Real estate mogul Jorge Pérez is not holding back his thoughts on Governor Ron DeSantis’s recent decision to slash arts and culture grants.
“A horrible message to send,” Pérez stated about the cuts, emphasizing the negative impact on Florida’s cultural landscape.
Miami’s Real Estate King Defends the Arts
Jorge Pérez, Miami’s real estate titan and a renowned art collector, has voiced his displeasure. Having donated massively to the arts, including $80 million to a Miami museum, he understands the stakes.
“We want to be a serious city,” he argued, linking culture directly to a city’s stature.
New Yorkers Bringing Art to Miami
Pérez pointed out the influx of New Yorkers involved in Miami’s arts scene.
“A lot of the people who are coming from New York are involved in the arts,” he noted, underlining the importance of cultural investments for a city aiming to elevate its profile.
Miami’s Cultural Investments Pay Off
Just last summer, Miami Beach took a major step, issuing $97.6 million in municipal debt to fund cultural venues.
This move aimed to shift the city’s image from just a spring break hotspot to a cultural hub.
DeSantis Cuts Deep into the Arts
This month, DeSantis made a controversial move by vetoing over $32 million in arts funding.
This decision has sparked outcry across Florida, with many fearing significant setbacks for cultural institutions.
Governor’s Justification Amidst Backlash
DeSantis defended his decision, citing the inappropriateness of some programs for state funding, like the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival, which he labeled overly “sexual.”
“I have to be the one to stand up for taxpayers,” he declared.
A Changing Miami
Gov. DeSantis’ justification for the cut to arts funding seems especially weak when you consider that it’s through arts investment that Miami is looking to distance itself from its perhaps more debaucherous past.
Pérez summed this up nicely: “we were long a society of fun and sun, but we’re no longer that—we don’t want that”.
Miami Beach Hard at Work
Miami Beach has been doing all it can to move away from its spring-break reputation, diverting its economy instead to attract cultural tourism.
It’s through the support of arts programming around the city that Miami Beach looked to achieve this economic shift.
Funding Cultural Projects
Last year, Miami Beach began selling almost $100 million in municipal bonds to fund cultural projects around the city.
This included projects like local museums and the Miami City Ballet, a cultural institution highlighted in particular as losing its state funding.
Weak Justification
Gov. DeSantis’ claims that he’s “standing up for taxpayers” seem especially paper-thin when you see the projects and institutions his funding cuts impact.
It’s hard to see how he is shielding the public from “sexual festivals” or “inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars” by cutting the funding of the Miami City Ballet.
A Tale of Two Cities’ Cultural Budgets
Comparing Florida’s cultural budget with New York’s, Pérez highlighted the disparity.
Recently, New York announced $82 million for arts organizations, contrasting sharply with Florida’s cuts.
Why Arts Funding is Important
Criticism for these funding cuts isn’t simply about concerns over local institutions struggling to stay afloat, it speaks to something on a wider, more cultural level.
The arts can unify communities, being something shared across boundaries of age, race, and gender. Sharing art also lets us better understand other cultures and societies.
An Economic Driver
Beyond the social and cultural ramifications, not properly funding the arts is also economically shortsighted.
The arts strengthen the economy. How could it not when you consider that the nation’s arts and culture sector is a $919.7 billion industry, supporting 5.2 million jobs and accounting for 4.5% of the nation’s economy.
Driving Tourism Revenue
On a local level, arts and culture are also key economic drivers for Miami, somewhere that definitely looks to tourism as a major source of revenue.
Arts and culture drive tourism and generate revenue for local businesses. Just the nonprofit arts industry alone generates over $160 billion in economic activity every year.
Local Voices Echo Pérez’s Concerns
Richard Milstein of the Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center echoed Pérez’s sentiment.
He questioned whether Florida will maintain a robust cultural scene like New York or Chicago, given the recent budget cuts.
Criticism of Pérez
There are some who find the criticism from Pérez regarding state funding cuts to be somewhat hollow, considering his own lofty financial position.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), DeSantis’ senior analyst Christina Pushaw had this to say: “A literal BILLIONAIRE complaining that Governor DeSantis vetoed $32m in state (taxpayer) funding for arts”.
Fund it Himself
Continuing on, Pushaw wrote: “If it’s so important to Mr. Pérez, he has every right to open his wallet and provide that $32m himself. Reminder: HE IS A BILLIONAIRE.”
While it doesn’t address the underlying issue that the state is literally devaluing the arts in Miami with the funding cuts, there is some credence to what Pushaw writes.
Putting His Money Where His Mouth Is
Or rather, there would be were it not for the fact that Pérez is somewhat prolific in his own personal contributions to local arts funding.
It’s quite easy to shoot down Pushaw’s criticism when you realise Pérez has donated literally hundreds of millions of dollars to arts organizations around Miami.
Pérez’s Museum
Notably, Pérez has donated $80 million to the PAMM (the Pérez Art Museum Miami), an institution that couldn’t better encapsulate Pérez’s commitment to the arts in Miami.
The PAMM seeks to “be a leader in the presentation, study, interpretation, and care of international modern and contemporary art, while representing and cherishing the unique diversity of Miami-Dade”.
Other Donations
Beyond funding the PAMM, Pérez has made other significant contributions to the arts ecosystem in Miami.
He recently gave a $10 million condo to the Miami Foundation, a non-profit working in the arts, culture, and economic development. He had previously donated the proceeds from the sale of his $33 million mansion to the same foundation.
Some Institutions Still Fortunate
Despite the budget slashes, some institutions like the Adrienne Arsht Center are relatively fortunate, maintaining support from wealthy patrons.
But not everyone is so lucky.
The Hard Hit on Orchestra Miami
Orchestra Miami felt the brunt of the cuts, losing a grant critical for its operations.
Founder Elaine Rinaldi explained that the grant was enough to keep the organization going for two months, outlining the dire consequences.
Potential Cuts and Cancellations Ahead
Rinaldi warns of severe measures if the lost funds aren’t recovered.
From cutting her own salary to potentially canceling free programs, the choices are stark.
A Cultural Crossroads for Florida
As Miami and Florida face these cultural funding cuts, the state stands at a crossroads.
Will it maintain its commitment to a rich cultural life, or will financial constraints narrow the scope of its artistic ambitions?
