Colorado Arts Groups Take Sides In Battle Over Millions in Funding

Front Range arts groups have begun squaring off heatedly over how to divide the millions of dollars in tax subsidies that come their way each year, especially as estimates show the pot could grow to $87 million annually. No one in the cultural community wanted to see a noisy fight erupt over the money. The theaters and history museums, dance companies, classical quartets and galleries all feared an ugly battle would leave a bad taste in the mouths of voters who they are counting on to reauthorize their funding for a third, 10-year period in 2016.

But with a ballot measure still more than a year off, public skirmishes are breaking out along several lines — big groups versus small, city versus county, traditional operations that serve largely white crowds versus organizations that target ethnic minorities. Voters might have a hard time telling the opponents apart since a lot of art and science groups cross over all those fronts.

At the center of the debate is the board of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, which oversees the sales tax distribution and will write the bill that must go before the state legislature approving any voter referendum. The 11-member panel thought the matter was solved in May when it approved a plan, recommended by its own appointed task force, that would keep shares of arts funds close to what they are now.