Florida arts groups left in the lurch by DeSantis veto of state funding for theaters and museums
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Coral Gables Art Cinema will be more than $100,000 short this year. About $150,000 has suddenly disappeared from the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra’s budget. The Miami New Drama also has an unexpected $150,000 hole in its budget.
Art groups across Florida are coming out to hunt Republican Governor Ron DeSantis unexpectedly vetoed $32 million in arts funding on June 12, eliminating all state subsidies for those organizations. Advocates say the move will devastate arts and culture in the Sunshine State.
“What baffles me is that Florida is trying to attract business from New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, and what message are we sending when we defund our cultural organizations?” said Michel Hausmann, artistic director and co-founder of Miami New Drama in Miami Beach. “Are you going to attract people to a state where arts and culture are not valued? They are the lifeblood of a city.”
Arts leaders across the state say it’s the first time they can remember a Florida governor cutting off all arts and culture funding, while arts organizations that has survived the closures of the COVID-19 pandemic are still recovering with lower attendance and revenue.
For the more than 600 arts groups and facilities eligible for state grants, DeSantis’ veto came as a surprise because the Legislature had approved arts funding, even though what lawmakers approved was less than half of what was initially recommended by the state Department of Arts and Culture. Florida arts organizations had planned their budgets accordingly.
When asked at a press conference on Thursday why he vetoed arts funding in the state budget of $116.5 billionDeSantis said some of the money was for programs that many taxpayers would find offensive because of their sexual nature or other reasons.
“When I see money being spent that way, I have to be the one to stand up for the taxpayer and say, ‘You know, that’s an inappropriate use of taxpayer money,'” DeSantis said. “I think the Legislature needs to reevaluate how that’s being done.”
Most arts groups are still assessing their impact, but some may have to make cuts to programming or staff.
“We are reaching out to the community to help cover some of the budget gap and are exploring other private sector funding opportunities,” said Brenda Moe, executive director of Coral Gables Art Cinema. “We have to be creative to fill this gap.”
The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra will cut expenses, look for a way to increase revenue and hope that county and city officials will fill some of the void, said Karina Bharne, the symphony’s executive director.
Government subsidies provided 10% of the Coral Gables Art Cinema’s budget, more than 3% of the Miami New Drama’s budget, and about 2% of the Orlando Philharmonic’s budget.
PEN America, the nonprofit organization that advocates for free speech, compared the cuts to arts funding to legislative priorities pushed by the DeSantis administrationsuch as laws imposing restrictions what can be said in classrooms about sexual orientation and gender identity and banning the teaching of an academic framework that explains how systemic racism is part of American society.
“DeSantis is taking his war on culture to a new level,” said Katie Blankenship, director of PEN America’s Florida office. “This decision will not only destroy the arts, but it will also add to his legacy of censorship and disdain for art, literature, and knowledge.”
State grants are important to arts groups in Florida, not only because of their size, but also because they can be used for salaries, rent, insurance and utilities. Private donors often make donations with conditions for certain programs or performances. Ticket sales cover only a third of some arts groups’ budgets.
“It dramatically hurts our ability to pay rent and salaries,” said Robert Kesten, executive director of the Stonewall National Museum Archives. & Fort Lauderdale Library, which had expected $42,300 from the state this year.
To make up for the shortfall, arts groups may need to consider alternative fundraising strategies, such as reaching out to new Floridians who haven’t donated before. They could also collaborate with each other by sharing staff, spaces, costumes or sets, said Jennifer Evins, president and CEO of United Arts of Central Florida in Orlando.
Florida’s arts and culture industry generates $5.7 billion in economic activity annually, $2.9 billion of which comes from nonprofit arts and culture organizations, and supports more than 91,000 full-time jobs. according to a study by Americans for the Arts in partnership with the State Division of Arts and Culture and Citizens for Florida Arts Inc.
“We have a huge impact on the quality of life. We make the state more attractive, and we don’t cost any money,” Hausmann said. “There is no justification for this cut unless it is a political statement. It is not an economic issue.”
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Associated Press reporters Cody Jackson in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida, contributed to this report.
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Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform X: @MikeSchneiderAP.