Miami Beach Launches Emergency Cultural Arts Fund

City Commissioners approved using $1 million from an emergency reserve fund established in 1998 to launch the Miami Beach Cultural Arts COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund to help sustain local cultural institutions. According to the City, “Miami Beach based cultural organizations are collectively reporting over $7M in lost revenue in the first two months of closures” due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Organizations physically based in Miami Beach “whose primary mission is year-round artistic and cultural programming that contributes significantly to the cultural life of the city” are eligible for operating fund grants from the Emergency Relief Fund, according to an announcement of the Fund.

Applications are open to eligible organizations through May 29, 2020.
 
“Our cultural institutions make up the unique fabric of Miami Beach,” said Mayor Dan Gelber. “These grants will provide a lifeline to our city’s arts and culture community during these unprecedented times.”

The $1 million will come from the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council’s prior year accumulated fund balance and endowment funds which totaled about $4.0 million.
 
Eligible organizations are required to:

• demonstrate need;
• provide proof of a 1:1 match for the requested amount of funds; and 
• operate and maintain a primary physical address within the City of Miami Beach. 

Grants will be made as follows:

• up to $50,000 for institutions with annual organizational budgets below $750,000;
• up to $75,000 for institutions with annual organizational budgets between $750,000 and 3.5M; and
• up to $100,000 for institutions with annual organizational budgets at or above $3.5M.

 
Further information and application instructions can be found here.
 
Photo: Colony Theater on Lincoln Road, courtesy, The Colony Theater