The numbers in the 2008-09 state budget for the arts and culture remained steady as the legislative session reached its close last week. Arts support passed through the Dept. of State's Division of Cultural Affairs totals $6.3 million, with another $1.2 million in grants through the Division of Historical Resources.

These are sharp drops that likely will take years to rebuild to previous levels, perhaps longer than the recovery from slashes in the economic downturn after the 2001 World Trade Center attack. But times are tough and no one's whining over whether or not the share is fair. Most of the money that could be found will be redistributed to organizations throughout the state over the next year.

What's odd, however, is how much legislators were able to carve out for cultural building projects in various districts, many of them tied to magnet schools, colleges and universities: $77 million.

The big chunks go to central and north Florida schools, $20 million for a Univ. of South Florida visual and performing arts facility in Tampa, $10 million to Florida State University in Tallahassee, $7.5 million for a University of Central Florida arts complex.

Here in South Florida top grantees include FIU ($433,000), Florida Holocaust Museum ($300,000), New World School of the Arts ($1 million), and the Miami Circle preservation site ($2.2 million).

The legislature's arts record was tracked by the Florida Cultural Alliance. For complete details and links to bills, etc. visit the FLCA website and click on "advocacy."

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