In a letter dated February 20, Susan Jackson, the chairperson of the BC Arts Council, informed Kimberley Arts Council – Centre 64 that it has been awarded $15,849 in operating assistance from provincial government funds. In confirming the award, she wrote: “Your organization has demonstrated its continued contribution to the arts and culture sector and we trust this funding will help facilitate your organization’s continuing success.”
Arts council president, Lennan Delaney, said, “This is great news.” This operating assistance award is approximately double the amount received from BCAC in the past couple of years and will go a long way to balancing the books for 2019. Due to extensive additions to programs and projects last year, the arts council ended up with a deficit of over $19,000 in 2018 following expenditures of almost $400,000. While the arts council remains in sound financial health, this substantial award will allow it to continue to offer all current programming and to add an additional major program this summer, an announcement of which is due shortly.
Having successfully completed a lift installation project in 2018 in collaboration with the City of Kimberley, providing access to the upper floor theatre for wheelchair patrons, the arts council is now pursuing a grant to aid in the renovation and repair of the arts centre roof which has leaked for many years.
READ: Centre 64 roof needs repairs
At the same time the ‘Take A Seat’ campaign to replace all the theatre seats is nearing completion, following which the arts council will be applying for funding for a large exterior mural project on the south wall of the centre.
READ: Take a seat campaign launched
While such major projects are being brought to fruition, regular arts programming continues unabated. Monthly exhibitions in the gallery, spring and fall concert series in Studio 64, Creative Kids art classes after school and during the summer vacation, weekly sessions of the We Paint group and writing group, Latin dance nights, art movie nights, and sponsored workshops and concerts by touring artists all continue to be presented.
“The funds provided by the Province of BC through the BC Arts Council are an important source of revenue to support this multi-faceted approach to arts programming that we are proud to offer at Centre 64,” stated Kimberley Arts Council secretary Mike Redfern.
carolyn.grant@kimberleybulletin.com
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