Arts organizations around Florida are scrambling to make up budget shortfalls after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $32 million in cultural and museum grants.
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The cuts will have an impact on hundreds of theaters, museums, performance groups and other arts organizations large and small.
The vetoes are part of nearly $1 billion that DeSantis trimmed from the state budget, which is now a whopping $116.5 billion.
“We’re making big investments in our future while spending less of our taxpayer’s money to maintain our state’s strong financial standing and robust economy," DeSantis wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Cord Byrd listing the line-item vetoes.
To talk more about the role of arts organizations in the Tampa Bay economy and how they will navigate the next year without those state grants, we spoke with David Jenkins, producing artistic director at Jobsite Theater at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Mary Bensel, executive director at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in the city of Sarasota, Brian Hersh, CEO of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County and Jennifer Jones, president and CEO, Florida Cultural Alliance.
Jenkins said Jobsite Theater was awarded just under $70,000, about 8% of the theater's operating budget.
"The loss of funding for '24-'25 has eliminated a full time position," said Jenkins.
"It's going to result in the stagnation of wages for 72 regional artists, it's going to result in the elimination of free access to in class services we offer to some 3,000 students here in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties that benefited from that program. It'll create a reduction in our free ticket program, which allowed students to attend a weekday matinees."
Jenkins said it will be hard to make up the shortfall.
"There's been a lot of donor fatigue here lately. I doubt that we're gonna see organizations come spring forward to fill these gaps. So honestly, we've got two choices, which is either creating cuts or raising prices for services we offer," Jenkins said.
Bensel said the funding recommendation for Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall was $67,000.
"I think state funding is crucial. It shows that the state recognizes what we bring to the table economically as well as artistically and entertainment wise," she said.
"And while I'm one of the larger arts groups here in Sarasota, we will be able to absorb this loss, I think it can be devastating for smaller organizations."
Bensel said the economic impact would be felt elsewhere in the community, too.
"It's not just actors. It's also stagehands," said Bensel.
"Our restaurants are filled, because we keep, at night, people coming downtown. So it's really huge," Bensel said.
Hersh said arts organizations employ a lot of people in Sarasota County, and the arts are a big part of the economy.
"We know in Sarasota County, it's a significant draw, you know, almost 50% of our audiences during season are really from outside of Sarasota. We want to continue to draw those folks to Sarasota and we don't want this to be something that discourages people from doing that," said Hersh.
Jones said the vetoes were a surprise.
"It's kind of like a black swan. You know, it exists, it can happen," said Jones.
"We heard during session, during arts day, people would come out of their appointments and they didn't necessarily feel terribly encouraged by what their delegates were telling them about how appropriations were going in the subcommittees and committees, that we weren't going to get full funding. So the final recommendation was disappointing to begin with, but we thought maybe, 'Okay, that's gonna be it,'" said Jones.
Jones said her organization has requested a meeting with DeSantis's staff to find out what they can do to avoid vetoes next year.
"We want to make sure that whatever needs to happen, happens before we get to organizational session, which is before legislative session. So there's some behind the scenes work," Jones said.
In the meantime, Hersh said arts organizations will need to work together to get through the next year.
"It's going to take a lot of creative partnerships," said Hersh.
"I think some of the things that have been really proven in difficult times are arts organizations really pull together. So I think finding some needs where we can help each other out, will be significant."