Save the Arts in PA

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Lost Art?
Cheronis says budget could hurt downtown
By DEAN WELLS dwells@timesobserver.com
POSTED: May 22, 2009

Are Pennsylvania’s art programs about to take it on the chin during the state’s budgeting process?

GRO-Warren executive director Chris Cheronis thinks it’s a possibility, pointing out that the state Senate’s proposed budget contains zero funding for art programs, such as the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts.

“They totally took it out of the budget 100 percent,” Cheronis said. “To eliminate arts funding 100 percent of it is absolutely crazy. There is so much economic development attached to art.”

Cheronis and GRO-Warren hopes to jumpstart some of that art-related economic development in downtown Warren via the new Allegheny Center for the Arts Building.

“Half of Liberty Street is focused on art,” Cheronis said, “and we have the Library Theater (downtown).”

State funding has already been secured for the Allegheny Center for the Arts facility, Cheronis said. However, if all art funding is stripped from the state budget, it would limit the center’s ability to work with the Pa. Council for the Arts, affecting the center’s programming capabilities in the future.

“To what level it would be affected, I can’t answer that,” Cheronis said. “It won’t stop the project, but it will have an impact.

“If there is no funding for the arts, we lose the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts, we lose programs that support the Crary Gallery, we lose support for the Civic Orchestra, the Library Theatre. That little bit in the budget can make or break an organization. I think there are better ways to go about this without striking arts from the budget completely. I think that would be unfortunate and ill-advised.”

Lt. Gov. and Sentate Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati disagrees.

According to Scarnati’s chief of staff Todd Nyquist, the Senate’s budget is the only budget presented where “revenues meets expenditures.”

“We chose to cut spending as to increasing taxes,” Nyquist said. “Joe opposes a broadbased tax increase.”

Nyquist said that art programs weren’t intentionally singled out in the proposed budget. “There are a lot of core programs that were cut,” he said. “But we did secure core governmental functions.”

Cheronis noted that the proposed state budget in the Senate Bill 850 also strips away tourism funding.

“The whole state of Pennsylvania is pushing tourism as an industry,” Cheronis said. “Our second top industry is tourism. And they are going to take funding away? That’s crazy. It doesn’t even make sense.”

Nyquist said he appreciated Cheronis’ concerns, then added: “But if she finds me a business that’s willing to take a tax increase, have her give me a call. Businesses and taxpayers haven’t been knocking down Joe Scarnati’s door, asking him to take more money out of their pockets and increase their taxes. There isn’t a business in this country, a taxpayer in this country who is spending over their means.”

Nyquist pointed out that the proposed budget cuts in the Senate’s budget “aren’t forever.” He also noted that the federal stimulus package has money set aside for art programs in the form of grants.

“Federal stimulus is there to help out with those sort of things,” Nyquist said.

House Bill 4116 S.B. 850’s counterpart in the House of Representatives calls for $14 million in art funding. Cheronis said she has been in contact with state Rep. Kathy Rapp’s office to obtain the most recent updates on the House budget’s progress.

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t tighten our belts. We should absolutely do that,” Cheronis said. “Everyone should. But to eliminate it? When you have art-related activities, the restaurants are benefiting, the retail is benefiting, the quality of life increases. There are so many things that play off it that are crucial for a community. Hopefully, it will be put back into the (final) budget during the budget negotiation process. There will be a cut, though. I have no doubt about that.”