Calling All Champions

Currently the MAC has three ongoing campaigns to raise dollars for the arts. That's a lot, some would say too many, that our focus is too spread out. But our focus has always been broad and diverse. We have never catered to only one community.

So we find ourselves soliciting money for the Cleve Carney Art Space (contemporary art gallery and collection), Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (resident Equity theatre company), and New Philharmonic (professional orchestra in residence). At present New Philharmonic is 46% of the way to its three year pledge goal of $450,000 and Buffalo Theatre has reached 17% of their $240,000 three year goal.

The first on the list, the Carney Art Space, is assured a secure future because of the generosity of one man, Cleve Carney. Cleve's seed gift of dollars and art (estimated $1.2 million) has formed the solid base that will ensure that contemporary art has a home at College of DuPage for many years to come.

Cleve joins a long line of arts benefactors in the U.S. Some with names you know like the competing wine families in California (Mondavi Center at UC Davis and the Gallo Center in Modesto CA. Or closer to home Pritzker Pavilion, Harris Center, the new Logan Center at U of Chicago, and North Central College's Wentz Concert Hall. Every community has champions. Individuals who realize that the greater good cannot be served unless they themselves step up. They embody the etymological definition of philanthropist, "lover of humanity".

We are grateful to Cleve for his generosity, vision and humanity. We thank all those who give at whatever level they are able, because they love the arts. In the coming year our community will hear more about opportunities to be champions like Cleve.

be well
Stephen

Make Art Work

More often than not I hear from people I work with and for, "what is the ROI?" For those of you who do not know the acronym for Return on Investment, count yourself lucky. I suspect there are very few of you who work in and around the arts who have not met with a board member, a patron, an investor, or an administrator who has not asked this question at one time or another.

Well the answer is in for our state: $2.75 billion and 78,000 jobs.

The Illinois Arts Alliance is asking Governor Quinn to, "show your support for the arts", by adopting the Make Art Work principles.

• Grow Jobs in the Creative Economy
• Leverage the Arts and Creativity to Strengthen the Workforce
• Incorporate the Arts in Community Planning

You can too by signing a petition at the Illinois Arts Alliance web-site (link).

be well
Stephen

Board Presentation - MAC 2014

Recently I presented to our Board of Trustees an overview of the McAninch Arts Center. This was intended to be a short and concise view of the MAC: its history, operation and our plans for the future when we come out of our present reorganization. As much as I vainly dislike how I appear on video (remember the camera and the 10 pound rule), I think these 15 minutes are of value if you wish to better understand the MAC. If you have a question or comment - please let us know.

be well
Stephen

Support the Arts? Why?

Randy Cohen, vice president of research and planning at Americans for the Arts posted on Arts Blog ten months ago a nice list of the top ten reasons to support the arts. The McAninch Arts Center has a bright future ahead of it, but it will depend on whether the community we serve and the senior administration of the College of DuPage believe the arts provide something of value, and if that value is worth supporting with their dollars.

be well
Stephen

I give you Randy Cohen's "Top Ten Reasons to Support the Arts" from April 11, 2012

1. True prosperity. The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. They help us express our values, build bridges between cultures, and bring us together regardless of ethnicity, religion, or age. When times are tough, the arts are salve for the ache.

2. Improved academic performance. Students with an education rich in the arts have higher GPAs and standardized test scores, lower drop-out rates, and even better attitudes about community service—benefits reaped by students regardless of socioeconomic status. Students with four years of arts or music in high school average 100 points better on their SAT scores than students with one-half year or less.

3. Arts are an industry. Arts organizations are responsible businesses, employers, and consumers. Nonprofit arts organizations generate $135 billion in economic activity annually, supporting 4.1 million jobs and generating nearly $22.3 billion in government revenue. Investment in the arts supports jobs, generates tax revenues, and advances our creativity-based economy.

4. Arts are good for local merchants. The typical arts attendee spends $24.60 per person, per event, not including the cost of admission on items such as meals, parking, and babysitters. Non-local arts audiences (who live outside the county) spend nearly twice as much as local arts attendees ($39.96 vs. $17.42)—valuable revenue for local businesses and the community.

