Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 1977)
Two problems plague local art center Money, participation may cause cutbacks <c Photo by Ken Shm The building is standing, but the Maude Kems Art Center is facing drastic problems with declining enrollment and accompanying monetary difficulties Center Director Callum MacCall admits, “Were scraping the bottom of the barrel Maude Kems Art Center is in trouble. According to Callum MacColl, the art center director, Maude Kems is suffering from a lack of operating funds and community participation. Both problems may cause either a drastic cut-back in the number of classes offered, or they could mean the end of Eugene s most prestigious art education center. For the lack of a better descrip tion, MacColl said, “We re scrap ing the bottom of the barrel.” Class enrollment for the art center this Fall is down by nearly 300 people, based on an annual enrollment of 630 members. Usu ally at this time in the year, Mac Coll explained, class enrollment would be closer to 400 people, which is still far short of the center s projected goal of doubl ing its membership. The center, which was estab lished in Eugene 26 years ago, has been breaking even nearly every year of its existence. Ac cording to MacColl, the center isn’t in debt, only operating at a deficit, which is different. “There are so many problems,” he explained, “that I could rattle on and on about that have caused this situation." The most recent one, a substantial decline in class enrollment, has added to the center s growing money prob lems. Offering more than 70 art clas ses this fall, the center's course enrollment has dropped sharply. Most of the center’s operating ex penses come from the revenue V earned through the class enroll ment. The cost for most classes range from $3 for childrens’ courses to $30 for adult art clas ses. The slim enrollment isn’t the center’s only problem, MacColl said. Nearly $5,000 given to the center last year through Eugene’s hotel-motel room tax fund has By KEVIN HARDEN Of the Emerald been cut off, leaving the center to depend solely on enrollment and special events to finance its fu ture. To relieve some of these prob lems, MacColl is embarking on two campaigns to raise money. A drive to increase the center’s membership is currently under way, which MacColl hopes will double the present membership to nearly 1,300 participants. Another campaign, a direct fund raising venture, is in the planning stages. If the membership drive fails, MacColl said, the center will go throughout the community to ask outright for contributions. The current cost of art center memberships range from $25 for sponsoring members, to $5 for voung adults or children. So far, MacColl and the center’s board of directors are taking a careful approach to fund raising. “We don't want to make a mis take," he explained. Part of the fund raising may be done through an auction of art ob jects or a money-making dinner for interested members of the community. Community support, however has been slight, MacColl said. “How much the community car support us, we don’t know. So far, there has been a lot of lip service, but we aren’t seeing any money from them.” Several other approaches to solving the money problem may be taken if the first two ideas don’t work out, he said. The center has been looking into the possibility of applying for grants from several foundations, but as yet there has been no breakthrough. Another idea, to have the center subsidised by some firm in the area, has also been discussed, MacColl explained. At present, the center is plan ning to advertise commercially for enrollment in its classes, he said. All class advertisement in the past was done through a center brochure mailed throughout the city. To relieve the financial strain, the center has held several clas ses for an extended period of en rollment, with hopes that more people will become interested, MacColl explained. The center has also cut several children's classes because of the low en rollment. If the present cutbacks and the enrollment drive fails, MacColl said the center may be forced to cut almost all its classes to meet the financial situation. The center could discontinue its educational program and become just an art gallery, he said. Which is some thing MacColl hopes doesn’t ever happen. AT COLE S ... to help you start the term ART and ARCHITECTURE SUPPLIES "ok 1* CHOOSE FROM THE MOST COMPLETE SELECTION IN THE NORTHWEST JUST SHOW STUDENT or FACULTY I.D. CARD BEFORE CASH PURCHASE (OP S1.M OK MORE) Stock up during our DISCOUNT DAYS and sovo 20% off our regular prices I 339 EAST ELEVENTH Just a few blocks. on your way down to wt* Fete PARKINO AT REAR-BIKE RACK AT PROMT \\i \v ' vv COLB SUPPLIES \
