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County considers de-funding arts group Creative Pinellas
The Pinellas County Board of Commissioners, in belt-tightening mode as the next fiscal year approaches, is considering eliminating the arts support organization Creative Pinellas.
Established as a nonprofit in 2011, Creative Pinellas distributes grants to artists, produces exhibitions and other events, and fosters collaboration between arts communities. It is the county’s officially-designated arts agency.
During Thursday’s meeting, commissioners discussed potential cuts to the budget. The current fiscal year ends Sept. 30.
Chair Brian Scott said that the county’s annual appropriation for Creative Pinellas is approximately $1.2 million, including $860,000 in TDT (tourist development tax) funds, $156,000 from the general fund and $36,000 from the transportation fund.
Half of the appropriations, he said, pays the salary of the group’s small staff. “They get 90 percent of their money from us. And I don’t really see that there’s a lot of return on that investment, I really don’t.”
Scott continued: “Honestly, I don’t think they’re bringing a lot to the table, other than having grant programs that they’re giving money for artists to buy easels and cameras and things like that. And it’s not going to tourism at all.”
The chairman explained that he had consulted with Brian Lowack, the CEO of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, about developing a competitive arts grant specifically for arts tourism.
“So I say that we don’t fund Creative Pinellas going forward,” Scott told his fellow commissioners. Instead, he proposed the county give $500,000 for the new VSPC grant program, to allow the return of monies to tourist development, general development and the transportation fund.
Creative Pinellas CEO Margaret Murray said Scott’s proposal to give VSPC grant funding indicates that he “understands the importance of the arts. He just doesn’t have the confidence in Creative Pinellas to fund us any longer.
“And I think it’s a matter of coming together and working with each other, and helping him understand exactly what Creative Pinellas is doing. And how we are the agency to administer arts grants.
“We have experienced staff members. We have a wonderful cultural tourism initiative – ‘Making Waves’ is all about bringing artists and visitors together to celebrate the unique natural environment of Pinellas County.”
Pinellas-based artists had until Sunday to apply for “Making Waves” funding, to create “environmentally focused, site-specific projects.”
Murray, who became head of the organization in 2024, said she has been “shouting from rooftops” to explain the purpose of Creative Pinellas. “We serve many different roles in the community,” she explained. “I don’t think anyone realizes that we bring in money through contracted services, with city and county departments all over; we do public art in Lealman; we work on graffiti abatement programs throughout the county; we fund summer camps; there are these things, and it is hard to sometimes get a grasp on what exactly Creative Pinellas does.
“And we are working diligently to align ourselves with county initiatives.”
After Scott’s comments, commissioners Dave Eggers and René Flowers suggested more discussion on the matter was necessary. “They spoke so eloquently about the importance of the arts,” Murray said. “It was so heartening to hear that – it made me realize that there are very strong advocates for the arts.”
Murray hopes to arrange a meeting with Scott and other commissioners, and intends to speak at the next County Commission public hearing, Sept. 4 (Thursday) at 6 p.m.
Michele Kidwell Gilbert
September 3, 2025at6:01 pm
Margaret Murray is a splendid arts professional. St. Petersburg, renowned as a City of the Arts, has been enhanced over the years through her expertise shared with various cultural organizations such as Creative Pinellas, which greatly benefits the larger Tampa Bay community.
Stacia Schrader
August 31, 2025at4:59 pm
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1. Arts as a Core Economic Driver
Creative Pinellas is uniquely positioned to elevate St. Petersburg and Pinellas County as a true arts destination, not just a beach destination. While VSPC excels at promoting sand, sun, and hospitality, it does not carry the artistic credibility to speak to collectors, cultural tourists, and arts patrons.
• Arts tourism attracts higher-spending, longer-staying visitors than beach-only travelers.
• Cities that have leaned into cultural identity—like Asheville, Austin, and Santa Fe—have proven that investing in the arts creates long-term, resilient tourism economies.
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2. Authentic Community Roots
Creative Pinellas is deeply embedded in the local creative community: from public art initiatives, to artist residencies, to grants that nurture local talent.
• Visitors who travel for culture want an authentic experience, not a repackaged marketing campaign.
• Creative Pinellas provides that authenticity, giving our local artists visibility and giving visitors a real sense of place.
• By contrast, VSPC is a marketing agency, not a creator or cultivator of art. It doesn’t commission, curate, or sustain creative work.
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3. National & International Recognition
Creative Pinellas has built relationships with museums, galleries, and international arts organizations that give Pinellas County credibility on the global stage.
• This type of arts diplomacy can’t be outsourced to a tourism bureau.
• It requires trust, curatorial expertise, and a proven track record—something VSPC does not have.
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4. The Multiplier Effect
Funding for Creative Pinellas doesn’t just support artists—it multiplies across the economy.
• Local artists spend money locally, hire local assistants, rent local studios, and contribute to the fabric of neighborhoods.
• Arts programs directly feed into hospitality, retail, and dining—creating a more holistic tourism experience.
• Investment in the arts enhances quality of life, which in turn attracts businesses, relocations, and talent far beyond the arts sector.
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5. Division of Strengths
This is not an “either/or”—it’s about letting each organization play to its strengths.
• Visit St. Pete Clearwater is excellent at broad tourism marketing: beaches, resorts, family travel.
• Creative Pinellas has the artistic pedigree, cultural networks, and credibility to make St. Pete/Pinellas a recognized arts hub.
Redirecting arts funding to VSPC dilutes impact, because it tries to make a marketing agency do something it is not designed or respected to do.
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Closing Point
If we want St. Pete and Pinellas to compete with world-renowned arts destinations, we must fund the entity that actually produces, supports, and elevates the arts—Creative Pinellas. To shift that funding into a general tourism bureau would be a step backward, weakening our credibility in the arts world and undermining a proven driver of economic and cultural vitality.
Danielle Remieres
August 31, 2025at7:19 am
Scott’s proposal to redirect funds to Visit St. Pete/Clearwater for arts tourism grants misses the reality that Creative Pinellas is the most qualified and already-established vehicle for that exact purpose. Why recreate a wheel when one already exists? I don’t see how dismantling benefits our city that thrives on art — if anything strengthen it.