LARGO, Fla. — Creative Pinellas, which served as the county’s designated local arts agency, has been left in lurch as it enters its final days of county funding.
The contract between Creative Pinellas and the county states that if the arts organization is not funded, its lease will end Oct. 1. Margaret Murray, CEO of Creative Pinellas, says the county has offered to temporarily extend their lease at the gallery and headquarters located in the Florida Botanical Gardens.
Murray says she is waiting to hear more from the county on what that might mean, but she doesn’t plan to vacate their gallery space by Wednesday.
“Until I hear different, we’re moving forward with this,” she said. “This is the time of year that most people engage with Creative Pinellas and this is the time when we reach the most visitors. It’s important for us that we stay open.”
Earlier this month, Pinellas County commissioners voted to pull $1.2 million in funding for Creative Pinellas from next fiscal year’s budget. Despite that, Murray believes the organization can stay afloat but in a different capacity.
Murray says Creative Pinellas will continue to write grants and seek outside support to help make up some of the lost funding.
“I don’t think we’ll operate under the same model. I don’t think that’s possible in this climate.. economic climate definitely,” she said.
Murray says she was tapped by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater to help brainstorm ways to organize a possible arts grant program. Pinellas County board chair Brian Scott recommended that a portion of what was once Creative Pinellas’ funding could go to a tourism-based arts grant organized through the visitor’s bureau.
A spokesperson for Creative Pinellas says last year, the organization distributed over $225,000 in grants to local artists and nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, which included $20,000 in Hurricane Relief Grants.
Angie Angers
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