"Immediate pain:" Arts and culture community rallies against proposed budget
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Local arts and culture organizations are sounding the alarm about a proposed 50% cut to the county's cultural grant funding, urging residents to sign a petition that's already garnered more than 3,000 signatures.
Why it matters: Arts and cultural leaders say the $12.8 million in proposed cuts would devastate small organizations and local artists, and threaten programming for the city's youth.
- Moreover, they say the lack of funding will hinder the arts community's ability to boost the local economy and it would undermine decades of investment that made Miami a global hub and cultural destination.
Catch up quick: Mayor Daniella Levine Cava this month proposed budget cuts between 10% and 35% for some departments and consolidations for others to offset a more than $400 million deficit for 2026.
- Included in the proposal was the merging of the Department of Cultural Affairs into the Public Library System and the elimination of the director of cultural affairs position.
The big picture: The proposed cuts come a year after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $32 million for arts and cultural initiatives from the 2024-25 state budget, costing more than 120 Miami-Dade organizations a combined $6.5 million in funding.
By the numbers: For every $1 invested in the arts by the county, $42 is returned through economic activity and matching private support, according to the Miami-Dade Arts Action Alliance, an arts advocacy organization.
- Per the group, the arts generate $2.1 billion annually, support 32,000 local jobs and attract 4.2 million cultural tourists.
What they're saying: The proposal "feels disproportionate and short-sighted," said Sheila Womble, executive director of Arts For Learning, in a news release.
- "When we start to lose the arts, we lose more than most ever realize until it is too late," Womble said.
- Sammy Gonzalez, CEO of Young Musicians Unite and president of Arts Access Miami, told Axios he recognizes the tough position Levine Cava is in and that she's been a "big advocate for the arts," but argued the cuts need to come from somewhere else.
- "There are other areas that are bloated, I'm sure," he said.
The other side: During her news conference announcing the proposal, Levine Cava said the budget is "fair, balanced and resident-focused."
Zoom in: A 50% cut is anywhere between 5% and 15% of an organization's budget, Sammy Gonzalez, CEO of Young Musicians Unite and president of Arts Access Miami, told Axios.
- If approved, the county's public schools could see "a good 30% of programming go away," he said. "It's immediate pain."
There's an understanding that kids go to school and have access to music or art classes, Gonzalez said. Many people "don't understand that [programs like] Guitars Over Guns isn't part of the school district."
- And with public schools already facing budget shortfalls, "there's no way the district" will be able to fill in the funding gaps.
What's next: County commissioners are expected to finalize the budget Sept. 18.