Blue Bamboo Looks to Lease Space to Visual Artists
The performing arts venue has hit multiple obstacles as its rent for the old city library building increases
Sept. 3, 2026
By Beth Kassab
Beset by the death of its founder last year, construction delays and increasing rent, Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts is now facing the loss of $12,900 in annual funding from the city as it presses forward with a new plan to lease space on its second floor to visual artists.
City Commissioners appeared in agreement at a budget work session last week to end its yearly contribution to Blue Bamboo, one of seven local nonprofits that has traditionally received dollars from the city in recent years.
“Why are we funding Blue Bamboo if they are paying us rent?” asked Mayor Sheila DeCiccio at the work session called for commissioners to evaluate potential cuts to the budget as financial pressure intensifies on local governments as voters prepare to vote in November on property tax reductions.
The commission is set to take its first budget vote next week.
The day before that meeting, Todd Weaver, a former city commissioner who is now vice chairman of Blue Bamboo’s board, appeared before the group to ask for a month-long extension to secure a certificate of occupancy for the second floor of the old library building that the group leases from the city.
Weaver said construction was nearly complete and the group would begin paying the new higher rent amount this month. The commission granted the extension for the group to bring the space into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other city codes.
Weaver told the Voice the second floor will be partitioned into 21 visual art studios that artists can rent.
The plan comes about three months after a contentious meeting between Blue Bamboo Chairman Jeff Flowers and the City Commission in which Flowers was seeking changes to the group’s lease because, he said, he was having trouble finding an arts group that could afford the rent in the wake of the original tenant walking away and construction delays as well as the death last year of founder Chris Cortez.
The commission did not agree at the time to grant the group any rent reductions or allow it to deviate from keeping the building as an arts hub.
So far, the group has invested about $1.5 million into the building, including more than $900,000 in grants from Orange County’s Tourism Development Taxes.
The music venue on the first floor opened more than a year ago and boasts a calendar full of events most weeks from Thursday to Sunday.
Weaver said he could not speculate on when the visual artist spaces will open on the second floor.
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
What criteria and definition defines a visual artist?
Madame Mayor,
You’re asking a good question about taxpayer funding while charging Blue Bamboo rent. In that vein, why in the heck is WP Playhouse getting an increase in taxpayer funding to the tune of $50,000 +/year while they have a free taxpayer funded new building and $1 a year rent? If I rent a pavilion at Azalea Lane Park for 1/2 of a day, it costs $45….the same amount the taxpayers of WP will receive from the Playhouse in 45 years! This isn’t right.
The Imperial needs to demand their fair share. How exactly does one rise to most favored musical venue to the tune of thousands and thousands of taxpayer subsidies anually? Austin’s was not most favored, to say the least .
The Blue Bamboo offers 50 free shows a year, our “Thursday Night Hang”. We used the grant funds from the City to pay the band, which allowed us to open our stage to local performers to come make their music. The Blue Bamboo is not a commercial idea, it’s a community building idea. That’s why the City needs to fund this community resource.
Jeff bless your heart buddy, but what percentage of the Winter Park Community benefits from the Blue Bamboo and more specifically the “ Thursday Night Hang?”You’re a nice to have, but not a necessity in these financially challenging times.
End the contract now before Winter Park taxpayers lose any more money.
Does Winter Park Playhouse offer any free shows to the community like Blue Bamboo? If not, why not?
The Playhouse does performances in schools and senior centers at no charge.
I don’t support any taxpayer dollars for Blue Bamboo. many Winter Park residents including me are Seniors and never attend. A waste of my tax dollars.
It is time for Blue Bamboo to throw in the towel. That is a difficult statement from someone who’s goal is to support local jazz and see jazz flourish in Central Florida. The original idea and new location was a wonderful intention. However, after Chris stepped down it became evident the board of directors was incapable of sustaining a mentorship focused venue and still are not able to. In support of Winter Park in this issue, I do not believe Blue Bamboo is functioning and transparent as a non-profit should be. In deference of Blue Bamboo, they do have intentions to mentor young jazz musicians but not, to the extent to justify lease accommodations and direct financial contributions of Winter Park. I believe it would be in the best interest of the local jazz community to use resources to support a truly mentorship focused jazz organization.
I’m wondering if Mr. Baranyi has taken the time to spend a Thursday evening at the Blue Bamboo. If so, he would have seen a dozen+ young jazz performers participating with the stage band for the 2nd set. Admission is free on Thursdays. In addition, the Maitland Orchestra and 2 other musical non-profits use the Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts for rehearsals most every week.
Chris Cortez is certainly missed, but the BBCFA has not only kept up the mentorship, but expanded opportunities for not only jazz musicians, but for other genres’ up-and-comers as well.