Governor DeSantis’s funding veto is a huge blow to the arts, cutting jobs and impacting our entire community. The arts drive our local economy and enrich our culture. At the Hippodrome Theatre, we need your help to override this veto and make sure it never happens again.
Every dollar you donate, every event you attend, has continues to make a difference.
We want to extend our deepest gratitude to our community members and especially the City of Gainesville and Alachua County for your generous donations which have played a crucial role in keeping our doors open and have brought us almost halfway to our fundraising goal.
Below you can find ways to help us reach our goal.
Together, we can protect the arts in Gainesville.
Buy a ticket, subscription or flex pass
Not only will you be helping to sustain the Hippodrome, but you’ll save up to $60 on season tickets and be treated to world class productions throughout the year. Help us reach our goal of 1,000 subscriptions by August 30th by buying one today!
Donate
Make a tax-deductible contribution. This will go towards enriching the lives of people of all walks of life through theater, gallery exhibits, cinema, educational and community outreach programs. Make a one-time or recurring donation.
Advocate for the arts
Write a letter to Governor DeSantis letting him know that you value the arts and culture in the State of Florida, and that you wish to see Arts and Culture funding restored for this year and the future.
Letter from The Staff and Board Members of the Hippodrome
We know there has been some confusing information about the Hipp and our show closing over the last week, so we decided to reach out to you directly and share how our State’s recent budget cuts and the reverberations of our canceled shows will impact operations here at The Hippodrome.
Each year we submit a comprehensive grant application to the State of Florida’s Department of Arts and Culture, requesting $150,000 in general operational funds–the maximum amount for which the Hipp is eligible.
The State legislature’s final annual budget allocations directly determine actual grant award amounts, which often are less than the amounts requested by the Division of Arts and Culture. In the 1990s the state would fund The Hippodrome up to $500,000 each year. That number has dwindled over the years to a requested maximum of only $150,000.
Unfortunately, 2 weeks ago we learned that The Hippodrome, like all other institutions applying for specifically designated ‘Cultural and Museum’ grants, will receive no State funding for the upcoming year. Additionally, in a one two punch, the ongoing summer COVID surge, caused illnesses in our Spelling Bee cast caused forcing the cancellation of three weeks worth of performances, significantly impacting the ticket sales of what is the Hippodrome’s biggest money maker of the season, the summer musical resulting in a loss of approximately $100,000 in revenue.
Given the current and impending losses totaling $250,000, the Hippodrome has taken quick action to ensure that we continue our tradition of high quality professional productions and educational programs as well as bring films to our art house cinema moving forward into our 52nd Season.
But we can’t do this alone, we need our community to stand with us as well.
Thank you for your unwavering dedication and support to the arts and to the Hippodrome. We look forward to seeing you at the Hipp again soon!
With Sincerest Thanks,
The Staff and Board Members of the Hippodrome