After Irma, Orange gives extra funds to arts
Local arts groups will receive extra funds from Orange County in the wake of Hurricane Irma — but Mayor Teresa Jacobs issued a stern warning that the aid was a one-time deal.
On Tuesday, commissioners unanimously approved allocating $252,348 to 15 arts organizations that already receive funding through the county’s cultural-tourism grant program.
The groups — which include the Orlando Science Center, the Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens in Winter Park and Garden Theatre in Winter Garden — reported physical damage and operating losses because of Irma.
The 15 organizations originally reported about $420,000 in hurricane-related losses; the county’s Arts & Cultural Affairs Advisory Council recommended funding about 60 percent of that amount.
The money comes from the county’s tourist development tax, which is earmarked for cultural spending.
At the commission meeting, Jacobs warned “if we find ourselves in this situation next year, while I’m still mayor, I think it would behoove the organizations to make sure they have re- serves.”
She later reiterated she was letting arts groups know “ahead of time that probably greater reserves or greater insurance might be necessary, given the unpredictable weather situations.”
The arts groups that receive the funding are all nonprofit organizations, and most do not keep large amounts of cash in reserve.
Technically, the money from Orange County will go toward the programming by the arts groups.
Many had to use money from their program budgets to make emergency repairs after Hurri- cane Irma swept through Central Florida on Sept. 10-11.
“Our arts groups have been scrambling to explore all sources of funding to make up their losses,” said Terry Olson, director of the county’s Arts & Cultural Affairs office. With the additional allocation from the county, “these organizations are in a better position to be successful with the coming year’s projects.”
Enzian Theater, which will receive about $25,000, had large trees fall at its Maitland campus. “This will turn around our year,” said Enzian executive director David Schillhammer.
The largest allocation was $46,152 to Orlando Shakespeare Theater, which canceled three performances of “Man of La Mancha” during the hurricane and its aftermath.
Jacobs said she was concerned that the new allocations weren’t subject to the same “level of scrutiny” that such grants usually receive.
But she concluded the arts council had come up with the best solution possible “to allow these organizations to keep moving and keep operating — and not sustain additional losses in addition to hurricane losses. And that’s our goal here today.”