At first glance, Wilmington is an artistic city. Live Oak Bank Pavilion demands attention from drivers entering Wilmington. Downtown, the Wilson Center and Thalian Hall are places to catch a show. On the Riverwalk, a metal-and-glass Venus flytrap soars into the sky. Unexpectedly on the side of a Best Western, a mural by renowned artist and conservationist Robert Wyland features a pod of dolphins, one leaping out of the water, reflecting off the Cape Fear River just below.
Although art is accessible at a passing glance, does it denote Wilmington as an arts destination? When successful, public art, concert and theater venues and local galleries become almost second nature to a city, woven into the thread of the destination, rarely revealing the work (and funding) required to achieve such status. At the end of the day, art is more than something to be enjoyed; it is a business.
Rhonda Bellamy, president, CEO and founder of the Arts Council of Wilmington & New Hanover County, describes the anticipated five-year growth of arts and business throughout the region as significant.
“With the arts already representing a substantial $75 million sector in New Hanover County alone, employing 1,285 full-time-equivalent workers and contributing substantially to local, state and federal tax revenues, the foundation is strong,” she said.
Bellamy noted other factors, such as population growth in New Hanover and neighboring counties. North Carolina’s robust $2.2 billion arts economy also suggests expansion, showing continued momentum and a post-COVID bounce back.
She described the future as promising, foreseeing the arts playing a pivotal role in economic vitality and community enrichment.
DRAWING DOLLARS FROM OUTSIDE

Bellamy draws her numbers from the 2022 Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study. Referred to as AEP6, the study reported that more than 1.2 million people attended arts events in New Hanover County, with 39% coming from outside the county.
“The fact that one out of every three attendees to any arts event comes from outside of the county, we know we are establishing ourselves as an arts destination,” she said.
The report also noted those out-of-town attendees as spending on average $60.55 per event with 70.7% saying the purpose of their visit was to specifically attend the performance, event, exhibit, venue or facility where surveyed.
The arts council oversees grant programs; Fourth Friday Gallery Nights at over 20 galleries and art spaces; the Pedestrian Art Program, which features the installation of 10-12 temporary sculptures throughout the city; Wilmington Theater Awards; and the Wilmington Rail Trail. Bellamy describes these as crucial for positioning Wilmington as an arts destination for visitors and locals alike.
Although “arts destination” seems geared towards those from out of town, it is just as much for locals. Fourth Fridays is a pillar of Wilmington’s art community, with stops including ACME Art Studios, where over 20 spaces are occupied by local artists, ceramicists and sculptors. Another stop, New Elements Gallery, has been fundamental to the Wilmington art scene since 1985.
The Wilmington Rail Trail seeks to beautify and make accessible the abandoned downtown rail corridor between 3rd and McRae streets, adding feasibility for use of the corridor by bicycles, pedestrians and future rail services, eventually incorporating public art.
The AEP6 examined the correlation of arts with community pride. In New Hanover County, 84% of arts and culture attendees agreed that the activity or venue instilled a sense of pride, with nearly 77% indicating the venue or facility as “an important pillar for me within my community.”
The study only surveyed nonprofit arts organizations, and event ticket prices were not included in measuring economic impact.
A GROWING FORUM
In early June, Bellamy and two of her board members sat at a table inside Cape Fear Community College’s Wilson Center, greeting attendees for the annual Southeast Arts Summit (SEA Summit). Established by the arts council in 2016, SEA Summit, formerly the Wilmington Arts Summit, includes two days of panels, networking and smaller classroom sessions for arts leaders from across the Southeast, notably nonprofits.
Bellamy counted around 75 attendees this year, noting the decision to change the name was to attract other regions and states, which has proven successful.
“The vice president of strategy for South Arts, based in Atlanta, is in attendance. We also have some attendees from South Carolina,” she said.
The main speakers included Jeff Bell, executive director of the N.C. Arts Council, and Randy Cohen, vice president of research at Americans for the Arts, the organization that conducts the AEP6. Gail Perry, founder and president of Gail Perry Group, a consulting firm for nonprofits, also discussed the changing trends in philanthropy and “riding the waves to stronger fundraising.”
Bellamy noted that fundraising is a continual roadblock for adequate growth and success. “Funding is always a challenge, especially for arts nonprofits,” she said.
Of the arts council and SEA Summit, Bellamy said, “We want to make certain all of our organizations are operating optimally because they’re doing the grunt work and are responsible for getting people into these seats and events.”
THE ONE WITH THE MURAL
When speaking of grunt work, Maureen Lewis noted, “I’m not an artist; I’m the person who gets things done.” She said this to a classroom of SEA Summit attendees while giving a presentation on how she started the Carolina Beach Mural Project, of which she is president.
“When we moved to North Carolina, I noticed the hermit mural on the back of The Last Resort. It was beautiful; I was like, ‘Why do we not have more of this?’ I started asking around, and there was a lot of desire to have murals in our town, but no one knew how to get it started,” she said. “Since I had experience, I had documentation and knowledge on how to set a program up and create a platform that creates a sustainable mural project.”
Lewis already had a blueprint from her time in California on the board of the Hermosa Beach Murals Project. For her, the intersection of arts and business is more than data or even the 19 murals the Carolina Beach Mural Project (CBMP) has brought to the area since its inception in 2020. It is about the involvement and excitement from locals and local businesses, artfully telling the story of Carolina Beach to visitors and the ability to allocate the majority of funds to artist fees, offering a fair rate for muralists, she said.
The murals themselves serve as a signifier. When one drives through Carolina Beach, they don’t need further proof they’re in a destination that embraces the arts.
“Businesses will say, ‘We’re the one with the Venus flytrap.’ Dry Dock Inn has redone their marketing materials to feature the Kraken,” Lewis said.
“Kraken,” a black-and-white mural by Jill Webb, showcases the octopus of lore, elegantly aligning with the inn’s midcentury aesthetic.
CBMP has also gained the attention of other organizations. The Island Women Literacy Committee introduced an interactive program to the murals. Coined Smart Art Kids, a QR-code is accessed at a child’s eye level, encouraging families to learn and interact with the art, as well as read about the mural subjects.
The mural program was recently featured on PBS’ “NC Weekend” show.
“My social media blew up,” Lewis said. “Everyone was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this makes our town look so good.’ That’s publicity we could have never afforded.”
As Lewis recalls success with CBMP, Bellamy foresees the same for fellow nonprofits looking to bring accessible art to Wilmington.
For now, Bellamy is planning and predicting in increments of three to five years.
“The arts,” she said, “contribute to the cultural identity and vibrancy of Wilmington.”