WHEREAS, the State of Washington with all its natural beauty and its geographical location encompassing within its boundaries an untold bounty of majestic mountains, the ocean, the plains and the rivers is thus uniquely suited to a development of all art forms and;

WHEREAS, there is untold opportunity within the state not only to preserve art forms of all kinds but to promote and encourage the arts through appropriate incentives, and;

WHEREAS, the people of the State of Washington have demonstrated their desire for and deep appreciation of the arts and arts-oriented programs am! the advance and continuation of such programs and executive action is needed;

NOW THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Washington, it is hereby ordered as follows:

I. There is established within the Executive Branch of State Government under the control of the Governor the "Office of Cultural Affairs."

II. The "Office of Cultural Affairs" shall be concerned with the following general goals, duties and purposes:

A. To develop and recommend to the Governor a statewide arts policy, the basic aim being to make all of the arts as readily available to the residents of the state as possible.

B. To act as the coordinating office with all state agencies and arts-related functions in state government, as well as with regional and federal programs. To correlate state arts policy and programs with activities in the areas of tourism, archaeological and historic preservation, libraries, museums and any other regularly constituted programs that are arts oriented.

C. Developing a statewide arts policy to consider programs in the visual and performing arts, arts in education and therapeutic arts for the handicapped, elderly, incarcerated and otherwise deprived adults and children.

III. To advise the Governor on arts-related measures and make recommendations on legislative and budgetary affairs connected therewith, which would include developing and maintaining a complete directory of information relating to facilities, talent, agencies and organizations in the various art fields and making the same available to the public.

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