Friday, July 22, 2022

Smiling person with long dark hair, wearing black-framed glasses, a black and red blazer, a black shirt, and a silver necklace.

Americans for the Arts and the National Association of Counties (NACo) tomorrow will award Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter of Minnesota the Public Leadership in the Arts Award for County Arts Leadership. The award recognizes an elected official who has advanced the arts within their community and whose vision and leadership provide heightened visibility to the value of the arts.

An artist herself, Commissioner Carter has deep roots in the Twin Cities arts community, and bringing the voices of artists to county government is central to her work. Her arts advocacy style is built from the grassroots and is focused on amplifying community voices. She brings an arts perspective to the community boards on which she serves, including the Saint Paul Planning Commission, the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), the Walker West Music Academy, the West Side Community Health Center, the Saint Paul YWCA, and the Jeremiah Program. She has also supported the infusion of arts in our Capitol Region Watershed District activities.

An example of Commissioner Carter’s contributions and style is the Dale Street Bridge project. This project was a rebuild of a bridge over an interstate that divided Rondo, a historically Black neighborhood in Saint Paul. Responding to the community’s call for a redesign, Commissioner Carter led a team that embedded public art into the bridge, including a sculpted tree and poems etched into the widened sidewalks to ease the connection between the two sides of the bridge. Commissioner Carter listened closely to the community and was an integral part of the process that brought art into the rebuild, even delaying the project to be sure the team got it right for the community. As a result of integrating art, the project became an opportunity for what she called “bridging the community.”

Commissioner Carter also co-founded ARTS-Us in 1992, a community organization that develops youth leaders from the African diaspora through the arts, culture, and sciences. ARTS-Us provides cultural performances, art and art resources for educators, leadership opportunities for students, and consulting for community, business, and civic organizations through the lens of the African diaspora.

Commissioner Carter commented, “I accept this award on behalf of our community, staff, and board who acknowledge and embrace the important role of the arts in our work with community, and for communities across the world. Art reflects and preserves our past experiences, our present realities, and our hopes and dreams for the future. The arts enable and facilitate engagement, communication, and understanding across boundaries, and help us work out our humanity together.”

President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, Nolen V. Bivens, said, “Commissioner Toni Carter is deeply impactful, going above and beyond by encouraging leaders to innovate and imagine better futures by integrating the arts into their work. This award recognizes and celebrates not only her dedication to the arts and culture at the community level in Ramsey County, but also her service on NACo’s Arts and Culture Commission where she has helped to advocate for the arts at the national level. Her unwavering commitment has led to positive community development in Ramsey County, and I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award than Commissioner Toni Carter.”

“Commissioner Carter has long demonstrated leadership in leveraging the arts to strengthen Ramsey County and counties across America,” said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase. “Her passionate commitment to arts and culture has enhanced county services, expanded economic opportunity, and improved residents’ overall quality of life. We congratulate Commissioner Carter and applaud her dedication to making our counties better places to live, work and play.”

Americans for the Arts established the Public Leadership in the Arts Award for County Arts Leadership in 1999 to recognize the positive role county government leaders play in improving arts programs, increasing funding to the arts, and making the arts accessible in their communities.

Americans for the Arts is a nonprofit organization that advances the arts and arts education advocacy in America. Based in Washington, D.C., it has a record of more than 60 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for everyone to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.

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