Friday afternoon, the City of Penticton seemingly extended an olive branch to the Penticton Art Gallery in what over the past week has become a serious brouhaha over grant cuts.
But first, a little history.
On March 15th, during Day 2 of the City of Penticton's 2023 Budget Deliberations, the City revealed it would chop the two grants earmarked for the Penticton Art Gallery.
The first grant, for the ten-day Ignite the Arts Festival that began Friday night, would be pared back from 2022's $25,000 cash and $7,500 in-kind benefits to $12,500 cash and $7,500 in-kind benefits for 2023. That's a halving of the cash input.
The second, for the annual Gallery operating budget, would drop from $125,000 cash in 2022 to just $55,000 this year. That's a 56% cut.
To the Gallery, the slicing and dicing was far too severe. Curator Paul Crawford claimed it was the smallest operating grant in his 17 years at the helm. He warned that exhibits, events and programming would potentially suffer.
And, he said, there should have been some sort of advanced warning system in place. If there would be cuts that dramatic, he maintained, they shouldn't be announced nearly three months into the year in question.
The City, for its part, said it remained a "strong supporter of the arts" and noted the other perks it provides the Penticton Art Gallery as it defended its actions.
"The City of Penticton has always been a strong supporter of the arts in our community for the diversity, energy and creativity they bring," said Mayor Julius Bloomfield to PentictonNow. "Various arts groups receive support through the grants program to ensure a thriving scene exists.
"The Penticton Art Gallery is provided space at a nominal cost, is exempt from local property taxes and this year received a grant of $55,000 towards operating costs and another $20,000 to support the Ignite the Arts."
Moreover, said the City, "Staff bases recommendations on financial need of the groups and according to the annual report for 2021, the Gallery had a net profit of more than $100,000."
Crawford had an issue with that too, saying the Gallery's 2021 year-end money wasn't profit. For the most part, he maintained, it was grant money intended for early 2022.
But just as it seemed the two sides were further apart than ever, there was hope. Friday, Crawford got a call from the City. And then the City released a statement, attributed to Mayor Bloomfield:
"Penticton is a community that is passionate about the arts," said the statement, " and we have seen that ardor on display as some have wondered why the Art Gallery didn’t receive the full amount it requested through the City’s grant program.
"Council and staff make decisions based on the information provided during the application process and in keeping with budget constraints. This year that information suggested a lower financial need for taxpayer support.
"However, we’re always open to new information and that’s why I am pleased to announce that a delegation from the Penticton Art Gallery, including curator Paul Crawford, will attend the next Committee of the Whole meeting on April 3 at 10 am to provide more details to council and residents directly.
“This will be an opportunity for the Art Gallery to update documentation and for Council to ask detailed questions before any changes -- which could impact the budget -- are made.”
When contacted for comment late Friday afternoon, Crawford was guardedly hopeful, though concerned about the timing of the get-together. The now-launched Ignite Festival, he said, will take most of his time between now and April 3.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to go before council," he told PentictonNow. "I'm happy to listen to their concerns. And I'm happy to give them whatever information I'm comfortable to give them.
"But if they want more nuanced numbers and facts and figures -- things like when grants come in and when they're spent -- I'll need more time."
Crawford believes the situation reflects larger issues, particularly a "lack of understanding how non-profits operate" and "the value of arts and culture in the community."
"But," he added, "I'm happy to start a conversation with them and hopefully through this process we can all learn and grow and figure out a better way to sustain these important institutions in the community."
