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Home My WebLink About2020-899-E Arts Commission-Voices of Chapel Hill NCCARES grantNC CARES for the Arts Grant 2020 Award Coversheet Grantee Name Authorizing Official Award Date December 7, 2020 Stipulations ☐ Grantee must provide documentation of $_______ in expenses incurred between September 1‐December 31, 2020 and included in original application Expense Worksheet by Friday, January 15, 2021. Documentation must be emailed to Katie Murray at kmurray@orangecountync.gov. ☒The Grant Recipient must enter all events, exhibits, and performances (virtual or in‐ person) open to the public and related to this grant award on the Orange County Arts Commission website at www.artsorange.org/events. Report due date No report required Staff Contact Katie Murray, Director (919)245‐2335 | kmurray@orangecountync.gov Voices Chapel Hill Susan Brunssen, Development Director 5,000 DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47 December 2020 ORANGE COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION 2020-21 NC CARES GRANT AGREEMENT THIS AGREEMENT, entered into this day of , 2020, by and between Orange County ("County"), by and through the Orange County Arts Commission ("Arts Commis s ion " ) an d Voices Chapel Hill ("Grant Recipient"). WHEREAS, the Arts Commission is a countywide arts agency that ensures the growth of local arts experiences by providing funding and support for diverse high quality programs and projects. WHEREAS, the Arts Commission administers the NC CARES for Arts to provide economic relief to Orange County arts organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. WHEREAS, the annual Arts Grants Program is supported by Arts Commission with CARES Act funds from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, a state agency. WHEREAS, the Grant Recipient was selected by the Arts Commission to receive the NC CARES for Arts Grant through the procedures duly adopted by the Arts Commission; and WHEREAS, both parties wish to promote and maintain the integrity and clarity of the Grant Recipient's ideas and statements and delineate the Grant Recipient’s obligations to the County; NOW, THEREFORE, the County and the Grant Recipient, for the consideration and under the conditions hereinafter set forth, agree as follows: 1.Approved Grant Project. Grant funds ae provided under this Agreement for Operations Support described in the Grant Recipient’s Grant Application, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit A. 2.Grant Award. Grant funds in an amount not to exceed ($ ) have been awarded by the Arts Commission to the Grant Recipient for the approved Project. 3.Contingency. This grant is contingent on North Carolina Arts Council NC CARES for Arts funding to the Arts Commission. Final decisions on funds to the North Carolina Arts Council are subject to approval by the North Carolina General Assembly. 4.Responsibilities of the Grant Recipient 7 December five thousand dollars 5,000 DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47 December 2020 A. Implementation. T hese grant funds are to be used to reimburse eligible expenses that were incurred between March 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Grantees have to submit documentation of expenses incurred prior to November, 2020 in order to receive funds. If applicable, Grantee will also need to submit documentation for approved eligible expenses taking place between November 1 – December 31, 2020. If Grantees do not submit proper documentation, they will not be eligible for reimbursement under the Agreement. B. Non–assignment. The grant cannot be assigned or transferred to a different organization without prior written approval of the Arts Commission. C. Records. Grant Recipient must maintain records and other evidence pertaining to costs incurred and revenues acquired during the Project implementation. Grant Recipient shall maintain financial records pertaining to the Project for three (3) years from the date of this Agreement, in case of audit. D. Use of Funds. The grants shall be utilized solely for the purpose described in the attached Exhibit A. (debts ARE an allowable expense per the state guidelines). E. Final Report. Grant Recipient shall submit to the Arts Commission a Final Report the date of which shall be provided by the Arts Commission Director.. The Final Report shall be in the format required by the North Carolina Arts Council. Failure to submit the Final Report or late submission of the Final Report, for any reason, shall be grounds for denial and/or cancellation of grant funds for the Project and future grant proposals. 5.Responsibilities of the Arts Commission A.Payment. The Arts Commission shall release the grant funds in the amount of $ to the Grant Recipient. 6.Publicity A.Acknowledgement. Credit must be given to the Orange County Arts Commission and/or the North Carolina Arts Council using the proper logo(s) and credit line in brochures, news releases, programs, and all other printed and online publications. Copies of such printed materials must accompany the evaluation report. Official Orange County Arts Commission and North Carolina Arts Council logos may be downloaded at www.artsorange.org/grantee-resources and may not be altered in any way. When no printed information is used, verbal 5,000 DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47 December 2020 credit shall be given. In addition, all print and promotional material must include the following credit line and logo(s) (check all that apply): i. County Funds Only. Orange County Arts Commission logo required. Credit line required for audio projects: “This program is supported by the Orange County Arts Commission.” ii. North Carolina Arts Council Funding. The Orange County Arts Commission and the North Carolina Arts Council logos are required. Credit line: “This program is supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.” B. The Grant Recipient must enter all events, exhibits, and performances open to the public and related to this grant award on the Orange County Arts Commission website at www.artsorange.org/events. In addition, the Grant Recipient must add a link to www.artsorange.org (Orange County Arts Commission logo preferred) to their main webpage. 