5. Arts are the cornerstone of tourism. Arts travelers are ideal tourists—they stay longer and spend more. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that the percentage of international travelers including museum visits on their trip has grown annually since 2003 (17 to 24 percent), while the share attending concerts and theater performances increased five of the past seven years (13 to 17 percent since 2003).

6. Arts are an export industry. U.S. exports of arts goods (everything from movies to paintings to jewelry) grew to $64 billion in 2010. With U.S. imports at just $23 billion, the arts achieved a $41 billion trade surplus in 2010.

7. Building the 21st century workforce. Reports by The Conference Board show creativity is among the top-five applied skills sought by business leaders—with 72 percent saying creativity is of high importance when hiring. The biggest creativity indicator? A college arts degree. Their Ready to Innovate report concludes, “…the arts—music, creative writing, drawing, dance—provide skills sought by employers of the 3rd millennium.”

8. Healthcare. Nearly one-half of the nation’s healthcare institutions provide arts programming for patients, families, and even staff. 78 percent deliver these programs because of their healing benefits to patients—shorter hospital stays, better pain management, and less medication.

9. Stronger communities. University of Pennsylvania researchers have demonstrated that a high concentration of the arts in a city leads to higher civic engagement, more social cohesion, higher child welfare, and lower poverty rates. A vibrant arts community ensures that young people are not left to be raised solely in a pop culture and tabloid marketplace.

10. Creative Industries. The Creative Industries are arts businesses that range from nonprofit museums, symphonies, and theaters to for-profit film, architecture, and advertising companies. An analysis of Dun & Bradstreet data counts 904,581 businesses in the U.S. involved in the creation or distribution of the arts that employ 3.3 million people—representing 4.25 percent of all businesses and 2.15 percent of all employees, respectively.

New Philharmonic Concert Cancellation

The New Phil's New Year's Eve concert was bitter sweet this year. The music was sweeter than ever under Kirk's direction, but it was bitter knowing that the last two concerts of the season would not go on. It is a difficult decision to cancel a concert and one I have only had to make a few times in my career. As theatre people the idea of "the show must go on" is engrained in our fiber; thus, not going on with the New Philharmonic season is hard to accept.

When we were presented with the reality of being away from our concert home for two seasons we asked ourselves how will we sustain the artistic momentum that New Philharmonic and Maestro Muspratt have been gaining. The orchestra has steadily been growing audience and ticket revenue over the last five years. And all would agree that the concerts are a delight to attend, so what effect would two years away from the MAC have? We were advised by some at the College to shutter the operation, that our audience would come back when we were ready for them. At the same time many of our fondest patrons were asking us where they would go for classical music through the Spring of 2014?

It roughly costs the orchestra on average $40,000 to produce each two evening concert concert cycle. The math is pretty simple, at the $32 average ticket price we need over 1,250 people to attend a concert. So when we made the decision to rent concert halls away from our own home and present a modified season (2 fewer concerts) we calculated that 80% of our current audience base would need to follow us. In reality only 40% did. When asked, and we called every subscriber, the reply we heard over and over was, "we love New Phil, we love Kirk, but venue x is too far to travel to in the winter. We'll see you next year when the MAC is back up and running."

Facing a 60% drop in ticket revenue, I made the only decision that seemed prudent. We cancelled the final two concerts of the season, Cosi fon tutte and Great Russians. We will end the season in the red and the College will have to cover our deficit. Something they have consistently done to one degree or another for the last decade.

Going forward is the next question. In the era of revenue neutral (see post from December 28) we will need to know that the dollars through the door, in the form of donations, ticket sales and sponsorships, can cover all the expenses of this fine orchestra. The College does not want to cover any deficit at the MAC with income from student tuition or tax revenues. This policy includes all MAC operations including the MAC Artist Series, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble and Schoolstage, our K-12 education program.

