Dear Colleagues,
Since the beginning of this public health crisis in March, we have been reporting on the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Miami-Dade County’s nonprofit cultural industry on a monthly-basis. We have new, updated results covering March through May.
The total financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts in Miami-Dade County now stands at an estimated $59.5 million with a total of 9,200 arts and cultural jobs affected, based on aggregate data from the monthly COVID-19 Survey of Impact on Miami-Dade County's Cultural Community, conducted by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs.
Here are the combined results of the survey of non-profit arts and cultural organizations substantiating the COVID-19 financial and job losses and the breakdown for the months of March, April and May.
These Survey results have been carefully reviewed by the Department of Cultural Affairs to ensure their accuracy. The Department will continue to share the Survey data with our local, state and national arts funder colleagues, our partners and the media.
The Impact
These worsening results document that COVID-19 threatens the very survival of cultural facilities and events and the livelihoods of arts workers, ranging from security guards to artists and stagehands to accountants.
Without more resources, both the costs of re-opening at vastly reduced capacity and the additional expenses needed for required safeguards are daunting. We do not have a moment to lose and are working hard with these alarming survey results to make the case for the considerable help needed to rescue our cultural organizations and artists.
The reactivation of theaters, museums, cultural centers and events is an indispensable part of restarting our overall economy. Saving our cultural life will send a compelling message to tourists and businesses alike that Miami-Dade County is an attractive, diverse and dynamic place to come back and visit, to grow a company, and raise a family.
Top Financial Concerns
The Survey also reveals that non-profit arts organizations continue to be most concerned about the enormous negative impact of COVID-19 on jobs – staff and artists – and on revenue lost as a result of the complete stop of cultural programs and events.
• 52.5% of respondents indicated that “Administrative and Artistic Salaries/Fees” is their #1 Financial Priority
• 36.4% of respondents indicated that “Reduced/Eliminated Earned Revenue and Contributed Income” is their #2 Financial Priority
Miami-Dade Arts Groups Apply for COVID-19 Recovery Support
As reported last month, eligible Miami-Dade cultural organizations have applied for and/or received recovery support from public and private sources at the local, state and/or federal level (i.e., Payroll Protection Program funds, National Endowment for the Arts CARE Act grants, etc.).
In May, the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs launched its Florida CARES grants program and 96% of eligible Miami-Dade organizations reported that they applied by the deadline on June 8, 2020.
June Survey
The June Survey will be issued at the end of this month. We encourage you to continue to collect data on the revenue losses, jobs affected and additional expenses attributable to COVID-19 in the easy-to-use, self-calculating Financial Impact Tracker. Access the COVID-19 Financial Impact Assessment Tools here.
The New Normal Guidelines
As we shared last week, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez has authorized the partial re-opening of the County’s economy and cultural activities are included – limited only to the opening of nonprofit museums, public gardens, and summer camps. Venues, including theaters, can re-open with a County-approved plan. The requirement is to submit a plan that incorporates the standards contained in the County’s New Normal Guide, to have that plan approved by the County, and to operate in conformance with the approved plan. Please click here to see digital page 52 of the New Normal Guide for instructions on submitting plans. The Department of Cultural Affairs will continue to support you and is available to review draft plans.
You can see the entire set of requirements at www.miamidade.gov/newnormal.
Miami-Dade Artist Support! (MÁS!) Grants Program
In response to the hardships facing Miami’s individual artists and creatives, on June 10th, we launched the new Miami-Dade Artist Support! (MÁS!) Grants Program, a joint initiative of The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation and our Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, June 24, 2020. We urge artists of all disciplines to apply as soon as possible as awards will be made on a first come, first served basis.
Stay safe and healthy!
Michael Spring
Senior Advisor to Miami-Dade County Office of the Mayor and
Director, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs
The most reliable way to contact us continues to be through email. You can find a staff directory at https://www.miamidadearts.org/about/staff-councils. To view a comprehensive list of all the previous Department updates on COVID-19 click here.