AN NUAL R E P O RT 2 022-2023
Blues & Jazz Festival
Family Storytelling with Joyce Morrow Jones
Ag + Art Tour of York County
“New Ruins” by Jordan Fowler Dalton Gallery Exhibit
It is our vision to create a THRIVING, DIVERSE, & VIBRANT ar ts community in Yor k County. As the country came out of the worldwide pandemic in our 2022-23 fiscal year (July 1 – June 30), the Arts Council of York County remained committed to our mission of creating programming that encourages education and economic development through unique art experiences that help make York County a regional arts destination. We returned to a pre-COVID slate of program activities, but with inflation bringing higher prices coupled with reduced public funding from the state (pandemic emergency funds), county (redirection of Hospitality Tax funding) and city (greater competition for funding from sports tourism events), and lower levels of event sponsorships and private donations, we relied on our reserve funds as we began to reenvision the Arts Council’s future in an ever evolving landscape. The good news is that York County and the City of Rock Hill—where our offices, galleries, and artist studios are located—are growing, and so is the hunger for more arts programming. In the last several years, we’ve seen the rise of new arts nonprofits such as the Rock Hill Symphony Orchestra, the Women’s Art Initiative, the One Word Poetry Festival, Don’t Sweat It, Inc., and the new Arts Center at Fountain Park joining longtime performing groups like the Rock Hill Theatre, Showtime Theatre Company, Ballet of York County, York County Choral Society, and more. As this growth adds to our region’s quality of life, we must ensure that our region’s arts funding infrastructure keeps pace with the times.