THE BLUE M N a Bimonthly Publication of the Kentucky Arts Council Volume 8 Issue 4 July/August 2001
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THE BLUE M N A Bimonthly Publication of the Kentucky Arts Council Volume 8 Issue 4 July/August 2001 NeedsNeeds AssessmentAssessment StudyStudy RevealsReveals StrengthsStrengths andand ChallengesChallenges forfor Kentucky'sKentucky's PerformingPerforming ArtsArts CentersCenters In an effort to determine the needs of arts organizations viable operations. All centers spoke about the increased in Kentucky and what can be done to increase their local competition for fundraising dollars, currently forcing capacity to serve their communities, the Kentucky Arts them to focus on increasing their levels of earned income. Council has commissioned Arts Market, Inc. to conduct a statewide needs assessment survey. The funding difficulties faced by the performance arts centers means not only that center staff must invest The fourteen performing arts centers and venues that more of their time in fundraising, but funding shortage participated in the study were Alhambra Theatre, has caused centers to make difficult choices about where Hopkinsville; Appalshop, Whitesburg; Capitol Arts Center, there funds must go. Funding is invested in building Bowling Green; Four Rivers Center for the Performing Arts, performing arts center without resources for adequate Paducah; Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Madisonville; administration. Many positions essential to effective Henderson Fine Arts Center, Henderson; Kentucky Center operation either do not exist or are combined with other for the Arts, Louisville; Kentucky Center for Rural Devel- positions, creating an overextended core group of admin- opment, Somerset; Leeds Theatre, Winchester; Mountain istrative staff. In addition, facility needs are chronic. Arts Center, Prestonburg; Paducah Community College, Seventy-five percent of the respondents cited repairs to Paducah; Paramount Arts Center, Ashland; RiverPark the facility as being a number one priority. Front of Center, Owensboro; and Singletary Center for the Arts, house, back of house, theatre space, and administrative Lexington. The participating centers were selected to re- space needs are also significant. flect diversity in size and budget, urban vs. rural, geo- graphic location, and funding sources. Challenges that confront performing arts centers in Kentucky are similar to nationwide trends. Consumerism “It is extremely beneficial to have a baseline of information is changing; the numbers of season subscriptions are available as we begin to develop a master technical decreasing while single ticket sales increase. Demo- assistance plan,” says Kentucky Arts Council executive graphics are also changing; audiences are graying and director Gerri Combs. “This data will help us gauge the the generation of 20 to 40 year-olds is not attending success of our work with the performing arts centers.” traditional art offerings, such as ballet, orchestras and opera, that their parents did. The need to fill seats and “A Needs Assessment of Performing Arts Centers in keep performing arts budgets in balance is a challenge Kentucky” includes significant findings that the Arts that has adversely affected the presentation of contem- Council will use over the coming years to improve our porary or new artistic expressions. work with arts organizations around the state. Performing arts centers have begun to diversify the com- The study found that Kentucky’s performing arts centers munity representation and areas of expertise on boards generate $20,333,738 in combined income, significantly of directors to provide guidance, and improve business impacting local economies, as well as the overall economy operations and program relevance. However, there is of the state of Kentucky. Financially, 40% of the centers still a struggle to utilize board talents to the performing studied are breaking even, while 33.3% are losing rev- arts centers’ greatest advantage. In addition, although enue and 26.7% are generating a surplus. The ratio of 64.7% of the performing arts centers have conducted earned income (ticket sales, facility rentals) of these centers research in the form of audience (likes and dislikes) to unearned income (sponsorships, grants, etc.) is 35:65. surveys, only 5.9 % conducted market research, demo- This means that large proportions of time and resources graphic research or comparative analysis. are focused on fundraising in order to sustain financially (Continued on page 2) 2—July/August 2001 THE BLUE MOON KENTUCKY ARTS COUNCIL Special Opportunities for Kentucky Artists as AND STAFF Southern Arts Exchange Comes to Louisville Paul E. Patton, Governor Marlene Helm, Secretary, Education, Arts & Humanities Cabinet Southern Arts Exchange 2001 (SAE), the performing