The Brevard County Commission has unanimously approved a $202,000 contract for 2024-25 to help promote arts in the county.

The approved contract has the same dollar amount as BCA’s contract with the county for the 2023-24 budget year, which ended Sept. 30.

Funding will come from money generated by Brevard County’s 5% tourist development tax on hotel room rentals, vacation rentals and other short-term rentals.

The approval came at a time when the County Commission has rejected some funding for the arts. In November unanimously voted to table proposed recommended county-funded marketing support for 44 major events, arts and cultural organizations and events, and sports events, under a revamped grant program.

The Tourist Development Council on Nov. 13 voted unanimously to recommend that the County Commission approve the $202,000 in funding for the BCA for the current budget year.

Although the TDC was supportive of the BCA grant funding, there were concerns about the commission approving their recommendation because of the county’s insistence on withdrawing funding from various cultural and tourism projects over the past year.

As the designated local arts agency for Brevard County, the Brevard Cultural Alliance aims to ensure the current and ongoing growth of art and culture through its mission to build and sustain a vibrant and dynamic arts and cultural sector integral to Brevard County’s quality of life.

“The arts enlighten our lives with beauty, emotion and understanding,” Brevard Cultural Alliance Executive Director Catherine Esrock said in her presentation to the Tourist Development Council, an advisory board to the County Commission.

Esrock outlined the BCA’s projects over the upcoming year, which include:

• Promoting cultural and special events, such as visual and performing arts, including theater, concerts, recitals, opera, dance, art exhibitions, festivals and other related activities. These would include such approaches as social media, online events calendars and directories.
• Producing at least 10 episodes in the 2024-25 budget year of its podcast, “True Colors on the Space Coast,” with the goal to shine a spotlight on emerging local artists belonging to minority communities. “True Colors” previously produced four seasons with 32 total episodes.
• Operating an Art in Public Places program, curating rotating exhibitions of nearly 1,000 pieces of artwork by local artists for display in 11 government buildings and 14 businesses across the county.
• Working with the Brevard Public Schools, the Brevard Schools Foundation and community organizations to provide education programming that “not only enhances participants’ artistic skills, learning engagement and academic achievement, but also teaches transferable 21st-century skills, focusing on strengthening creativity and innovation.” More than 2,000 students a year are directly impacted by BCA education programs, including artist residencies and arts clubs at local schools.

Tyler Vazquez is the Brevard County and North Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or [email protected]