Well we have heard already that ticket sales are not supporting the entity. They had to eliminate the creative director, and they are looking to raise $100K to save the organization.
But are there other ‘outside’ forces killing community theater?
The scenario I see community theater in is the same one I saw the Sioux Empire Arts Council in a few years ago. The Pavilion infiltrated the board than killed the organization from within.
But this time IÂ speculate SMG and the Pavilion are both involved.
SMG wants to control entertainment for the most part in Sioux Falls. They recently got the contract to do concerts and other events at Canaries Stadium and since they have been running the Orpheum they have been asking for a portion of the Entertainment tax that the Pavilion has been sucking up for themselves ever since the bonds were paid off.
The Pavilion for years has been trying to get all of the community arts programs under their roof, not for the benefit of the community, but mostly for fundraising. I think the Pavilion thinks of any community arts program as a threat to their fundraising.
I’m not sure if SMG and the Pavilion are conspiring on this. Maybe it’s City Hall? But I do know this, true community arts programs are dying in Sioux Falls, and not a slow death but a very FAST one.
A couple of the reasons are that there isn’t enough arts donation money to go around, especially in a community with basically NO middle class or a very stagnant one. We also have a very Republican (conservative) attitude towards the arts that if you can’t make money at it, or it isn’t promoting a product or service in our community, it’s not worth spending money on. SculptureWalk is often promoted as a program to help sell more beer and pizza downtown.
I often encourage people to support your local artists, musicians and promoters. Like small business they are the bread and butter of our cultural community, and once they are gone, we will feel it’s affects.