From Sallee Kunkel Filkins, Executive Director, Center for the Arts:
[Editor’s Note: Get an update on the proposed Harford County Center for the Arts with Executive Director Sallee Filkins, on “The Harford Edge” Friday, August 31th on WAMD Radio 970 AM]
How interesting that a local publication chose recently to publish a commentary, “My string quartet salon vs. your turf field” in the Sports section, pitting the arts against athletics. As the Executive Director of the Center for the Arts and a former Harford County Public School physical education teacher and former coach of both field and individual sports, it is very shortsighted that a community as vibrant and educated as Harford County has to choose between the two. Or perhaps, since earlier objections to the arts center have proven false, the commentator was just trying another tactic to defeat the arts center by raising the ire of sports fans and parents by inventing a battle.
The case has been made for using the Amoss Center and the public schools in lieu of an arts center. However, in 2005 the newly founded Center for the Arts met with Harford Community College to request better access to the Amoss and Chesapeake theatres for local arts groups. The College shares the Amoss Center with Harford Technical High School. Utilization of the theatres was noted as 93% and 95% of capacity in 2005 and with the addition of a new theatre major, the College projected no availability for outside groups. In addition, the mandatory use of technical (sound/lighting/stage management) staff at union wages is prohibitively expensive for local groups. The College does an excellent job of hosting many wonderful programs and performances in the theatres so there is no intent to diminish the cultural programs they present for the community.
In response to the suggestion to utilize the public schools, the Center for the Arts and the Harford County Cultural Arts Board spent 2011 working with the Harford County Public Schools to create a process for booking local groups in the schools with the guarantee that the arts organizations could not be “bumped” at the last minute. This partnership is wonderful but a temporary band aid. The reality is that the public school theatres are utilized for a multitude of HCPS meetings and events in support of their mission, in addition to providing space for the school’s own drama programs, leaving little time for outside rentals. Use of the public schools also usually requires that school faculty spend their weekends running expensive sound and lighting equipment, owned by the school for the outside shows in addition to their regular jobs.
Bel Air High School Theatre has been a wonderful addition and immensely popular, as confirmed by the standing room only audiences for the Titanic production presented by the school’s very talented Bel Air Drama Company. But the list of arts organization that has access to the facility is restricted and the school only has so many weekends available for rent in addition to their own programs. In fact, the last word from HCPS was to hurry up and build the arts center because as the demands of the school system change, they will be looking to rent space at the arts center.
In reference to the portrayal of the proposed arts facility as “grandiose”, let’s review the work that has been completed by the Center for the Arts through the generosity of private donors, sponsors, Dancing for the Arts celebrity dancers, the County and private foundations.
1. Cultural Plan – assessed the readiness of the County for a cultural center;
2. Feasibility Study – assessed the demand, identified the cultural gaps and proposed solutions;
3. Case Study – identified funding sources;
4. Business Plan – determined the economic viability and sustainability;
5. Economic Impact Statement – determined a $6.9 million economic benefit to the community during the first year of operation;
6. Site Programming, Master Plan and Conceptual Design – prepared based upon the needs identified in the studies above.
The studies have also been revised to reflect changing economic conditions since 2006. What is very clear is that access to state-of-the-art theatre space, secure, humidity and temperature controlled gallery space, and amphitheatre, and special event space for large events over 500 does not exist in the County.
The goal of the analyses was not to justify proceeding with a vision generated by a small group of art lovers. The goal was to determine our County’s cultural needs and create solutions for the future. The Center for the Arts has done just that by working with its community partners and the architects to help elected officials and the public visualize the opportunities to create a facility that will nurture and celebrate the creativity of its citizens.
The recent gift of a 41 acre parcel of land in Abingdon from the Estate of Emily Bayless Graham, for the specific purpose of “erect[ing] a performing arts center for use by the people of Harford County”” cannot be ignored. The courts stipulated that in exchange for the land the cultural center must be constructed within seven years or the land reverts back to the estate. Current zoning would permit between 205 and 410 residential units on the land. What a shame to let such an incredible gift of land, in a prime location adjacent to I-95, be used for housing when an overwhelming demand for an arts center for this region is clearly documented. The arts center will certainly be a less intensive use and traffic generator than development of the site into hundreds of homes.
Building a state-of-the-art community cultural center will be expensive. The Center for the Arts can be constructed in phases. Government resources are finite – all the more reason to work together instead of pitting one against the other. Skills fostered through creativity are in high demand in the workplace. The arts improve the quality of our lives, improve student achievement in school and are a vibrant sector of our economy.
At this point it is up to the citizens who believe that Harford County needs a community arts center to lend a voice by contacting/emailing their elected officials, friends and neighbors in support of the project.
