Greeting Friends of Goldwell!
We are writing to you today asking for your collective support. As you well know, the economy is in the proverbial tank, which has resulted in drastic funding cuts to arts organizations from state and federal agencies. Everyone’s support from the Nevada Arts Council–from whom Goldwell has received steadily increasing grants and kudos over the past ten years—has been slashed by more than 53%.
Tourist traffic has also been way down this past couple of years, so your favorite desert art oasis is also taking a bit of a roughing up on the earned income side. The economy has definitely affected our visitor numbers, despite the fact that the visitor center is open 5-6 days a week and staffed with knowledgeable volunteers (BIG shout-out to Suzy and Riley McCoy!) And the visitors that have stopped by just aren’t dropping the bucks into the donation jar and/ or buying t-shirts and videos as they used to.
As a result, our programming was greatly curtailed in the last fiscal year. As most of you know, Albert’s Tarantella and the Goldwell Gathering were not offered in 2010. Also, where in prior years we hosted nine to ten artist residencies, this past year we only hosted two–but they were both wonderful!
In February, Joyce Yu-Jean Lee created a monumental new “projection painting” with students from Beatty High School (based on Leonardo’s Last Supper fresco, with perhaps a bit of Albert Szukalski’s Last Supper, Goldwell’s signature piece, thrown in) that was premiered at The Hamiltonian in Washington D.C. and SCOPE, the New York Art Fair. You can view it here: http://www.vimeo.com/21412886. And Jean Gumpper offered a great workshop on reduction woodcut printmaking in April at the Red Barn Art Center, during her residency.
We have a pending request to the National Endowment for the Arts, which would enable us to get back to a year-round schedule of residencies in FY 2012. Although we were encouraged by their response to our proposal last year, federal funding is never a given, and their budget has been reduced as well.
In addition to needs on the programming side, the roof of the Red Barn also needs fixing, the visitor center building needs shoring up, and several sculptures are also in need of some TLC. With an operating budget of just under $60,000, we just can’t get to all the capital needs of our facilities without increased support from our friends!
Our Residency Manager, David Lancaster, speculates that if all the friends and fans of Goldwell were to donate just $10, we would be able to meet our operating costs for the fiscal year, award residencies to a few more deserving artists, and tend to the much needed maintenance. You can donate online at http://goldwellmuseum.org/support-goldwell or send a check to P.O. Box 405, Beatty, NV 89003.
Please also consider supporting our upcoming annual fundraiser, Albert’s Tarantella IV, on Oct 1, 2011 at the Red Barn Art Center. This year we are presenting a Death Valley Luau, featuring award-winning Hawaiian slack key guitarist, Gary Haleamau, hula dancers, a limbo contest, our fabulous art auction and Hawaiian cuisine!
Many, many thanks for your consideration of our humble request and you have our heartfelt thanks in advance. We hope to see a bunch of you at the Tarantella Oct 1!
Sincerely,
Charles Morgan
President
