Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> <br />PROCLAMATION <br />ARTS AND HUMANITIES MONTH – OCTOBER 2025 <br /> <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 /> <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 /> <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 /> <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 /> <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 /> <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 /> <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 /> <br />NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County, North <br />Carolina, do hereby proclaim October 2025 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 /> <br />This the 7th day of October, 2025. <br /> <br />________________________________ <br />Jamezetta Bedford, Chair <br />Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />2