More information about the county’s proposed cuts to the arts budget from the Lowe Art Museum. Some good dates here for meetings.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Dear Lowe Art Museum Supporters,

I am writing to update our members and supporters about the continuing budget process. As you may have heard the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners recently voted to preserve the maximum flexibility to set a budget for the 2009-2010 year that responds to the current economic environment and invites additional put input into the final budget process.

The vote did NOT raise taxes, eliminate jobs, salaries or programs, but set the stage for an open, vigorous public process over the next 55 days when a final hearing on the 2009-2010 budget at 5:01 p.m., Thursday, September 17, 2009.

The next several weeks are critical if we are to maintain any funding for arts and culture in our community. If you have not already written the members of the Miami-Dade County Commission and specifically your elected commissioner, I urge you to do so now. Tell the Commission what arts and culture mean to you and share with them what the loss will be to this community if they support a more than $11 million reduction in the budget for arts and culture grants for this community. A reduction of this magnitude will, I assure you, be devastating both to the Lowe and many organizations, which will simply cease to exist. If you have already written, please write again. The Commission needs to hear from its constitutents.

List of commissioners.

Please place these two important dates and times on your calendars:
5:01 p.m., Thursday, September 3, 2009-First public hearing on the FY 2009-2010 budget.
5:01 p.m., Thursday, September 17, 2009-Final budget hearing on the FY 2009-2010 budget.

Thank you again for your continuing support of the Lowe Art Museum and other important community cultural institutions.

Sincerely,
Brian A. Dursum
Director and Chief Curator
Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

This one is from the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival organization. So much angst over this. Hopefully we can convince the Commission to do the right thing. Each of these have a little bit of a different perspective, that is why we are posting them all.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

We need your help to save Arts & Culture in Miami-Dade

Dear Friends,

Arts and Culture in Miami-Dade County are in serious peril and we need your help to save it. Last week news of the Mayors proposed budget were announced. This proposal calls for the elimination of nearly all funding for arts and cultural organizations in Miami-Dade County currently funded through the Department of Cultural Affairs. A cut in excess of $11 million dollars.

In an economic climate where financial support is already difficult to come-by, these cuts will mean the inevitable disappearance of some of the cultural organizations that so enrich our community and our lives.

The arts are a part of the rich fabric of Miami-Dade County. Arts & Cultural organizations and events have helped shape the global image of Miami, as a city of more than just beautiful beaches and non-stop partying, but as a place where exciting art is being created, presented and appreciated.

The repercussions of losing vital fiscal support are clear: decline in tourism, loss of jobs, negative impact on the local economy, unfavorable image of our city, and most importantly a decline in quality of life of our citizenry.

Join us in telling our elected officials that Arts & Culture in Miami-Dade County are an important and integral part of our community, and its future must not be in danger. Ask them to save the funding of the Department of Cultural Affair, and insure that Miami’s artistic community can continue creating and enriching our city.

Please email or call your county commissioners today!

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Yes, indeed, everyone is up in arms. Here is one from New World Symphony. Yes, I am going to post every letter that we get. And I know we have more coming.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Dear James

We need your help! The cultural community in Miami-Dade County is in serious jeopardy; action is needed today, as the vote takes place tomorrow. Michael Spring, Director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, sent a bulletin out last week detailing drastic cuts in the Mayor’s proposed budget. Please call and email our commissioners NOW and let them know that the arts support jobs, tourism and a positive image of a progressive city and should NOT be cut.
If these cuts take place, many of the cultural organizations that you love and support may disappear.
Please take a few moments and contact your commissioner telling them to support the arts. A sample letter is featured in this email, please feel free to use this sample, or create your own. We have also included a list of Miami-Dade County Commissioners and a link to a county site where you can identify your commissioner. We urge you to call and email your own commissioner, and email the remaining 12 commissioners immediately. If you have a personal relationship with any of the commissioners, please call them directly.

Please forward this important message to your friends and colleagues. The artistic future of Miami-Dade County is on the line- this is your opportunity to say loud and clear that art and culture is important, and the jobs and livelihood that make up Miami-Dade County’s thriving cultural community are of vital importance.

Thank you for your continued support of the New World Symphony and the arts.

