Sarasota County Commission approves 2016 arts grants

The Sarasota County Commission approved this morning $1.81 million to over 30 arts and cultural organizations for the 2016 fiscal year. Accrued from the county's Tourist Development Tax, which is collected from every room or condo that is rented for less than six months, the Tourist Development Cultural/Arts grants are an annual chunk of fundraising that arts organizations big and small depend on every year.

Granted by the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, the alliance convenes a grants policy committee to guide the organization's grant program, accept grant proposals from local arts groups, and then makes grant recommendations to the Tourist Development Council. The council then adjusts said recommendations as they see fit and then send them to the county commission for a vote of approval. 

All but one organization (The Venice Art Center) got an increase in grants for the upcoming year. The overall grant pool increased from $1. 58 to $1.81 million between 2015 and 2016. The Banyan Theatre Company, the New College Foundation, and the Cuban Ballet School all received grants again or for the first time this year. 

The largest portion of the collected grant pool was given to the Asolo Repertory Theatre ($98, 211) and the Sarasota Opera, Sarasota Orchestra, Circus Arts Conservatory and the Van Wezel Foundation came in second with $96, 590 awarded to each organization. 

Below is the complete list of the TDC/A grants for 2016 (last year's grants in parenthesis).

Art Center Sarasota: $50,031 ($39,652)

Artists Series Concerts: $38,702 ($34,405)

Asolo Repertory Theatre: $98,211 ($86,990)

Avenida de Colores, Inc., Sarasota Chalk Festival: $50,985 ($47,185)

Banyan Theatre Company: $14,422 ($0)

Embracing Our Differences: $50,985 ($46,179)

Florida Studio Theatre, New Play Festival: $46,159 ($43,274)

Florida Studio Theatre, Summerfest: $47,632 ($43,274)

Sarasota Orchestra: $96,590 ($86,548)

Fuzion Dance Artists: $10,955  ($5,616)

Gloria Musicae: $19, 726  ($10,906)

Gulf Coast Heritage Association: $49,105 ($46,980)

Jazz Club of Sarasota: $14,350  ($14,159)

Key Chorale: $21,227 ($17,532)

La Musica Festival: $21,464 ($17,872)

Mote Marine Laboratory: $95,756  ($86,548)

New College Foundation: $19,032  ($0) 

Ringling College of Art and Design: $34,040 ($33,736)

Englewood Art Center: $15,430 ($13,853)

Sarasota Ballet: $92,466 ($84,340)

Sarasota Concert Association: $24,217  ($20,984)

Sarasota Film Festival: $90,354 ($86,990)

Sarasota Opera: $96,590  ($83,899)

Sarasota Pops Orchestra: $6,095  ($5,488)

Circus Arts Conservatory: $96,590 ($84,562)

John and Mable Ringling Art Museum: $95,756 ($83,457)

Selby Botanical Gardens: $93,300 ($83,899)

Perlman Group: $52,837 ($42,921)

Players Theatre: $52,192 ($48,951)

Cuban Ballet School: $5,566 ($0)

Venice Symphony: $42,551 ($30,808)

Van Wezel Foundation: $96,590 ($85,224)

Venice Art Center: $30,402 ($31,517)

Venice Little Theater: $93,300 ($83,899)

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe: $54,717 ($48,952)