Commission gets arts council on track

Last September, Mayor John Fernandez appointed a study commission to help the Bloomington Area Arts Council out of its mounting debt. \nRenovation of the long-vacant Buskirk-Chumley Theater had put the council $1.1 million in the hole.\nNow, five months later, the study commission has finished its work, and the arts council is in better financial shape.\nChaired by Indianapolis Circuit Court Judge Ted Najam, the commission shaved more than $400,000 of the arts council's debt. Buoying the arts council with a $100,000 low-interest loan from the city, the commission urged it to cut expenses. The council sold a major liability -- the Holland Dairy property -- for $260,000, using the proceeds to pay off a mortgage loan.\nWith the help of state Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Ellettsville, the commission also secured a $125,000 grant from the state.\nAccording to the final report of the mayor's commission, the arts council's financial situation has improved by nearly $600,000. The figure includes revenue brought in from concerts and other events.\n"I would like to extend my thanks to the members of the commission for their dedicated and hard work in addressing this most difficult issue," Fernandez said. "The commission has acted with the creativity and urgency which the circumstances required."\nThe arts council, under new leadership, is grateful for the helping hand.\n"We have to enthusiastically thank the commission," said Sally Gaskill, whom the commission installed as executive director.\nWhile Gaskill said the council is not out of the woods yet, the commission has taken steps to ensure its continued financial viability. It drafted a management agreement between the arts council and the Lotus Education and Arts Foundation, which stages an annual world music festival in Bloomington.\nPending approval, Lotus wll operate the theater as a performing arts facility while the council will retain ownership and financial obligations. Under the commission's direction, the council already cut back on full-time staff and other expenses.\nThe commission also recommends a public-private parnership with the city based on the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board. The board subsidizes various performing arts venues in the Indianapolis area, including the Murat Theater.\n"We plan to adopt that recommendation," Gaskill said. "We're very receptive."\nOverall, the commission convened for 20 weekly meetings and a number of small committee meetings. From the onset, it was clear a quick report wouldn't resolve anything, Najam said.\n"The members have been faithful to the task and tireless in their determination to address the issues before us," he said. "Over the last five months, their work has established the foundation for the future success of arts and cultural programming in Bloomington"