Sincerely,
Sallee Kunkel Filkins
Executive Director
Center for the Arts
17 Tudor Lane
Bel Air, MD 21015
sfilkins@harfordcfa.org
410-838-2177
Kind of tired of my tax dollars going to any of this stuff.
For God’s sake enough!! How about none of the above? We have absolutely unnecessary turf fields all over the county. Baltimore and Towson are less than an hour from everywhere in Harford County – stop the unnecessary spending! If someone wants to step forward and offer 100% funding fine, but keep the taxpayers out of this boondoggle!
Didn’t we just see that there is no money to pay teachers or build schools? So how do we miraculously find the cash to fund projects that are completely unncessary? Or have these things also become “rights?” Cut, cut, cut waste then we might be able to have a conversation. Remember – sooner or later you will run out of OUR money.
Dear Ms. Filkins,
If it is up to me to “lend my voice” you will find me quite silent. The projects that you are promoting cost money that we do not have. We are not funding stuff we should be funding and are already spending tons of money on stuff that we don’t need to be spending a dime on.
if it can be built with private donations – very well. I don’t like the idea that tax dollars go to support facilities that turn around and charge for events or use – which in effect shuts a portion of the population out. Wasn’t there some similar sort of stink recently over pay to play ball fields that the county helped build?
Ms. Filkens
First of all try raising funds without burdening the taxpayers of this county before asking for their help. I personally think this type of center though interesting should NOT cost the taxpayers of this county. If all shows would be free and completely paid for by sponsors sure but why do I need to pay twice. And considering the “threat” that if you don’t get this center tons of homes will be built instead turns me off of your plans all together. The government should not be asked to pay for this project
The recent gift of Emily Bayless Graham can most certainly be ignored, or it can be funded by private donations, as it should be. In a county that struggles to pay teachers and law enforcement officers comparably to surrounding counties, to fund this center that will meet the needs of a relatively small group, seems absurd to me.
I suggest, Ms. Filkins, that you use your connections and advocacy for the arts to approach private sponsors for this project. If you can’t get the funds needed then it isn’t meant to be.
I strongly agree that a cultural arts building will be most beneficial to Harford county instead of another housing project. We have a surplus of houses on the market today that are suitable for all income groups. Therefore, we do not need new housing built. We do not need additional over 55 communities, nor assisted living units that are already on every corner . I agree that the Amos’s theatre has outgrown its need for the community. The new schools in Harford county have beautiful auditoriums but inadequate in availability and size for larger/ popular productions . We have been given an extraordinary gift by Emily Bayless Graham. Let’s use it by her request and create a legacy in Harford county. Harford county deserves it and Emily Bayless Graham deserves to be remembers for her generosity.
Debbie
What is wrong with having more assisted living and 55+ apartments? Are you anti elderly because it sure sounds like it to me. Hopefully you will never be a “senior citizen” one day and need either because if it was up to you there will be no where for you to live if you end up needing one.
It’s amazing to me that there are people that support a WalMart in the same area that will decrease property values, increase crime, cause a major traffic nightmare, shutter other local business and change the entire fabric of our quality of life, but at the same time oppose a park and arts center where we can get a little piece of sanctuary from the encroaching big business commercialization of every piece of land that’s left. There needs to be a BALANCE in this community of homes, businesses, sports fields, AND THE ARTS. So what if some of you profess to like the arts. Studies have shown consistently the same thing is true in the education and experiences of our children. If I’m going to be subjected to a WalMart that will directly negatively impact myself, my neighbors and our quality of life, a few of you can be subjected to an arts center and park that will enhance and add quality to our lives and those of our children.
I’m with you, Harford Lassie. Right up to the point where you forget to mention that Ms. Filkins wants the taxpayers to pay for the Arts Center and WalMart is paying for their store themselves. If the Arts Center can be built and furnished with private donations then great. If they want tax money, the answer is no.
How much of a private donation can we put you down for?
My taxes are not paying for WalMart construction. Despite all the political promises and the generous gift from Ms. Graham, I don’t believe for one minute that this won’t be an extremely costly proposition for the taxpayers of Harford County. Enough wasting our money – do it privately or let the market decide what happens to the land. You say there are lots of empty houses around the county – do you really think a developer is going to get funding to build another Constant Friendship here? If nobody is buying, nobody is building.
Meanwhile, schools, highways, County Roads and byways are falling apart around us – any thoughts where existing tax dollars may need to be directed?
My voice will be raised to tell my elected officials not to fund this boondoggle but the way things go around here, it won’t make any difference. The politicians love stuff like this. They get to throw a few million to their developer buddies to build the place, they get their names on a broze plaque at the front door, and they get to put a bunch of their artsy-craftsy friends on the payroll as site managers, cultural directors, etc. This is all just another scam that we end up paying for. Be honest; in all the years you’ve lived in Harford County, have you ever felt inconvenienced by the lack of an arts center?
