Interoffice Memorandum
DATE: August 27, 2025
TO: Mayor Jerry L. Demings and County Commissioners
THROUGH: Carla Bell Johnson, AICP, Deputy County Administrator
FROM: Vicki Landon, Administrator
CONTACT: Vicki Landon, Administrator
PHONE: 407-836-3873
DIVISION: Arts and Cultural Affairs Office
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Acceptance of CANVAS Cultural Plan for the City of Orlando and Orange County. (Arts and Cultural Affairs Office)
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PROJECT: CANVAS Cultural Plan
PURPOSE: On May 1, 2001, the Board approved recommendations from the 2001 Arts Taskforce. The Taskforce had three recommendations: allocation of 3% of the first four cents of the Tourist Development Tax to arts and culture, creation of the Arts and Cultural Affairs Office, and creation of the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Council. Since then, there has not been any meaningful strategic planning for arts and culture in Orange County until the CANVAS Cultural Plan. In 2021, Orange County entered into a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Orlando, Orlando Community Redevelopment Agency, and Orange County to conduct the CANVAS Cultural Plan.
The CANVAS Cultural Plan is a strategic roadmap for arts and culture in Orange County and the City of Orlando for the next 10 years, including three foundational principles: our arts belong to everyone, we are a creative epicenter, and we invest in our own. The Plan includes six main goals, which are Position the City of Orlando and Orange County as a Global Creative Leader, Ensure Arts Access for All Communities, Catalyze Artists and the Creative Workforce, Strengthen Creative Placemaking and Public Art, Build Cultural Sector Resilience, and Elevate the Arts as a Civic Partner. The CANVAS Cultural Plan provides a framework for the future of arts and culture in Orange County.
BUDGET: N/A