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By Kim Hone-McMahan
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 07:50 a.m. EST, Jan 15, 2009
Cultural institutions across the nation are suffering financially. It's a fact that's evident right here in Akron with the recent closing of the Carousel Dinner Theatre.
While the failures sometimes reflect management miscalculations, they also bring to light that American arts institutions are chronically undercapitalized, noted Mitchell Kahan, director and chief executive of the Akron Art Museum.
''As a sector, arts groups are poorly equipped to withstand even temporary setbacks like the deep recession we are now facing,'' said Kahan, who, along with officials at the Akron Symphony and Weathervane Community Playhouse, agreed to answer questions about the economy and how it's affecting the arts. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens declined to participate.
''To be frank, the arts have been dealing with dwindling resources for several years. The market downturn after 9/11 was the first big hit on foundation funding. Then there is the challenge of an aging arts audience,'' said Jessie Raynor, director of the Akron Area Arts Alliance, which represents 45 local arts and cultural groups, as well as 70 artists and arts supporters.
The average age of an arts event attendee is 52, Raynor said. And trying to attract younger people is a daunting task, since many weren't routinely exposed in school to the arts because of academic cutbacks.
Adding to the problem is retiring patrons who move to warmer climates, where they form new allegiances to arts organizations in those cities.
''We have been adjusting to leaner budgets and fewer staff members for quite a while. I don't know how much more we can cut back, actually,'' Raynor said. ''But with the market drops and recession, there is no doubt we will suffer repercussions.''
The Akron Art Museum, for instance, has made internal cuts and has postponed some exhibitions and educational programs. It is expected to announce a change in public hours this winter.
''There will be a deficit for the current fiscal year ending June 30, 2009. Fortunately, the deficit will be covered by reserve funds put in place several years ago in anticipation of the museum's expansion and the greatly increased annual operating budget,'' Kahan said.
Not music to their ears
At the Akron Symphony, Executive Director Margo Snider said that organization has already been informed by its endowment chair that ''it will be over the next two years where we will take a hit on the interest money. Likewise, we understand from various community foundations that organizations should not expect the same level of giving'' beginning this year.
Attendance at the symphony's Classic Series concerts is fairly consistent.
''However, the individual ticket buyers are also very important to us. We are offering giveaway items such as gift basket drawings for first-time attendees to our concerts,'' Snider said.
Kahan predicted that it may take arts organizations four to five years to rebound — longer than the general economy — in large part because of the severe decline of investment portfolios held by charitable foundations and arts institutions.
While the Carousel Dinner Theatre was a for-profit entity, nonprofit art organizations are dependent on contributions.
''Unfortunately, they simply cannot survive on ticket or admission sales,'' Raynor said, referring to the need for donors, foundations and fundraisers.
''Business people often have problems with this, saying if the arts can't make enough to cover the bills, close the doors. But would people really want to live in a community without the arts?''
No work, no plays
Weathervane is in the middle of an expansion and renovation project. The campaign to raise money for that project, which is expected to be complete for the 2009-10 season, began before the recession.
The nonprofit's endowment is down more than 30 percent. Attendance has been solid — though Executive Director John Hedges said that could change.
''The fact is, those of us who have operated these nonprofit organizations for a number of years and have spent our lives kind of keeping these operations afloat are accustomed to having to be resourceful,'' Hedges said. ''This is not something terribly new to us. We are used to operating in a very lean way.''
For some patrons, spending money on entertainment during economic turmoil such as the nation is facing is considered a luxury and unnecessary. While it may ease the pain in our pocketbooks, it may not be the best for our mental health.
Susan Stocker, a therapist with the Akron Family Institute in Green, noted a passage from author Edward Tick in his book War and the Soul:
''Imagine what happens to your soul when it spends an entire year in a place of no beauty. It shrivels and dries up. It disappears. Without beauty, your soul dies. The soul is the part of us that loves and seeks intimacy.''
That's what happens in wartime, when soldiers are trapped in bunkers, Stocker said.
''Without beauty, without entertainment, without culture, we would raise a generation who doesn't love or seek intimacy. So what we are setting up when we remove all those things from our culture is a warlike situation.''
Hedges of Weathervane believes there's real value to having places where people can come together during stressful times — whether it be a church, theater or someplace else.
''We like to think we are providing an important service to the community right now,'' Hedges said. ''Instead of the pressures of our world kind of driving us apart, what we endeavor to do here is bring people together.''
Kim Hone-McMahan can be reached at 330-996-3742 or kmcmahan@thebeaconjournal.com.
