Montclair Arts Council To Cease Operations

Due to funding cuts by the Township of Montclair, the Montclair Arts Council (MAC) will cease operating by the end of the year.

Since 2005, MAC's efforts yielded more than $318,000 in grants, sponsorships and donations, and $150,000 in public art projects, while leading the Township in cultural tourism and economic development initiatives, MAC officials said Wednesday.

In a statement, the MAC said that its survival was reliant upon the $80,000 that was to be contractually provided by the Township of Montclair in 2011 to pay staff members and cover operating costs. The Township of Montclair, faced with an unprecedented budget crisis, authorized Township Manager Marc Dashield on Tuesday night to terminate the town's contract with the MAC.

"Without the support of the Township, the MAC is unable to meet its minimum financial needs and will have to cease operations immediately," said Executive Director Jim Peskin. "Our plan is to officially cease all activities and lay off the staff by the end of the month."

In 2011, the MAC would have been entering the third year of a five-year contract with the Township that was subject to government appropriations. The MAC has operated independently from the Township government. MAC staff members have not received medical coverage, pensions or other benefits. The Township did provide office space for the MAC within the Municipal Building.

"The elimination of an entity that is generating revenue in the community seems to me to be ill advised and extremely short-sighted," said MAC Board Chair Phoebe Pollinger. 

Pollinger added, "The Council talks about economic development—MAC does it. The Council talks about generating revenue—MAC does it. The Council talks about serving our seniors—MAC does it. The Council talks about supporting the arts—MAC does it. It is hard to understand how the Council is ready to not only walk away from all of the initiatives it claims to embrace, but also walk away from the substantial amount of additional funds MAC has received by leveraging Township funding."

In addition to part-time Executive Director Peskin, the MAC has employed a part-time administrative assistant, as well as consultants to work on arts calendars, newsletters, marketing, communications and grant writing. MAC volunteers have clocked thousands of hours.

Among the chief accomplishments of the MAC is the creation of DestinationMontclair.com, partially funded by the New Jersey Department of Tourism. This cultural tourism Web site is designed to reach tourists from throughout the region who are known to spend twice as much as locals when visiting Montclair.

"Efforts in this arena have not only garnered the support of the business community," said Pollinger, "but have been recognized throughout the state."

Other accomplishments include stepping in to fill the void created when the Montclair Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) lost its funding. The MAC worked with the Montclair Center BID this year to turn vacant storefronts into temporary gallery space. The MAC's signature event, the popular bi-annual Montclair Gallery Walks held in the spring and fall, has included up to a dozen galleries, as well as collaborations with local restaurants to offer fixed-price dinners.

"There is no one other than MAC that really is working with the business community to attract regional consumers," Pollinger said.

The MAC has also worked to strengthen the town and gown relationship with Montclair State University through a significant number of collaborations with numerous areas of the university, from Peak Performances to Service Learning. The 2010 Underdog Film Festival, which screened Academy Award-nominated short films on the campus of Montclair State University, was a huge success.

Linda Davidson, Assistant Dean, College of the Arts, at Montclair State University, said, "For the first time in over 20 years, there will be no municipal support of the arts whatsoever in Montclair—neither a voice through a position in the town's government nor support of an entity advocating for and supporting the arts such as the Montclair Arts Council. A tremendous hole is left—to the detriment of artists, arts organizations, and the community at large."

Indeed, at a meeting Tuesday night, the Township Council decided to end funding for the Montclair Arts Council, saying it would send the highly regarded organization a 90-day notice letter terminating MAC's contract with the town.

At the same time, funding for the Pre-K program also likely will be cut, but not before the end of the first quarter of 2011.

Indeed, MAC actually declined any further funding and asked that their money also be given to the Pre-K so that the program might be kept afloat longer.

All this marks the beginning of what's bound to be an extremely challenging budget year.

Township Manager Dashield said Tuesday night that a temporary budget must be approved by December 28 and that a preliminary 2011 budget will be presented to council members by January 15, 2011.

"This will be the first year of the 2 percent levy cap ... there will be tremendous strains on the budget," he said. Dashield said that the levy cap will allow the Township to increase the $70 million budget by $900,000, adding that his estimate of salary and wage increases also totals about $900,000.

In addition, he said he foresees a reduction in revenue of about $2 million.

"In total, we predict we will be $3.3 million above the levy cap," he said. "We have to cut $3.3 million ... there's no getting around it."

Dashield explained that the $70 million budget includes $39 million that is already obligated and mandated—in areas such as insurance and debt payments.

In the end, Dashield said he told MAC and Pre-K representatives that there would be no funding for them—although he asked that the organizations be funded through the first quarter of 2011 so that the groups are given time to perhaps make alternate arrangements.

That funding would have totaled $20,000 for MAC and $70,000 for the Pre-K program.

But, in the end, MAC asked that their money be given to the Pre-K program so that it might be allowed to continue for a longer period of time.

Scott Novak, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Montclair Early Childhood Corporation, gave council members an overview as to why the program is so important.

He said that 210 children attend the Pre-K, which has an annual budget of $2.3 millio. Of those children, 47 percent receive some level of financial aid.

"The Pre-K was created to be a safety net for those who could not afford Pre-K," he said. "If funding was eliminated, we'd have to cut aid in half ... the school would become unaffordable for 70 children.

"We don't have 70 other spots in Montclair for these children," he said. "We'd have to lay off 12 staff members."

Novak asked that the school be allowed to continue through the end of the school year, in June.

"It would throw the lives of many residents in disarray if you didn't allow us to do this," he said.

The next Township Council meeting is scheduled December 28, 2010.