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9 <br /> Chair Bedford thanked former Commissioner Alice Gordon for her petition leading to the <br /> adoption of this proclamation. <br /> c. Proclamation Designating October 2024 as Arts and Humanities Month <br /> The Board approved a proclamation designating October 2024 as Arts and Humanities Month in <br /> Orange County. <br /> BACKGROUND: The month of October each year is recognized on a national level as Arts and <br /> Humanities Month. The attached proclamation for October 2024 recognizes the impact of the <br /> arts and humanities on civic and human health, as well as the economic impact made by the arts <br /> industry on a national and local scale. <br /> Katie Murray reviewed the background information for the item. She shared some <br /> personal reasons why the arts are so important to her and so many others. She said that the art <br /> room was the reason that she stayed in school. She said that the arts are where those that do not <br /> belong, do. <br /> Vice-Chair Greene read the following proclamation: <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 October <br /> as National Arts and Humanities Month; and <br /> WHEREAS, cities and states—through their local and state arts agencies representing thousands <br /> of cultural organizations — have celebrated the value and importance of culture in the lives of <br /> Americans and the health of thriving communities during National Arts and Humanities Month for <br /> 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 educational <br /> and cultural institutions; and <br /> WHEREAS, the arts and humanities embody so much of the accumulated wisdom, intellect, and <br /> imagination of humankind, and also enhance and enrich the lives of everyone in America; 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 sectors, <br /> 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 million <br /> jobs representing 4.4% of the nation's economy, a larger share of the Gross Domestic Product <br /> (GDP)than powerhouse sectors such as agriculture, transportation, and construction (2021); and <br />