Excellent point, Pavel314. If I need art in my life there are amazing and afforable opportunities directly south of us. And ,Harford Lassie, I would be happy to explain the commercialization of art to you in these terms: for those of you who can budget $35 plus a ticket to see art, please do so. But don’t expect the rest of us to subsidize your hobby. And as for generosity, that’s open to discussion. If I offer you $100, but only if I can tell you how to spend it, with an added hook of you contributing substantially, that’s not generosity. That is me foisting my agenda and expectation on you.
If Harford County is considering funding this they can expect a loud and protracted outcry from those of us who have eyes open to the many basic needs that exist in this county.
Tsk tsk.This county had a golden opportunity for creating a dedicated arts center by NOT DEMOLISHING THE EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL THEATER,a first class arts center.The theater was completely self contained with it’s own heating/hvac,performance studios,bathrooms and fantastic stage and support systems.Not to mention it was just plain gorgeous.Many of us in Edgewood voiced the suggestion and made a push for it through the county council chambers but it was deemed “too much of a variable in the master plan for the new school grounds”.What folderall.The space is now a baseball diamond!Another pointed lesson illustrating the powerlessness of Edgewood residents to control anything that occurs in the 21040 zip code.Moreover,it SHOULD call attention to the lack of vision and human interest shown for decades by Harford County leadership.
I think a lot of people missed the part of her statement where she pointed out that all of the studies and actions to this point have been privately funded and they have every intention to fund as much as possible from whatever they do get from donations. What’s with all the knee jerk reactions?
That said, I think there is very very little support in County govt for providing much, if any money for this project. The dollars wouldn’t be spent until maybe 2018 or so, and perhaps in different economoic times feelings may be different, but I doubt it.
People have to understand the nature of fundraising though, where you have to hit people with some grand utopian vision they can get excited about, and they make large donations to help make it a reality, but ultimately many times you will come up short and you will end up building something a lot less grand.
I think we’ll end up with an arts center or facility on that land, but not for several years and not on the scale they are talking about now, and not with much if any support from the county. Ultimately the county has to do their own study and determine if any money they put into it they will ever get back out, rather than relying on the arts center studies.
Also, don’t tie the arts center to the park, because they are distinct and neither is at all reliant on the other to exist. The land for the park is set aside, it’s only waiting for the County to make it happen.
As to the mention of Walmart in this subject, obviously there are big difference in the tax payer impact, but I think many of the people saying Walmart doesn’t cost them money are not completely informed. It is going to cost you money in terms of more gas sitting in traffic, increased emergency services (traffic accidents), and further road improvements that either the state or county will have to undertake in years to come in that area. Although Walmart is required to “mitigate” their impact, do you really think the process isn’t slanted in their favor? Example: Their study is using the standard industry figure of 4.6 traffic units or something for a big box discount store, while the standard for a grocery store is 10 units. So in their study, a Super Walmart produces less traffic than a Kleins? Yeah right. We will pay for that.
I think some kind of modest performing arts center on that land is better for everyone than the ugly alternatives. But I don’t think we need one with super scientifically climate controlled galleries for high end exhibitions. Just good quality indoor/outdoor theater experiences and other reasonable and widely enjoyed arts functions.
That’s actually a very good suggestion…they can go ahead and procure whatever private donations they can gather and design a more modest facility based upon those revenues. All they’d need to do is insist that the architects come up with a plan that allows for later modifications that will not render an existing structure obsolete – then as perhaps we can move out of our current economic malaise there might be less reason for objection later on. As I understand it the use of the land as prescribed by Ms. Bayliss doesn’t say it needs to be a monument to all of civilization…it can be much more modest and satisfy the requirement.
A have a problem with this part:
“The College shares the Amoss Center with Harford Technical High School … In addition, the mandatory use of technical (sound/lighting/stage management) staff at union wages is prohibitively expensive for local groups.”
Why is the use of technical staff at union wages mandatory and how can we get rid of that requirement?
Please don’t think that Walmart’s relocation won’t cost you anything. Walmart has already cost the taxpayers of Maryland $20 million for the improvement of the intersection of Tollgate and Rt. 24. This is something David Craig’s office said Walmart continually “whined” for at the Abingdon Community Council Meeting. Our fine Governor put this in the budget (at whose request, hmmm) and we spent TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS for Walmart. After less than a year Walmart is telling every taxpayer in Maryland, “Thanks for the big gift but we are out of here!” How much will the additional road improvements to the two state roads Rt. 24 and 924 cost us over the next few years? Another $20 million, $30 million? Keep out your checkbook Marylanders–Walmart wants more of your tax money and will then give you the shaft…again! Harford County can say no to Walmart’s move and look, we just found money not spent on road improvements to fund a new Havre de Grace High School.
Note–we will talk about campaign donation transparency in Maryland and Harford County at another time.