So the onus now is on you, our patron. If you enjoy the orchestra or value any of the offerings of the MAC let us know how you are willing to support your community performing arts center. Comment here or contact me (630) 942-3008 or cummins@cod.edu.

be well
Stephen

Revenue Neutral

A recent Daily Herald article, “Waterleaf chef quits amid COD faculty complaints” (12/23/12), chronicles the challenge that College of DuPage faces in operating its auxiliary units, primarily the McAninch Arts Center, WDCB Public Radio, and the new Waterleaf restaurant and Inn at Water’s Edge boutique hotel. I often joke with people that if you were going into business with dreams of big profits, at the top of your list of business prospects would certainly be a jazz radio station, a French restaurant and a performing arts center.

The Daily Herald reveals three operations of the college that cost the taxpayer and the enrolled student $1.6 million to operate. “In 2012…, the MAC lost $519,000…”. I take issue with the Daily Herald’s use of the word “lost”. When the College spends dollars in support of academic learning or the operation of the physical plant those dollars are offset by tuition and tax revenues. Currently auxiliaries contribute to their operation, The MAC generated $1.3 million in earned and contributed income in fiscal 2012. However the balance of the MAC’s operating budget is covered by the college general fund. The College posted no year end deficit and in fact increased the fund balance.

The mandate going forward from the College is that we operate in a “revenue neutral” manner. The term comes from D.C. tax legislation in the 80’s with the idea that spending increases in the federal budget would be offset by increases in revenue. At the College it simply means that auxiliary units do not spend more than we can earn through earned or contributed income. The Daily Herald article continues, “Though college officials expect deficits to continue in the short term, they say they're planning initiatives to try to cut expenses. Breuder said he wants to see the losses reduced, but for now, the college isn't at the point where it would have to give up on enterprises such as the restaurant.”

We have already begun at the MAC. During this time of renovation and a smaller season we have reduced staff and other operating expenses and we are stepping back and taking a hard look at our operation. We have every intention of providing arts experiences upon our return but those experiences will have to be going forward “revenue neutral”.

Be well

Stephen

Giving

I am happy to see a day in the holiday season designed to ask people to stop and consider others. I do have to laugh that Americans gather on a special day to give thanks for all the blessings and abundance we have, and then the very next day they madly run out to buy more stuff as if what we were thankful for the previous day was not enough. So now Black Friday, Grey Thursday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday are  being followed by Giving Tuesday. Still a little out of whack – consumption gets four days and selflessness gets one. It’s a start.

NPR aired a nice story about this possible trend. 'Giving Tuesday': The Start of a Holiday Tradition?

We recognize the need for social service giving. The MAC has long partnered with the People’s Resource Center during our Christmas Carol and Orchestras Feeding America food drives. In years past we have hosted their annual Gavin Coyle Christmas Concert. This year with the MAC under renovation the concert has moved to North Central College’s Pfeiffer Auditorium this Saturday Dec 1. Ticket information for Songs of the Season: A Gavin Coyle Christmas can be found at the PRC website.

The McAninch Arts Center and many arts organizations hope our patrons remember us during this season. Support for arts and culture has always depended on the generosity of others. Beethoven depended on royal patronage and commissions to support his family. Shakespeare wrote plays for the Queen’s court, works that otherwise might never have been enjoyed by the common man for one pence. It is the patronage of a few people with means that allow the masses access to the arts. 

The troubling trend for people in my position is that just as audiences for classical music, theater, and the more challenging fine arts are aging and shrinking so are the donor dollars. Grantmakers in the Arts has published several reports noting that arts giving is down and that most markedly affected are the small and medium sized organizations. The CSO, Goodman, Art Institute and the Lyric Opera are storied institutions that are part of the bedrock of Chicago cultural and civic life. Even in down times their patron-donor base rises to the occasion. But what impact does it have on a community when the storefront theater, the hamlet's only art gallery, or the small civic orchestra is forced to close its doors? 

Please remember the small arts organization this season and to our friends on this "Giving Tuesday" we say thank you.

Be well

Stephen