Arts and Cultural Affairs

The Mission of Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs is to elevate Central Florida’s arts and culture to that befitting a world-class community.

Calls for Public Art

The office of Arts & Cultural Affairs supports multiple exhibition programs.

Calls for Public Art

Construction projects in Orange County typically allocate 1 percent of the project budget for original, site-specific public art. An artist selection panel, consisting of project stakeholders, arts professionals, and members of the Public Art Review Board, evaluates submissions for each project.

Artist Applications are received through the CaFÉ website.

Art in the Chambers

Visual art exhibitions are displayed in the Orange County Board of County Commissioners Chambers and are rotated in January, May, and September. The artwork for the Chambers Gallery is curated by the Public Art Review Board and features prominent local collections, as well as works by nationally recognized artists who have lived or worked in Orange County. Artwork exhibited must be large scale, suitable for all audiences, family-friendly, and non-political.

Orange County Administration Center, 201 S. Rosalind Ave., Orlando, FL 32801
Open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. except for holidays.
Artworks are available for purchase.

Artists who wish to be considered are encouraged to APPLY HERE.

Art in the Atrium

The Atrium Gallery hosts monthly exhibitions for emerging and established artists who reside or have resided in the Central Florida community, or for organizations within Orange County seeking to promote a specific artist, artist group, or cause. Artwork exhibited must be appropriate for all audiences, family-friendly, and non-political.

Orange County Administration Center, 201 S. Rosalind Ave., Orlando, FL 32801
Open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. except for holidays.
Artworks are available for purchase.

Artists who wish to be considered are encouraged to APPLY HERE.

Multicultural Center

Multicultural Center

The Multicultural Center Gallery hosts monthly exhibitions and is designed to support both emerging and established artists who reside in or have lived in the Pine Hills community. Additionally, community organizations within Pine Hills may also utilize the space to promote specific artists, artist groups, or causes. Artwork exhibited must be appropriate for all audiences, family-friendly, and non-political.

Orange County Multicultural Center, 7149 W. Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL 32818
Open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for holidays.
Artworks are available for purchase.

Artists who wish to be considered are encouraged to APPLY HERE.

Sculpture on the Lawn

The Sculpture on the Lawn program is an annual international art competition showcasing large-scale sculptures by four selected artists, who receive an honorarium in exchange for loaning their works. Since its inception in 2015, residents of Orange County have had the opportunity to view sculptures from around the world. Throughout the day and night, both residents and visitors in Orlando frequently visit to observe and interact with the artworks. These sculptures encourage community engagement and provide an inviting focal point within this green space in Downtown Orlando.

Orange County Administration Center, 201 S. Rosalind Ave., Orlando, FL 32801
Open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. except for holidays.
Sculptures are available for purchase.

Artist Applications are received through the CaFÉ website.

Artfully Orange

Exploring Orange County's artistic landscape.

How the Arts Impact the Community

Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs regularly supports research and planning efforts on arts and cultural activity, economic impact, and future growth. You can find more information on these studies and tools to learn more about our arts community below.

ArtsInOrlando.com
Operated by United Arts of Central Florida with support from Orange County, this website is the one-stop-shop for information on all arts and cultural events happening in our community! Find and search events, art tours, and more.

CANVAS Cultural Plan
Orange County and the City of Orlando are proud to have developed "CANVAS: A Cultural Plan for the City of Orlando and Orange County", a comprehensive cultural plan aimed at harnessing the power of the region's diverse cultural assets and creating a roadmap for the future. This plan seeks to align and celebrate the area's unique and robust creative sector while fostering greater opportunity and sustainability.

Arts Ecology Study
Published in 2023, the Arts Ecology Study was a partnership between Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs, United Arts of Central Florida, the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, and the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation. The study analyzed Orange County’s arts and cultural economy, reviewing nonprofit budget sizes, marketing and fundraising capacity, and audience size as it compares to several other metropolitan statistical areas.

Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 Study
The Arts and Economic Prosperity Study (AEP6) is a nationwide study of the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry. Building on its 30-year legacy, the AEP is regarded as one of the most credible testaments to the economic power of arts and culture. The AEP is led by Americans for the Arts. United Arts coordinates the Central Florida region's participation in this study, conducted every five to six years.

