Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 20, 1995 TAG: 9504200068
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
Between the center gallery on Main Street and the annex, "we have in excess of $100,000 in assets, but we can't pay our bills today, much less tomorrow," said center Executive Director Michael Dowell.
He noted that the gallery building at 21 W. Main St. "is one of the oldest buildings there. ... We don't want to lose either building, but, for the sake of the institution, we realize that may be a possibility."
The financial strains facing the center brought some 30 people to a meeting at its annex Tuesday night to seek solutions. They had suggestions ranging from weekly teen dances at $1 a person to raffles.
Gary Hancock suggested sending representatives to town and county governing bodies seeking financial support, calling every member for donations and recruiting new members. "If we did those three things, I think we'd accomplish a lot in a short amount of time," he said.
Eugene Nuckols brought a suggestion from a group of downtown business people who share morning coffee each day at Martin's Pharmacy: Members would pledge $40 a month for a year to the center.
"We got a lot of good ideas," Dowell said. "My feeling from you is that this community can sustain a Fine Arts Center."
Dowell said the initial enthusiasm for the center when it started in the 1970s brought in contributions of time and money, but those have slowed. There also was more willingness to attend public events and functions in the 1970s and 1980s than now, he said.
"The center was still new and members were more than happy to pitch in and help produce the various events that cost a little something and brought in a bit of revenue. There were many more events, or fund-raisers, than there are today. For whatever reason, we are no longer a populace of 'goers,'" he said.
Another factor is that, until 1990, the board and volunteers were active in conducting fund drives, said Dowell, who became director about two years ago. "In 1991, a drive was initiated, but, as far as I can tell, no follow-up was done after the first letters were sent. I can't explain why this activity was dropped."
He said the community has become complacent about the center. "The community thinks that we will always be here. ... They don't think about who pays for the heat, or the lights, or the insurance, or the fees for musicians in Jackson Park or the salaries of Arts Center employees."
Dowell said membership dues are important in maintaining the program. "Last year, membership dues made up only 15 percent of our income. For organizations such as ours, that figure should be around 60 percent," he said.
The center must build an endowment for future needs as government funding sources dry up, he said. "Finally, our programming needs to include fund-raising events. The primary reason these have waned is manpower and woman-power. Today's society is just too busy, but we must make time for what we believe in."
by CNB