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5 <br /> NOW, THEREFORE, the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County, North Carolina <br /> does hereby proclaim October 2022 as Arts and Humanities Month in Orange County and calls <br /> upon community members to celebrate and promote the arts and humanities throughout the <br /> region, state and nation, and to participate in sustaining the vibrancy of the arts and humanities <br /> for the betterment of society. <br /> This the 18' day of October, 2022. <br /> Renee Price, Chair <br /> Orange County Board of <br /> Commissioners <br /> A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner Hamilton, to <br /> approve and authorize the Chair to sign the proclamation recognizing October 2022 as Arts and <br /> Humanities Month in Orange County. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> Katie Murray,Arts Commission Director, thanked the Commissioners for the proclamation. <br /> c. Orange County Arts Commission One Year Update on Eno Arts Mill <br /> The Board received an update on the Eno Arts Mill project on its one-year anniversary. <br /> BACKGROUND: The Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) opened eleven (11) artist <br /> studios occupying 3,000 square feet at the Eno River Mill in March 2020. In May 2021, the OCAC <br /> was granted permission to lease an additional 7,000 square feet of space adjacent to the existing <br /> studios. The combined spaces, referred to as the "Eno Arts Mill," occupy 10,000 square feet of <br /> space, including a gallery, classroom, seventeen (17) artist studios, a conference room, and the <br /> OCAC offices. The grand opening of the Eno Arts Mill was October 1, 2021. Three hundred <br /> residents attended and enjoyed an "Artist Preview" exhibit of all studio artists as well as open <br /> artist studios, live music, food trucks and more. <br /> In the last year, the Eno Arts Mill has already become staple of the Hillsborough community and <br /> Triangle arts community. Through the payment of artists and by drawing visitors to Hillsborough, <br /> the space has made a significant contribution to the local economy, as demonstrated in the chart <br /> below. It has also provided a welcoming and safe place for all types of people to experience the <br /> arts. Several highlights of the first year of programming include: <br /> • April 2022: Home? An Artistic Exploration of Affordable Housing in the Trian_ple. <br /> This Triangle-wide exhibit was a partnership with the Housing Department and featured <br /> 100 works of art by 54 artists, as well as 16 poets who read their selected works during <br /> the exhibit opening. In addition to works focusing on the unaffordable housing market, <br /> many works focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. This powerful show received Triangle- <br /> wide press and introduced many new artists and patrons to the Eno Arts Mill. <br /> • July 2022: Building Bridges: An Exhibit of Latin-American Artists in the Triangle. This <br /> Triangle-wide exhibit featured nineteen Latin-American artists. The opening event <br /> featured Grammy-nominated musician Joe Troop with Larry Bellorin as well as Takiri <br /> Mexican dancers. <br /> • Diversity and accessibility: The OCAC believes the studio artists, staff, and leadership <br /> need to reflect the community in order to be a welcoming space for all people. Growing a <br /> diverse group of artist-tenants has been a priority of OCAC, with diversity not only being <br />