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Art House director warns program cuts after county cultural grant pulled; asks council for support
Summary
Art House executive director Cameron Benson told the Port Orange council that a county cultural grant award was pulled, jeopardizing scholarships and outreach programs; he asked the council to help promote events and noted plans to pursue a 2026 charter ballot measure for county arts funding.
Cameron Benson, executive director of Art House, briefed the Port Orange council on the nonprofit’s 2024 activities and warned that the organization faces program cuts after a county cultural grant award was pulled.
Benson detailed Art House’s 2024 service metrics—students served, outreach hours, gallery attendance and scholarships awarded—and said the program generated an estimated local economic impact through gallery attendees and classes. He said the county had approved a cultural grant (approximately $30,000 total, with about $19,000 intended for mural funding) but that the funding was being withheld; he described ongoing efforts to contest the decision and to identify alternate funds. Benson estimated the loss would eliminate about 217 youth art scholarships and noted staff reductions and reduced class offerings if the funds are not restored.
Benson asked the council to help amplify Art House event promotion and to consider other supports while the organization pursues additional grants and a ballot measure to embed arts funding in the county charter in 2026. Council members and the mayor thanked Benson and encouraged collaboration on outreach.
The council did not take a funding action at the meeting; the discussion was an informational update and a request for assistance with community outreach and publicity.
