Also this issue:

Raising the Bar
A look at Philly watering holes that offer more than just drinks to local artists.
-Susan Hagen

Tree of Life
In Project Room's latest installation, Keiko Miyamori captures the spirit of the neighborhood in the roots of one of its trees.
-Robin Rice

Wig Out
-Ashlea Halpern

Private Eyes
-Lori Hill

Eat, Shorts
-Debra Auspitz

July 12-18, 2002

artsbeat

Artsbeat

Debra Auspitz

For many arts organizations, the fiscal year has just come to a close, and few will tell you it’s been a good one. This year has been filled with dire financial news, from a severe drop in donors after Sept. 11 to the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts freezing its promised funds (though the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and the William Penn Foundation stepped in with much-needed replacement funding for local artists). Now, another Philly cultural institution is suffering financial woes.

The Painted Bride Art Center, the 33-year-old presenter of local, national and international acts, recently had posted a note on its website pleading for the public's assistance with raising funds before the fiscal year's end, on June 30. "Like many other midsized nonprofit arts organizations across the country, the Bride is struggling in the wake of September 11th, the economic downturn, cuts in government support for the arts and dwindling corporate support," the letter reads. "Even after significant administrative cuts, this deficit still threatens the level of programming possible for the 2002-2003 season."

Laurel Raczka, the Bride's executive director, confirms that they've been hit hard, and that to get back on track, they need to raise about $90,000 in the next five months. Four positions were cut, including two "key staff people," Raczka says. "We're working with a really limited staff right now. Basically, it's just a really challenging time. All support is down. ... We're looking at ways to restructure so we can continue on in the future." While the Bride, like many similar nonprofits, has experienced financial difficulties over the past decade, the situation seems to have reached a more dire level in recent months.

Raczka says the online note did not garner enough support. "We're [now] trying to do some grassroots fundraising, and that's something the Bride hasn't done before," she says, noting that a phone-call campaign has had some positive results. "[It's] reassuring when you call people and they say, Yeah, I love the Bride.'"

The Bride normally does not do programming during the summer and the Fringe is renting the space for the festival. The Bride is co-presenting one of the Fringe headliners, Canadian performance group Scrap Arts Music. As for next season, the Bride is planning an October collaboration with drumming orchestra Spoken Hand and dancer Rennie Harris, but isn't settling the rest of the season until November, when the budget situation can be reassessed after summer and fall fundraising efforts. Raczka remains cautiously optimistic. "It's really hard times," she says. "But we're trying to be proactive, and we're doing the best that we can."