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58 <br /> o The OCAC will continue to prioritize projects that employ artists of color and impact <br /> diverse audiences through our Grassroots Arts Project Grants. <br /> o The OCAC is exploring a county-wide DEI/REI training program for area arts <br /> organizations. <br /> o The OCAC will launch an Emerging BIPOC Artist Residency Program at the Eno Mill <br /> Artist studios in 2021, providing one year of free studio space for an emerging artist <br /> of color in the Triangle region. <br /> • Education <br /> o The OCAC will continue to serve as an active partner in Arts in Education <br /> programming for Orange County through the ArtsCenter's Arts in Schools program, <br /> as well as through our grant program and involvement in other school initiatives. <br /> o The OCAC will strategize, with our community partners, ways to offer more, high <br /> quality arts experiences for residents of all ages, races, and socioeconomic <br /> backgrounds within Orange County through our grants program. <br /> • Quality of Life <br /> o Will continue to work in partnership with the Town of Hillsborough, OC-DEAPR, and <br /> Hillsborough Arts Council on the "River Park Arch" public art project which was <br /> delayed in 2020 due to COVID-19. <br /> o Will work in partnership with Town of Chapel Hill Community Arts and Culture, Town <br /> of Carrboro, the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority <br /> on a new mural project in Downtown Chapel Hill depicting important Black Chapel <br /> Hill/Carrboro community members. <br /> o Will work with Town of Hillsborough on a new mural project in Downtown <br /> Hillsborough. <br /> What are the concerns or emerging issues your board has identified for the upcoming year <br /> that it plans to address, or wishes to bring to the Commissioners' attention? <br /> • OCAC Funding <br /> o The OCAC budget is funded entirely by occupancy tax. Due to the pandemic, our <br /> budget is facing a 40% decrease in operating funds for FY21-22 and an anticipated <br /> 70% decrease in FY22-23. The decreased funds will impact our Program Expense <br /> budget, which funds all OCAC programs other than our grants management <br /> function. Smoothing measures are greatly needed in order to ensure the OCAC is <br /> able to continue providing programming and services for our community. <br /> • Support funding for the arts community <br /> o Pre-pandemic, the nonprofit arts industry of Orange County contributed $130M to <br /> the local economy based on Americans for the Arts Arts & Economic Prosperity <br /> Study 5, and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics identified 4,000 creative sector <br /> workers in Orange County. The arts industry has been one of the hardest-hit <br /> industries by the pandemic. Local arts organizations have been shut down for more <br /> than a year and have faced significate staff layoffs/furloughs and the inability to <br /> generate income. Arts workers, who are often times also service industry workers, <br /> have been generally unemployed for over a year. In order to ensure the survival of <br /> our local creative community, financial resources are greatly needed. The OCAC <br /> anticipates more federal funding becoming available, but will also be requesting <br /> county ARP funds be allocated to the arts industry. <br />