Artist Spotlight Series

Interviews with featured artists.

Funding

The Arts & Cultural Affairs office supports and administers a number of funding programs to support arts and culture in Orange County. United Arts of Central Florida serves as the fiscal agent for the following programs:

Cultural Tourism: to support events in Orange County that enhance the Orlando area's cultural identity, present quality arts and cultural experiences, and promote tourism.

Cultural Facilities: to enhance the area's arts and cultural integrity through investment in acquisition, construction, renovation, or equipping of cultural facilities.

Blockbuster & Special Events: to encourage marquee-type blockbuster events that result in large (>50,000) regional, statewide, and national attendance and include significant collaborations among the local arts and culture community.

Venue Subsidy Program: a grant to subsidize the use of event venues in Orange County for an exhibition or performance.

In addition to serving as Orange County’s fiscal agent for arts and cultural grants, United Arts of Central Florida serves our community as our designated local arts agency. They operate grants for nonprofits and individual artists, advocate for the sector, and operate ArtsInOrlando.com, a one-stop-shop for all arts and cultural events in our community.

Arts & Cultural Affairs in Action

Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs Office Celebrates the 2nd Annual ACT Awards.

Advisory Council and Committees

The goals of the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Council are:
1. Ensure that county resources empower arts and culture to thrive well into the future.
2. Cultivate opportunities for all residents and visitors to experience and participate in innovative, high-quality and diverse arts and culture.
3. Anchor arts and culture as core elements of civic health and quality of life.

Find meetings of the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Council and Committees on the Orange County Calendar:

Advisory Council Members

Mission: To elevate Central Florida’s arts and culture to that befitting a world-class community.

Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs works with its Advisory Council to recommend how Orange County’s Tourist Development Tax revenues and General Fund dollars should be invested to elevate the status of arts and culture in Central Florida.

Jennifer Benton, Chair
Commissioner Nicole Wilson
Barbara Chandler
Flynn Dobbs
David Forrest
Quibulah Graham
Roberto Gonzalez
John Hall
Nathan Hill
Paul Lartonoix (Vice Chair)
Stephanie Lerret
Brendan Lynch
Dawn Ofodile
Nattacha Wyllie

Blockbuster and Special Events Committee

Mission: To encourage marquee arts and cultural blockbuster events in Orange County.

Committee Members:
Stephanie Lerret, Chair
Gwen Covington
Hal Kantor
Keith Smith
Rich Taylor

CANVAS Cultural Plan Committee

Committee Members:
Chris Brown
Jacques Coulon
Mary-Stewart Droege
Flynn Dobbs
David Forrest
Betsy Gwinn
Elyse Jardine
Brendan Lynch
Greg Mason
Jason Reynolds
Thali Sugisawa
Erin Sullivan
Tracy Swanson
Sandi Vidal
Shawn Welcome
Nattacha Wyllie

Committee Chairs

Mission: To advance the mission of the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Council and its committees through collaboration, coordination and connection.

Committee Members:
Jennifer Benton, Chair
Stephanie Lerret
Nattacha Wyllie

Funding and Standards Committee

Mission: To ensure the County’s investment in arts and culture is consistent with the mission of the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Council.

Committee Members:
Jennifer Benton, Chair
Barbara Chandler
Paul Lartonoix
Brendan Lynch
Tiffany Sanders

Public Art Review Board

Mission: To enrich the life of Orange County citizens, visitors and employees by providing access to diverse and excellent quality art and collections of our community.

Committee Members:
Nattacha Wyllie, Chair
Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon
Damany Cruickshank
Flynn Dobbs
Donna Dowless
Carolyn Fennell
Quibulah Graham
Roberto Gonzalez
Mariela Saad
Juan Pablo Santa Luna

Contact Us

450 E. South St., Suite 345
Orlando, Florida 32801

Email: ArtsandCulturalAffairs@ocfl.net
Phone: (407) 836-5540
Fax: (407) 836-5554

All e-mail sent to this address becomes part of Orange County public record. Comments received by our e-mail subsystem can be read by anyone who requests that privilege. In compliance with "Government in the Sunshine" laws, Orange County Government must make available, at request, any and all information not deemed a threat to the security of law enforcement agencies and personnel.