Ontario County Arts Council asks board for $14,400 in operating support

Judy Cermak, president of the Ontario County Arts Council, asked the Ontario County Board of Supervisors to include $14,400 in the county budget to support the council's operations and programming. Cermak told the board the Arts Council runs largely on volunteers, operates Studio 32 in downtown Canandaigua in partnership with Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC), and organizes countywide exhibits and educational activities.

Cermak outlined the council's activities, including a scholarship program that awards $2,000 annually to an FLCC student, rotating exhibits at libraries across the county, and a recent veterans-focused exhibit. She said the council also maintains a special fund established after the late Dr. Dorothy Mariner's gift to support scholarships, grants and public art. "I'm currently the president of the Ontario County Arts Council, and I'm here to represent them and request that you might consider putting us in your financial budget," Cermak said. She told the board she had left paperwork with county staff and cited the specific operating request of $14,400.

The board did not debate the request at length during the meeting; Cermak acknowledged the three-minute time limit and thanked supervisors for the opportunity to speak. The county clerk acknowledged receipt of the paperwork and the board's schedule for follow-up or budget review will be determined through the usual administrative process.