The Williamsburg Area Arts Commission is asking for $120,000 total from the City of Williamsburg and James City County for next year — a figure that accounts for less than half of the funding requests received by the commission.
Arts Commission Chairman Greg Lilly told the Williamsburg City Council at its work session Monday the commission received requests totaling more than $245,000 from area organizations looking for support for arts programming in greater Williamsburg.
In a letter to the City Council, Lilly said the Arts Commission determined $120,000 — $55,000 each from the city and county with the assumption each locality would receive $5,000 from the state for arts funding — would satisfy both the needs of the local arts community and the restrictions of Williamsburg’s budget situation in fiscal year 2016.
The funds would be divided among 32 organizations to sponsor instrumental and vocal music performances, theater groups, visual arts shows, festivals and in-school educational programming.
Lilly said the Arts Commission did not want to be the sole source of funding for organizations that should be able to generate some of their own revenue.
The Arts Commission’s budget for fiscal year 2015, which ends June 30, also totaled $120,000 — $55,000 apiece from Williamsburg and James City County, and $10,000 from the state.
Lilly said the requests typically exceeded what the commission was able to provide, and groups regularly received smaller-than-requested assistance. Last year, the Virginia Opera requested $13,000 to support its programming, but was granted $7,500. Similarly, the Williamsburg Choral Guild requested $10,000 for its programs, but received $4,800.
The Arts Commission’s request for its own funding remains the same as last year’s, but its recommendations for funding other programming has, in some cases, changed considerably from fiscal year 2015 to fiscal year 2016.
The commission is recommending the Flute Frenzy Association — which requested $2,500 and received $1,700 last year — be granted $4,000 of its $5,000 request for the next fiscal year.
The Williamsburg Choral Guild, which received $4,800 of a $10,000 request last year, would be denied the entirety of its $10,000 request for the next fiscal year under the current Arts Commission recommendations.
A full list of projects sponsored by the Arts Commission, as well as the commission’s funding recommendation for each program, is available here.
Lilly said the arts — and the commission’s activities — improved the quality of life in the city for residents and visitors alike.
“A rich and dynamic arts environment makes the city more attractive to residents, as well as potential new residents, performers and planners of events,” he said.
The Arts Commission’s request for city funds comes after the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance asked the City Council for $900,000 — nearly $200,000 more than it received last year — to support a slew of tourism events, many of which focused on the arts.
City Council members were mum on specific projects outlined in the Arts Commission’s request, but were complimentary to its overall mission.
Councilman Scott Foster said the commission’s work was key to the quality of life in Williamsburg.
Mayor Clyde Haulman echoed Foster’s sentiment, and asked the commission to consider other projects it could support if it were granted additional funding in the future.
“We’ve kept your funding level for way too long,” Haluman said. “We’re beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel after a very long time of being very frugal on a number of fronts.”
With the majority of its funding coming from Williamsburg and James City County, the Arts Commission’s budget is contingent on approval by the City Council and Board of Supervisors.
City Manager Jack Tuttle will release his proposed budget to the City Council on Friday, which the City Council is scheduled to adopt at its May 14 meeting.
James City County Administrator Bryan Hill will release his recommended budget April 3, and the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to adopt it in May.
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