The Administration recommends the acceptance of the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee recommendation to allocate one million dollars in funding from the General Fund. Funding to be designated for arts and culture programming and the strategic framework for the management and implementation of such a program.

The City of Miami Beach is recognized, internationally and domestically, for being one of the most forward thinking municipalities as it pertains to contemporary arts and culture. Home to the second largest art fair in the world, Art Basel Miami Beach, the City remains at the forefront as a high-desired programming location. In 2021, the City has taken steps to formally position itself as a leading arts and culture destination by establishing the Art Deco Cultural District. 

A sign of a great city is the strength of its arts and culture vibrancy. Arts and culture are a powerful economic force that act as a magnet for tourism and the overall well-being of a community. The Mayor and City Commission, in their continued support of the reimagining of Miami Beach as a leader in arts and culture, have proposed a significant investment in funding for arts and culture programming. 

At the April 30, 2021, Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee (FERC) meeting, FERC recommended a motion to allocate one million dollars from the General Fund for cultural programming with the directive to present a high level strategy and framework to the Commission on how the Administration will distribute the funds. This memorandum provides an overview of the proposed cultural programming concept with an estimated cost analysis of funding distribution based on quantity and scale of citywide activations.

With the directive to prepare a strategic framework for the arts and culture programming funding, the Administration proposes the developed Miami Beach Cultural Programming Fund. 

Unlike other culture hotspots, the local economy of Miami Beach depends critically on the flow of domestic and international visitors who come to enjoy the warm weather, the beach, and the ocean. Its unique natural setting defines Miami Beach’s identity and is a big part of its tourist appeal. Creative economy activities have been crowded out and have emigrated elsewhere, while a 24-hour party scene has filled the void. This shift has tarnished the Miami Beach sophisticated cultural brand cultivated over nearly forty years. The reimagining of the entertainment district into the Art Deco Cultural District has been implemented to reverse this trend by transforming Ocean Drive and neighboring streets. 

In alignment with the reimagining of Miami Beach as an arts and culture destination, the Tourism and Culture Department (TCD) will develop the Miami Beach Cultural Programming Fund for visual and performing arts with an intentional focus on leveraging the arts to impact the vibrancy of the community while effectively promoting tourism to Miami Beach as well as the City’s hotel industries.

Miami Beach Cultural Programming Fund

The Miami Beach Cultural Programming Fund is a fourteen (14) month program, from July 2021 through September 2022, funded from the City’s General Fund. TCD will utilize the recommended funding for arts and culture programs to support existing and new programs, including a performing and visual arts festival, Miami Beach OnStage!

The Cultural Programming Fund will perform the following:

1.    Collaborate with cultural organizations to optimize impact

2.    Utilize public parks as venues for artistic and cultural engagements

3.    Leverage the arts for creative placemaking to deal with blighted areas.

4.    Enhance the vitality of the Miami Beach creative economy

5.    Strengthen culture in Miami Beach neighborhoods and communities

The City of Miami Beach will provide additional cultural arts programs for the Miami Beach community and tourists by contracting with our cultural anchors and presenters for specific services. The Miami Beach Cultural Programming Fund will support projects and activities in all disciplines that provide quality arts and cultural programming to the Miami Beach community. These programs reinforce the artistic and cultural industry to promote Miami Beach as an exciting, vibrant, and diverse cultural destination for visitors and tourists. This funding program responds to the increased need for arts and culture activations in our community and the requests to support them.

Miami Beach OnStage!

The Miami Beach OnStage! Festival will bring cultural programming directly to neighborhoods around Miami Beach. OnStage! will be Miami Beach’s largest free outdoor performing and visual arts festival, presenting approximately one hundred (100) performances in twelve (12) parks and locations throughout Miami Beach. Performances will range from music, dance, theater, with temporary installations serving as a dramatic artistic backdrop. In partnership with our cultural anchors and presenters, free performances in South, Middle and North beach, will showcase various performance mediums. Miami Beach OnStage! will connect residents to live cultural experiences in their own backyard. Welcoming the return of outdoor public events and similar to summertime block parties, the live music, drama, and visual art performances will be family-friendly and designed for people to safely gather outdoors and experience cultural activations with family and friends. Miami Beach OnStage! encourages attendees to enjoy the arts responsibly. Miami Beach OnStage! is scheduled from July 2021 through September 2022.

