PAWTUCKET – Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts kicked off what she says will be a month-long effort to promote her “buy local” arts initiative in Rhode Island on Monday. Roberts used an advocacy training session organized by Rhode Island Citizens for the Arts to fight proposed state budget cuts as the occasion to deliver a short pep talk to about 30 participants.
Buying local, Roberts said, is a good investment in small businesses in Rhode Island. “There are 2,000 small businesses in the arts that employ 12,000 people,” she said. She characterized the money spent by the government to support such arts entrepreneurs as “local stimulus money.”
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“When you buy local,” Roberts continued, “50 percent of each dollar spent stays in the local economy. You are reinvesting in the Rhode Island economy.”
Roberts launched the “Buy Local RI” campaign in 2008, including a Web site, www.buylocalri.org.
Roberts also talked about her ongoing efforts to change the rules governing state purchasing to make them more favorable to local vendors. “All things being equal, Rhode Island bidders should be able to get that business that we spend our tax dollars on,” she said.
She cited the importance of the arts as an income generator, referring to a 2007 study, which found that arts and culture generated more than $100 million a year to the Providence economy.
During a tour of small arts businesses in the Hope Artiste Village, when asked by Providence Business News if there were more numbers available to quantify the success of the “buy local” campaign, Roberts said that she was working with Johnson & Wales University to help develop such figures.
Roberts said that she was away this past weekend, visiting her daughter at college in Minnesota, when news about U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy’s decision not to seek re-election. Roberts said that she will be meeting with friends, advisors and family this week, and will announce a decision in the next few days whether or not to join the race.
Meanwhile, the itinerary for her buy local arts and culture tour continues with stops at Craftland and New Urban Arts in Providence, and the Portsmouth Artist’s Guild on Tuesday. The full itinerary, subject to change, is available at www.ltgov.ri.gov.
Buying locally for local products… and local art products at that! Nice! Lets expand this and really showcase ALL RI made and grown products. This $ goes directly to the ‘bottom line’ of our economy.
Our end Hunger Foundation has a working model program up-and-running with area hotels to showcase locally made products. Contact me for details. Steve – endhunger@cox.net
http://www.1of52.net
BetterStream.com started the idea of buying local arts in RI. And right now, you can buy the work of local independent musicians, bands, painters, jewelry makers, fashioneers, videographers, filmmakers, comedians and other artists on a small scale. We will next move throughout the whole state and we welcome the Lt. Gov. onboard as BuyLocalRI.org is not a website.
The buylocalri.org site is really weak. It should list artists and businesses by category in a directory and not make me search first. Of course it should have a showcase too. When was the logo contest announced?