P.S. To see the entire proposed budget, please click here.

Sample Letter

Who is your Commissioner? Click HERE to find out.

Dear Commissioner (Insert Last Name Here)

(Potential first sentence for the letter sent to the Commissioner for the district in which you live/vote:) I am writing to you, my elected representative to the County Commission, to let you know of my deep and abiding concern as a resident and voter regarding the County’s FY2009/10 budget.

(Potential first sentence for letters sent to all other County Commissioners:) There are critical issues affecting the County’s arts and cultural support for which we need your help.

The Mayor’s proposed budget cut to the Department of Cultural Affairs is intolerable.

While we understand the need to prune the County’s operational budget to fill the large budget gap, we ask that you seriously look at the entire budget and ask yourself how shortsighted it would be to lose important support of the cultural community. Consider the millions of dollars the arts generate each year which would be lost in these reductions. The County’s economic impact of the arts study, released last year by the Department of Cultural Affairs, demonstrates that every $1 dollar of County arts funding invested leverages $27 of other private and public funds. This return on investment is remarkable evidence of the effective and worthwhile use of public funds. While $3.5 million is comparatively little in the context of the County’s target for overall budget reduction, it is an enormous portion of the County’s investment in its cultural life. Cutting these funds will have devastating, ripple effects across the various other funding sources that the County’s support helps to generate.

Annually, Miami-Dade’s arts industry generates nearly $1 billion in local economic impact, employs roughly 23,000 people full-time, and, in addition, receives the contributed skills and time of 19,000 arts volunteers. Thousands of jobs will be lost if these cuts are kept in place.

County government’s leadership and investment in the arts and culture has contributed directly to our community beginning to realize its goal of becoming one of the world’s most exciting cultural destinations. The proposed draconian cuts to the Department of Cultural Affairs will disrupt the cultural growth of our community and will cripple our efforts to attain our ambitions to attract business, tourism and citizens who are proud to call Miami-Dade County a true leader in arts and culture.

Thank you for your past support and for recognizing the value, importance and far-reaching benefits of building a great cultural life for our community. I strongly urge you to vote to continue current support for the arts and the budget of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Sincerely,
Your Name

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Oh yeah, they are coming in from all over! This one is from FUNDarte. Get involved!

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Dear Friend of FUNDarte:

We need your help. The cultural community in Miami-Dade is in serious jeopardy. Action is needed today. Michael Spring, Director of the Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, sent a bulletin out late yesterday detailing drastic cuts in Mayor’s proposed budget. Michael’s email is below. Please call and email our commissioners NOW and let them know that the arts support jobs, tourism and a positive image of a progressive city. Any of the cultural organizations that you love and support will disappear if these cuts take place.

A sample letter is featured at the end of the email. You can write your own letter or use this one. We have also included a list of Miami Dade County Commissioners and a link to a county site where you can identify your commissioner. I urge you to call and email your own commissioner and email the remaining 12 commissioners. If you have a personal relationship with any of the commissioners please call them directly. Please forward this important message to your friends and colleagues.

Thank you for your support of the arts.
Regards

Ever Chavez and FUNDarte’s Staff

MICHAEL SPRING’S LETTER:

Dear Colleagues,

Mayor Alvarez released budget recommendations for the County’s FY2009-2010 budget today. This proposal includes substantial service cuts and workforce reductions to fill a $427 million projected budget gap.

If the budget is adopted as proposed, the Department’s budget will be reduced by more than $11 million dollars, requiring the elimination of nearly all of the Department’s grants for cultural organizations. Grants to all social service “community-based organizations” and “mom and pop” small businesses are slated for elimination also. All county departments and services are impacted significantly.

The next step in the budget process is for the Board of County Commissioners to set a preliminary millage rate next Tuesday, July 21. This will determine the degree to which the Commission can address and expand the budget priorities over the coming weeks, before the final budget is adopted. It is critically important to let the County Commissioners know the impact that County funding has on providing great arts and cultural programs and services for the citizens of Miami-Dade County. For contact information for the County Commissioners, scroll down.

