Privitize the Arts
The Columbus Dispatch’s theater critic, Michael Grossberg, reports that orchestras, art museums, and theater productions are feeling the pinch:
Arts leaders point to three major causes of their struggles:
• A decline in donations, especially from corporations that are also struggling because of the economy. Contributions from businesses, foundations and individuals typically provide half or more of the budgets of many of the groups.
• Lower ticket sales, especially to patrons affected by the recession. Earned income typically represents 30 percent to 50 percent of the groups’ financial support.
• Reductions in government grants — notably from the Greater Columbus Arts Council, which in May announced cuts in operating support of up to 50 percent for some groups.
Marc Kilmer of the Buckeye Institute is exactly right that taxpayers should not be expected to pay:
Marc Kilmer, senior policy analyst with the Ohio research group Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions, said such challenges for arts groups aren’t surprising given the weak economy.
“As states and cities struggle to fund core services like police and fire protection, arts subsidies are a luxury — and one of the first things that should be cut,” Kilmer said.
“It’s hard to ask the average Ohioan, who may be out of work or facing job insecurity, to pay taxes to fund ballets or orchestras, which offer performances that the average person doesn’t even attend.”
Instead, museums and orchestras should follow the lead of the Columbus Orchestra and become more entrepreneurial. I’ve attended all of their outdoor summer concerts thus far, and have thoroughly enjoyed them with the one rare exception of Christopher Cross’ sleepy 80s music (Which was amusingly preceded by the heavy-metal of classical music, Wagner):
“It’s a bad time for the arts,” said Susanne Jaffe, executive director of the Thurber House. “I just hope we all survive it.”
On the flip side, the Columbus Symphony, which last season was the only group not to balance its budget, expects its recently revived outdoor summer concert series to help it at least break even by Aug. 31, the end of its fiscal year.
“We’re hoping to do it with six weeks of good weather for Picnic with the Pops, which has enjoyed a groundswell of support from patrons happy that we’re back,” symphony Executive Director Tony Beadle said.
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