Clarifying costs for arts council

Editor:

On behalf of the Carson Valley Arts Council I would like to respond to a letter to the editor on March 17.

In her letter, Ms. Kerley paid the Carson Valley Arts Council a very nice compliment but proceeded to take issue with the amount that is charged for events, insinuating that the charge was $40-$50 per event. I feel that there has been some miscommunication here that I would like to take this opportunity to correct.

The following is a brief synopsis of our events and their associate costs to our patrons: concert series tickets are a $15 donation per event at the door which barely covers the cost of the venue and the high-quality artist and without generous donations and business sponsors, we would not be able to present; the ticket price for children's theater productions vary between $5 and $10 which again means that the council needs sponsors and donors because the revenue doesn't begin to cover the cost of the production; the school outreach program is free to the schools but paid for through grants; and our ArtBar is primarily reserved for local talent at no charge but patron donations.

Occasionally the ArtBar events are lucky enough to get name recognized talent, top entertainment that happens through town and is looking for a venue to play on the fly. Even in this case we work hard to ensure that the ticket prices are not more than $10-$15.

The only other events for which a cost is involved are an occasional art class. In this case, the artist usually rents the space from the council and decides the cost of the class and collects the money. An art teacher has recently offered classes in the $40-$50 range. The six-hour Feb. 7 class was used as a fundraiser for the council. We provided the space and the instructor did the rest including making the decision on what to charge students.

The purpose of the arts council, by our mission statement, is to support artists and arts organizations in educational and experiential ways and for all of the various art forms. It is in existence because a group of individuals saw the benefits of the arts in stimulating local economies and enhancing the communities and wanted that for the Carson Valley and the Lake Tahoe region. As a board member, I am committed to creating "a community that is united and inspired by the arts." This tag line was developed by a founding board member who, like the rest of us, is committed to Carson Valley and making it a more vibrant and unique place for all of us to live.

In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the incredible and dedicated and talented volunteers of the Carson Valley Arts Council and the Copeland Cultural Arts Center. Without you, CVAC would not have been able to grow exponentially as it has this last year. You are the lifeblood of the CVAC.

I would also like to put a call out to encourage the community to share their time and talents and volunteer to assist the CVAC as it continues to grow in the arts and in the community that the arts spirit promotes. If you have not had a chance to visit the Copeland Cultural Arts Center, please come by and say "Hi," also check our Web site for upcoming events at www.cvartscouncil.com.

Theresa Chipp

Secretary and acting Executive Director

Carson Valley Arts Council