Orlando Fringe and its Tampa counterpart — slammed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as “sexual” and a poor use of taxpayer money — issued a public challenge to the governor Thursday morning: Restore funding to Florida’s other arts organizations, and we will give up our state grants.
“We call to our governor because the arts are good for all of us, and it’s time to champion the cause,” said United Arts of Central Florida CEO Jennifer Evins, one of the community leaders, performers and arts advocates who spoke at a Thursday event celebrating World Fringe Day.
The governor vetoed $32 million in grants approved by the Legislature for more than 600 cultural groups statewide when he signed the budget in June. At a subsequent press conference, he blamed the Fringe, which he termed “a sexual festival,” as a reason for his veto — which eliminated funding for everything from orchestras to science centers, film festivals to ballet companies.
DeSantis says he vetoed state arts grants over ‘sexual’ Fringe Festivals
The veto caught arts organizations off guard as it marked the first time that Florida’s cultural organizations received no funding through the grants process administered by the state Division of Arts & Culture.
The Orlando and Tampa Fringes, which run annual multiday festivals of short plays, concerts, comedy acts, magic shows and other entertainment, made their proposal to DeSantis through an open letter and media event on July 11, designated World Fringe Day since 2017.
“Today I stand before you with a fire in my heart and unyielding resolve, not as a state legislator but as a person who is part of a community that is under attack,” said Lavon Bracy Davis, a Democrat member of the state House of Representatives who has served on the Florida Council of Arts and Culture. “Cutting arts funding is not just a financial decision; it is a cultural and economic misstep. It is an attack on the community that drives the economic engine that is Florida.”
“I’m fired up, y’all, I’m fired up,” said longtime Fringe artist Chase Padgett, who also performed at Thursday morning’s event.
Established in 1992, Orlando’s fest “is the longest-running and largest Fringe Festival in the United States, infusing Central Florida with vibrant arts, energy, inspiration and culture — a remarkable achievement we should all celebrate and be proud of,” said producer Tempestt Halstead.
Governor, rethink arts funding, Fringe leaders urge | Commentary
As part of their funding challenge, Fringe leaders also invited the governor, his family and his aides to a future festival, while requesting a meeting with him this fall to further discuss the nature of Fringe.
It’s not likely the offer to return the vetoed grant money so other groups can receive funding will be accepted; there’s no real precedent for a governor to undo his veto once he has signed the budget. And while the Legislature could override the veto — it would have to be called back from summer break for a special session, with two-thirds of legislators approving the change.
Sex? Grandstanding? Arts leaders, experts examine why DeSantis cut funds — and prep for future
Even if the idea comes to nothing, speakers at Thursday’s World Fringe Day event indicated it serves as a way to open dialogue with DeSantis.
“We hope we can build bridges with the governor through this unselfish action,” said Evins, who pointed out his veto affected 89 organizations in Central Florida alone.
The governor’s press office did not directly comment on the Fringe’s offer or invitation when questioned by the Orlando Sentinel, instead providing a video link to the June press conference in which DeSantis first referenced the Fringe.
“We didn’t have control over how it was being given,” DeSantis said at the time of the arts grant funding he vetoed. “So you’d have your tax dollars being given in grants to things like the Fringe Festival, which is like a sexual festival where they’re doing all this stuff.”
At Thursday’s event, former Orlando Fringe Festival producer and current board member Michael Marinaccio humorously referenced the governor’s comments while making a serious point.
“Even for me, a ‘Fringe Festival’ is a hard thing to define,” Marinaccio said. “Each one is different, and every show is new, and every experience is unique. So, I can understand and forgive the governor’s ignorance in trying to describe it. And while I’m not sure where the ‘like a sexual festival’ came from, I will concede that it’s a place where we are ‘doing all this stuff.’”
Some speakers pointed out the unfairness of penalizing arts organizations statewide if the governor objected to perceived adult content at Fringe festivals.
“The Fringe has shown me that you can create wonder and amazement without a lot of money or big sets or special effects — similar to what some of the 600 programs who will lose funding will have to go through,” said Tymisha Harris, star of “Josephine,” a musical about the legendary Josephine Baker that started at Fringe festivals and later had an off-Broadway run in New York City.
Thursday’s event and corresponding letter was also a chance to educate the public on what Fringe is, leaders said.
The open letter points out that the Fringe uses a lottery system to determine what performances are offered, so there’s no guarantee a show with adult content will even be part of the festival. And although the festival is uncensored, it is not unlawful.
“While a fraction of the work at our festivals could be ‘adults only,’ we and the artists operate within the law, including decency requirements,” Halstead read from the letter.
The letter also stresses that taxpayer money does not support any performance, adult or otherwise; performers pay their own expenses to be in the festival, and the money they earn comes solely from ticket sales from their audiences.
Taxpayer dollars, such as those received through the state grants, “help with office expenses, ADA accommodations, and staff salaries (i.e., taxpaying Floridians),” the letter notes.
Speakers stressed what the festivals give back to the community: Money to the artists, jobs to technicians and others who help stage the fests, and a boost to local businesses as that money flows into the local economy.
“You would think a governor who bills himself as a friend of small business would understand that this is more than an arts festival for patrons,” said Padgett. “It is a startup accelerator for artists like myself. And when you do not fund an organization like Orlando Fringe, you ensure that the seeds of tomorrow’s creators never sprout.”
Padgett — best known for his award-winning “6 Guitars,” which debuted at Orlando Fringe, has toured extensively and will return to Orlando with January performances at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts — issued his own cheeky challenge to DeSantis.
“Come to ‘6 Guitars’ and I’ll make you a promise,” he said. “If you get aroused at any moment, I will give you your money back and ensure you get the medical help you so clearly deserve.”
Many speakers emphasized the intangible community building provided by festivals such as the Fringe, which also offers free concerts, food and drink, a visual art gallery and a popular free program of children’s activities.
“We too often let divisive voices separate us, and art brings us back together,” said Cole NeSmith, founder of Orlando’s Creative City Project.
“Fringe Festivals are largely a reflection of the communities they serve and support,” Marinaccio said. “They are places where the fundamental values of fairness, freedom of speech, and freedom of expression are honored and protected.”
And others said the artistic spirit would triumph over political maneuvers.
“Friends, we are living in perilous times where a culture war is the flavor of the day, and the arts have become politicized and partisan,” said Bracy Davis, who questioned why DeSantis would ignore the work done by the panels who evaluate the arts grants and the Legislature, which voted to partially fund them.
Yet she sounded a hopeful note as she paid tribute to the tenacity of artists.
“We still have a mission and a purpose,” said Bracy Davis. “We must push past this dark moment and do what we are called to do.”
Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Find more arts news at OrlandoSentinel.com/entertainment.
