Over the past year or so, Orange County Arts Council Executive Director Todd Hulet has slowly adjusted the organization’s strategy to one that marries arts with the economy.
On the one hand, it is about lending a hand to artists so they can thrive economically on their own; on the other, it is about helping businesses and the broader community understand the economic value of arts.
“Having good arts and culture in our community means that we have a good quality of life,” Mr. Hulet told The Epoch Times. “And that good quality of life is good for everyone—it is good for our property values, it is good for businesses, and it is good for the economy.”
Having grown up with an accountant father, Mr. Hulet said he had an early appreciation of business value in all things, including theater arts, a field where he later carved a career path for himself, practicing almost all facets of the art form except for acting.
He went on to go into arts education in New York City and worked as the director of entertainment at Legoland New York before taking the helm at Orange County Arts Council in late 2022.
“I went on a two-month-long listening tour and realized how much success the organization has had,” he said. “But if we are going to advocate and support the arts, the way and the things that are needed to accomplish that may be different in a year from what they are now.”
Based on input gathered from the listening tour, Mr. Hulet decided to walk back from hosting several community music series and library classes—which he said many local groups were doing on their own anyway—and put more energy into supporting artists themselves.
He also reorganized the committees to revolve them more around artists instead of art forms, as was the case in the past.
“The way we intend to do it now is to talk more broadly about what our youth or professional artists need in order to be successful and what opportunities we can provide,” he said.
In terms of monetary support, he added a self-sustainable opponent to the community arts grant to shift more money to activities that will help artists stand on their own feet.
“I hate the phrase ‘starving artists,’” he said. “We are capable, as artists, of being beautifully fed, of having roofs over our heads, and being very successful.”
Meanwhile, he established a new economics committee, whose focus is to help the business community understand the economic value of arts.
“When we engage with arts and creative practices, we have the ability to expand our bottom line and increase our return on our investment,” Mr. Hulet said. “For example, if you spend time thinking about things creatively and artistically, you create a better customer experience.”
On May 14, the art council will host a major event at Storm King Arts Center where attendees get an opportunity to discuss how arts can help one’s bottom line, according to Mr. Hulet.
“Businesses often see such events as ‘give me money,’ but we have a lot to offer,” he said. “When we think about arts in terms of how we can contribute to the economy, not only are we able to be more successful as artists, but the rest of the community will understand our value,” he continued.
“Arts and culture really have the ability to bolster the quality of life in a really impactful and beautiful way—when the arts thrive, everyone thrives.”
“Without a doubt, Orange County is teeming with opportunities to learn about and appreciate various art forms,” Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said in a statement to The Epoch Times. “They are an important part of the economic engine and, more importantly, the quality of life in our county.”
“Businesses that have located here have indicated that part of what helped them decide on Orange County was the cultural and artistic opportunities their employees would enjoy,” Mr. Neuhaus added.
