Riley Sees Need for County Arts Council

Supervisor Thomas F. Riley thinks it’s about time Orange County paid more attention--and gave more money--to the local arts scene.

“You might say anything we give (to the arts) is more, but I don’t mean to be facetious,” said Riley, who Wednesday asked the county administrative officer to study county involvement with the arts.

None of the county’s $2.9-billion budget is earmarked for the arts.

In his first interview with The Times since he called for the study, Riley said the funding of other needs, such as programs for the “homeless and battered and abused,” have made it “very difficult” to fund the arts.

But he said he hopes the county will help fund a proposed countywide arts council, a service and support agency that representatives from several local arts groups have been working to form.

Arts officials trying to establish the agency have not requested county funding but have discussed its creation with Riley’s office, according to Courtney Wiercioch, the supervisor’s executive assistant.

According to his memo to the administrative officer, Riley requested the arts study, to be completed by March 1, in response to “a tremendous increase in arts-related activities” in the county.

The study will investigate local arts programs and organizations, analyze county and municipal support programs elsewhere in the state, and present models for Orange County arts support programs.