The Cleveland Orchestra has cut concerts. The Michigan Opera Theatre in Detroit cut an opera. The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis chopped $2 million from its budget. Madison’s Repertory Theatre is shutting down after 40 years, and the Madison Ballet has cancelled its current season. Door County’s Fairfield Art Center is closing its doors after a 10-year run, since its donations dropped below survival rates in 2008. The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s current strike, which began in October, prompted cancelled performances and lengthy negotiations. The Wausau Performing Arts Foundation is cutting its number of shows for next year. And so on.

Nationally, non-profit arts organizations and their audiences account for about 5.7 million jobs, almost $30 billion in local, state, and federal revenue each year, and nearly $166.2 billion in economic activity, according to The Arts & Economic Prosperity III, a study released in 2007 by Americans for the Arts. And this is independent from the many theaters, music venues, and independent artists spreading their financial weight around the economy.

From theater guilds to centers for culture and entertainment, local directors worry about the residual effects of slashing budgets and drops in sales. But they insist that the show must, and will, go on. All it takes to keep the heart of art pumping, they say, is some creative thinking and a lot of community support.

As regional artists feel the economic effects, they explain the blood and sweat that it takes to make adjustments due to shaky sales, while maintaining a life as an artist. And patrons of the arts, the oxygen that fuels support for these creative professionals, tell why art is such a vital organ in the Chippewa Valley.

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    Local leaders within the arts business said the economy has pushed them to assess everything from ticket prices to the type of shows they present.

 At the Mabel Tainter, the annual fund drive has worried Executive Director Gary Schuster. He said patrons who typically contribute are cutting donations anywhere from 30 to 40 percent. Schuster said the drop in independent funding is because contributors are spreading their allotted donation money evenly instead of giving big chunks. The economy, he said, has forced people to cut back and reconsider how they spend their money.

 “We’ve seen an enormous decrease in our high-end tickets; those are not moving at all,” Schuster said. These higher priced shows cost about $24 to $36, he said. On the lower end, ticket sales for $10 or less have dropped only 5 percent. In addition, he said the family tickets are selling about the same.

 While theatergoers are on the decline, Schuster said volunteers are coming out of the woodwork. Street teams are distributing promotional materials and supporters are looking for new ways to help the Mabel Tainter survive.

 “They realize that we’re very tight economically. That revenue stream is down 47 percent this year, so they are asking, ‘What can I do to help?’ ” he said.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Comparing the state of local art centers to bigger cities like Madison or Minneapolis, Schuster said it’s important to look at the demographics for a sense of perspective. He said this area has always suffered in terms of demographics and population size. Eau Claire simply can’t sustain a wide variety of venues.

 “Imagine if this area tried to open an African American theater. It wouldn’t survive,” Schuster said. “But the Mixed Blood Theater exists in Minneapolis and it’s a thriving organization.”

 Despite this, Schuster said that the Chippewa Valley has a strong sense of family and community, and without their support, art venues would hit the skids. Everyone must remember, he said, that the arts are an important economic sector.

 “We’re talking about billions of dollars of jobs in the industry,” Schuster said, “A guy playing guitar and a guy fixing tires are both working, and those both affect the economy in the same way.”

 Beyond present economic woes, Schuster adds that there are even bigger, long-range aspects at stake if the arts take hits they cannot survive.

 “If you start shutting down cultural opportunities, quality of life shuts down,” he said. “Nobody’s moving here and it all snowballs.”

TAKING ACTION TO CHANGE THE TIDE
One of the strategies local entertainment venues have taken on is the beloved discount. At the State Theater in Eau Claire, Executive Director Ben Richgruber said they recently adopted a $10 ticket promotion to provide tickets for those with a tight budget and because the timing was right.

 “We always get requests for lower ticket prices, but it’s very hard to accommodate because our costs go up and up whether or not our ticket prices can,” he said.

 For example, a band that was at the State Theater in 2005 has literally doubled its price. He said this is difficult because he realizes most people aren’t willing to pay twice as much for a ticket. The creative balancing act begins.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF COMMUNITY ART
“It’s annoying when people call us a luxury, because we are not,” Richgruber said. In one evening, he added, it’s possible to see an economic cyclical effect. After a moderate crowd attended one of the State Theater’s evening shows, Richgruber said, they flocked to the Haymarket Grill for post-show dining. Beyond the possible financial gains of one event, Richgruber also said there are serious long-term benefits that some may not consider.