arts booking conference Council Members and training institute sponsored by the Southern Arts Federation, will be held in Janrose Tunnell, Chair ...................... Richmond Louisville, Kentucky, October 3rd-7th. This year, for the first time, SAE offers pro- Ann Duggins Schell, Vice Chair .......... Louisville fessional development technical assistance to artists who are interested in at- Jerry Baker ................................... Bowling Green tending the conference but not interested in exhibiting. Five tracks of profes- Stephanie Bateman ............................... Louisville sional development training are offered and include arts in education, diversity, Lila Bellando .................................................. Berea Carol Black .............................................. Louisville technology, administration, and various artistic disciplines. This is a wonderful Thomas H. Bonny ........................................Irvine opportunity for Kentucky artists to receive in-depth technical assistance. Jennifer S. Maddux.............................. Pembroke Everett D. McCorvey .......................... Lexington Opportunities for Kentucky artists to participate in Southern Arts Exchange include: Lynn Morris ..................................... Hopkinsville Suzanne Rutledge .................................. Somerset Booths in the Exhibition Hall A full booth (10x10) is $600 if registration is Susan Schuler .................................. Lakeside Park made by June 29th; $700 after June 29th. A half booth (5x10) is $475 if registra- Pamela Papka Sexton ........................... Lexington tion is received by June 29th; $550 after June 29th. Booth registration includes Susan Smith ............................................ Louisville space in the exhibit hall Thursday Oct. 4 from 2:30-5:30 pm; Friday, Oct. 5 from Roanne H. Victor .................................. Louisville 1:45-5:45 pm; and Saturday, Oct. 6 from 1:15-3:45 pm; and all workshops. Jean Yewell..........................................Owensboro Non-Exhibitor Registration Professional Development Technical Assistance Staff workshops. Full conference rate of $300 before June 29th; $350 after June 29th. Gerri Combs, Executive Director Lori Meadows, Executive Staff Advisor Ed Lawrence, Public Information Officer Artists wishing to take advantage of SAE opportunities by registering to exhibit Louana Tracy, Secretary and/or attend the Professional Development Technical Assistance workshops may apply for Kentucky Arts Council funding assistance through a special Administrative Branch Carolyn Starbuck, Administrative Branch Manager Individual Artist Professional Development deadline of August 1, 2001. To Deborah Catlett, Administrative Specialist qualify for assistance up to $500, artists must fill out a Professional Develop- Sandy Etherington, Grants Manager Sandie Lawrence, Information Technology Administrator ment application, provide proof of registration for SAE, and match the request Teresa Wade, Fiscal Officer on a 1:1 basis. Applications may be accessed from the KAC website at www.kyarts.org, or may be requested from our office by calling 1-888-833-2787. Program Branch Daniel Strauss, Program Branch Manager John S. Benjamin, Arts Education Director Additional information on the Southern Arts Exchange may be obtained from the E. Chris Harp, Community Arts Director Southern Arts Federation website at www.southarts.org, or by calling Southern Heather Lyons, Individual Artist Director Arts Federation staff at 404-874-7244, ext. 18 or 28. For information on Craft Marketing Program Kentucky Arts Council funding, please contact Lori Meadows at 1-888-833-2787, Fran Redmon, Program Director Nancy Atcher, Product Development Coordinator ext. 4812, or email [email protected]. Beau Haddock, Media Communications & Marketing Vallorie Henderson, Special Projects Coordinator Connie Hicks, Marketing Specialist Anna Marie Walker, Outreach and Training Marcie Christensen, Information Technology Manager Jill Roberts, Administrative Secretary Performing Arts Centers (continued) Folklife Program Performing arts centers need to build students enrolled in public elementary Bob Gates, Folklife Director Brent Bjorkman, Folklife Specialist capacity, explore approaches, and and secondary schools. Mark Brown, Folklife Specialist develop systems of marketing to ef- The BlueMoon is published bi-monthly by the Kentucky Arts fectively compete in a complex and The Arts Council will use the informa- Council, a state agency in the Education, Arts & Humanities dynamic marketplace. As consumer- tion in this study to assist arts organi- Cabinet. Please send comments, questions and information to: ism and demographics change, the zations in building capacity for The Blue Moon Kentucky Arts Council relationship of performing arts