Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Inc

Strategic Planning - The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (BRNHA) board of directors approved its 2024-2027 Strategic Plan in December 2023. Funding partners over a two-year timeframe included the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, Cherokee Preservation Foundation, NC Arts Council Technical Assistance program and Dogwood Health Trust. Leslie Anderson Consulting facilitated the strategic plan process. The plan encompasses six overarching priorities including: Financial Viability and Sustainability, Organizational Capacity, Brand Awareness, Education and Program Development, New Meaningful Beneficial Partnerships, and Preservation of Threatened Assets. Blue Ridge Craft Trails Earned Media Project BRNHA ended a two-year long media project that resulted in an estimated 1.28 million people viewing BRNHA's content and brand. Campaign reach from all media (writers, media, TV, etc.), focused mostly on the Blue Ridge Craft Trails, including 206 pieces with 23 links back to BRNHA. This increased BRNHA's search results without having to pay for it. Other publicity included 155 social posts from media, 2 broadcast events, and nearly 10K social shares. The original goal of the campaign was to feature 20 craft artisans and galleries, but 80 were featured, representing 21 of BRNHA's 25 counties. ARC Exhibition and Craft Trails Peer to Peer Learning The Appalachian Regional Commission invited BRNHA to organize an invitational craft exhibition focused on 29 craft artists. The artists provided both permanent and rotating loaned craft works of art that now grace the halls of the ARC offices in Washington, DC. All craft artists were paid for their works by ARC. BRNHA was reimbursed for expenses in managing the project and coordinating transportation and display. In addition, five Blue Ridge Craft Trails Peer-to-Peer learning sessions were held in Western North Carolina, featuring opportunities for craft artists to engage with each other, meet businesses who could provide resources and learn about topics of importance to craft artists. There were 143 people who attended the sessions. Blue Ridge Music Trails expanding the reach of the Fine Tuned music education project launched in FY 2023, BRNHA continued to help promote the careers of Fine Tuned artists and other emerging artists in the region. BRNHA partnered with rural venue Rare Bird Farm to host the Fine Tuned Sessions, an all-day music event in an intimate setting. There were 15 artists who participated and more than 120 people attended. In addition, BRNHA hosted a spring concert series, featuring seven music groups from diverse musical genres including gospel, Cherokee, folk, bluegrass, ballad singing and old time, with more than 384 people in attendance.