 “We need those creative minds because they expand to other jobs that haven’t even been created yet,” he said. Whether it’s designing a new product, creating a savvy marketing strategy, or taking a business plan from a new angle, Richgruber said the world needs outlets for creative minds to flourish because they benefit society in many ways.

GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT
Even if a business has yet to feel a deep impact financially, it can still affect the decision making process, said Blaine Halverson, president at the Menomonie Theater Guild. He said as the guild looks to next year, members are trying to figure out what people will want to see and what they’ll pay.

 “In our most recent discussion about next season, we came to the conclusion that right now, most people who are spending money on entertainment are doing it to escape from their concerns and difficulties,” Halverson said.

 As a direct result, Halverson said their show content is shifting from a balance of tragedy and comedy, to mainly poignant, lighter shows.

 “We tend to think that we can help them by making their theatrical experience both enriching and therapeutic,” he said.

 Therapeutic and a bargain, said Ann Sessions, executive director at the Chippewa Valley Theater Guild. “You get a Broadway-caliber show at a community theater price,” she said.

 A show that could cost about $60 to $80 in the Twin Cities could cost only $15 to $20 locally, Sessions said. And as Richgruber said, getting an entertainment fix locally also boosts the restaurants and other surrounding businesses.

 “We need the arts all year round and we need them to be successful,” Sessions said. Without strong support for the arts, she said, people are forced to travel to get their artistic fix.

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    Grant Wood, the artist behind the iconic American Gothic painting and other Midwestern masterpieces, emerged from the Great Depression with great success, thanks to the many who supported the arts during a time of financial despair.

“People don’t understand the value of original art,” said Laurie Bieze, a local glass artist who has dedicated 31 years to her craft and works at her studio in Banbury Place, near downtown Eau Claire. She used Grant Wood as an example of why local art, and art in general, is especially important during a time of economic strain.

She said selling art always has its ups and downs and the current tide is particularly interesting. An art crawl was held at Banbury Place in December, and Bieze said it was the biggest in 30 years in Eau Claire. With more than 3,000 visitors, she said the breadth of artist support “blew everyone away.”

Still, Bieze said her commissions are down about 25 percent. The last time she saw a drop off of this magnitude was shortly after Sept.11, 2001, a time when she says everyone seemed to be nervous about the financial climate of the country. Eight years later, Bieze is seeing a similar downturn. “We are a luxury, but we’re also a spiritual necessity,” said Bieze.

There are many talented artists who eventually leave the area for greener pastures like a bigger city for more showings and exposure, Bieze said. This could be curbed, she said, by recognizing all the talent that resides in the Chippewa Valley and the patrons seeking local art.


A SIGN OF WHAT’S TO COME
“I’m tired and jaded from trying to make things work, but the youth are really providing energy,” Bieze said. It’s the twentysomething producers and appreciators of art who are giving the community a needed kick and potentially opening up the eyes of some who were blind to the art community, she said.

“I definitely think it’s going to bounce back, as long as the spirit of people behind the driving force doesn’t give up,” Bieze said.

She now shares her studio with Adam Fuller, another glass artist who has helped herkeep sales in motion. Bieze says he has the sales experience to compliment her creative mind and, together, they are reformulating their strategy to keep patrons coming through the doors. In fact, Bieze and Fuller say now is the time to really push for local art because there are deals and discounts floating around town, at theaters, museums, and shows. Bieze said there’s a floating assumption that local art is more expensive or that art collectors are mainly wealthy people, but added her patrons are from all walks of life.

“People who appreciate art is the key,” she said. Her most loyal patron is Luther Hospital. She recently completed her 21st commission for them.

Commissions everywhere are affected by the foreign market, said Bieze. It’s not authentic art, but factories in Mexico and Korea can whip up a glass lamp and sell it for much less than she would charge. Bieze stressed that despite the appeal of a cheaper item, it’s crucial to buy locally.

“If people hold off too long as far as purchasing art, that stuff won’t be there in the future because it had no ongoing support,” Schuster said. And it’s the tip of this iceberg that has some independent art owners altering their business strategy.

CHANGING HER TUNE
“I found myself in an empty shop,” said Tracy Taylor, artist and owner of Main Street Mi Casa, a studio for ceramic and glass painting in downtown Chippewa Falls. She has made changes both personally and within her business to stay financially stable. Recently, she changed her studio from an open art gallery and design service, to an appointment-only, smaller studio space.

