Amid news of the
Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester’s financial struggles and
changes in leadership, the Council announced this week that it will leave the
space it has occupied at 277 N. Goodman St.
“The plan is to
leave the space by April 30,” says acting Council Director David Semple. The move is the result of an agreement reached by Council
landlord, Village Gate Square/Stern Properties, and ACC
Board Chair Grace Tillinghast.
In addition, the
board has determined not to print a spring edition of the Council’s glossy,
quarterly magazine, Metropolitan. “We are working on an online version of [the
content that has] been submitted and gathered for our spring issue,” says Semple. Whether or not the publication will continue at all
is undetermined. “I don’t foresee a print version; the direction from the board
was to suspend publication,” he says.
A recent report in the Democrat & Chronicle revealed that Metropolitan had been losing money for the Council for years. Tax filings for 2012 indicated that the magazine operated at a loss of nearly $85,500 for that year alone, due to production and distribution costs.
The Council has a
board meeting set for this Friday, at which the future lines of business and
functions of the ACC will be determined, says Semple.
“We’ve been waiting for certain determinations to be made, and those proposals
will be on the table. That’s when the board will have something to say about
the future of the Council in all regards,” he says.
Those interested
in supporting the Council through this period of struggle “have the options
they’ve always had in terms of stopping in, or contributing through membership
or donation,” says Semple.
Where the Council
will exist in physical space after the end of April is not yet determined, but
activity at the current location will continue through until the end of its
tenure at 277 N. Goodman St.
“We will be having
what I think will prove to be a pretty spectacular opening for Brian O’Neill on
April 4, which is a show in collaboration with the Rochester City Ballet,” says
Semple. “I think his work is awesome, and it should
be quite a display. That’s something to look forward to.”
Information about
Brian O’Neill’s exhibit can be found at the artist’s website: brianoneillstudio.com
Check back with City
for ongoing coverage as the Arts & Cultural Council story continues to
unfold.
Note: this article was updated on March 19 to amend a factual inaccuracy.
This article appears in Mar 19-25, 2014.
A shame to see this happen. It was a quality effort.
Does ANYBODY bother to fact check these days? The Arts Council has been at Village Gate approx. 13 years – not 30! And where has the board been these years? How can any organization be allowed to run in the red at this one has done? Glossy magazine to increase membership? What ab out the old fashioned way of trying to keep active members from falling away? I haven’t had a request for renewal in about a dozen years. The director should have been fired some time ago. The larger question: should the Arts Council be allowed to continue? Ort should its re-grant duties be fulfilled by a division of the Rochester Foundation and save all lthe money of office space?
My apologies for the mistake! The Arts Council has been in the Neighborhood of the Arts for more than 30 years, and at their current location for 13. Thank you for your comment, Ms. Dawson.