DeSantis declares war on art and culture

Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis cut over $32 million in arts and culture grants from the Florida state budget. He blocked virtually ALL state funding for arts and culture programs and organizations large and small, from the Florida Aquarium and the Tampa Museum of Art to a Black History Museum to children’s orchestra programs and community opera and theater programs, to name a few. This is the first time that all funding for arts and culture has been cut from the budget. Why did he do this? DeSantis explained, “Your tax dollars go in the form of grants for things like the Fringe Festival, which is like a sex festival where they do all this stuff, and the question is: How many of you think your tax dollars should be used for this?”

On Wednesday, July 3, MidPoint was joined by representatives of some of the smaller local cultural institutions that are feeling the brunt of these cuts. Trish Perry, producer of the Tampa Fringe Festival, which DeSantis named as an example of what he called a “sexual festival” that doesn’t deserve federal funding, explained what “Fringe” is. Karla Hartley, production manager and artistic director of Stageworks Theater in Channelside, also spoke to us about the pressures on these and other smaller organizations with limited donor pools to make up for lost funding. Matt Newton, attorney and arts activist, spoke about the economic impact of the arts and the importance of a strong and vibrant arts and culture scene to our quality of life and to attracting businesses to Florida.

The full show can be listened to on-demand here, in the WMNF app, or as a WMNF MidPoint podcast wherever you get your podcasts.