“I love to do what I do, and I have to make a living,” she said. “I made changes to be able to stay downtown.”

Now, she said her business changes have allowed her to secure a part-time graphics job on the side, in addition to dedicating time for her own mural work. A sign of the times? Taylor said, “Yes.” To help her store and other businesses downtown, Taylor said she has been crossing over and working with other venues for joint advertising.

The Dunn County Historical Society’s artist tour teamed up with the Mabel Tainter, she said, which was very cost effective. Also, last year downtown businesses started a ladies’ night out event, which brought together 20 stores and a lot of buzz, Taylor said. Using other resources to bring in clients and customers is a positive move and something that will become a mainstay in the way art runs its businesses locally, she said.

“Art is a luxury, but it’s actually cheap therapy. It’s good for your soul,” said Taylor.

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    “Visual art is an important part of our lives,” said Jill Barland, a local resident and supporter of regional art. Jill and her husband Tom both served as presidents of the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center Board and own several pieces of art from local artists.

Both said there are a myriad of talented artists in the area, including Mel Sundby, Jean Acola, Laurie Bieze, Mark Horton, David Brock, Allan Servoss, Bill Benson, Bruce Warren – the list goes on. From colored pencil and oil, to landscape or stained glass, the Barlands said there is plenty to pick from regionally.

Tom Barland has lived in Eau Claire since 1942 and said support of the arts grew as the city became more diverse. He said that Eau Claire has always had strong theater. He especially remembers community theater being a big hit in the past decades.

The biggest change the Barlands said they’ve noticed is the bourgeoning music scene, specifically alternative, indie acts like Bon Iver and Mike Perry. Tom said poetry readings, which “didn’t exist 50 years ago,” are gathering a following in the area as well.

Like Bieze, the Barlands said the Art Crawl at Banbury was surprisingly successful. Jill also said the recent Janet Carson exhibition was very well attended. Taking these highs and lows into consideration, the Barlands said there are a lot of reasons to support local art and the Chippewa Valley in particular.

“We know how much the arts can do for our lives, for our children, and the community, Barland said. “The idea of not having it is the saddest thing.”

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    While the vast majority of the art world – and nearly every other sector, for that matter – is on the verge of financial collapse, the film industry is seeing a huge jump in the box office.

“We’ve done very well this year so far,” said Connie Olson, of Micon Cinemas in Chippewa Falls. “January was unbelievable; I read somewhere that, nationwide, it was up something like 14 percent.”

The New York Times recently reported that ticket sales are actually up 17.5 percent this year, or $1.7 billion, and attendance has jumped 16 percent. If the success continues, the article alleged, it would mean the biggest box office year since 1989 (Batman was the big movie that year) and possibly the first $10 billion year in history.

Using the Great Depression for a basis of comparison, most media are crediting the surge to a need for escapism, average Janes and Joes wanting to get away from financial woes, if only for a few hours.

Others point to families as the breaking point.

“Family films are doing extremely well,” Olson said. “Parents are saying, ‘We can’t afford to take the kids on vacation this year, but we can go to a few movies this month.’”

The fact that movies are doing well this year is especially poignant given their decline in recent years, during the rise of home viewership on DVD (Netflix) and the internet (Hulu, YouTube, etc.). Attendance statistics have steadily dropped every year since 2002. Just last year (2008), attendance dropped 5 percent.

In the 30s, the era of the Great Depression, it has been reported that 65 percent of people went to a movie every week. By the 60s, that percentage was down to 10 percent (some say due to the rise of TV), and has stayed fairly consistent ever since.

Further evidence that credits the economy with these rises and slumps can be seen in the years 1982 and 1985. In ’82 (E.T. was the big hit), attendance jumped 10 percent, or $1.18 billion, as unemployment rose 10 percent. As the economy picked up in 1985 (Back to the Future was the rage), admissions fell 12 percent.

While part of the story is that, yes, the box office is booming, Hollywood’s production budget has plummeted. The Wrap reports that, “According to IMDbPro, a mere 35 films are currently in production or have filmed in the U.S. since January. That’s an 8.7 percent drop from last year, which was already low because of the writer’s strike.”

“With fewer movies being made and more being limited releases,” Olson said, “that may affect us in the future.”

– Trevor Kupfer

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