Historically, the County Mayor, County Manager and the Board of County Commissioners have been very supportive of the Department’s budget. In previous, difficult budget years, they have consistently appreciated the impact of the cultural industry on the local economy, the importance of culture on the quality of life and the competitive advantage of our community, and have been mindful of the extraordinary return generated by the County’s investment in the community’s cultural assets.

We are scheduling a town meeting in the coming weeks to provide more details on the County’s cultural budget reductions and recommendations. We strongly encourage you to participate in the budget discussions that are taking place from this point on.

Thanks,
Michael

PS To see the entire proposed budget, please go to www.miamidade.gov and click on the link “View the Proposed Budget.”

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Commissioner (Insert Last Name Here)

(Potential first sentence for the letter sent to the Commissioner for the district in which you live/vote:) I am writing to you, my elected representative to the County Commission, to let you know of my deep and abiding concern as a resident and voter regarding the County’s FY2009/10 budget.
(Potential first sentence for letters sent to all other County Commissioners:) There are critical issues affecting the County’s arts and cultural support for which we need your help.

The Mayor’s proposed budget cut to the Department of Cultural Affairs is intolerable.

While we understand the need to prune the County’s operational budget to fill the large budget gap, we ask that you seriously look at the entire budget and ask yourself how shortsighted it would be to lose important support of the cultural community. Consider the millions of dollars the arts generate each year which would be lost in these reductions. The County’s economic impact of the arts study, released last year by the Department of Cultural Affairs, demonstrates that every $1 dollar of County arts funding invested leverages $27 of other private and public funds. This return on investment is remarkable evidence of the effective and worthwhile use of public funds. While $3.5 million is comparatively little in the context of the County’s target for overall budget reduction, it is an enormous portion of the County’s investment in its cultural life. Cutting these funds will have devastating, ripple effects across the various other funding sources that the County’s support helps to generate.

Annually, Miami-Dade’s arts industry generates nearly $1 billion in local economic impact, employs roughly 23,000 people full-time, and, in addition, receives the contributed skills and time of 19,000 arts volunteers. Thousands of jobs will be lost if these cuts are kept in place.

County government’s leadership and investment in the arts and culture has contributed directly to our community beginning to realize its goal of becoming one of the world’s most exciting cultural destinations. The proposed draconian cuts to the Department of Cultural Affairs will disrupt the cultural growth of our community and will cripple our efforts to attain our ambitions to attract business, tourism and citizens who are proud to call Miami-Dade County a true leader in arts and culture.

Thank you for your past support and for recognizing the value, importance and far-reaching benefits of building a great cultural life for our community. I strongly urge you to vote to continue current support for the arts and the budget of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Sincerely,
Your Name

Who is your Commissioner? Click here to find out

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

These are coming in from all over. Here is another call for action from the Lowe Art Museum. Are you getting the impression this is a big issue, yet?

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Dear Lowe Art Museum Supporters,

The Lowe and our cultural colleagues in the community need your help NOW! Michael Spring, the Director of the Miami Dade Department of Cultural Affairs, sent out the following email notifying arts organizations and supporters that the current proposed 2009-2010 Budget for Miami Dade County would reduce the Cultural Affairs Grants Budget by $11 Million Dollars, which would void any funding for the Lowe Art Museum and all other non-profit arts groups.

Please call and email your commissioners NOW and let them know that the arts support our economy, tourism, and enrich our lives. The Lowe Art Museum’s operating budget is critically dependent on continued funding from Miami-Dade County.

Provided below is a sample email for you to use. Please modify it and add your own points. A list of Miami Dade County Commissioners with a direct link is attached for your convenience. I urge you to write to all the commissioners and add a personal note to your district commissioner. A link has been attached so that you can identify your commissioner. Time is of the essence; please e-mail your note TODAY in time for Tuesday morning’s commission meeting. Many thanks for your support.

Sincerely,
Brian A. Dursum
Director and Chief Curator
Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami

Michael Spring, Cultural Affairs Executive Director’s Letter to Cultural Groups
(Sample Letter & Commissioner email addresses follows)

Dear Colleagues,

Mayor Alvarez released budget recommendations for the County’s FY2009-2010 budget today. This proposal includes substantial service cuts and workforce reductions to fill a $427 million projected budget gap.

