The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County is thrilled to announce the Sarasota County Board of Commissioners approval of recommendations for the Tourist Development Cultural/Arts (TDC/A) grants for the 2023-2024 season. 35 local arts and cultural organizations will receive a total of $3 million in grant funding. TDC/A grants come from a portion of the tourist tax dollars collected to fund Sarasota County arts and cultural organizations in order to support high quality programming that continues to attract tourists to our area. Grants are available to organizations with recognized ability to produce, present, and promote cultural and arts activities that appeal to tourists. Each year, the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County receives applications from local cultural groups and arts organizations requesting TDT revenues be provided to fund a portion of project-related expenses. The Alliance forms the Cultural/Arts Grant Panel, which reviews, evaluates and recommends grant awards based upon established criteria including artistic merit, cultural diversity, tourist appeal, administrative competence, and the funding calculation process. This year, the panel evaluated 36 grant applications from 35 organizations. All 36 applications submitted met eligibility requirements and were recommended for funding by the Cultural/Arts Grant Panel in the amount of $3 million. The Alliance presented the Tourist Development Cultural/Arts Grant Award Recommendations to the Tourist Development Council (TDC) on May 11, 2023. The TDC voted unanimously to recommend to the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners that the FY24 Tourist Development Cultural/Arts Grant Award recommendations, which were then approved and accepted on July 12, 2023. The 2024 Grant Award Recipients include Art Center Sarasota, Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, Asolo Theatre, Avenida de Colores, Choral Artists of Sarasota, Embracing Our Differences, ensemblenewSRQ, Florida Studio Theatre, Sarasota Orchestra, Jazz Club of Sarasota, Key Chorale, La Musica di Asolo, Mote Marine Laboratory, New College Foundation, Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota Art Museum), Ringling College of Art and Design (Englewood Art Center), Sarasota Ballet, Sarasota Concert Association, Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Sarasota Film Festival, Sarasota Opera Association, Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation, Sarasota Pops Orchestra, The Circus Arts Conservatory, The Hermitage Artist Retreat, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation, The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, The Perlman Music Program/Suncoast, The Players, The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School, The Venice Symphony, Urbanite Theatre, Venice Art Center, Venice Theatre, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and WSLR.

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