Florida Quietly Raises the Bar on Arts Funding, Cutting Dozens of Cultural Organizations

Florida Quietly Raises the Bar on Arts Funding, Cutting Dozens of Cultural Organizations
The Florida State Capitol is seen on a clear day in Tallahassee, Fla. The historic Old Capitol building, with its red-and-white awnings, sits in front of the newer high-rise Capitol tower. Photo credit: Frank McGady

By Avery Anderson

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A new state rule—never publicly announced—has left dozens of Florida arts organizations without critical funding in 2025–26, despite having previously qualified.

The shift has hit organizations across disciplines and geography: from Stageworks Theatre and freeFall Theatre to Tampa City Ballet, The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, West Coast Black Theatre Troupe, and The Studio@620. Many had received state support for years. This year, they’re out.

Without warning, the Florida Division of Arts and Culture raised the minimum score required to qualify for General Program Support (GPS) grants from 80 to 95. The change was not communicated publicly and was not included in application materials. Applicants only learned of the new threshold after receiving their final scores.

“We didn’t change a thing about our program or our application,” said one artistic director, who asked not to be named due to concerns about future funding. “But the goalposts moved, and we didn’t even know it.”

A New Standard, Without Warning

Historically, a score of 80 or higher—assigned by independent panels of artists, administrators, and community leaders—meant eligibility for funding. That was true even last year, when Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed the entire $60 million arts budget despite bipartisan support.

This year, funding was expected to be restored. Instead, a new threshold was imposed—95 points or higher—without prior notice. And while the state legislature has approved the funding, Governor DeSantis has not yet signed the budget. He retains the power to veto the arts budget again, as he did in 2024.

According to an Arts Passport analysis, 117 Tampa Bay-area organizations were recommended for funding in 2024–25. Just 40 met the new bar in 2025–26. The 83 organizations left out requested a combined total of more than $6 million in support.

What the Scores Really Mean

GPS grant applications are reviewed by panels that rate proposals on artistic merit, community impact, fiscal health, and management capacity. The final score is an average of those evaluations.

A score in the 80s has long been considered strong. Few organizations score above 95 in any given year.

Critics say the new threshold doesn’t just raise the bar—it redraws the playing field, without any opportunity for adaptation or feedback.

The Silence from Tallahassee

The Florida Division of Arts and Culture has not provided a public rationale for the change. The Department of State, which oversees the division, did not respond to requests for comment.

In the absence of explanation, local leaders are left reacting to the fallout.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor expressed support for the creative sector in a statement:

“Supporting our local artists is critical to the preservation of Tampa’s history and the creation of its future,” she said. “In its many forms, art tells our story in ways we could never put into words.”

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch has declined to comment until the state budget is finalized.

More Than a Budget Line

For many organizations—especially those serving underrepresented communities or working at smaller scales—state funding is essential. It helps pay artists, expand access, and provide programming that isn’t driven by box office returns.

Some groups are already postponing productions, downsizing education efforts, or freezing hiring in anticipation of lost revenue. Others face more existential questions.

Meanwhile, larger institutions like the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, The Florida Orchestra, and Sarasota Opera remain eligible for funding.

This year was supposed to be a moment of recovery for Florida’s cultural sector. Instead, it’s another cliff.

What Comes Next

Arts advocacy organizations across the state are pushing for change: a return to the 80-point eligibility threshold, increased transparency, and a more flexible funding model that recognizes both excellence and access.

Whether those demands will be met is uncertain. What’s clear is that Florida’s arts community is once again on unstable ground.

As of July 1, the governor has signed the budget—without major cuts to to the arts.

