A blow to the arts in Niagara

It seems just as we're on the upswing with support for the arts in Niagara generally, and St. Catharines specifically, something comes along to set the whole movement back again, and this week, arts organizations received some very unfortunate news.

In an email distributed to members yesterday (me being one of them), it was announced the St. Catharines & Area Arts Council has ceased operations, following the June 1st meeting of the Board of Directors.  The reason given, plain and simple, is the organization is no longer able to function as an arts council.  As the email explained, the Arts Council has experienced a number of years of uncertainty regarding its mandate and its role in the arts community.

That may be so, but the real telling admission in the email is the fact the Council has not been able to achieve financial stability in recent years, and they now find themselves in a position of insolvency with, as they put it, "little prospect of significant revenue over the next 6-12 months."  So, in other words, they have their collective backs against the wall and had to do something, and dissolving the Council seemed the only option available.

As a result, the space at 31 James Street will be vacated and all relevant documents will be stored, although just where is not specified.  They did, however, state the electronic mailing list they have compiled over the years is their one remaining asset of value and they are currently looking for a new home for the mailing list, obviously with the wherewithall to maintain and make appropriate use of it.  In the meantime, members have the option to have their contact information removed immediately from the list; if not, there will be an opportunity when the list is handed over to another organization for people to unsubscribe should they wish to at that time.

So, all the appropriate steps appear to be taken, and the news is very unfortunate, indeed.  I do, however, wonder why the Board, when drawing up the email, did not BCC the recipient list thus keeping the information private as to who is on the list.  Printing it out as I did so I could write my blog entry today, all the recipients' names appeared on a page-and-a-half before the email actually starts.  Not a big deal, but I think keeping the recipient list suppressed might have been a better option.

As a member of the St. Catharines & Area Arts Council and a keen follower of the arts in Niagara, I can't help but feel dismay things have come to this.  It was little more than a month ago I attended the Annual General Meeting of the Council and paid my dues for the year as usual, and even though I arrived a few minutes late for the meeting, I don't recall any words being spoken at the meeting in this regard.  As a result, I think many will be shocked by the news contained in the email.

It has been well-known the Council has had a difficult time of it the last couple of years keeping an Executive Director to guide the membership with a steady hand, and perhaps that was part of the problem.  But dissolve the organization entirely?  I don't think any of us saw that coming, and I wish we did know so people could react in a positive way to perhaps save the organization before it came to this.  Just a thought on my part, but you have to wonder, why were we not informed of all this beforehand?

So, at a time when the arts community in Niagara and specifically in St. Catharines seems geared up for bigger and better things with the new performing arts centre taking shape downtown, their collective voice has been stifled due to lack of funds.  I hope, in the aftermath of all this, some good will come of it, and perhaps someone or some people will step up to offer another opportunity for a collective voice for the arts community in the Garden City.  It is not a body blow, but it is a definite setback the organizations don't need right now.

On another, somewhat related note, I received word the Friday evening performance of Lakeside Players' new show, Breaking and Entering by Vin Morreale, Jr., had been cancelled due to low ticket sales.  I had planned to attend the show, and now will try to move it to another, later performance of the play.  The problem here, clearly, is trouble getting the word out the Port Mansion Dinner Theatre is still open and doing business in Port Dalhousie.

With all the talk over the past year the redevelopment of Port Dalhousie was finally moving ahead, and in fact last year was the last season for Lakeside Players at the present location, it is understandable people figured there was no more live theatre in Port Dalhousie to speak of.  But they are carrying on in the true spirit of live theatre, and hope past and present patrons of Lakeside Players will take notice and come back to the Port Mansion for one more season.

I understand the show, directed by Paul Wintemute, is great, and I can't wait to find out first hand.  Yes, the space is small at the Port Mansion, but that is really part of the charm of taking in some good quality summer theatre right in our own backyards.  The quality programming continues this season; now all they need are the proverbial bums to fill the seats.

If you're interested in rediscovering or even discovering Lakeside Players for the first time this summer, call the box office at 905-934-0575, ext. 226 and book either a show-only or dinner or Sunday brunch and show package before the show closes on July 10th.  You'll not be disappointed!

June 4th, 2011.