Arts & Cultural Affairs

The Arts & Cultural Affairs office is responsible for administering Orange County's investment in the arts and culture of our community. The office works with it's Advisory Council to study ways to promote artistic excellence in the County; to review funding requests for the arts and for cultural facilities; and to recommend allocation of funding for relevant activities and facilities from both designated tourist development tax funds and general fund revenue.

Arts & Cultural Affairs Office
450 E. South Street, Suite 345
Orlando, FL 32801
P: (407) 836-5540
F: (407) 836-5554

Overview of Our Office - Video Highlights Narrated by Terry Olson

Video: Orlando Has Culture!

Map of cultural locations in Orange County

Local arts and cultural venues offer summer programs for kids of all ages. Summertime means flip flops, family vacations and great opportunities for kids in Central Florida to expand their cultural horizons and make new friends. From camps for acting and dance to art classes, filmmakers school, and LEGO building workshops, the offerings around town are as varied as the children they cater to. So whether you have a budding engineer or a painting prodigy, you're sure to find a session of summer school they won't want to miss. Click to see what is offered in Orange, Osceola, Lake, and Seminole Counties.

In 2010, amongst the many genres of art being exhibited in the county, there will be some emphasis on landscapes. Click here to view a list of some of the local landscape artists in Central Florida.

Here's a fun way to explore Orange County and its public art. Find clues from this website to hidden caches near various sculptures and public art objects around the county. In each box is a journal where you can leave your mark and the date you found it. There is also a stamp that you can use to stamp your own journal or "public art" passport (470 KB). After you have written in the journal, and drawn something or stamped it, put the cache back where you found it so the next person can have the pleasure of finding it and adding their mark.  Click here (12 KB) for complete cache instructions.

Downtown Orlando (walking distance)

• Bunk Baxter (126 KB)
• Tower of Light (145 KB)
• Waverly Skyline (87 KB)
• Winged Runner (244 KB)

Near Downtown Orlando

• Cycle of Life (257 KB)
• Quest Eternal (102 KB)

West Orange

• Citrus Sky (109 KB)

East Orange

• Orphan (118 KB)
• The Tree of Philosophy (265 KB)

Northwest

• Serenity by the Lake (181 KB)
• The Frog (94 KB)

South

• The Great American Horse (103 KB)

Winter Park

• Receptualistic Pyramid (84KB)

If you would like to take The Grand Tour of all the public art caches, click here (23 KB) for the route!

The public art caches are part of an international past time called "letterboxing".

For a history of the sport, click here.

• January

  Bach Festival – Last Weekend in January
  Zora Neale Hurston Festival – Last Full Weekend in January
  Harriet Lake Festival of New Plays: PlayFest – End of January, Early Feb

• February

  Mt. Dora Arts Festival – 1st Full Week in February
  Arts Fest – Around 1st Two Weekends
  Orlando Folk Festival – 2nd Weekend of February
  HappenStance – Mid February

• March

  Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival – weekend of 3rd Friday in March
  Florida Film Festival – End of March, Early April

• April

  Central Florida Fair – Mid April
  Maitland Arts Festival – 3rd weekend in April
  Maitland Childrens Art Festival – Last Weekend in April

• May

  Otronicon – Father's Day Weekend
  Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival – May, the 12 days before and on Memorial Day

• June

  Orlando Cabaret Festival – June
  Florida Cultural Dance Festival – May or June
  Juneteenth Music Festival and Celebration – Around June 19th
  Nerdapalooza – Summer (probably June/July)

• July

  Target Family Theatre Festival – Mid July

• August

• September

  Central Florida Film Festival – Labor Day Weekend
  Global Peace Film Festival – Mid September

• October

  Cowboy Heritage Festival – 1st weekend of October
  Winter Garden Music Festival – 1st weekend of October
  Winter Springs Art Festival – 1st Weekend of October
  Winter Park Autumn Arts Festival – erd weekend of October
  Orlando Hispanic Film Festival – during Hispanic Heritage Month
  Freak Show Horror Film Festival – 3rd weekend of October

• November

  Lake Mary Festival of the Arts – 1st weekend of November
  Festival of the Masters – usually 2nd weekend of November
  Orlando Puppet Festival – Each Fall, Usually Nov.

• December

Each year the Arts & Cultural program reports to the Board of County Commissioners on its activities and provides them with a snapshot of how the cultural community is progressing. You can look at the PowerPoint presentation and written text or see a video of the presentation below. Past year's presentations are available in the archives.

• 2008 State of the Arts Speech (1.7 MB)
• Annual State of the Arts Address

Look for this encouragement to employee morale and creativity to resume in 2011.

We will pick it back up next year!!

View the list of 2008 winners (176 KB).

View the complete presentation of 2008 winners, with photos (1 MB).

Use the following clues to see if you can find these pieces of public art in Downtown Orlando! This challenge was first issued to several hundred people who showed up for it on April 12, 2008!

1. Saint George can see this Chinese piece of public art from a red bridge.
2. A Limo rides by this Wave of Communication panel everyday.
3. These "historical" postcards are too big to be mailed.
4. When you stand under this arch, you can watch the news on the side of a building.
5. Soon you will be able to see a movie here after visiting these four statues.
6. The mayor has a great view of this tower.
7. This Runner is almost at the finish line.

To see if you have the correct answers, click here (808 KB)!

To see the video highlights from this event, click here!

Map of Public Art

Click here to go to Orange InfoMap. When you arrive click on the "Public Services" folder on the right and then on the "Art, Murals and Memorials" box (the first one in that file). If you also click on the little tag at the end of "Art, Murals and Memorials", the names of all the pieces will also be displayed on the map. Happy public art hunting!

• Staff
• Orange County Arts Education Center
• Art in the Chambers
• Registry of Florida Artists
• StairWELLness Art Program

Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Council

• Members
• Online Application
  • Instructions - When you arrive at the online application form, you will need to select "Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Council" for the section labeled: "Advisory Board(s) of Interest* Please select up to 3 different boards".
• Committees

Funding Arts and Cultural Projects

• Americans for the Arts
• ArtistsRegistry.com
• Arts & Cultural Alliance of Central Florida
• Arts Conference coming to Orlando: Christians in Theater Arts
• City of Orlando Public Art
• MyRegion.org
• National Arts Program®
• Orlando's Arts & Cultural Scene VideoMorse Museum, Polasek Museum, Bach Festival, Orlando Opera, etc.
• Orange County Arts Education Center
• Orange County Regional History Center
• Orlando Arts Getaway
• Orlando Performing Arts Center
• Red Chair Project
• City Arts Factory
• WMFE Arts Connections
• United Arts

If you'd like to purchase tickets to one of our many local arts & cultural organization events, please click here!

The Red Chair Project aims to unite arts and culture throughout Central Florida. It's a movement linking you to all of Central Florida's cultural organizations and bringing arts and culture to everyone in our area.  From classic ballet to independent film, from modern dance to poetic performance and musical delights, Central Florida has something to please all artistic cravings.

• Public Art Review Board
  Meets four times during the year to approve the Orange County Public Art Action Plan (25 KB), CIP artist recommendations and Art in the Chambers exhibitions each year.
• Advocacy Committee
  Works to identify legislative issues in the arts which should be brought to the attention of the Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Council and the Board of County Commissioners. It may develop grass-roots advocacy mechanisms.
• Education & Community Resource Committee
  Looks at all the aspects of arts education in our community and meets six times during the year to oversee the direction of various Action Teams towards meeting the objectives of the Arts Access for All (2 MB) strategic plan.
  • Community/Awareness Action Team
    Working on Objective #2 and #3 of Arts Access for All through various projects such as the Annual Principals Appreciation Breakfast and creating an arts infusion pilot school in Orange County.
  • Schools Action Team
    Working on Objective #4 of Arts Access for All through various projects such as a Summer Camp Fair and an Arts Education Job Fair.
  • Arts Education Resource Center Action Team
    Working on Objective #1 of Arts Access for All by creating a staffed Arts Education Resource Center.

• Arts & Economic Prosperity III: Central Florida Region (3.95 MB)
  • One Page Summary (360 KB)
• Arts & Economic Prosperity III: Orange County (2.94 MB)
  • One Page Summary (161 KB)
• Creative Industries Report: 2007 Orange County (684 KB)
• Creative Industries Report: 2007 City of Orlando (688 KB)

• Orlando Sentinel Letter to the Editor
• 2007 State of the Arts Report (1.2 MB)
• 4th Annual Employee Arts Contest sets records - (171 KB)
  • Program Brochure (757 KB)
  • Winners List (170 KB)
  • Reception Pic 1 (221 KB)
  • Reception Pic 2 (223 KB)
  • Reception Pic 3 (200 KB)
  • Reception Pic 4 (216 KB)
  • Reception Pic 5 (172 KB)
  • Reception Pic 6 (216 KB)
  • Reception Pic 7 (238 KB)
  • Reception Pic 8 (251 KB)

CULTURAL FACILITY GRANTS APPROVED

2008 Cultural Facility Grants:

Orlando Science Center Phase II Orlando Children's Museum
Amount Granted: $500,000
Olympic Score: 97.43

Orlando Museum of Art Continuing Infrastructure Improvements
Amount Granted: $500,000
Olympic Score: 95.71

Ivanhoe Foundation Capital Improvements for Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts
Amount Granted: $500,000
Olympic Score: 95.5