Temporary Art Installations

Citywide festivals and experiences have become platforms to feature public art that occupies a public stage to bring art to the forefront of civic culture. Because temporary installations often include a performative aspect, these experiences are wonderful tools for attracting residents and visitors to Miami Beach. Setting the stage for performing arts activations, temporary installations have been demonstrated to provide the opportunity for creative placemaking while helping inspire and providing perspective no matter what subject at hand. Miami Beach OnStage! Festival will give local arts organizations an opportunity to create experiences for community members, that do not generally interact with public art.

The Administration has determined specific sites within Miami Beach where temporary art installations would impact the aesthetic and economy of the surrounding community as follows:

1.    Española Way between Collins and Washington Avenues

o   To encourage pedestrian connectivity between the Ocean Drive and Española Districts.

2.    North Beach/Rue Van Dome

o   To enhance the aesthetic of this area and attract visitors.

3.    Pride Park

o   To serve as a focal point of Miami Beach OnStage! by providing an artistic backdrop for the cultural performances during the run of the program.

List of 15  Participating Organizations*:

o   Bas Fisher Invitational

o   Community Arts & Culture

o   Cuban Classical Ballet

o   Dance Now!

o   Florida Grand Opera

o   Global Arts

o   Jewish Film Festival

o   Miami Beach Music Festival

o   Miami Light Project

o   Nu Deco Ensemble

o   O, Miami

o   South Beach Jazz Festival

o   The Rhythm Foundation (Seaside Summer Series)

o   Young Musicians Unite

o   Peter London Global Dance Company

*Selection for participating organizations is based on the following criteria:

·      Successful grant history with the Cultural Arts Council.

·      Presented work on Miami Beach for three (3) years or more.

·      Proven ability to activate and successfully implement programming in a short time.

·      Representative of all artistic disciplines (dance, music, film, opera, visual arts, and multi-disciplinary).

·      Additional organizations will be added as the programming develops.

Additional Funding to Enhance the Culture Crawl Program

Since 2019, the City of Miami Beach has worked alongside some of the world's best cultural institutions to provide a night of free, unique, and unforgettable experiences. Each October through May, on every third Thursday of the month, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Miami Beach comes alive with culture as various institutions and buildings open their doors to provide a view of the programming offered. From backstage tours, exhibition openings, and free film screenings in the park, diverse and inclusive programming is provided for residents and visitors alike. A cross-collaboration between the City, cultural anchors, hotel, and business organizations, including The Bass, Oolite Arts, The Betsy Hotel, and the Lincoln Road BID, Cultural Crawl, has been an instant success providing diverse cultural experiences for the community. Additional funding from the Miami Beach Cultural Programming Fund would enhance the program to include free performing arts at various locations throughout the City during the run of the program. 

Program Budget:

 Given the social and economic distress from the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for the arts has seldom been more significant. Arts organizations in Miami Beach were closed for over a year due to health and safety concerns and government-mandated restrictions on public gatherings. As Miami Beach returns to a new sense of normalcy post-pandemic, the activation of outdoor public spaces in collaboration with cultural presenters will provide a much sought-after respite for residents and visitors after a year of being indoors.

The Administration is proposing the Miami Beach Cultural Programming Fund, a fourteen (14) month program, from July 2021 through September 2022, funded from the City’s General Fund. TCD will utilize the additional funding for arts and culture programs to support existing and new programs, including a performing and visual arts festival, Miami Beach OnStage! Moreover, the Miami Beach Cultural Programming Fund will provide an economic boost for cultural organizations as they recover financially by funding additional programming.

The Administration recommends the approval of the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee's recommendation to allocate funding in the amount of one million dollars from the General Fund designated for arts and culture programming and the strategic framework designed for the management and implementation of such program, including the use of funding resources.