ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Throughout Pinellas County, vibrant murals including the ‘Better Together’ creation at the Lealman Community Center, are present thanks to efforts from Creative Pinellas.
Now, the organization known for helping grow exposure for local artists may be at risk for funding cuts.
Creative Pinellas offers galleries at their Largo headquarters as well as St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, distributing over $220,000 in grants to local artists in the past year.
“We collaborate with business partners, cultural groups, and artists to encourage artistic ventures within the county and ensure the arts community is promoted to area visitors,” said Margaret Murray, CEO of Creative Pinellas.
However, during last week’s Pinellas County Commission meeting, Creative Pinellas’ purpose was called into question.
However, Pinellas County Commission Chair Brian Scott has a different perspective, “Honestly, I feel their contributions are limited to grant programs that financially assist artists with supplies like easels and cameras rather than boosting tourism.”
Founded in 2011, this non-profit organization might face closure. Chair Scott proposed reallocating their funding towards a different arts grant initiative.
“We’ve been providing them with funding through a direct allocation of approximately $1.2 million annually. This year, they submitted a request for $1.1 million aimed at establishing a grant for arts tourism. After reviewing the cultural plan, I found it lacking,” Scott remarked.
The organization told WFLA that the possibility of losing funding came as a surprise.
“So I understand there eagerness to look at ways to cut. I don’t think that a small organization that is such a small part of their budget and gives such solid returns, I would like to see us spared,” said Creative Pinellas CEO Margaret Murray.
Murray believes the program is impactful in immeasurable ways and that they boost cultural tourism on a sliver of the county’s overall budget.
“We are doing this on 0.004% of the county’s operating budget and less than 1% of the bed tax at the county receives every year,” said Murray.
The Pinellas County Commissioner meeting is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, where a final decision on the organization’s future may be made.
