Arts Council considering 230,000 dollar budget
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on May 27, 2005 1:45 PM
The Arts Council of Wayne County is considering a proposed budget of $230,000 for 2005-2006.
The budget was presented Thursday at the council's monthly meeting. Council members will vote on the budget at next month's meeting.
Members discussed the current membership drive. Gwyn Wilson, the council's treasurer, said that 2,300 membership letters were sent out last month and as of the end of April, a total of $5,220 in donations had been received.
"We're getting a good response from the county," she said.
Ms. Wilson said follow-up letters would be sent out next month. She noted that the Arts Council hasn't held a membership drive in several years and suggested the council get back to having a drive every year to raise money.
This year, the city of Goldsboro increased its contribution to the council to $20,000, up from $13,000 last year. Ms. Wilson said if the council could find a way to get half of its funding from the annual membership drive, it could get the other half from other sources.
Alice Strickland, the council director, reported that 130 people attended the dulcimer concert May 14 and another 100 people attended a piano recital at the council building recently. She said she is pleased that more people are taking advantage of the building to stage events.
She said she received three requests to use the council's garden in one week, but said it needs a lot of sprucing up.
Robert Montague donated a big screen TV and more than videos he had collected to the council, including foreign films, Disney movies, comedies and classics. He proposed the council hold a movie night each Friday for the public.
The council will sponsor an exhibition for Goldsboro resident Wendy Lies, a recent East Carolina University graduate, on June 6 from 5 to 7 p.m.
The council's next meeting will be held June 23 at noon. Officers will be installed.