Funding the arts
Re the May 12 opinion article County should be a full partner in funding the arts: Miami is nowhere near “numero dos” in the category of top cultural community in America. Having a glut of cultural institutions that can barely survive financially isn’t cultural excellence.
South Florida’s philanthropic community, by and large, is dysfunctional and selfish. Our cultural community lacks the leadership and accountability it needs from local government to ensure its success and sustainability.
If anything, the county needs philanthropic leaders to step up and become true partners in this effort by pledging and fulfilling significant cultural investments.
Before we invest more in culture on the backs of the people who can least afford it, it’s important that we fix the problems that plague our cultural and philanthropic communities first. Only then can we truly earn the “world-class cultural community” moniker we so desperately seek.
Samuel Joseph,
Coral Gables
This story was originally published May 14, 2016 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Funding the arts."