Only the Strong Survive

It's been nearly 18 months since the first of the devastating cuts hit the arts sector in BC. It's no longer front page news, and therefore has fallen out of people's minds, replaced by terrorist attacks, riots and earthquakes. Perhaps this is the government's intentions, that people will forget what happened, pick up the slack (once again) and do what we all enjoy doing, making it happen with volunteers and bake sales. However, this is the point where I'm starting to feel weary of the hard uphill climb with less money. This is our second year with the much-reduced operating budget. Scramble scramble, looking at all options, partner here, partner there. What would it look like if the two arts organizations, SAGA and the Arts Council, became one? Some dollars saved, for sure. The vision and the mandate? What would that look like? Together, both could have more impact, more sustainability. Apart, they could continue to struggle just for survival. While the population of the Shuswap continues to grow, who is going to expand arts programming to meet the demand? Not two small organizations just struggling to stay afloat. One bigger arts organization with a beautiful vision of art for everyone... maybe!

WOW turns 18

Today I was updating the sponsorship forms for the 2011 WOW season. Eighteen years. That's a good record for a community event supported mainly by small business, and a lot of happy audience members. Due to rising costs, the price of sponsorship is set to double this year. It's been $125 to sponsor one concert for the last six years. Now it is $250 to be a "solo" sponsor, and $125 to be a shared sponsor. Still a good deal, but again, we're asking small business to make this happen for us. I say this with a twang of guilt because I see these owners on the street throughout the year, and feel as though I'm always asking them for some kind of monetary or service support. I wonder if some are starting to cross the street to avoid me. However, there will always be some who feel their contribution to the community is their priority - "making Salmon Arm an awesome place to live" as one business owner put it. I applaud these folks, and want to point out that this has been an awesome place for WOW for the last 18 years. Thank you!

Year of the Youth

In 2011, the Arts Council's focus will be on youth. Plans include the launch of the ShuGo program, which provides $5 tickets for any live performance of arts and cultural events in the Shuswap for people under the age of 21. In addition, the Arts Council will be sponsoring the September SAGA exhibition "Mash Up," mixed-media works by artists aged 15 to 25, and developing an interactive educational program in the gallery for that month. An annual focus helps provide direction to existing and new programming, which then helps in the final evaluation of said programs. In an effort to engage more youth in the cultural sector of Salmon Arm, we also succeed in speaking the language of the big guns in Victoria when we show them our excellent results.

Copyright debate

On January 25 there will be a debate at the University of Ottawa regarding government reform on copyright. This from the Canadian Conference of the Arts press release: "The debate will focus on the bill’s controversial proposal to include education exemptions, which will allow for more free use of copyrighted materials. On one side, many argue that the exemption will enhance the academic experience for students and foster the development of the knowledge economy. On the other, critics argue that the provision does not protect artists’ rights by allowing the widespread copying of original works without fair compensation, which will in fact hurt the development of the knowledge economy."

It's important for artists to stay educated about such things. Let's keep our eye on this one...

the pace

Officially, the gallery is closed until delivery day of the juried members show, January 17. However, the restoration of the lower level studio, stripping the wax off the gallery's maple floors, and catching up on 134 emails has sucked me back in to the office. I am finding it difficult getting back up to the pace I was going all last fall and pre-Christmas. Two weeks is just enough time to slow down. January arrived like a snowball in my face. We've just decided to postpone the fundraising event scheduled for January 30, "The Feast of Impropriety," but hope to hold it in April. With about 90% of the funds raised for the bathroom renovation, we feel confident in scheduling the contractor for early May. The gallery will be closed for the renovation, so that the various trades can make a lot of noise and mess, and just "get 'er done." Alas, no exhibition in May. The youth exhibition will be held in September, watch for more details on "Mash Up."

Restoration

Holidays, time to slow down and get a little perspective on life. This past week or so I've gotten to know my kids again, and had good extended visits with friends. Another week and I'll be downright relaxed. But then, it will be hair-straight back as we embark on yet another fundraiser, this time to restore the bathrooms at the Arts Centre. We've now received several small grants, and one significant one, to bring the two washrooms up to code and make one entirely wheelchair accessible. I, for one, am looking forward to hands-free paper towel holders. Only one event to go - the "Feast of Impropriety." It truly will be a feast, prepared by a well-known local chef, and we will be talking about bathrooms the whole time. Perhaps a little bathroom humour would be appropriate. Sunday, January 30 is the date, and tickets will be $100. A charitable tax receipt can be given for $50 of each ticket. All Johns get a free gift... can you imagine what that would be?

Flood!

Is this amazing wonderful historical building trying to tell us something? While we're desperately trying to find funding bodies willing to help us renovate the sorely inefficient bathrooms, the heating system has been staging its own drama. Today we arrived to a flooded lower level, damaging a great deal of items in the studio space, plus ceiling, floor and walls (interesting how paint will stretch into those large sacs!) However, cool heads have come and gone in the past few hours and we seem to be over the shock of it all. The building wants some attention. Not just physically, perhaps. Sure, we catch drips and patch walls, improve, renovate and replace where necessary, but that's not our focus. We've been discussing how the Arts Centre fits into the City's offerings as far as cultural services, and hoping to become one of the budget items on their books. Arts service is our focus. It's time to look at things differently, what we offer, what we can offer, how we can offer it. Efficiency is the word of the day.