At the Cherokee County Arts Council, we believe that art is a powerful force for connection, healing, and understanding. We are committed to fostering a creative environment where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) rest in the heart of everything we do. We embrace and support artists, audiences, and community members of all genders, faiths, and backgrounds, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and the many historically marginalized communities.

Art has always been a refuge for those pushed to society’s edges. James Baldwin and Audre Lorde used literature to illuminate the struggles of Black and LGBTQIA+ people. Frida Kahlo defied gender norms and colonial oppression through her self-portraits, while Romare Bearden’s collages captured the resilience of African American communities. Ruth Asawa, shaped by the trauma of Japanese American internment, challenged the boundaries between art and craft with her intricate wire sculptures, refusing to conform to the exclusionary structures of the art world and Ann Miller Woodford has used her art, writing, and activism to uplift the often-overlooked African American communities of southern Appalachia, preserving their histories and advocating for social justice through storytelling and community engagement. These artists’ legacies remind us that creative expression is an act of both resistance and hope.

We honor these traditions by ensuring that our programming, exhibitions, and educational opportunities reflect the diverse voices that shape our world. Through active partnerships, equitable funding, and intentional outreach, we work to remove barriers to participation in the arts. We welcome all who seek to create, share, and experience art – regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, immigration status, or economic background.

In Cherokee County, where cultures and histories intertwine, we recognize the responsibility of arts organizations such as ours to foster inclusivity and celebrate the richness that diversity brings. The Cherokee County Arts Council remains committed to using the arts to build bridges, amplify unheard voices, and create a more just and vibrant community.

Art belongs to everyone. We are here to ensure that the Cherokee County Arts Council remains a space of belonging, expression, and transformation for all.