PADUCAH, Ky. – Arts centers across Kentucky are struggling to cope with less money from the state.
The Market House Theatre in Paducah is looking at making cuts to offerings that don’t generate much revenue, such as its Story Theater program that presents performances for elementary school children.
Michael Cochran, director of Market House, said he might have to cut the program to three weeks from six.
“It’s not something we want to do,’’ he said. “It’s what we have to do to survive.’’
Commerce Secretary Jim Host said Kentucky’s budget problems affect all state-funded groups and services.
State money is distributed by the Kentucky Arts Council, which was placed under Host’s cabinet in Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s reorganization of state agencies.
“Every agency I have has exactly the same thing,’’ Host said. “Does that mean we should fund arts more than we funded the historical society or we funded parks? Does that mean the arts is more important, or less important? I think it’s as important, and that’s how we funded it.’’
The Arts Council’s budget was reduced 4.5 percent under Patton’s administration and may not receive any new money in Fletcher’s spending plan. When the 4.5 percent reduction was made, the council’s board decided to dock grants by 8 percent.
That’s what happened to the Louisville Orchestra, which will receive about $15,000 less from the state for the current fiscal year.
Recent state revenue shortfalls and budget cuts paint “a very grim picture’’ for arts, leaving cultural groups to turn to patrons for more money, said Cecilia Wooden, president of the advocacy group Arts Kentucky.
But less state money can mean less private money because many arts groups rely on matching grants.
“The biggest thing that we lost was the ability to leverage the state money to get more private funds,’’ said Greg Howard, spokesman for Appalshop, the Eastern Kentucky arts cooperative based in Whitesburg. It initially was awarded a $140,000 operating grant this year from the Arts Council but that was cut by about $11,000. Howard said the cut means a music festival will be shortened and fewer visiting artists will come in.
Larry Snipes, managing director at Lexington Children’s Theater, said the loss of $4,000 from the council last year and expected increases in the cost of fuel this summer probably will mean higher ticket prices for touring productions like “Why Mosquitos Buzz,’’ an African-American folk tale. “So much of our work is done outside of Lexington,’’ Snipes said. “We used state funding to support that.’’