If the budget is adopted as proposed, the Department’s budget will be reduced by more than $11 million dollars, requiring the elimination of nearly all of the Department’s grants for cultural organizations. Grants to all social service “community-based organizations” and “mom and pop” small businesses are slated for elimination also. All county departments and services are impacted significantly.

The next step in the budget process is for the Board of County Commissioners to set a preliminary millage rate next Tuesday, July 21. This will determine the degree to which the Commission can address and expand the budget priorities over the coming weeks, before the final budget is adopted. It is critically important to let the County Commissioners know the impact that County funding has on providing great arts and cultural programs and services for the citizens of Miami-Dade County. For contact information for the County Commissioners, please go to
http://www.miamidadearts.org/Documents/Forms/Grantees/County%20Commission%20Contact%20List%207-15-2009.pdf

Historically, the County Mayor, County Manager and the Board of County Commissioners have been very supportive of the Department’s budget. In previous, difficult budget years, they have consistently appreciated the impact of the cultural industry on the local economy, the importance of culture on the quality of life and the competitive advantage of our community, and have been mindful of the extraordinary return generated by the County’s investment in the community’s cultural assets.

We are scheduling a town meeting in the coming weeks to provide more details on the County’s cultural budget reductions and recommendations. We strongly encourage you to participate in the budget discussions that are taking place from this point on.

Thanks,
Michael

PS-To see the entire proposed budget, please go to http://www.miamidade.gov/budget/

Who is your Commissioner? Click here to find out

(SAMPLE LETTER)
Dear Commissioner:

I am very concerned about the proposed cut to the county arts budget. Your past support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs has helped make the arts in Miami-Dade County a very important part of our quality of life, development of tourism, and overall benefit of the economic well being of our community. In addition, there is a concern that the previous investment in the arts could be lost entirely for many arts organizations without continued funding.

The current proposed budget to eliminate more than $11 million to the Department of Cultural Affairs would have an enormous detrimental effect on Miami-Dade County. Our arts organizations, from small to large, contribute greatly not only to the economy of our region but also to its quality of life. If passed in its current form the loss of jobs alone resulting from this proposal will be huge, let alone the impact on tourism and the general economic and cultural health of our community. Since a funding loss of such magnitude would have a rippling effect, it is likely that thousands of jobs and services would disappear overnight. Tourists who are increasingly seeking cultural programming to augment their visit to Miami would retreat to an image of the area as a cultural desert, a view that all of us have fought hard to change.

I strongly urge you to vote to continue current support for the arts and community-based organizations.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your address]

Please pass this on to your email list!

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Miami-Dade County Commission Meeting on the proposed cultural arts budget cuts Tuesday July 21st.

Here is yet another report on the upcoming funding cuts, this one from Miami Science Museum. They are asking for people to go to the City Commission meeting on Tuesday, July 21. If you can make it, I highly recommend you do so. This is a very important issue that we need to address.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Dear Friends:

Miami-Dade County is proposing to make drastic cuts to the budget for this next fiscal year. These cuts will severely affect the funding for many community services, but the implications for the funding of cultural institutions, like ours, are even more alarming.

Miami Science Museum may lose over $700,000 in support this year, on top of last year’s cut of $400,000. Our County support this year could be as low as 40% of their support in 2007. This is funding that currently allows us to continue to operate on a viable level, keeping vital programs alive and ultimately our doors open.

We need your help in voicing concern over the potential impact of these proposed cuts. Please join us this coming Tuesday, July 21 at the Miami-Dade County Commission chambers (details below) to advocate for the Miami Science Museum to be able to continue serving the community with quality education, hands-on science exhibitions, planetarium shows and Wildlife care and presentations. If you cannot attend, you can also participate in this effort by contacting your commissioners with your concerns (full list of commissioners by district below).

Thank you in advance for your support!
Board and staff of the Miami Science Museum.

Commission Meeting Details:
Tuesday, July 21
10:00am
Miami-Dade County Commission
111 NW 1st Street, 2nd Floor, Commission Chamber

Gillian Thomas
President & CEO
Miami Science Museum
3280 S. Miami Ave
Miami, Fl 33129
t 305.646.4228
f 305.646.4300
gthomas@miamisci.org
www.miamisci.org

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -