Governor Cooper visited Kinston Tuesday, June 12th to discuss his new initiative Hometown Strong, which partners six rural communities across North Carolina with state government to partner on community economic development projects. The role of arts in recreating Kinston/Lenoir County's economy was a focus of his visit -- state officials toured the Arts & Cultural District, where smARTists live and work, and held a community dialogue at the Community Council for the Arts to discuss the role of arts in community revitalization. SmART Kinston Chairman Stephen Hill addressed the Governor, First Lady, and his staff, discussing the origin story of smART Kinston and its accomplishments to date. Check out the news coverage on WNCT and WCTI.
Governor Cooper visits Kinston and highlights smART Kinston as an example of how arts are driving community development