In Sarasota, Arts Groups See Hope Amidst The Money Troubles

The resort town on Florida’s west coast is well-known for its arts offerings (at least during the winter high season). Though reductions in state funding, sponsorships and subscription sales are causing some organizations (such as Sarasota Opera, Florida Studio Theatre and the Sarasota Film Festival) to revise their current budgets downward, many are finding that ticket sales are improving and that people seem to need the arts to help them through the economic decline.