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In this Chapter, the following words and phrases have the following meanings:
Arts and Humanities Council. The organization designated under this Chapter as the County arts and humanities organization.
Director. An individual who serves on the governing board of the Arts and Humanities Council.
Humanities. Modern and classical language; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archeology; comparative religion; ethics; history, criticism, and theory of the arts; historic preservation humanistic aspects of the social sciences; application of the humanities to the various environments; and education regarding these subjects.
Member. An individual who supports the Arts and Humanities Council by satisfying that organization's requirements for membership, consistent with this Chapter.
The arts. The acts of creating, writing, composing, designing, studying, interpreting, executing, performing, exhibiting and presenting music (instrumental and vocal); dance; drama; literature; poetry; painting; sculpture; graphics; craft and folk arts; and the selecting and exhibiting of such arts as well as historic memorabilia; photography; industrial design; costume and fashion design; motion pictures; television; radio; puppetry; tape and sound recording; architecture and the construction and conserving of same; publishing, printing and collection of books, papers and media prints; the history, criticism, theory and practice of the arts and the study and application of the arts to the human environment. (1976 L.M.C., ch. 15, § 1; 1999 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 1.)
(a) The County government should help establish a County-based, nonprofit organization to develop, promote, advocate, and coordinate efforts to support, investigate, encourage, and present arts and humanities in the County.
(b) The County Council, after considering any recommendations of the County Executive, may designate by resolution a qualified organization as the Arts and Humanities Council. (1976 L.M.C., ch. 15, § 1; 1999 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 1.)
Cross reference-Boards and commissions generally, § 2-141 et seq.
(a) Membership on the Arts and Humanities Council must be open to all private and public agencies, organizations, and individuals who support, participate in, contribute to, and generally enhance and promote the arts and humanities in the County. Membership on the governing board of the Arts and Humanities Council must be nonpartisan.
(b) Directors of the Arts and Humanities Council must represent:
(1) Private citizens, organizations, and groups recognized for their knowledge of or interest in the arts and humanities.
(2) Practicing artists and writers, both professional and amateur; scholars and researchers; civic cultural leaders; members of the professions; and other individuals and groups concerned with the arts and humanities.
(3) The various disciplines in the arts and humanities.
(4) The general public, including ethnic, racial, linguistic, and cultural minorities.
(5) Geographic balance regarding where members live or work in the County.
(c) The Arts and Humanities Council may provide for separate classes of membership for organizations and individuals to recognize and give representative weight to the size and nature of the interests a member represents.
(d) The Arts and Humanities Council must require each officer and director, and the executive director to annually disclose, confidentially and in writing, all activities and interests related to arts and humanities organizations, programs, or funding to the governing board of directors for the Arts and Humanities Council. Each officer and director, and the executive director of the Arts and Humanities Council is a public employee under Sections 19A-11 and 19A-14 for any matter in which the person participates for the Council. The Council must adopt and apply policies and procedures to ensure that its actions are fair, unbiased, and non-partisan.
(e) Before the County may contract with the Arts and Humanities Council, the Council must provide a copy of its current articles of incorporation and bylaws to the County Executive and the County Council. The Council must submit to the County Executive and County Council for review and comment any proposed amendment to the articles of incorporation or bylaws, at least 60 days before the Arts and Humanities Council takes final action on the amendment. The Council must submit a copy of all adopted amendments to the Executive and County Council within 5 working days after adoption. The articles of incorporation and bylaws are subject to all County laws, including those enacted after the County contracts with the organization.
(f) The Arts and Humanities Council must give the County regular and complete financial reports, including an annual independent audit and any accompanying management letter, and any other report required under a contract with the County.
(g) The Arts and Humanities Council is a public body under the State open meetings law. (1976 L.M.C., ch. 15, § 1; 1984 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 9; 1999 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 1; 2018 L.M.C., ch. 7, §1.)
The Arts and Humanities Council, in cooperation with the County government and other local public agencies, should:
(a) Support, encourage, and promote the arts and humanities in the County, including projects, performance, research, education, information exchange, historic preservation, and other activities that advance the artistic, cultural, and intellectual environment in the County.
(b) Promote creativity, scholarship, and professionalism in the arts and humanities.
(c) Provide and coordinate funding for the arts and humanities in the County.
(d) Advise local, State, and federal agencies about financial and other needs of arts and humanities programs in the County.
(e) Report annually in writing to the County Council, County Executive, and public on the operations and activities of the Arts and Humanities Council and on the state of the arts and humanities in the County, including how these activities affect any underserved or underrepresented populations in the County.
(f) Avoid duplication in arts and humanities activities by coordinating Arts and Humanities Council activities with other existing and planned governmental programs and activities. (1976 L.M.C., ch. 15, § 1; 1999 L.M.C., ch. 24, §§ 1, 15 and 16.)
Editor’s noteThe effective date of the amendments made to this section by 2001 L.M.C., ch. 28, § 2, is the same effective date as 1999 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 1.