Art and Culture
When it comes to art and culture, Broward County means business! Broward’s art and culture industry generates up to $230 million in annual economic activity, supports more than 6,400 jobs, generates $157.3 million in household income and delivers $22 million in local and state government revenue. There are 823 not-for-profit cultural organizations here, and more than 7,700 arts-related businesses employing approximately 26,000 people.
Cultural Division was one of only four recipients nationally to receive a $25,000 National Endowment for the Arts Art Works grant in the arts journalism category, to support the Broward Arts Journalism Alliance Program.
Six public art projects were completed as part of terminal renovations in four Broward County Port Everglades terminals, at Pembroke Pines ArtsPark, and at the New River Cypress Creek Greenway. Cultural staff assisted Lauderhill, Pompano Beach and Hallandale Beach with structure and process for municipality public art programs.
Art and culture will be at the center of the County's Centennial celebration. A media launch event was held in Miramar, in conjunction with the unveiling of the County’s first Inside Out, part of a global art project that gives communities all over the world a platform to express themselves through large format, black and white portraits.
Broward 100 – Celebrating the Art of Community begins in October 2014 and culminates in a grand finale event, Duende, on October 2-4, 2015. Also as part of Broward 100, 10 locations and artists were selected for a Visual Eyes mural project. The Broward100.org website will include information about all aspects of the County’s centennial celebration, including scheduled events and opportunities for community participation.
Library “Without Walls”
The County’s award-winning library system celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2014 and serves more than 9 million customers annually, at 40 locations with more than 3.4 million items. But today’s library is about much more than buildings and books.
The Main Library underwent a major renovation to maintain building integrity, and to retrofit the building interior, including the computer labs, to accommodate new technology and meet the changing needs of residents.
A brand new Creation Station was opened – the first in the nation. This is a place for innovators and idea-makers to gather and collaborate, and to use technology and equipment that is too expensive or specialized for most people to own to design, prototype and construct 3-dimensional items. Creation Stations let anyone be a creator, designer and innovator. And, you can use these groundbreaking tools for free.
The BCL WoW mobile app is used by thousands of library customers to quickly and easily search for materials, place holds and conveniently locate the closest Broward County Library, as well as find free library events and classes. Now, customers can also use the app as a virtual library card.
Libraries act as a safety net for the community, providing vital services when they are needed the most. Examples include free income tax preparation and early voting sites, and assistance with such essential e-government tasks as applying for food stamps or Medicaid, getting information on the Affordable Care Act or applying for a job.
Parks and Recreation
Broward County’s nationally accredited, award-winning network of nearly 50 regional parks, nature centers, neighborhood parks, and natural areas hosted more than 10 million visitors in 2014, generating revenues of nearly $13.5 million.
After introducing a host of new activities, events and programs, attendance at all four water parks is up and revenue is up 44 percent.
In March 2014, the County opened Paradise Pipeline, the newest attraction at the Paradise Cove water park at C.B. Smith Park. The colorful new waterslides stand five stories tall, vary in length from 395 feet to 430 feet and feature an open-body slide that moves more than 400 gallons of water through twists and turns that end in a four-foot-deep plunge pool.
Broward County and Memorial Healthcare System opened the Memorial Fitness Zone at T.Y. Park, featuring nearly a dozen pieces of exercise equipment, including wheelchair accessible units.
Everglades Holiday Park is South Florida’s premier gateway to the state’s most exciting natural attraction - the Everglades. Broward County assumed operation of the 29-acre park in 2012, has already made more than $1.2 million in improvements and plans to invest another $4.4 million over the next several years. Attendance and revenue is up. The unique park rounded out the Top Three Best Florida’s Attractions in the 10Best.com Reader’s Choice Award by the readers of USA Today and 10Best.com, which identifies top destinations, attractions and restaurants in the U.S. and abroad.
Saw Palmetto and West Creek Pineland natural areas opened in September. Originally purchased through the 2000 Safe Parks and Land Preservation Bond Program, both sites connect to the City of Coconut Creek’s multi-use urban greenway trail system. Parks and Recreation received more than $84,500 in services from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Invasive Plant Management Section, for exotic plant removal at Fern Forest Nature Center, Military Trail Natural Area, Pine Island Ridge Natural Area, Tradewinds Park & Stables, and Tree Tops Park.
The Parks and Recreation Division implemented WebTrac, an online reservation system providing guests with the ability to do business with the parks around the clock. Guests can reserve shelters and campsites, register for programs and classes, and purchase annual park passes and aquatics passes seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
A new e-naturalist program including teacher and student environmental education materials and interactive trail videos, was introduced at Hillsboro Pineland, Tall Cypress and Woodmont natural areas. A series of 35 videos guide on-site and at-home visitors through Broward’s unique eco-systems.
The Extension Education section, a partnership between Broward County and University of Florida/IFAS received funding to promote science programs for youth. The County’s 4-H Youth Development program received a $3,000 State Spirit Award for National Youth Science Day, and in partnership with Motorola and Lockheed Martin, received $2,500 to establish a Science Ambassador program where youth promote environmental science issues.