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2 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> PROCLAMATION <br /> ARTS AND HUMANITIES MONTH - OCTOBER 2024 <br /> WHEREAS, the nation's 120,000 nonprofit arts organizations, the National Endowment for the <br /> Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the 4,500 local arts agencies in communities <br /> across the country, and the arts and humanities councils of the 50 states and the six jurisdictions <br /> and districts of the United States annually have issued official proclamations designating <br /> October as National Arts and Humanities Month; and <br /> WHEREAS, cities and states — through their local and state arts agencies representing <br /> thousands of cultural organizations — have celebrated the value and importance of culture in <br /> the lives of Americans and the health of thriving communities during National Arts and <br /> Humanities Month for nearly 30 years; and <br /> WHEREAS, the humanities help diverse communities across the United States explore their <br /> history and culture with the support and partnership of the National Endowment for the <br /> Humanities, the 50 state and six jurisdiction and district humanities councils, and local <br /> educational and cultural institutions; and <br /> WHEREAS, the arts and humanities embody so much of the accumulated wisdom, intellect, <br /> and imagination of humankind, and also enhance and enrich the lives of everyone in America; <br /> and <br /> WHEREAS, despite significant losses due to the coronavirus pandemic, the creative industries <br /> remain among the most vital sectors of the American economy, providing new opportunities for <br /> developing cities, creating jobs and economic activity within their own industry and across <br /> sectors, and making communities attractive to business development; and <br /> WHEREAS, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports the nation's arts and culture sector <br /> — including nonprofit, commercial and education — is a $1.02 trillion industry that supports 4.9 <br /> million jobs representing 4.4% of the nation's economy, a larger share of the Gross Domestic <br /> Product (GDP) than powerhouse sectors such as agriculture, transportation, and construction <br /> (2021); and <br /> WHEREAS, the nonprofit arts industry of Orange County has generated $15.8 million in local <br /> and state government revenue and $107 million in economic activity (2022) annually by <br /> organizations and audiences— including $22.3 million of spending beyond the cost of admission <br /> on items such as meals, parking, and lodging by arts event attendees — making the arts a vital <br /> income source for local businesses; <br /> NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County, North <br /> Carolina, do hereby proclaim October 2024 as Arts and Humanities Month in Orange County <br /> and call upon community members to celebrate and promote the arts and culture throughout <br /> the region, state and nation, and to participate in sustaining the vibrancy of the arts and <br /> humanities for the betterment of society. <br /> This the 15t" day of October, 2024. <br /> Jamezetta Bedford, Chair <br /> Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />