Latest news with #CulturalAffairs
Miami Herald
12-08-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Arts groups push for Miami-Dade mayor to restore proposed funding cuts
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is scrambling to address the local arts community after an announced restructuring and budget cuts to the county's Department of Cultural Affairs. In the 2025-26 budget proposal, the Cultural Affairs Department would be eliminated as a standalone entity and instead would be consolidated into the Miami-Dade County Department of Arts, Culture and Library Services. In addition to the restructuring of the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs director position will be eliminated. The present Cultural Affairs director, Marialaura Leslie, has already tendered her resignation effective Aug. 31. The budget also calls for a cut of 52 percent (almost $13 million) in county financial support for arts organizations in Miami-Dade County. On Monday the chair of the County Commission, Anthony Rodriguez, released a memo calling for restoring $6.25 million of the cultural cuts by using newfound revenues from the independent Tax Collector's office. Miami's arts community has been vocally critical of the mayor's budget proposal. A memorandum from Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to the chairman of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners dated Aug. 7 gave arts groups a glimmer of hope. The subject line read: 'Efforts to Restore Budget Cuts to Parks, Community Organizations and Cultural Arts Programs.' In the memorandum, Levine Cava stated that her office has 'actively engaged philanthropic organizations and private sector partners to explore opportunities for supplemental funding.' It continues: 'Preliminary discussions have shown promise, particularly around support for local arts initiatives and efforts to keep our national recognized Cultural Affairs Department a stand-alone department.' Beth Boone, artistic and executive director of Miami Light Project, co-founder of the Miami Cultural Coalition, and a member of the steering committee of Miami-Dade Arts Action Alliance, commenting on the mayor's memorandum, said: 'The cultural community, which is massive and united, is pleased that Mayor Levine Cava is listening and paying attention to our cause. That said, nothing is determined until there is a final vote on the budget. We remain steadfast in our pursuit of what is right for our community.' As the director of grants and cultural affairs for Miami Beach Pride, Carol Coombes said there is reason to question the viability of the exploration of supplemental funding from sources outside of the county. 'While the Mayor has stated that she is engaging with philanthropists, we must ask, who are they?' said Coombes, whose organization receives funding from the Festivals and Special Events (FEST) grants program from the Miami‑Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. Groups like the Knight Foundation or the Perez Family Foundation tend to favor funding short-term projects, and not ongoing operating support that groups receive from grants, said Coombes. The arts and cultural community was still reeling from cuts by the state of Florida, when only two weeks before the 2024-25 fiscal year began, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed more than $32 million in state arts grants. The Department of Cultural Affairs support was a lifeline for many. Renee Pesci, executive director of the Arts & Business Council of Miami, says that with the latest threats, the arts community has been mobilizing — organizing to show up at budget meetings and requesting meetings with the mayor and county commissioners. Last year, arts groups came together to form the Miami-Dade Arts Action Alliance when the Department of Cultural Affairs had its 2024–25 budget slashed from $25.5 million down to $23.1 million. In response, the county managed to restore $1.5 million and supplement it with $400,000 from private donations, but it was still only a partial recovery. This year's cuts are part of Levine Cava's plan closing what her administration says is a $402 million gap between forecasted tax revenues and expenses tied to those tax dollars. 'The focus right now needs to be to get the community out to these town halls and budget hearings, so that they can give impassioned details of exactly the impact of these cuts on their organizations,' said Pesci. 'What we want the commissioners to know is that these cuts don't only impact the arts groups but also impact their economy. Every dollar Miami-Dade County invests in the arts leverages an additional $42. We want them to know that we don't just take money from the county, there needs to be a consideration as to how much we give back.' The Miami-Dade commission meetings on Sept. 4 and Sept. 18 will have public forums to discuss the proposed budget. The mayor has scheduled a virtual town hall to address the arts and culture budget for Aug. 19. During the State of the Arts in Miami Dade County Address in March of 2024, Cava called the arts and culture sector 'an important social, economic, and tourism drive for Miami Dade County,' and touted the statistics: 'The economic impact of the arts in Miami-Dade County is $2.1 billion and the arts generate 32,000 local jobs.' Though the mayor is expressing interest in addressing the dire situation Miami-Dade's arts and cultural community is facing, Boone said interest isn't enough. 'We will not tire from advocating a complete restoration of an independent Department of Cultural Affairs and a fully restored – meaning 100 percent — of all grant programs for the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. Anything other than these outcomes is unacceptable for the community,' said Boone.
CTV News
26-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Wildfire damages Civil War-area historical site in New Mexico as campgrounds are evacuated
In this photo provided by the Fort Stanton Historic Site, destruction from the Camp Fire, which damaged several historic buildings at Fort Stanton, a historic site managed by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is seen Monday, May 26, 2025, in Fort Stanton, N.M. (Oliver Horn/Fort Stanton Historic Site via AP)
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Travel + Leisure
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Travel + Leisure
This Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Building Could Soon Lose Its UNESCO World Heritage Site Status—Here's Why
Hollyhock House, located in East Hollywood, is one of Los Angeles's most iconic landmarks and is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the city—however, this architectural gem may soon lose its UNESCO status and close to the public. Facing a major budget shortfall, L.A.'s City Council is weighing municipal cuts and staffing reductions proposed by Mayor Karen Bass, some of which affect the Department of Cultural Affairs, which manages Hollyhock House. The landmark currently has two full-time employees, and under the potential plan, it would be left with just one staff member. Additionally, two other positions, which are currently vacant, would also be eliminated, making it impossible to support public tours and ongoing preservation efforts. The house officially earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2019. It's one of just 26 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the United States and the only man-made one on the West Coast. However, guidelines require the house to have at least four full-time staffers in order to maintain its UNESCO status. Additionally, the cuts will affect the city's ability to preserve and maintain one of arguably the most unique buildings in L.A. 'Hollyhock House was the first Los Angeles commission for the legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright,' says Andrew Salimian, director of advocacy at the Los Angeles Conservancy, a historic preservation organization. '... Hollyhock House is an extraordinary and early expression of Southern California Architecture." This massive, 17-room residence was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for American oil heiress and socialite Aline Barnsdall, who intended it to be a part of a massive, 36-acre art and theater complex. However, the project was never fully completed, and Barnsdall found the home too impractical to live in. So, in 1927, the house was donated to the City of Los Angeles, and it became a public museum in 1976. Heavily inspired by pre-Columbian Central American architecture, Hollyhock is considered to be one of Wright's most experimental works and is best known for the hollyhock motifs (Barnsdall's favorite flower) that visitors can spot around the property. As of now, the site is open to visitors Thursday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. In recent years, the city has invested heavily in renovating Hollyhock House. During the pandemic, it closed for two years, and during that time, its massive fireplace, art-glass balcony doors, the guesthouse, and original Wright-designed furnishings were restored. The proposed cuts have been a shock to both preservationists and architecture fans. 'The city worked for over 15 years to get UNESCO status for Hollyhock House, and now these cuts will adversely affect the preservation, protection, and public access to this site,' says Salimian.
NHK
16-05-2025
- NHK
Japan to list historic canal as national treasure
Japan's government is updating its list of national treasures. The new addition is a historic canal running from Lake Biwa to the city of Kyoto. The Agency for Cultural Affairs made the announcement on Friday. An expert panel singled out five facilities, including a brick aqueduct at Nanzenji Temple, three tunnels, and a railway for transporting boats up and down a slope. They were constructed during the Meiji era in the late 19th century, when Japan adopted engineering and construction technologies from the West. The experts say the facilities are profoundly significant because they became an essential part of Kyoto's landscape. The agency also says a set of 24 structures along the canal will be designated as important cultural properties. And so will "Tower of the Sun," a landmark in Osaka Prefecture designed by artist Okamoto Taro. The work served as the centerpiece of the 1970 World Expo. The expert panel says the event has come to symbolize Japan's postwar economic boom.
The Hindu
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Thrissur's Kairali-Sree theatres to offer word-class experience to moviegoers
The modernised Kairali-Sree theatre complex in Thrissur will be reopened on May 27. Minister for Cultural Affairs, Fisheries, and Youth Affairs Saji Cherian will inaugurate the renovated theatres. The theatre complex, functioning under the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC), has been upgraded with cutting-edge features such as RGB laser projectors, Dolby Atmos 64-channel surround sound, 3D and silver screens, state-of-the-art seating, including couple seats, lift access, advanced fire safety systems, and a dedicated feeding room, to offer world-class cinema experience to moviegoers.
