Musicians of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal. Photo by Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat.
In Friday’s (6/14) Tallahassee Democrat, Amanda Stringer, CEO of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, writes, “This week, our arts and cultural community was goose-egged. Our governor vetoed all funding for the Cultural and Museum Grant program in the State of Florida. This is a sad situation for all our community’s art and culture entities, such as the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, that beautify and enrich our lives each day…. From our annual arts festivals to our myriad art galleries and street sculptures, and from our theaters and concert halls to our beautiful outdoor venues that provide space for art to come to life, we all benefit from and relish in art every day … We participate in art, theater, music, and culture because intuitively we know that the arts imbue everything, from ceremonies to commemorations, with context, meaning, and relevance…. I am very grateful that our local city and county officials and employees support the arts in Tallahassee/Leon County … The decision that came down this week will financially devastate many arts organizations across our state. I am hopeful that brighter days are ahead … when in addition to our local governments, our state wholeheartedly acknowledges the ways in which arts and culture are invaluable to our communities.”
