About the same time we were posting my blog entry about a recent visit to the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC, Martha Waggoner, an Associated Press writer was releasing a story about the financial problems of the Pottery Center. The headline hitting papers throughout the Carolinas was, “Supporters: NC Pottery Center needs $100,000″.
I had no idea where my little impulsive visit to the Pottery Center was going to lead me. First, I didn’t know about the dueling pottery festivals until I left Seagrove and arrived in Greensboro, NC, and now days later I’ve learned that the Center could close in a few months if $100,000 isn’t raised soon.
Golly Dark Knight – what’s a blogger to do?
I also saw the latest Batman movie while I was in Greensboro. The Caped Crusader and the Joker have come along way since their TV days, but that’s another dark tale, for another day.
This AP report was spawned by a letter signed by board members of the NC Pottery Center stating the Center’s current financial situation – which was not good, but not hopeless.
It seems that the board of the Pottery Center entered into an agreement in 2007 with the NC Department of Cultural Resources to transfer the Center’s assets to the State and operate the Center through the North Carolina Arts Council, but the funding was cut from the latest NC State Budget. The letter to hopeful supporters is a plea for donations which will help the Pottery Center hang on until that funding can be reinstated into the State Budget – hopefully in the next legislative session.
My only indication of financial need when I was at the Pottery Center was when I asked if they had a handout on the exhibitions – so I didn’t have to write down artist’s names for correct spelling. The person I asked laughed and said they just didn’t have money for any printed materials. I didn’t think much of it – that’s the story all over the art community. But otherwise, the Center was in tip-top condition – no signs of lacking on the upkeep of the facility – even after ten years.
I guess the State of NC didn’t think it could handle taking on two visual art institutions in the same year, in that the State of North Carolina just took over operations of the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, NC. It is now a state-run facility operated in conjunction with the NC Museum of Art.
These are tough times for the arts. It’s tough times for everyone – except a few – about 1% of our population. They have been tough times since the year 2000. I wonder what happened that year and has continued through today? I wonder.
Well, the North Carolina Pottery Center needs help. For ten years it has been serving the traditions of Seagrove potters and potteries, NC’s pottery heritage, and the story of handmade pottery. It’s too important to lose now. The letter mentions how you can make a donation in increments of $25 on the Center’s website and it also mentions other forms of fund-raising which will be announced in coming weeks – if not sooner. But, there is nothing like cold hard cash to cure financial problems.
I know how tough it is to think about making a donation to another part of the arts while we’re all hurting – we’re hurting too, but it just seems like we can’t keep going backwards losing all that has been accomplished – just because times are bad. This is when the art community has to stand together and those who enjoy the fruits of that art community to step up and be counted.
If you can’t give money, maybe you can give art that can be used to raise money. Perhaps you can organize a fundraiser in your town or city. One of the Center’s problems is that Seagrove is such a small community – it can only give so much. A fundraiser there can just draw a limited amount of people. They really need money to be raised from and generated in communities – elsewhere.
You can even help by spreading the word that the NC Pottery Center needs help – help now. You never know who will and can respond to this plea, but they just don’t know of the need. A few folks from that 1% could solve this problem themselves, but it may take a lot of folks like you and me. They need an Obama type internet fundraiser – lots of little donations – all at the same time.
The Pottery Center’s website has the posted letter, a link to make electronic donations, info on how and where you can send checks, and a lot of info about what they have been doing in the last ten years – which gives you a snapshot of what this Center could continue to do in the future – with our support.
Finally, when I do these visits I usually go unannounced – it’s easier that way. The next time I just might ask – How you doing? Got any problems worth mentioning? It might save me some time.