
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 15, 1991                   TAG: 9103150804
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A/10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

FUND CUTBACKS DEAL MANY BLOWS TO ARTS

IT WAS a sad day in the history of the Roanoke Museum of Fine Arts and the entire arts community when Ann Masters was relieved of her duties due to budgetary problems.

Ms. Masters shared and implemented the dreams of many in bringing the art museum to its current level. She has been an advocate of the arts all her adult life and has served the local museum with deep commitment for nearly 16 years through the leadership of fine executive directors.

This outstanding woman has the respect of professionals in the field throughout the Southeast and has a wealth of knowledge and experience. She has brought art to the young and the old and has received moral and financial aid from many who never stepped into an art museum prior to her involvement. She is a symbol of art to many of us in the Roanoke Valley.

There have been harder times and there have been better times for the arts in Virginia and the United States, but none so grim as the present. The $10 million recently shaved from the state education budget will be restored when financial stability is re-established; but setbacks due to the loss of monies appropriated for the arts will take many years to overcome. It is the responsibility of each of us to urge our representatives to support aid to the arts and help preserve our cultural heritage.

SUSAN C. SHORTRIDGE

ROANOKE

by CNB