More favorably than anticipated, county commissioners recently voted to cut only 30% of the funding for county arts grants, making the county’s contribution to the arts $8.6 million for the coming year.  However, until October 6^th arts grantees remain uncertain as to exactly who gets what of the remaining balance.  Public funding that will be withheld from the arts will go towards filling the current $444 million deficit of the county.  The original plan proposed by Mayor Carlos Alvarez was to reduce arts grants from $14.8 million to $4.4 million.

The county money that will go towards the arts was made available by diverting $6 million from the Miami-Dade library and fire rescue funds and another $2 million in taxes taken from the delayed South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay.

According to the Miami Herald, Terry Riley  (director of Miami Art Museum) was “cautiously optimistic” upon the approval of a plan to reduce the $700,000 of funding requested to $350,000 of funding that the museum with receive from the county in the upcoming year.  “Only in this climate does being cut 50% bring a smile to your face” said Riley.

On another note, according to the Herald, $7.7 million in tax dollars has been set aside for the public art in the new Marlin’s stadium.  This is in accordance with the art in public places rule that a penny and a half of every dollar spent on Miami-Dade government construction is set aside and put in a special fund for public art.  There is some criticism that the “art” isn’t really art and that it isn’t “public” either.  More than 400 artist submitted proposals for review.  Overall, the stadium will cost $515 million, of which $347 million is coming from the county and $23 million from the city.