The following is an opinion piece based on the experiences and insights I’ve gained in 10 years of arts advocacy in
While other stories persist about the origins of the Arts Council, the one that feels most true to me is that it was created so that petty squabbling about arts funding could be removed from the City Council chambers, and from the offices of the Councilmembers. The elected officials would approve a nice chunk of cash each year, hand it off to the Arts Council, and not have to think about the arts until the next check was due. If anyone came to them asking for help, they could throw up their hands and say, “I’ve done my bit. If you have issues, take them up with the Arts Council.”
When I first encountered the Arts Council, then the Public Corporation for the Arts, the Executive Director was Rob Hankins. In a rather candid conversation with me, he said “artists come in here every day, and we have nothing for them. We’re here to fund arts organizations. That’s all.”
Since then, because of pressure from above, their focus has shifted slightly. Now, they have artist fellowships, artist grants, and fund small arts organizations. Still, that percentage of funding is very small compared to the amount of money that’s given to the larger arts entities, such as the Symphony, Musical Theater West, MOLAA, ICT, the Long Beach Museum of Art, and the Long Beach Playhouse. While many would agree that supporting these larger entities is worthwhile, the total amount of funding they receive has been dwindling, and will continue to be reduced for the foreseeable future.
My question deals with overhead. When the Arts Council’s municipal support peaked at around $1.2 million, $300,000 for employee compensation seemed a bit more palatable. Flash forward several years and, with the City’s commitment down to $540,000, that $300,000 looks a bit more significant. At the same time, the number of arts organizations seeking those dwindling funds has increased. At what point, then, do we begin to question the validity of operational expenses that exceed the amount of funds actually being distributed?
I was talking with an artist on Sunday night and she recounted a story that, to me, sums up one of the main problems with the Arts Council. She serves on the board of a well established classical music performance group. They applied for a grant from the Arts Council, and were required to go through a grueling application process, attend numerous meetings, and put on a “dog and pony show” just to get $500.
In our conversation last week, Economic Development and Cultural Affairs Bureau manager Robert Swayze said that one of the main functions of the Arts Council should be as advocates for arts and culture. Some years ago, in a meeting facilitated by the Creativity Network, Arts Council boardmember and past City Manager Henry Taboada stated that the Arts Council could not be effective advocates because they were dependant on the City for their survival.
When Rob Hankins was Executive Director, he began advocating for a larger per capita investment in the arts by the City. He rallied all kinds of local artists, organizers, and regular folks to storm the City Council chambers and demand the increase. Shortly thereafter he was dismissed, and Joan Van Hooten replaced him.
So, Long Beach, the 5th largest City in California, and one of the most culturally diverse in the nation, has an underfunded, ineffective arts organization, with lots of historical baggage, currently without an Executive Director, trying desperately to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear. Perhaps we need to pull the plug and invent an entirely new model.
Stay tuned for Part 2, in which I’ll discuss some ideas for new models.