Photo: Fiji Fringe Festival | By Ryan Lynch and WFTV.com News Staff | [COMBO Editor’s note: Gov. Ron DeSantis cut $32m from the Florida Arts Budget possibly due to Tampa Fringe Festival (who only received $7,300) as “inappropriate use of taxpayers’ money”. The cuts affect zoos, museums, art galleries, music programs, and theaters. The thought is that he is attempting to curtail drag shows with transgender artists.]
ORLANDO, Fla. — WFTV Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.
Leaders for the Orlando and Tampa Fringe festivals are asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to restore $32 million in arts funding for other organizations in exchange for forgoing their own grants.
The open letter, signed by Scott Galbraith and Tempestt Halstead of Orlando Fringe and Trish Parry of Tampa Fringe, came after DeSantis in a June press conference cited the fringe festivals as “sexual festivals” when he vetoed arts funding for more than 600 organizations.
The Fringe leaders said canceling all arts funds because of the festivals’ requests — which are just 0.002% of the vetoed $32 million — would be like “canceling Florida’s entire sports industry based on an objection with one player on one team.”
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Go here to see the full story on the WFTV channel:
https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orlando-tampa-fringe-festival-leaders-ask-gov-ron-desantis-restore-florida-arts-grants/
Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal’s website:
https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2024/07/11/tampa-fringe-festival-ron-desantis-arts-funding.html
Photo: Fiji Fringe Festival from their Facebook page
July 11, 2024| Colorado Music-Related Business| Barb Dye