Tampa is an arts city. Those of us engaged in the industry know there is robust independent leadership, diverse cultural histories and a pool of emerging talent that makes Tampa vibrant. However, the Alliance is aware that our arts ecosystem is unique. We are not an old-world city with hundreds of years of history, vast architecture and art masters. Nor can we compare to a bustling metropolis with millions of people and billions of investments in infrastructure. Our ecosystem is anchored by a handful of world-class institutions, a few dozen established artists making a living from their art, and hundreds of budding artists, creators and enthusiasts that enrich every corner of the city at the ground level. Our beautiful city is growing and addressing challenges developing better transportation, updating infrastructure and reducing sprawl. One primary objective is ensuring the arts continue to have a home here. 

The Alliance’s plan for Years 1-3 of our existence was to 1) get to know the ecosystem thoroughly, from arts agencies to the underground scene 2) start to build consensus for cross-pollination within the arts and with other industries and 3) map out who is here and inventory our assets so that what we have informs how we grow (instead of just mimicking what other cool cities are doing). 

We have completed exhaustive inventories, often with partners in the community, to attain unbiased data on our current position and growth capacity. Here are some of our findings (more to come!) As you will see, there is a healthy arts ecosystem thriving in Tampa, collectively creating a significant economic impact… and lots of cool things to do!