Art Center of Coastal Carolina seeks $40,000 in county ATAX for out‑of‑market marketing

Lindsey Heron Marair, development administrator for the Art Center of Coastal Carolina, asked the county ATAX committee for $40,000 to support a 2027 tourism marketing campaign — work she said would be focused entirely on attracting visitors from beyond the county. The center forecasted 63,800 overall attendees for the coming season and told the committee that more than 15,000 of those would be tourists from over 50 miles away. "We are requesting $40,000 from the Beaufort County state a tax for our 2027 fiscal year," Heron Marair said during her presentation.

Heron Marair explained the grant would fund radio, digital and print placements and the production and mailing of more than 100,000 seasonal brochures to key gateways and welcome centers. She said the $40,000 request represents roughly 15% of the center’s $270,000 tourism‑marketing budget and would help close an approximately $112,000 gap if Hilton Head funding falls short. Committee members asked about contingency plans and local versus out‑of‑market targeting; Heron Marair said the organization would seek sponsors and donor shifts before cutting paid marketing because "we gotta get the word out." The committee will review the application when it compiles funding recommendations.