Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-595-E-County Mgr-Morrow Dowdle-2025-2026 Arts Grants GRASSROOTS ARTS PROGRAM / ARTIST PROJECT GRANT 2025-26 Grantee Name Authorizing Official Name Email Project Title Award $ Grant Category ☐Grassroots Arts Program ☐Artist Project Grant Program Funding Source ☐North Carolina Arts Council ☐Orange County Grant project period July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026 As Authorizing Official, I acknowledge the following terms and understand if they are not met, I jeopardize future funding opportunities from the Orange County Arts Commission. I understand a Compliance Score is issued for future grants based on my adherence to the following terms: OCAC Report Due July 10, 2026 Multicultural Spending Grantee must spend $ on the hiring of multicultural artists as specified in the grant application. Crediting and logo usage All grantees must properly credit the Orange County Arts Commission using the proper logo on all publicity materials for the funded program. Recipients of operations-related grants must include the OCAC logo with link to www.artsorange.org on grantee’s website. If funding source is listed as N.C. Arts Council above, grantee must also properly credit the N.C. Arts Council using the proper logos and N.C. Arts Council credit line on all publicity materials for funded program. Download logos on the OCAC website at https://artsorange.org/grants/grantee-resources. Calendar Listing Grantee 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. X $3,000.00 X Morrow Dowdle Community-centered performance and open mic series at the Eno Arts Mill Gallery morrowdowdlepoetry@gmail.com Morrow Dowdle Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7 1 Revised August 2025 ORANGE COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION 2025-26 GRANT AGREEMENT THIS AGREEMENT, entered into this 5 day of September, 2025, by and between Orange County ("County"), by and through the Orange County Arts Commission ("Arts Commission") and ("Grant Recipient"). WHEREAS, the Arts Commission is a countywide arts agency that ensures the growth of local arts experiences by providing funding and support for diverse high quality programs and projects. WHEREAS, the Arts Commission administers the annual Grants Program to provide economic opportunities to Orange County artists and non-profit organizations coordinating arts projects benefiting the citizens of Orange County. WHEREAS, the annual Arts Grants Program is supported by Arts Commission with funds from the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, a state agency. WHEREAS, the Grant Recipient was selected by the Arts Commission to receive the annual Arts Grant through the procedures duly adopted by the Arts Commission; and WHEREAS, both parties wish to promote and maintain the integrity and clarity of the Grant Recipient's ideas and statements and delineate the Grant Recipient’s obligations to the County; NOW, THEREFORE, the County and the Grant Recipient, for the consideration and under the conditions hereinafter set forth, agree as follows: 1. Approved Grant Project. Grant funds are provided under this Agreement for the project (“Project”) described in the Grant Recipient’s Grant Application, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit A. 2. Grant Award. Grant funds in an amount not to exceed ($ ) have been awarded by the Arts Commission to the Grant Recipient for the approved Project. The Recipient shall be required to match funds at least dollar-for-dollar with cash from the Grant Recipient’s funds not derived from either Orange County appropriations or the North Carolina Arts Council, as outlined in the attached Exhibit A. 3. Contingency. This grant is contingent on North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Program funding to the Arts Commission. Final decisions on Grassroots Program funds to the North Carolina Arts Council are subject to approval by the North Carolina General Assembly. 4. Responsibilities of the Grant Recipient Morrow Dowdle three thousand dollars 3,000 Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7 2 Revised August 2025 A. Implementation. The Project implementation shall take place between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. The Project shall be implemented in the manner described in Exhibit A. Time is of the essence in the implementation of the Project. B. Modifications to project. Grant Recipient shall present major changes to the original proposal, including but not limited to changes in design, implementation schedule and increase in Project budget by more than 10%, in writing to the Arts Commission for approval. Arts Commission shall approve or disapprove Grant Recipient’s request for modifications within seven (7) days of receipt thereof. Consent to project modifications shall not be unreasonably withheld. Arts Commission’s decisions shall be in writing. In the event the Arts Commission fails to approve or disapprove the requested modifications within the time stated herein, the modifications shall be deemed approved. C. Non–assignment. The grant cannot be assigned or transferred to a different project or artist without prior written approval of the Arts Commission. D. 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. E. Use of Funds. Grant Recipient shall not use the grant funds to repay outstanding taxes or other debts of any nature. The grants shall be utilized solely for the purpose described in the attached Exhibit A. F. Final Report. Grant Recipient shall submit to the Arts Commission a Final Report on July 10, 2026. 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 3,000 Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7 3 Revised August 2025 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 for the duration of the art work's installation. 