Boosting the arts

Suzie Harrison

Arts organizations all over the city are seeing the fruits of the

business improvement district. Funds from the tax have gone to

art-oriented groups big and small to enhance their work in the city.

“The idea was initiated by the hotels as a self-imposed tax

approved by the City Council,” Sian Poeschl city arts coordinator

said.

The money brought a 2% increase in tax with 1% of it going to the

Laguna Beach Visitors Bureau and 1% going toward the arts. That

$340,000 was then divided, with 20% of it going to regranting arts

organizations, 20% going to the arts commission and 60% being awarded

to arts organizations that met certain criteria.

This was the first year for the business improvement tax, which

was implemented in July. Today is the deadline for applications for

the coming year.

“A total of $52,800 was awarded to nine organizations,” Poeschl

said. “The application states that the primary goal is to promote and

encourage cultural activities, to develop cultural programs,

encourage artistic excellence and develop new audiences for the

arts.”

The arts commission reviews the applications and presents their

recommendations to the City Council.

To qualify, an organization must be nonprofit and meet the

cultural needs of the city for a new or expanded service not being

provided, Poeschl said.

The cultural arts funding for 2002-03 was as follows: California

Choreographers Dance Festival received $5,700; First Thursday’s Art

Walk, $4,000; Laguna Beach Alliance for the Arts, $15,000; Laguna

Community Concert Band, $3,700; Laguna Beach Live, $1,600; Laguna

Outreach Community Arts, $6,200; No Square Theatre, $7,700; and the

Sawdust Art Festival, $8,600.

Laguna College of Art and Design was granted $300, but declined it

because it received other funds through the business improvement

district.

“We’re so pleased to receive that grant,” said Rebecca Meekma,

media relations for Sawdust Festival. “It’s allowed us to expand

programming. For example, Spring Art Walk will be two days instead of

just one. Hopefully, people will come for both days for Art Walk and

spend both days in Laguna.”

Carol Reynolds of the Laguna Community Concert Band said that the

grant has made concerts such as the patriotic concert they’re

performing this Sunday possible.

Laguna Outreach Community Arts has been one of the most impressive

organizations and established a completely new program. With their

portion of the funds, they created Art Escapes, art workshops for

adults.

“Art Escapes is a two-hour program every Monday at the Pottery

Shack,” Poeschl said. “It offers an array of different artists and

really added to the cultural arts.

No Square Theatre’s founder and creative director Bree Burgess

Rosen said that the money has been a great boost. She said it gave No

Square a lot of exposure in the hotels and throughout town through

various marketing venues.

“We got almost $8,000 from BID,” Rosen said. It allowed us to make

signs and mailers. We never had an ad budget for more than $800. This

year, it was $1,200.”

The Art Commission received $54,000 and is using their funds to

run artist-designed bench competitions, competitions for sculpture

installations, publishing an updated a city public art brochure,

improving the city’s Web site, offering virtual tours of public art

and more.

The 60% for arts organizations went to the Laguna Art Museum,

Laguna Playhouse and Laguna College of Art and Design, which each

received $74,000. Each of those groups will get an estimated $118,000

in the upcoming budget.

“The criteria includes that they have year-round programming, that

they have been in Laguna Beach more than five years, that they are a

professional art group with professional management and have

full-time, paid employees, the property ownership or ground lease has

to be within the city limits, that they are accredited and have an

operating budget of $850,000 or more,” Poeschl said.

Poeschl said the BID has been a great benefit to the city’s

cultural arts.

“Given the opportunity arts organizations excel in providing new,

exciting programs,” Poeschl said.

“It was a lot of money to be distributed,” she said. “A lot of

wonderful things have come forward this year, and it’s exciting to

see what will happen with its growth.”