Cultural institutions across the nation are suffering financially. It's a fact that's evident right here in Akron with the recent closing of the Carousel Dinner Theatre.
While the failures sometimes reflect management miscalculations, they also bring to light that American arts institutions are chronically undercapitalized, noted Mitchell Kahan, director and chief executive of the Akron Art Museum.
''As a sector, arts groups are poorly equipped to withstand even temporary setbacks like the deep recession we are now facing,'' said Kahan, who, along with officials at the Akron Symphony and Weathervane Community Playhouse, agreed to answer questions about the economy and how it's affecting the arts. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens declined to participate.
''To be frank, the arts have been dealing with dwindling resources for several years. The market downturn after 9/11 was the first big hit on foundation funding. Then there is the challenge of an aging arts audience,'' said Jessie Raynor, director of the Akron Area Arts Alliance, which represents 45 local arts and cultural groups, as well as 70 artists and arts supporters.
The average age of an arts event attendee is 52, Raynor said. And trying to attract younger people is a daunting task, since many weren't routinely exposed in school to the arts because of academic cutbacks.
Adding to the problem is retiring patrons who move to warmer climates, where they form new allegiances to arts organizations in those cities.
''We have been adjusting to leaner budgets and fewer staff members for quite a while. I don't know how much more we can cut back, actually,'' Raynor said. ''But with the market drops and recession, there is no doubt we will suffer repercussions.''
The Akron Art Museum, for instance, has made internal cuts and has postponed some exhibitions and educational programs. It is expected to announce a change in public hours this winter.
''There will be a deficit for the current fiscal year ending June 30, 2009. Fortunately, the deficit will be covered by reserve funds put in place several years ago in anticipation of the museum's expansion and the greatly increased annual operating budget,'' Kahan said.
Not music to their ears
At the Akron Symphony, Executive Director Margo Snider said that organization has already been informed by its endowment chair that ''it will be over the next two years where we will take a hit on the interest money. Likewise, we understand from various community foundations that organizations should not expect the same level of giving'' beginning this year.
Attendance at the symphony's Classic Series concerts is fairly consistent.
''However, the individual ticket buyers are also very important to us. We are offering giveaway items such as gift basket drawings for first-time attendees to our concerts,'' Snider said.
Kahan predicted that it may take arts organizations four to five years to rebound — longer than the general economy — in large part because of the severe decline of investment portfolios held by charitable foundations and arts institutions.
While the Carousel Dinner Theatre was a for-profit entity, nonprofit art organizations are dependent on contributions.
''Unfortunately, they simply cannot survive on ticket or admission sales,'' Raynor said, referring to the need for donors, foundations and fundraisers.
''Business people often have problems with this, saying if the arts can't make enough to cover the bills, close the doors. But would people really want to live in a community without the arts?''
No work, no plays
Weathervane is in the middle of an expansion and renovation project. The campaign to raise money for that project, which is expected to be complete for the 2009-10 season, began before the recession.
The nonprofit's endowment is down more than 30 percent. Attendance has been solid — though Executive Director John Hedges said that could change.
''The fact is, those of us who have operated these nonprofit organizations for a number of years and have spent our lives kind of keeping these operations afloat are accustomed to having to be resourceful,'' Hedges said. ''This is not something terribly new to us. We are used to operating in a very lean way.''
For some patrons, spending money on entertainment during economic turmoil such as the nation is facing is considered a luxury and unnecessary. While it may ease the pain in our pocketbooks, it may not be the best for our mental health.
Susan Stocker, a therapist with the Akron Family Institute in Green, noted a passage from author Edward Tick in his book War and the Soul:
''Imagine what happens to your soul when it spends an entire year in a place of no beauty. It shrivels and dries up. It disappears. Without beauty, your soul dies. The soul is the part of us that loves and seeks intimacy.''
That's what happens in wartime, when soldiers are trapped in bunkers, Stocker said.
''Without beauty, without entertainment, without culture, we would raise a generation who doesn't love or seek intimacy. So what we are setting up when we remove all those things from our culture is a warlike situation.''
Hedges of Weathervane believes there's real value to having places where people can come together during stressful times — whether it be a church, theater or someplace else.
''We like to think we are providing an important service to the community right now,'' Hedges said. ''Instead of the pressures of our world kind of driving us apart, what we endeavor to do here is bring people together.''
Kim Hone-McMahan can be reached at 330-996-3742 or kmcmahan@thebeaconjournal.com.
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