Minutes 04-16-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Martha Shannon said Alice Levinson was ill and unable to be here tonight. Martha Shannon said the Arts Commission has a role to play in carrying out Goal 3 (Economic Development) and Goal 6 (Quality of Life) of the BOCC's Goals and Priorities Fiscal Year 2009-10. She read directly from the abstract notes as follows: The role of the OCAC in tourism is to help local artists and arts agencies create the "product" (visual art exhibits, musical concerts, studio tours, theatre performances, etc.) that both locals and visitors come to Orange County to enjoy. The arts help create more vibrant and prosperous communities. The presence of creative professionals in a given area is the single most important factor associated with what visitors will spend. Arts industries & events draw audiences. Nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Orange County spent a total of $85.4 million during FY 2010, supporting 3,352 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $8.0 million in local and state government revenue. Through the creative industries, Orange County has an opportunity to further increase job creation, attract investments, generate tax revenues, and stimulate the local economy through tourism and consumer purchases. In addition, creative industries contribute to the contemporary workforce, making creative contributions to industries' products and services and infusing culture into community development. Orange County can use the arts to boost the economy in a variety of ways, from incorporating arts into economic development and community development plans to supporting arts education and promoting arts assets as boosts to cultural tourism. By investing in the arts and incorporating arts and culture into economic development plans, Orange County can reap numerous benefits — economic, social, civic, and cultural —that help generate a more stable, creative workforce; new tourism; and more livable communities. The arts teach our children the skills that will make them successful in the 21 st century workforce — innovation, imagination, critical thinking, and collaboration. The single most effective way to achieve sustainable economic growth and to enrich the quality of life of all citizens is to develop the arts at all levels. The Arts create jobs. The Arts create vibrant Orange County communities. The Arts make money for Orange County. The Arts inspire Orange County children to excel. The Arts communicate across cultures in Orange County. The Arts express Orange County's identity and heritage. The Arts Experience changes lives. Martha Shannon reviewed the following annual programs: • Administer two grant programs (spring and fall) that fund artists, schools, arts agencies and nonprofit organizations sponsoring art projects • Lead two grant-writing workshops for artists & organizations prior to OCAC grant deadlines • Apply annually to NC Arts Council for Designated County Partner renewal • Sponsor Quarterly Artists' Salons, featuring speakers on professional development for artists • Write and distribute press releases, online newsletters, monthly e-newsletters, grant guidelines/applications and other occasional publications • Serve as clearinghouse of arts information on/for Orange County by responding to artists, non-profit organizations, schools, and the public via phone, email, mail, social media, etc. • Update and maintain website with information on our programs and services including a searchable online local arts directory utilizing our database • Coordinate 5th District Congressional High School Arts Competition for Orange County; participate at the district-level competition and reception • Co-sponsor Emerging Artist Program with arts councils in Durham, Chatham, Person, and Granville counties