Carnegie Arts Center asks community for help

It’s crunch time for the Carnegie Arts Center, according to the facility’s executive director.

Carolyn Singleton appealed to the Leavenworth County Commission during a meeting Thursday, asking for an emergency one-time allocation of money as well as ongoing funding for the center.

She said she also was appealing to the community that the center serves by providing art, music and drama education and events, to help out if possible. On Thursday, she told the commissioners that if the center’s cash flow doesn’t improve, there is a risk of losing staff.

“We’re there, we like what we’re doing, we don’t want to go out of business,” she said. “But we need some help.”

The center currently receives an annual contribution of $12,500 from the city of Leavenworth for operations. In the past, they’ve received cultural grants from the county, but there was nothing in the county’s budget for cultural funding this year, according to County Administrator Heather Morgan.

But in future budgets Singleton asked the county to include $12,500 each year for the center as a separate line item and an additional $4,500 in immediate funding to meet the needs of the center.

Singleton said since the center opened in the former location of the Leavenworth Public Library in the late 1980s, about $400,000 worth of work has gone into its maintenance. And some of less expensive work has fallen in the lap of Singleton and the center’s other staff members.

More recently, the center was adopted by the 40th Military Police Battalion, who have been volunteering their time to help fix drainage issues on the site that have caused water to enter the building. Still, other improvements need to be made —Singleton said the facility will likely need a new boiler in the next few years.
To make matters worse, she said the several of the center’s annual fundraisers, like the Souper Bowl Supper, were canceled this year due to weather. Singleton also said the Kansas Arts Commission informed the center that it will be holding back 20 percent of the previous year’s grant award.

“Everything combined kind of nibbles away at you,” she said.

The situation has caused strain on the staff, who don’t receive any benefits and Singleton said have not been fully paid for the summer yet. This, even as enrollment in the center’s classes remains fairly high, despite a slightly sluggish summer.

The suggestion of the center’s board of directors, Singelton said, was for the operation to move to a new location and deed the building back to the city of Leavenworth.

“It kind of makes you sick to your stomach,” to think of leaving the historic location, she said.

According to Singleton, Leavenworth City Manager Scott Miller doesn’t want to accept the building back. And though a larger facility would allow the center to more easily increase the size of its classes, she said she wants to avoid relocating if at all possible.

“In spite of all the problems, I think we’re associated with that building,” Singleton said.

As she told the commissioners, the center is also associated with the county. Singleton said they were not focused on tourism, but rather providing a service to area residents.

County Commissioners J.C. Tellefson and Clyde Graeber expressed their support for expending $4,500 from the county’s recreation fund to help the center’s immediate needs.

“It’s an ongoing (operation) that I would really hate to see go away when they’re working so hard to keep our communities vital,” Graeber said.

 Commissioner John Flower said he might support the one-time funding as well — given the commission also approve a contribution to Basehor’s Dairy Days festival that it previously voted down.

He said he did not oppose the funding for cultural events and organizations.
“What I want is fair and equitable treatment for all,” Flower said.

The commission will discuss the funding request at a meeting at 2:15 p.m. Thursday.