The Shenkman Arts Centre will open in Orleans in the spring of 2009. The centre’s construction was made possible mainly, as the name suggests, through corporate sponsorship.
While corporate sponsorship is prevalent in the world of sports, arts organizations tend to rely more on public funding.
Budget cuts by the federal government, as well as proposed municipal cuts to the arts, mean more private fundraising will be necessary to keep organizations running and start new projects.
In current and projected economic hardships, the probability that companies will adequately fund arts organizations is low.
Businesses cutting back on costs are unlikely to donate to the arts, especially without knowing the precise benefits that could result.
Just look at the failed attempt to produce a concert hall in Centretown because developers could not match the required $6 million demanded by the three levels of government that pledged public funding.
Friends of the Concert Hall is a group that arose to try and keep the concert hall dream alive, but there has been little talk about any money raised. Fundraising was supposed to start in September.
The arts may be an unattractive area to sponsor if their public funding is not secure or because of the potential for bad press over controversial programs or productions.
Corporate ownership has the potential of limiting expression through art. For example, a company may refuse to finance a group or project that deals with taboo subjects, like war or sexuality. If a group has no other source of funding, it may have to conform to the company’s wishes.
Donations from individuals limit this from happening but they are hard to find.
The proposed concert hall, which was brought about by the Ottawa Chamber Music Society, would cost an estimated $33 million and would be situated downtown on Elgin Street.
This would be in line with the city’s revitalization plans for the downtown core of Ottawa. The Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans is not.
The concert hall would be world-class, comparable to Lansdowne Live – the proposal unveiled by a group of developers this fall for the reconstruction of Lansdowne Park.
While largely a sports facility, Lansdowne Live would also act as a venue for entertainment – shows, concerts and festivals. The developers are asking for little money from the city and are prepared to fund the majority of the project privately.
Even if these ideas are expensive and outside of what may be expected, they display an overwhelming enthusiasm to bring the best of the best to Ottawa.
There is a constant struggle between arts groups and the government. This was displayed when arts group leaders expressed their frustrations at the proposed cuts at a city hall press conference Nov. 18.
If the arts cannot receive the proper funding from corporations and the government is not carrying the slack or vice versa, are arts going to disappear from Ottawa?
The National Portrait Gallery still has no permanent home, the Concert Hall dream is looking dim, and who knows how the city will respond to Lansdowne Live.
If it gets any worse, tourists will be flocking to the suburbs when they come to Ottawa: dinner and a show in Orleans, the Scotiabank Place in Kanata for drinks and the hockey game.
Whatever happened to boosting downtown arts and culture?