7. Indemnity. The Grant Recipient agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the County, the Arts Commission and the North Carolina Arts Council and their officers and employees from any and all claims or actual injury, damage or loss to a person, or real or personal property that results from or is in any way connected to the use of the grant funds. 8. Independent Contractor. The Grant Recipient is an independent contractor and not an employee, agent or other representative of the County and/or the Arts Commission. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed to create the relationship of principal and agent, or employer and employee, between Grant Recipient and Arts Commission or Orange County Government. Grant Recipient understands and agrees that he/she is not authorized to incur any expenses or any liability whatsoever on behalf of the County or the Arts Commission and has no authority, expressed or implied, to obligate or make representations on behalf of the County or the Arts Commission. In addition, Grant Recipient agrees to maintain his or her own worker's compensation insurance for himself/herself and his or her employees. 9. Termination A. In the event of any of the circumstances set forth below (hereinafter referred to as “default”), the Arts Commission may immediately terminate this Agreement: (i) Any fraudulent representation in any verification required to obtain payment under this Agreement or other dishonesty on a material matter relating to the performance of services under this Agreement. (ii) Nonperformance, incomplete service or performance, or failure to satisfactorily comply with any provision of this Agreement, as determined by the Arts Commission in its sole discretion. DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47 December 2020 (iii) Failure to adhere to the terms of applicable county, state or federal laws, regulations, or stated public policy. B. In the event of default by the Grant Recipient, the Arts Commission has the discretion to elect to terminate this Agreement, in whole or in part and/or require the Grant Recipient to repay the grant funds within seven (7) d ays? from written notice of default or allow the grant recipient the opportunity to cure the default. This clause shall not be interpreted to limit the County’s or the Arts Commission’s remedies in law or in equity. 10. Miscellaneous. A. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the attachments contain the final and entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement. All modifications and amendments to this Agreement shall be in writing. This Agreement shall be binding upon the parties, their heirs, successors and assigns. B. Governing Law. Governing Law and Priority: Both parties agree that this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina and Orange County. Grant Recipient shall at all times remain in compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations including but not limited to all state and federal anti-discrimination laws, policies, rules, and regulations and the Orange County Non-Discrimination Policy and Orange County Living Wage Policy (each policy is incorporated herein by reference and may be viewed at http://www.orangecountync.gov/departments/purchasing_division/contracts.php.). Any violation of this requirement is a breach of this Agreement and Arts Commission may immediately terminate this Agreement without further obligation on the part of the Arts Commission. This paragraph is not intended to limit and does not limit the definition of breach to discrimination. By executing this Agreement the Grant Recipient certifies that they has not been identified, and has not utilized the services of any agent or subcontractor identified, on the list created by the State Treasurer pursuant to G.S. 147-86.58. By executing this Agreement the Grant Recipient certifies that they has not been identified, and has not utilized the services of any agent or subcontractor identified, on the list created by the State Treasurer pursuant to G.S. 147-86.81. By executing this Agreement Grant Recipient affirms they are and shall remain in compliance with Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the North Carolina General Statutes. In determining the basic services to be provided, should any documents be referenced in or attached to this Agreement, the terms herein shall have priority in any conflict between the terms of referenced documents and the terms of this Agreement. C. Dispute Resolution: Neither party may initiate binding arbitration. Any disputes shall be resolved by nonbinding mediation. If such mediation fails either party may initiate litigation to resolve the dispute. Should either party initiate litigation to settle any dispute involving the terms of this Agreement such litigation shall be DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47 December 2020 initiated in the General Court of Justice of North Carolina seated in Orange County, North Carolina. D. Signatures. This Agreement together with any amendments or modifications may be executed electronically. All electronic signatures affixed hereto evidence the intent of the Parties to comply with Article 11A and Article 40 of North Carolina General Statute Chapter 66. