ustxtxb_obs_1995_09_29_50_00022-00000_000.pdf

cogh atta cks:9n. . a4s. 41:ntipften charge “vF rite,” suppdtters of the krarit… on’ the arts g enera tes; nomic benefits, to tle form of Ajobs and ancillary s p end i n g Rieitt16/11difiand6e — . ass stan *ctgf… .oft .bo::ToN4S…:Compiw stop of the Arts, told’ Brumley that sixty tho isand ,fobs are directly’ connected to funding by the T CA \(which received twenty eight percent: of 1994 NBA fund 1reC IV Dance Umbrella has not previously tapped but recognizes as an alternative to dwindling public funding. Byrd also anticipates that, with the shift from public to private funding, the politics of fund-raising will only intensify. “Corporations are very specific about why they give money: to build their image [in order] to get money for themselves. Government is more vague and open.” Private funding thereby raises additional moral issues for needy arts organizations. For example, arts organizations supported by Philip Morris faced a public crisis of conscience last year, as the tobacco company called in its markers, so to speak, expecting arts groups to support the tobacco company’s “right to free speech.” Austin artists and organizations might face the same dilemma with a corporation such as, for example, Freeport McMoRan. Freeport might be eager to donate money, but, says Byrd, “We know that our constituency would be up in arms if they saw on a program that the performance was underwritten by Freeport McMoRan.” Historically, corporations have supported more traditional and visible art forms such as opera and symphony, rather than a “hidden” organization like Dance Umbrella. “That’s why we have to start talking about projects,” Byrd explains. “Projects are something corporations can hold onto.” Byrd and Slattery differ as to whether the national bad press on contemporary art will affect their own fund-raising efforts in the private sector. Byrd doesn’t agree that the rhetoric of politicians will translate into the reality of arts contributors, while Slattery argues that political perceptions do indeed become social realities. Whatever happens on the corporate level, says Slattery, the future will return Dance Umbrella to its roots as a community-based organization. “Instead of looking for ten people to give five thousand dollars each, we will need to get five hundred people to give ten dollars each.” But the thought process, she adds, has never changed. “The question remains: ‘How do we connect to the public?'” One answer may lie in technology. Dance Umbrella currently is developing a World Wide Web site that can service its members with their own homepages. In the longer run, whether the public is willing to pay the full cost of Dance Umbrella’s public programming \(which the organizahelp determine its course into the twentyfirst century. Byrd is also hopeful that local governments will recognize the necessity of picking up at least some of the slack left by the federal government. Byrd is in the midst of making detailed financial projections for the 1995/96 season. Only with that information in hand will Slattery set a production scheduleby early October, she hopes. For Dance Urn brella, this sequence represents a major reversal in strategy: previously, seed money was stretched and projects sometimes miraculously realized \(with “luck, good planning, or good administration,” says artists. Now, those commitments will only be made based upon in-hand monetary and administrative resources. What might the upcoming season look likeif funds allow? A residency and performance of “The Beast” by Donald Byrd/The Group \(the second part a twomances by New York-based companies headed by John Jasperse and Kumiko Kimoto. “We’d like to do four to five projects, but we need to do at least three,” says Slattery. The material effects of the organization’ s current pause remain uncertain. “I’m not sure if it’s a shift in perspective or a real shift in production,” says Slattery. “It might all look and feel the same. I hope so, or Christmas in September will never be the same. U Inn ,Oa K ochcricitc. CzthIc Oi I lk_siitcd Pool jai , besi\(le the \(%!a’ \(il Ale\\i , Hi’ .11101,1104 RI011,1 ,\\\\aiLthic 1″1 PrI\\ ctlC 1II.1 k’s ‘ Il i 064,4 / \( ‘iii\(iiie titil/pC\(/// Cluirm a \(t:: .11/11,,w ilcrc OA 1 r t pets Welcome fl i t 1423 11th Street”, CI” Port Aransas, ‘IX 78373 w $ Scall for R.’,, 0,1 orrew 1.-40147. …orlmott, o li i o gal k %/u p 115,-‘1 110.0… Sea re Horse j 22 SEPTEMBER 29, 1995