Invest in the arts

I have observed the recent discussions of a proposed increase in Miami-Dade County’s arts budget for next year. This means we have an opportunity to expand support for a public-private funding infrastructure that is already quite effective.

We are an aspirational city. Our cultural institutions are young, yet they have enriched our community in ways other cities envy. Artists are choosing Miami as the place to pursue their work. Our children are more imaginative. Audiences are growing in size and devotion.

The Miami brand has a third dimension. We are beginning to create a new symbiotic relationship between cultural and economic growth. A primary reason for this phenomenon is our unique and effective designs of public-private partnerships.

At the heart of our work is a collaboration between innovative arts organizations, risk-taking private donors, and public funding sources that realize the real and tangible benefits of investment in cultural resources.

We are a city of the future with a chance to gain momentum. I urge County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and the Miami-Dade County Commission to make this additional investment knowing that it will leverage dollars for current and future partnerships and pay dividends for years to come.

This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 6:36 PM with the headline "Invest in the arts."