SARASOTA COUNTY — For the last year and a half, Sarasota County Commission Chairwoman Christine Robinson has led the charge for increased application participation from South County arts groups in the Tourist Development Cultural/Arts Grant program. She’s even added language geared toward South County to contracts with the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County.

The contract language differing from last year presented Tuesday spells out the documentation that the Arts Alliance will be required to present what their recommendations are, and show the commission what efforts were made in South Sarasota County. Robinson asked Arts and Cultural Alliance Executive Director Jim Shirley at the June 27 County Commission meeting to document what the organization had done to spur interest in grants in South County.