Miami Beach Fills Arts and Culture Funding Gap

Miami Beach, FL – The Miami Beach City Commission voted unanimously to close a $492,676 funding gap expected to hit the city’s cultural institutions during the upcoming fiscal year. The one-time city funding measure is in response to a recent state cut that eliminated the allocation of 2025 fiscal year funds for cultural and museum grants.

“Every tax dollar spent on arts and culture comes back to the city with interest and dividends,” said Miami Beach Commissioner Tanya K. Bhatt, who sponsored the funding resolution. “Our cultural institutions are at the heart of our quality of life in Miami Beach — for our students, families, visitors and businesses. It reaffirms our commitment to our vibrant and thriving community that as a city, we offer something for everyone."

The City of Miami Beach is the first municipality in the State of Florida to make up this budgetary shortfall — with St. Petersburg considering a similar measure to support their local arts organizations as well.

According to a 2023 study by Americans for the Arts, the City of Miami Beach received a $334.9 million economic boost from its arts and culture focus in the prior year. The study looked at 373 diverse communities and regions from all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

The city funding will be shared among the following 16 Miami Beach-based cultural institutions and organizations in varying amounts:

• The Bass Museum
• The Dance Now! Ensemble
• FUNDarte
• Holocaust Memorial
• Jewish Museum of Florida—FIU
• Living Arts Trust (O Cinema)
• Miami City Ballet
• Miami Beach Botanical Garden
• Miami Design Preservation League
• Miami Music Festival
• Miami New Drama
• New World Symphony
• O, Miami
• The Rhythm Foundation.
• South Florida Art Center (Oolite Arts)
• The Wolfsonian—FIU

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