CLEVELAND (November 3, 2015) – Cuyahoga County voters said “yes” on Tuesday to Issue 8, the penny-and-a-half tax and sole revenue source for Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC), the County’s public funder for arts and culture. The renewed tax, which was set to expire in January, 2017, will provide CAC ten additional years to invest millions in the local arts and culture sector and support thousands of events in Cuyahoga County communities each year.
“We are grateful to voters of Cuyahoga County who supported Issue 8,” said Karen Gahl-Mills, CEO and executive director of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. “By voting ‘yes,’ our community has affirmed its support for the dynamic arts and cultural assets that enrich our lives every day.” Since its inception, CAC has helped make Cuyahoga County one of the top public funders of art and culture in the country.
Since it was created by residents in 2006, CAC has:
- Invested more than $125 million in Cuyahoga County’s arts and culture sector, including grants for operating and project support for organizations of all sizes.
- Supported a broad range of arts and culture that includes museums and cultural institutions, small community theaters, nonprofit galleries, nature and science centers, and more.
- Made more than 1,200 grants to more than 300 arts, cultural, educational, and community organizations offering programs in thousands of locations in Cuyahoga County.
With the levy renewal, CAC is looking toward the next decade and dedicated to continuing its mission to inspire and strengthen the community by investing in arts and culture.
“As a community, we can now focus our attention on the future of arts and culture in Cuyahoga County,” said Karen Gahl-Mills. “But today, we’d like to say ‘thank you’ by inviting and encouraging Cuyahoga County residents to go out and enjoy the hundreds of programs, performances, events, and fun that have been made possible in part by your support.”
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture’s mission is to inspire and strengthen the community by investing in arts and culture. Cuyahoga County residents created Cuyahoga Arts & Culture in 2006 when they approved a tax on cigarettes to support arts and culture. Since then, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture has invested more than $125 million in more than 300 organizations to deliver on the promise made to support thousands of enriching arts and culture experiences in every corner of the County. For more information, visit cacgrants.org.
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CAC Staff