Arts leaders are facing a year of financial uncertainty after the elimination of $32 million in state cultural grants. The measure was part of a $950 million spending cut, made by Gov. Ron DeSantis from 2024-25 budget, and has many organizations struggling to find solutions. Those based in “the city of arts and culture” are no different.
Winter Park is home to more than 20 arts nonprofits that produce a variety of programming. The economic fallout is inconsistent as some can operate without state funding, but the overall impact is still resounding.
“It’s really disheartening to get a message from state leadership that the arts don’t count,” said Rollins Museum of Art Bruce A. Beal Director, Dr. Ena Heller. “It’s a double whammy because (state grant funding) was completely cut and it was announced very late in the process. We found out about a week before our fiscal year started.”
Nonprofits can request up to 10% of their operating budget from the state, but Heller says the approved funds tend to fluctuate from year to year. Rollins Museum of Art had earmarked its anticipated grant money for marketing and advertising, but Heller and her staff are now trying to make up the difference by pivoting toward donors and other funding sources. “We’ll need to locate extra funds or possibly cut some plans we had for January,” she said.
Measures of relief
United Arts of Central Florida President and CEO Jennifer Evins estimates the cuts represent a $6.9 million impact spread across 89 regional nonprofits. “We are informing arts advocates and Board members about the impact and making a call to action for companies and foundations to include the arts in their charitable giving,” she said. The organization’s Arts for All Fund also provides operating support for Central Florida arts groups.
Within the city limits, Winter Park’s 2025 budget proposal includes a measure of relief. “We were able to increase our (nonprofit) contributions over last year to reflect the inflationary pressures all organizations are facing,” said Assistant City Manager Michelle del Valle, who also cites the efforts of the Winter Park Arts and Culture Alliance.
Founded in 2017, the Alliance is a source of support that promotes the city’s nonprofit arts and culture organizations. “This entire program is developed to support and collaboratively work with our arts and cultural partners year-round to increase visibility and awareness,” del Valle said.
As welcome as the advocacy and additional funds are, a full recovery remains uncertain.
“We lost nearly $65,000 overnight,” said Winter Park Playhouse Executive Director Heather Alexander. The 23-year-old nonprofit is Central Florida’s only professional musical theater, but it can’t survive on ticket sales alone. Grants from Orange County’s Tourist Development Tax (TDT) are among the funding sources the theater will lean on as it works to make up for the state cuts. “We apply and receive funding each year, but we are looking to our donors and at other grant possibilities to help make up the rest.”
Another local performing arts company, Open Scene, reports a $25,000 impact from the state budget cuts. The group presents multicultural programing and produces the annual Latin American Festival of Performing Arts. According to Development Director Mariela Saad, the state funds were earmarked to help cover administrative salaries, but most of the nonprofit’s yearly funding goes toward paying the artists. “It is important that artists are appreciated and treated like professionals,” said Open Scene founder Thamara Bejarano. “We believe it’s necessary to create sustainability.”
Saad says efforts to bridge this year’s financial gap will focus on private foundations and a new fundraising initiative. “We are preparing our first targeted fundraising campaign to engage our community and supporters in contributing to our cause,” she said. “We are also focusing on landing donors who share our vision and are committed to supporting professional contemporary multicultural creators.”
The wider impact
Artists devote their talent and time to producing results that entertain and inspire, but the efforts reap benefits beyond the stage or gallery. A 2022 study by the Americans for the Arts advocacy group found that arts and culture accounted for $44.3 million in economic activity throughout the city of Winter Park. The arts also created 850 local jobs and $10 million in government revenue while offering more than 2,700 learning opportunities for students.
“When funding goes away it doesn’t stop us from selling a ticket to somebody who can buy a ticket,” said Central Florida Vocal Arts (CFVA) Executive Director Theresa Smith-Levin. “It prevents us from offering a scholarship to kids who can’t pay.”
In addition to producing its series of mainstage musicals, CFVA fosters talent by providing lessons in voice, guitar, and piano. The group was recently awarded a grant from the Winter Park Health Foundation to expand its curriculum with the intent of addressing youth mental health issues by boosting self-confidence and self-efficacy through the performing arts. Smith-Levin makes yearly trips to Tallahassee with a team of arts leaders to lobby and explain the benefits of maintaining a healthy statewide arts community. She says an ongoing loss of funds would put CFVA and other local arts programs in jeopardy. “These cuts affect the most vulnerable among us; people who otherwise would not have access to the arts. They stop us from moving forward with mission critical programs.”
The full effects won’t be felt until next season as the cuts came at the end of the last fiscal year, but an even bigger concern is what might happen during next year’s budget session.
“All of us were counting on something, and then to be told at the last minute that you won’t have it; you just have to scramble to find the money,” said Heller. “We are all very worried about whether this may or may not be and isolated occurrence.”
