Pinellas County could cut $1.2 million in funding for Creative Pinellas, which is considered the county’s designated arts agency.
The nonprofit, which was established in 2011, receives around $860,000 from the county’s tourist development tax, $156,000 from the general fund and $36,000 from the transportation trust fund. Past funding has been used to maintain community gallery spaces, commission public art and administer grants to local artists.
The idea to defund Creative Pinellas was brought by Pinellas County Commission Chair Brian Scott during a meeting on Aug. 28.
He proposed reallocating $500,000 of the around $860,000 in tourism development funds typically held for Creative Pinellas to develop a new competitive grant program for arts tourism in coordination with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater. It would also allow the return of other earmarked monies to their respective funds in the operating budget.
“I have struggled since I’ve become a commissioner to understand what they’re really bringing to the table … other than having grant programs that they’re … giving, you know, money to artists to buy easels and cameras and things like that — and it’s not going to tourism at all,” Scott said.
"They get 90% of their money from us. And I don't really see that there's a lot of return on that investment. I really don't."
Last week, Commissioner René Flowers said she is open to retooling the county’s arts funding, but it warrants more conversation.
"I don’t think the three of us would be where we are today were it not for the funding, support, and opportunities presented by Creative Pinellas."Laura Spencer, local artist
“I’m all for looking at it to see how it could be most effective for the artists because…our community is not only known for beaches, it’s known for its museums and its art," Flowers said.
Commissioner Dave Eggars also hesitated to make swift changes to arts funding without artists in the room.
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Local artist Laura Spencer, who is against the move to defund Creative Pinellas, commended the commissioners for their responses during last week’s meeting.
“This is a much bigger conversation we all need to have, and so I really appreciate that they took a moment to pause and reflect and saw the value that Pinellas County is the arts coast,” she said.
Spencer, who goes by the artist name Miss Critt, said she got her career start in Pinellas thanks to grant funding from Creative Pinellas. She’s one of the artists, alongside Alex Kaufman and George Retkes, set to unveil a large-scale sidewalk mosaic project in St. Petersburg’s Sunset Park next week.
“I don’t think the three of us would be where we are today were it not for the funding, support, and opportunities presented by Creative Pinellas,” she said.
In a Facebook post, Kaufman shared this sentiment: “And that’s just my story. There are hundreds more like it.”
A group of artists, including Spencer, plan to attend Thursday's public hearing, where commissioners are expected to pick up the conversation on arts funding.
The CEO of Creative Pinellas, Margaret Murray, also plans to attend. She said she hopes the county will recognize the return on investment the nonprofit brings to the local arts community.
“Our role here in Pinellas County is to support the arts community, and that can be anyone from emerging artists to young campers to arts organizations, by bridging the gap between arts and culture and tourism,” she said.
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