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Orange County and the Grant Recipient have signed this Grant Agreement, effective on the last date this Agreement is signed by both parties as indicated by the dates set forth under signatures below. For and on behalf of the Grant Recipient Date For and on behalf of Orange County Government Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager Date Susan Brunssen, Development Director DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47 12/8/2020 12/13/2020 December 2020 ORANGE COUNTY—DEPARTMENT USE ONLY ______________________________________________________________________________ Party/Vendor Name: Party/Vendor Contact Person: Contact Phone: Party/Vendor Address: City State: Zip: Department: Amount: Purpose: Budget Code(s): Vendor # (N/A if new vendor) Vendor is a BOCC consultant? Yes No Contract Type: (Check one) New Renewal Amendment Effective Date Approved by Board Yes No Agenda Date: This agreement is approved as to technical form and content and I as Department Director affirmatively state work on this project has not been initiated prior to execution of the agreement: Department Director’s Signature ________________________________________ Date: ________ Agreements for emergency services or repair are not subject to the above affirmation. If services related to this agreement have already begun or been completed please briefly describe the nature of the emergency condition that was addressed: Information Technologies (Applicable only to hardware/software purchases or related services) This agreement has been reviewed and is approved as to information technology content and specifications: Office of the Chief Information Officer___________________________________ Date: ________ Risk Management This agreement is approved for sufficiency of insurance standards, specifications, and requirements: Office of the Risk Management Officer___________________________________ Date: _________ Financial Services This instrument has been pre-audited in the manner required by the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act: Office of the Chief Financial Officer ____________________________________ Date: _________ Legal Services This agreement is approved as to legal form and sufficiency: Office of the County Attorney __________________________________________Date: ________ Clerk to the Board Received for record retention: All Docusign contracts must be copied to the Clerk upon completion: occlerkdocs@orangecountync.gov The following signature block is for hard copies only and is not required for Docusign contracts: Office of the Clerk to the Board __________________________________________Date:________ Voices Chapel Hill Susan Brunssen, Development Director 9195994513 PO Box 3011 Chapel Hill NC 27515 Cnty Mngr 5,000 NC Cares Grant 37601020 683011 51428 4 12-7-2020 DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47 12/8/2020 12/8/2020 12/9/2020 12/13/2020 Orange County Arts Commission Powered by Submittable Name of organization or business VOICESChapelHill by Susan Brunssen in NC CARES for the Arts Grant Program PO Box 3011 Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27515 United States 9195994513 susanbrunssen@gmail.com 10/30/2020 id. 18062584 Original application 10/30/2020 ORGANIZATION/BUSINESS INFORMATION n/a Date organization was formed 12/01/1981 Authorizing Official Susan Brunssen, Development Director | Grants Manager Authorizing Official - phone number 9195994513 Authorizing Official - email susanbrunssen@gmail.com Grant Manager - name (if different from Authorizing Official) n/a Grant Manager - phone (if different from Authorizing Official) n/a Grant Manager - email (if different from Authorizing Official) n/a Is your organization physically located in Orange County, NC? Yes Organization street or PO Box address PO Box 3011 DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47 Organization City Chapel Hill Organization State NC Organization Zip Code 27515 Organization website www.voiceschapelhill.org Organization Tax ID 581450444 Applicant Race/Ethnicity White, not Hispanic Legal Status:501(c)3 or 501(c)6 Nonprofit Organization IRS Determination Letter VOICES_tax_exempt_ltr.pdf Total operating budget (current fiscal year) 53706 Are 25% or more of your annual expenses related to the visual, performing or literary arts? Yes NARRATIVE n/a What is the mission of your organization? VOICES’ mission is to foster, sustain, and share the art and joy of choral music and to enrich and educate the Triangle community through excellent performances of music from diverse cultures and historical periods. Note to grant reader: VOICES is the overarching organization, comprised of "Voices" a 120+ SATB community chorus established in 1980, "Cantari" a 30+ member select ensemble established in 2006, and "Summer Voices" a 60+ member non- auditioned chorus. DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47 Provide a brief description of your pre-pandemic core arts-related programming or offerings. VOICES produces 5-6 unique choral programs each year to collective audiences of about 1,500 in Orange County, and provides choral ensembles for events in the Triangle on request. We hire local instrumental musicians to accompany each program. Programs reflect our mission – in addition to classical choral repertoire, we offer music from diverse cultures and periods that highlight works by contemporary and local composers including new commissions