Agenda - 10-18-2022; 4-c - Orange County Arts Commission One Year Update on Eno Arts Mill

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1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 18, 2022 Action Agenda Item No. 4-c SUBJECT: Orange County Arts Commission One Year Update on Eno Arts Mill DEPARTMENT: Orange County Arts Commission ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Katie Murray, Arts Director, 919-245-2335 PURPOSE: To receive an update on the Eno Arts Mill project on its one-year anniversary. BACKGROUND: The Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) opened eleven (11) artist studios occupying 3,000 square feet at the Eno River Mill in March 2020. In May 2021, the OCAC was granted permission to lease an additional 7,000 square feet of space adjacent to the existing studios. The combined spaces, referred to as the "Eno Arts Mill," occupy 10,000 square feet of space, including a gallery, classroom, seventeen (17) artist studios, a conference room, and the OCAC offices. The grand opening of the Eno Arts Mill was October 1, 2021. Three hundred residents attended and enjoyed an "Artist Preview" exhibit of all studio artists as well as open artist studios, live music, food trucks and more. In the last year, the Eno Arts Mill has already become staple of the Hillsborough community and Triangle arts community. Through the payment of artists and by drawing visitors to Hillsborough, the space has made a significant contribution to the local economy, as demonstrated in the chart below. It has also provided a welcoming and safe place for all types of people to experience the arts. Several highlights of the first year of programming include: • April 2022: Home?An Artistic Exploration of Affordable Housin_p in the Triangle. This Triangle-wide exhibit was a partnership with the Housing Department and featured 100 works of art by 54 artists, as well as 16 poets who read their selected works during the exhibit opening. In addition to works focusing on the unaffordable housing market, many works focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. This powerful show received Triangle-wide press and introduced many new artists and patrons to the Eno Arts Mill. • July 2022: Building Bridges. An Exhibit of Latin-American Artists in the Triangle. This Triangle-wide exhibit featured nineteen Latin-American artists. The opening event featured Grammy-nominated musician Joe Troop with Larry Bellorin as well as Takiri Mexican dancers. • Diversity and accessibility: The OCAC believes the studio artists, staff, and leadership need to reflect the community in order to be a welcoming space for all people. Growing a diverse group of artist-tenants has been a priority of OCAC, with diversity not only being defined by demographics, but also career level and medium. This intentionality has resulted in 44% of artist tenants identifying as a member of a marginalized community.