Sarasota County arts organizations must now sign a government compliance pledge tied to Florida's new anti-DEI law or forfeit their share of $2.1 million in public grant funding. At least one theater has already walked away from the money.
The grants are funded by tourism tax dollars collected across Sarasota County, including from Lakewood Ranch residents in the county's jurisdiction. The Sarasota County Commission will vote on the funding recommendations at its Wednesday, Aug. 26 meeting.
Urbanite Theatre producing artistic director Summer Wallace declined to sign the county's acknowledgment form, giving up $40,230 for the company's 2026-27 season. Wallace is already projecting a financial loss next year and scrambling for donations, Suncoast Searchlight reported Aug. 7.
"As an arts leader and theater maker, what I'm reckoning with is that it does not feel good taking grants that can't be utilized for those programs," Wallace told Suncoast Searchlight. "Technically, I think we could be fine, but it goes into the matter of ethical theater making."
The acknowledgment form cites Senate Bill 1134, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on April 22 at a ceremony in Jacksonville. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, and prohibits counties from using public money to fund, promote or implement DEI initiatives. It defines DEI as any effort to use race, color, sex, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation to influence hiring, provide preferential treatment or promote programming.
The requirement applies to any organization receiving a county grant, not just arts groups, according to Sarasota County spokesperson Josh Taylor.
The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County has recommended awarding $2.1 million in Tourist Development Cultural/Arts grants to 34 organizations this cycle. Awards range from $22,768 for WSLR+Fogartyville's concert series to $118,585 for Marie Selby Botanical Gardens' Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition. The review was originally scheduled for July before being postponed.
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe signs after deliberation
The Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, founded in 1999 with a stated mission to promote Black history and entertainment, was recommended to receive more than $100,000. Executive director Julie Leach, who has led the company for more than a decade, initially planned not to sign but ultimately did, reluctant to turn away the funding.
Leach told Suncoast Searchlight the law's vagueness worries her, noting that someone could sue the county simply because the troupe has "Black" in its name and all its programming centers the Black experience in America. She called SB 1134 "a perfect example of state overreach" but said the county is caught in the middle.
WSLR+Fogartyville, a public radio station and events space in Sarasota's Rosemary District, also signed. General manager Jesse Coleman said the $22,768 grant is narrow in scope, supporting only the Fogartyville concert series.
Enforcement falls to Parks and Recreation
Because the grants are reimbursement-based, the county's Parks and Recreation Department would determine whether an arts group violated the DEI law and must forfeit funds. The County Attorney's office does not oversee day-to-day contract compliance, Taylor said.
SB 1134 also allows any Florida resident to sue their county for relief and damages if a court finds public funds went toward DEI. If local officials violate the law, the governor could suspend them from office.
No commissioner has commented publicly on the compliance requirement ahead of the Aug. 26 vote. Neither state Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, who sponsored SB 1134, nor the governor's office responded to Suncoast Searchlight's requests for comment.
The county commission meets Wednesday, Aug. 26. Residents can attend.