and national or regional premieres. For example, in December 2018 Voices brought composer and professor Kevin Johnson from Spelman College in Atlanta with senior student Clarke Brown to present four major pieces in gospel style, including two movements from “Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration.” In May 2019 Voices brought composer Kevin Padworski for the regional premiere of his work “Reflections on a Mexican Garden.” Voices presented Honneger’s “Une Cantate de Noël” with full orchestra in collaboration with the North Carolina Boys and Girls Choirs in December 2019. Cantari was slated to present an all-Brasilian concert on March 21, 2020, featuring Bahian native composer Caique Vidal accompanied by his drumming ensemble. VOICES also commissions major choral works including Walker’s “Together in Song” and the current work in progress to Todd Coleman, “Having Seen Afar Off” intended for May 2020. VOICES serves amateur adult singers (ages 18-87) who can’t imagine life without the joy of singing! Our members live in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and greater Orange County (80%), Durham County (15%), and Wake and Alamance (5%). Since 2015, VOICES rosters have included nearly 400 unique individuals. Seniors comprise approximately 30% of Voices and 12% of Cantari while graduate students comprise about 10% of each group. Historically, VOICES serves a wide audience demographic, especially seniors. Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents comprised 48% of respondents to audience surveys collected in December 2017 and March 2018. Seniors made up 60% of Voices and 40% of Cantari attendees (2018-19 data). These data, scheduled to be updated at Spring 2020 concerts, will be gathered as soon as current restrictions on concerts are lifted. VOICES regularly offers discounts on block ticket purchases to area senior communities and arranges priority seating with escorts into our concert venues. For the 2020-21 season VOICES had made agreements to expand audience engagement activities. Our objective was to increase accessibility to our programs for a more ethnically and economically diverse audience by providing free tickets to Seniors at Orange County senior centers and to music and art students at East Chapel Hill High School. A music composition workshop with instrumental and vocal students at ECHHS with our guest composer was also arranged. VOICES is looking forward to implementing these arrangements in the 2021-22 season. DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47 North Carolina’s “stay at home” order (Executive Order 117) had a profound impact on the arts sector. Describe the specific steps your organization took to comply with Executive Order 117. The two primary goals of Voices are first, to provide a setting for our members to enjoy singing, and second, to engage the community in the appreciation of cultural heritage embodied in choral music. NC Executive Order 117 was published on March 16, 2020, which banned large gatherings. Cantari was scheduled to perform “Brasiliero” on March 21, 2020. That concert was immediately cancelled. Prepaid tickets were refunded and the Brasilian band and soloist/composer lost this engagement. The community lost a highly anticipated concert of mixed classical and contemporary Brasilian music. The VOICES Board immediately suspended in-person rehearsals for the Voices chorus, moving quickly to remote rehearsals by Zoom. Eventually in-person rehearsals were cancelled for the rest of the season. VOICES chose not to close operations. Instead, VOICES paid for remote rehearsals and sing-alongs through June to support the well-being of our members. Stephen Futrell, Artistic Director, immediately began testing remote strategies with Cantari that would be necessary to produce virtual recordings. “Don’t Be Afraid” (Allyson Reigh, arr J. McMillan) was recorded by Cantari last Spring and is currently in final video editing. The VOICES Board worked with our Artistic Director through June and July in an iterative manner as the face of the COVID pandemic changed. A committee of members was established to discuss options and advise the Board on approaches that would encourage and support members. Several programming drafts, research into strategies to reduce COVID transmission when singing, and two more member surveys later, the Board settled on a budget and a strategy. The Fall 2020 session currently has 75 members, as anticipated from member survey data. The majority of prior members state they will return when in-person rehearsals resume. For the Fall, VOICES will record and release a set of 4-5 “Songs of Hope and Thanksgiving” on our YouTube channel and other avenues such as FaceBook in an effort to lift community spirits. VOICES members demonstrated full support for this endeavor on a recent survey. Members were willing to participate in on-site live rehearsals of octets wearing face masks and shields with 10-12’ separation while the remaining members attend and rehearse from home via Zoom. Required audio equipment and PPE for safe and clear on-site rehearsals/recording was purchased to facilitate these arrangements. Once the music is mastered, singers will be recorded in groups of eight, or they may opt to record themselves at home. Dr. Futrell has the requisite skills in audio-video production and access to sophisticated editing equipment in his position at Elon University. VOICES will pay a graduate student to edit the video recording after Dr. Futrell is finished with audio editing. The intent is to stream “Songs of Hope and Thanksgiving” once to the local community and through members’ social networks with appropriate pre-event publicity. Programming for Spring virtual music repertoire is in development now. VOICES does not expect live concerts will be possible until the Fall of 2021. DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47 Please explain the impact of your organization on the Orange County community in a typical year. In a typical year, VOICES provides services to residents of Orange County on multiple levels. For the general public, four to six different choral concert programs are offered with up to 8 evening and matinee performances each year. Audiences are frequently treated to world or regional premiers of new works with the composer in attendance in addition to traditional choral favorites. VOICES also pays 40 to 50 local and regional instrumentalists to accompany our performances in a typical year. VOICES concerts are given in accessible venues. Cantari, our smaller select ensemble, performs primarily in downtown churches such as University United Methodist and Chapel of the Cross on E. Franklin Street and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on E. Rosemary Street. Cantari has also performed in the Carrboro Arts Center. Voices, our large ensemble, gives two holiday concerts and one to two Spring concerts. Voices concerts are usually located in Hill Hall on the UNC campus, only one block off E. Franklin, and more recently at East Chapel Hill High School. VOICES concerts are family friendly entertainment. They are free to children under 13, deeply discounted for students of all ages, and discounted 20% for seniors. We also provide block ticket discounts and free tickets through the Orange County Senior Centers. VOICES primary service offered for Orange County residents is membership in a high-quality auditioned chorus under the direction of a professional Artistic Director. We are the only community chorus in Orange County that offers the opportunity to sing in 8-part harmony with professional musicians. We offer membership in both a large-scale chorus with a 40-year history of continuous programming as well as the more vocally challenging small ensemble setting of Cantari. VOICES works to accommodate amateur adult singers of all ages, removing barriers for those with special financial, physical, and transportation challenges. Scholarships to cover tuition and sometimes performance attire are provided. Special efforts are made to welcome graduate students. Summer Voices concerts provide an opportunity for anyone who likes to sing to join a core of regular VOICES members without an audition. Seniors are especially drawn to this opportunity because it is still light when rehearsals end. VOICES regularly joins with children’s choirs such as Sisters’ Voices and the NC Boys and Girls Choir in concert. This experience is helpful in forming what can become a life-long attachment to music as a vocation or an avocation. VOICES also has a history of working with local dance, theatre and literary groups in presentation of choral concerts. COVID-19 IMPACT DATA This data is for the OCAC's informational purposes only and may or may not be applicable to your organization depending on your structure. Number of Staff Eliminated March 15 - October 15 0 DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47 Number of Staff Positions Furloughed/Hours Reduced March 15 - October 15 1 PT Number of Public Events Cancelled March 15 - October 15 2 Total Lost Attendance, March 15-October 15 600 Number of Artists paid March- September, 2019 41 Number of Artists paid March- September, 2020 2 FINANCIAL INFORMATION n/a 2018-19 (2019) Actual FY Income 84401 2018-19 (2019) Actual FY Expense 71659 2019-20 (2020) Actual Income (year to date) 65315 2019-20 (2020) Actual Expense (year to date) 80916 2020-21 (2021) Budgeted Income 53706 2020-21 (2021) Budgeted Expense 53681 Tax forms: Upload your annual tax filings for last three years (such as IRS-990, IRS-1055, IRS- 1040, plus any relevant schedules or forms for self-employed) Voices_FY17-18_990.pdf VOICES_2018-19_990.pdf VOICES_FY19-20_990EZ.pdf Upload Year-to-Date Profit and Loss or financial statement DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47 VOICES_080120_-_093020_Income_Stmt.pdf Upload Year-to-Date Balance Sheet n/a ELIGIBLE EXPENSES n/a Incurred Expenses f9783bfc-0b80-4311-9ff9-9797ae083e32.xlsx CARES Funding Already Received 6f6aa4f6-72dc-49cd-826d-c6340a57fed1.xlsx Non-CARES Funding Recieved c49e1e5d-617c-486a-939f-82a61e2b24bd.xlsx ACKNOWLEDGMENT Please read the following statements below and click to agree to each statement. By submitting this application, I acknowledge I have read and understood the guidelines for the NC CARES for the Arts Grant Program. I make the following representations and acknowledge agreement to the following terms and conditions: I am the duly authorized representative of the entity named above and can bind the entity to the terms of this Agreement. If funds are provided by NC CARES, the funds will be used for the purposes set forth above. I bear full responsibility for any and all tax consequences of receiving grant funds. The representations made by the applicant in this Application are material terms of the Agreement, as is compliance with the Grant Program. The State may cancel this Agreement at any time upon discovery that any of the information set forth above is inaccurate, that these terms have been violated, or any provision of the Grant Program has been violated. If funded, the applicant will provide documentation as evidence for future expenses. Documents such as receipts, bill/invoices, monthly financial statements, and payroll ledgers. DocuSign Envelope ID: C98A761A-0DA8-4BBF-83ED-372E91635D47