The Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) has been approved for a $25,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support a largescale countywide public art festival taking place in July, 2023. The OCAC’s project is among 1,248 projects across America totaling $28,840,000 that were selected to receive this first round of fiscal year 2022 funding in the Grants for Arts Projects category.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects like this one from the Orange County Arts Commission that help support the community’s creative economy,” said NEA Acting Chair Ann Eilers. “The Orange County Arts Commission is among the arts organizations nationwide that are using the arts as a source of strength, a path to well-being, and providing access and opportunity for people to connect and find joy through the arts.”
“We are thrilled to receive this grant, the first NEA grant in the thirty-seven year history of the arts commission. Knowing the NEA sees the potential of our festival is an exciting endorsement that affirms our efforts,” states Katie Murray, director of the OCAC.
Fourteen community organizations, including all three municipalities, multiple county departments, and UNC-Chapel Hill, are involved in the planning efforts. They are currently developing a name for the festival that will feature large works of public art throughout the downtowns of Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and Carrboro from mid-July until mid-August, 2023. The purpose of the festival is to encourage visitation during the slow summer months, financially compensate and celebrate participating artists, and provide an accessible arts experience for residents and visitors.
For more information on other projects included in the Arts Endowment grant announcement, visit www.arts.gov/news.
For more information on the Orange County Commission, visit www.artsorange.org.