County Performers Shun State Subsidies for Touring : The Arts: Of 113 grants made by the California Arts Council, none went to Orange County because no one from the county filled out an application.

One-hundred thirteen independent performing artists and arts organizations Monday were awarded touring subsidies by the California Arts Council. But not a single one was from Orange County.

The reason is simple: None applied.

But that’s typical. Since 1985, only 17 local artists have requested spots on the council’s Touring Artists Directory. When artists listed in the directory perform in the state, the council reimburses presenters up to 50% of artists’ fees, for up to $20,000 a year per artist.

Seventeen applicants over five years “is not a heck of a lot of applications for a county as heavily populated as Orange County,” according to Philip Horn, manager of the council’s performing arts touring and presenting program.

Most applicants for the 1991-92 directory (the council works a year ahead to accommodate advance scheduling) are from the counties of Los Angeles (53) and San Francisco (26). Certainly Orange County’s cultural activity doesn’t compare to these areas, but artists from 17 other counties, many far less densely populated than Orange County (with 2.3 million residents), also applied, including five from Sacramento County and two from Riverside County (each with a population of only 1 million).

Horn could not explain the ongoing lack of applicants from Orange County. But officials of some local performing arts groups explained that they simply do not want to tour. Louis G. Spisto, executive director of the Pacific Symphony, said the 11-year-old orchestra has never ventured out of Orange County for more than a day, and then usually to other Southern California sites.

“We have not seen touring as part of our mission,” Spisto said. “That may change, but first things first. First we want to hire a music director (the company has been without one since last May) and develop a music program. Then we’ll determine if touring is appropriate.”

Similarly, the 10-year-old, Santa Ana-based Relampago Del Cielo Mexican folk dance company rarely performs outside of Orange County, according to its development director, Ed Lucero. “We really have to have a strong home base support” before taking the troupe on tour, he said.

Other artists, meanwhile, say they don’t feel qualified to apply for council touring support. The Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre, a modern dance troupe formed in 1985, performs in Los Angeles and Orange counties but has never toured, Brodie said, adding that she won’t request a place on the roster until it has.

Council panels that evaluate touring roster applications “want to see whether you’ve been able to leave your area and go to other parts of state and handle a tour on your own,” Brodie said.

Horn confirmed that applicants, in addition to proving artistic mettle, “need to demonstrate they are capable of delivering a quality performance anywhere in the state, that they have quality promotional materials presenters can use, and that they have enough money to get themselves on the road and have had experience doing so.” Most successful applicants have already spent “a couple of years toughing it out on their own,” he added. “This program is not in any way intended to help people begin touring.”

In any case, touring grants aren’t the only ones for which Orange County artists have been reluctant to apply. In October, Huntington Beach photographer Mary-Linn Hughes was the sole Orange County artist awarded Artists in Residence funds among 194 recipients nationwide. A total of 329 artists applied for these grants--two from Orange County.

Feb. 9 is the first deadline for this year’s Artists in Residence applications. The category is divided into Artists in Schools, Artists in Communities and Artists Serving Special Constituents, such as prison inmates, the disabled or substance abusers.