How to Help

  • Contact your legislators. Urge them to support inclusive arts funding and demand accountability from the Florida Division of Arts and Culture.
  • Support local organizations. Donate, attend events, and spread the word about the groups impacted.
  • Stay informed. Groups like Floridians for the Arts and United Arts of Florida are leading advocacy efforts statewide.
  • Art Center Sarasota Inc.
  • Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, Inc.
  • Arts Center Association, Inc.
  • Arts4All Florida
  • Bok Tower Gardens, Inc.
  • City of Sarasota
  • City of Tarpon Springs
  • Clearwater Jazz Holiday Foundation, Inc.
  • Community Stepping Stones, Inc.
  • Creative Pinellas, Incorporated
  • Eight O'Clock Theatre, Inc
  • Embracing Our Differences, Inc.
  • EnsembleNEWSRQ
  • Florida Children's Museum
  • Florida CraftArt
  • Florida Cultural Group, Inc
  • Florida Studio Theatre, Inc.
  • Florida West Coast Symphony, Inc.
  • Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, Inc.
  • Great Explorations, Inc.
  • Lakeland Community Theatre, Inc.
  • Lowry Park Zoological Society of Tampa, Inc.
  • Lumina Youth Choirs Inc
  • Museum of Science & Industry, Inc.
  • New Tampa Players
  • Realize Bradenton, Inc.
  • Ruth Eckerd Hall, Inc.
  • Salvador Dali Museum, Inc.
  • Sarasota Opera Association, Inc.
  • St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, Inc.
  • St. Petersburg Clearwater Film Society Inc.
  • Sunsets at Pier 60 Society Inc.
  • Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Inc.
  • Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra
  • Tempus Projects, Inc.
  • The Dunedin Fine Art Center, Inc.
  • The Florida Aquarium, Inc.
  • The Gulf Beach Art Center, Inc.
  • The Tampa Bay History Center, Inc.
  • Theatre Winter Haven, Inc.
  • Academy of Ballet Arts, Inc.
  • American Stage Company, Inc.
  • Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, Inc.
  • Arts Council Division of Hillsborough County
  • Asolo Theatre, Inc.
  • Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts, Inc.
  • Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, Inc.
  • Brandon Ballet, Inc.
  • Caladium Arts & Crafts Cooperative, Inc.
  • Children's Museum of Tampa, Inc.
  • Choral Artists of Sarasota, Inc.
  • Choral Masterworks Festival, Inc.
  • Clearwater Marine Aquarium
  • Contemporary Art Music Project INC
  • Creative Clay, Inc.
  • Dunedin Museum, Inc.
  • Dunedin Music Society Inc
  • Explorations V Children's Museum, Inc.
  • Firehouse Cultural Center, Inc.
  • Florida Dance Theatre, Inc.
  • freeFall Theatre, Inc.
  • Friends of Carrollwood Cultural Center, Inc.
  • Friends of the Festival, Inc.
  • Friends of the Lake Wales Museum, Inc.
  • Gasparilla Music Foundation, Inc
  • Gulf Coast Artists' Alliance, Inc.
  • HappyStars Youth Program Inc
  • Heartland Cultural Alliance, Inc.
  • Highway Park Neighborhood Preservation and Enhancement District, Inc.
  • Imagine Museum Corporation
  • International Ballet of Florida
  • Jewish Federation of Pinellas & Pasco Counties, FL, Inc.
  • Key Chorale, Inc.
  • La Musica di Asolo
  • Lake Wales Arts Council
  • Lao Arts and Cultural Foundation, Inc.
  • Miano Academy of Art
  • Museum of Fine Arts of St. Petersburg, Florida, Inc.
  • Opera for Earth Corporation
  • Polk Museum of Art, Inc.
  • Polk Theatre, Inc.
  • Reflections of Manatee, Inc.
  • Rudram Inc
  • Sarasota Ballet of Florida, Inc.
  • Sarasota Concert Association, Inc.
  • Sarasota Film Festival, Inc.
  • Sarasota Pops Orchestra, Inc
  • Save Our Seabirds, Inc.
  • Speak Up Tampa Bay Public Access Television, Inc.
  • St. Petersburg Opera Company
  • St. Petersburg Warehouse Art District, Inc.
  • Stage West Inc
  • Stageworks, Inc.
  • Tampa Bay Symphony, Inc.
  • Tampa Chapter, SPEBSQSA, Inc.
  • Tampa City Ballet, Inc.
  • Tampa Educational Cable Consortium, Inc.
  • Tampa International Fringe Festival Inc.
  • Tampa Museum of Art, Inc.
  • Tampa Repertory Theatre
  • The American Dance Competition, Inc.
  • The Art League of Manatee County
  • The Circus Arts Conservatory, Inc.
  • The Florida Orchestra, Inc.
  • The Hermitage Artist Retreat, Inc.
  • The Imperial Symphony Orchestra, Inc.
  • The Jobsite Theater, Inc.
  • The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Inc.
  • The Perlman Music Program / Suncoast, Inc.
  • The Players, Inc.
  • The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School
  • The Studio @ 620, Inc.
  • The Tampa Film Institute, Inc.
  • The Tampa Theatre, Inc.
  • The University of South Florida
  • The University of Tampa, Incorporated
  • The Venice Symphony, Inc
  • ThinkTank Theatre
  • Urbanite Theatre, Inc
  • Venice Theatre, Inc.
  • WSLR
  • Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe of Florida, Inc.

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