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 perform any part of the Project or to comply with any provision of this Agreement, as determined by the Arts Commission in its sole discretion. X Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7 4 Revised August 2025 (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) 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: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7 5 Revised August 2025 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 Travis Myren, County Manager Date Morrow Dowdle Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7 9/18/2025 9/26/2025 ORANGE COUNTY—INTERNAL USE ONLY Revised 01/24 1 Finance Information Vendor Name: Vendor Contact Person: Phone: Address: City: State: NC Zip: Department: County Manager’s Office/Arts Commission Amount: Purpose: 2025-2026 Arts Grants Budget Code(s): 37601020-683001 Vendor # Vendor Status with NCSOS: Vendor is a BOCC consultant: Yes No Contract Details Contract Type: X New Amendment (Original Contract: ) (Most Recent Amendment ) Effective Date End Date Notice Date (Notice Purpose ) Award Approved by Board (Agenda Date: ); Made or Administered by Signature Authority - BOCC Express Delegation (Agenda Date: ) - Policy 9.4: Under $5,000; Service Under $90,000; Construction Under $250,000 - Budget Policy Section XV (Capital Improvement Project: ) Bidding Informal Bidding ($30k-$90k); Formal RFP ($90k+); Other (<$30k); Exception (# ) Department Affirmation This agreement is approved as to technical form and content and I as Department Director affirmatively state work on this pro ject has not been initiated prior to execution of the agreement. This agreement is approved as to technical form and content. Services related to this agreement have already begun or been completed. Description of the nature of the emergency condition that was addressed: Department Director’s Signature Date: 5904 Springview Trail Morrow Dowdle 27705 (843) 991-5338 68261 $3,000.00 Morrow Dowdle Durham Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7 9/15/2025 ORANGE COUNTY—INTERNAL USE ONLY Revised 01/24 2 Information Technologies This agreement has been reviewed and is approved as to information technology content and specifications: Office of the Chief Information Officer Date: Inapplicable because no hardware/software purchases or related services 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 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 Docu Sign contracts: Received for record retention: Office of the Clerk to the Board Date: Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7 9/19/2025 9/22/2025 9/25/2025 Orange County Arts Commission Powered by Submittable Title Morrow Dowdl e by Morrow Dowdle in 2025-26 Artist Project Grant Application 5904 Springview Trail Durham, North Carolina 27705 NC United States 8439915338 morrowdowdlepoetry@gmail.com 06/28/2025 id. 50931975 Original Submission 06/28/2025 Score n/a APPLICANT INFORMATION Applicant Name Morrow Dowdle Legal name of applicant, if different from above Mailing Address of primary contact 5904 Springview Trail Durham NC 27705 US 36.0830386 -78.9928105 Email of primary contact morrowdowdlepoetry@gmail.com Phone number of primary contact (843) 991-5338 Do you identify as any of the following: LGBTQ+ community Person with a disability Names and emails of co-applicants (if applying on behalf of a group) N/A W ebsite http://instagram.com/morrowdowdle Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7 How did you hear about our grant program? OCAC Enews Did you attend or watch the Artist Project Grant Training Session? Yes PROJECT/PROGRAM INFORMATION Tell us about your project or program Title of Grant Project Community-centered performance and open mic series at the Eno Arts Mill Gallery Grant Amount Requested $3,000 Project Start Date (no earlier than July 1, 2025) July 1, 2025 Project End Date (no later than June 30, 2026) June 30, 2026 Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7 Project/Program Summary "W eave & Spin" is a high-quality performance and open mic series with a focus on local community and diversity. It is a one-of-a-kind project in Orange County, as well as the Triangle Area in general. The format of the program includes 40-60 minutes of performance by two literary or musical artists, including poets, spoken word artists, fiction and non-fiction writers, folk storytellers, and musicians of all genres. The performance is followed by 30-40 minutes of a community open mic, in which all types of performance are welcome. In 2022, I identified in Orange County an absence of poetry readings featuring members of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as younger literary artists (under 50 years old). This demonstrated a gap both in community representation as well as performance opportunities for those in younger and historically underrepresented demographics. I created an event that could fill this gap; I believe that it has and that it can continue to do so for years to come. I personally research and solicit potential performers, often soliciting advice from other artists and arts coordinators in Orange County. W eave & Spin primarily features performers who are well-established in their creative careers and have gained some level of public recognition and accolades for their work, although occasionally emerging artists are featured as well. The majority of performers come from Orange and Durham Counties in keeping with the mission to keep the series community-oriented, but we have had a few performers from the wider Triangle and Triad areas and beyond as well. The event occurs on the third W ednesday of each month over the entire calendar year from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. with an extra half-hour before and after for setup and takedown. I have been fortunate to have the ongoing support of the Eno Arts Mill Gallery, which has graciously hosted the series as well as provided a stipend for myself and an honorarium for the featured performers, while keeping the event completely free to the public. This grant will help me to take some of this financial burden off of the gallery, as well as increase the performer honorarium to what I believe is a fair rate. Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7 Community Impact W eave & Spin is an event that has created an environment that not only celebrates the creativity of its featured artists, but also provides a space for anyone to find confidence to share their own words. It is crucial, particularly in our country's current sociopolitical environment, to allow space for honest, vulnerable expression, particularly for individuals from historically underrepresented, marginalized, and oppressed populations, such as those who identify as BIPOC and LGBTQIA+. As a member of the latter community, I feel that urgency acutely. W eave & Spin focuses upon intentionally building community and inviting inclusivity. The performance on a given night may feature a spoken word artist alongside a traditional "page poet." Typically, these two literary approaches tend to be segregated; here, we bring them together to celebrate their simultaneous contrast and continuity. In addition to featuring artists of diverse backgrounds, the series also highlights those delve into atypical or taboo topics in literature and music, including personal trauma. The structure of featuring two generally well-established artists provides the audience with a demonstration of master craftsmanship, a gift of entertainment and inspiration, but also a taste of the technical skills that may inform audience members' own creative development. Situating the series inside a contemporary art gallery adds to the feeling of the event as a "safe space." Most open mic events take place in bars, where the ambient noise of customers may be overwhelming and interfering, and where those who wish to avoid alcohol may feel uncomfortable. The backdrop of visual art by local creators, often dealing with sociopolitical, environmental, identity, and other personal topics, adds a welcome layer of complexity to each event and provides an opportunity for deeper interdisciplinary conversation, further enriching both performers and audience. Artist Experience I have been running W eave & Spin as its conceptualist, curator, and host since January 2023. The series has garnered attention and praise for its authenticity of its diversity mission, the caliber of its featured performers, and the sense of loving, safe, and inspired community among the audience. This has been documented by the Eno Arts Mill Gallery as well as in several articles in the News of Orange County, the Daily Tarheel, and other publications over the past three years. In addition to W eave & Spin, for the past three years, I have run the poetry performance portion of the annual exhibit Coalesce at the Eno Arts Mill Gallery, a project which invites poets and visual artists to respond to each others' work. This event has been consistently extremely popular, often exceeding audience capacity. Finally, in August 2023 I created, organized, and hosted the Eno River Poetry Festival in Hillsborough, NC, which featured 12 performers with a community open mic between the middle of the day. The event attracted over 100 attendees with many documented requests to make the festival an annual event. How do you plan to market your project? Our target audience is all arts appreciators and literary or musical performers age 18 and older in Orange and Durham Counties. W e have a robust marketing strategy that occurs on an ongoing basis. W e create an attractive poster for each event, which is physically posted around Orange County as well as virtually posted across various social media platforms, local publications, and Meetup.com. Performers are requested to assist in event promotion on their own websites and social media accounts. Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7 PROJECT/PROGRAM BUDGET Please fill out the charts below with your project's expenses and income. Use the "Explanation" box to offer details for each category. NOTE: The Total Cash Expense must equal the Total Cash Income. View an example budget here. Budgeted Expense Expenses-english-rev ised.xlsx Budgeted Income Income-english-rev ised.xlsx Resumes of artists/administrators Dowdle_CV_2025_Literary_OCNCgrant.docx W ork Samples Calv ocoressi_poetry.jpg Title of sample "Rocket Fantastic (He's really beautiful)" Artist name Gabrielle Calvocoressi (past W eave & Spin performer) Year created Published in Calvocoressi's 2018 book of poetry titled Rocket Fantastic Medium (if applicable) poetry Hemphill_poetry1.jpg Title of sample "our own names" (part one of two-part sample) Artist name Destiny Hemphill (past W eave & Spin performer) Year created Published in Hemphill's 2023 book of poetry titled motherworld: a devotional for the alter-life Medium (if applicable) poetry Hemphill_poetry2.jpg Title of sample "our own names" (part two of two-part sample) Artist name Destiny Hemphill Year created Published in Hemphill's 2023 book of poetry titled motherworld: a devotional for the alter-life Medium (if applicable) poetry Young_poetry.jpg Title of sample "within" Artist name Gideon Young Year created Published in the 2024 North Carolina Literary Review Medium (if applicable) poetry Gatewood_poetry.jpg Title of sample "it's nothing" Artist name W illow Gatewood Year created Published in Gatewood's 2023 poetry chapbook titled Salt Medium (if applicable) poetry Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7 Video Sample: External Link https://youtu.be/5XZJhjXDY44?si=VjKdS3SFVFfQF_W L Letters of support (optional but recommended) W S_rec_letter_2025.docx Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7