of life, increase tax revenue, cultivate jobs, bring in new businesses, stimulate the economy, and attract more residents, workers, and visitors. Policy examples illustrate the role numerous states are playing in rural arts development and the positive impact it is having on the revitalization of rural areas. [This Issue Brief was developed under a cooperative agreement between the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and with significant research assistance from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.]

Many states have created arts-based economic development strategies to support rural communities across the who are confronting economic development issues.