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16 for 2016: No. 10: Providing for the arts

The Art & Seafood Street Fest  in Historic District Bluffton on October 18, 2014.
The Art & Seafood Street Fest in Historic District Bluffton on October 18, 2014. Staff photo

Odds are good that 2016 will be the year when more resources flow to Hilton Head Island's arts community. A committee formed to make recommendations to Town Council on the proper role of government in supporting the island's arts and cultural organizations has already completed the first phase of its research. Final recommendations -- and town action -- will likely come this year.

Off island, look for both Bluffton and Beaufort to seek "cultural district' designations by the S.C. Arts Commission, which provides marketing assistance to qualifying communities. The additional money should help at a time when national studies show an overall decline in public participation in the arts.

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This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 9:15 AM with the headline " 16 for 2016: No. 10: Providing for the arts."

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