That was the response I basically got when I called the Box Office to ask what exhibits were going on at the VAC. If you go to the web page, they have 3 exhibits listed, two expired on October 6. If you click on upcoming exhibits they have two listed for January and February.
When I told the box office representative that nothing was listed on the website, she replies, “We have no information in our office either,” Then transferred me to the VAC, to which I talked to a person who told me they are setting up some big exhibit for this weekend.
Okay, no big deal we all get a little behind on things, but let’s review the big changes going on over at the Pavilion;
1) Development Director leaves without explanation
2) They add another CEO/President, so they have two now
3) The Visual Arts Center starts charging admission, because as they told us, they were going to bring in better art. We just are not going to tell the public or our box office employees what that art is. But thanks for the subsidy every year! Money well spent, just not on our website or IT services.
Make no mistake, a facility like this is well overdue in Sioux Falls. I suggested years ago when the State Theatre renovation begun that is what they should have done with the place. It fell on deaf ears of course. Trust me, it will probably be at least a year or two before ‘The District’ turns a profit, but the location and the concept will sell well.
So the bigger question is how will this affect other entertainment facilities in our city who have had this potential since their inception (Orpheum, Pavilion, Convention Center). While the Orpheum has been the most ‘liberal’ with the kind of entertainment allowed in the facility, many have wondered why the Pavilion hasn’t cashed in on more rock and country concerts?
‘The District’s’ success or failure will be very telling. If they are successful as a private convention center, we will be forced to finally ask the Pavilion – what have you been doing WRONG? If they are unsuccessful, maybe we can say the Pavilion was right to not host these kind of events all along, or maybe Sioux Falls isn’t large enough to support such a concert hall.
Time will tell, but I have a hunch the community is ready for such a facility, and it is long overdue.
While the Pavilion continues to remain silent about where their Development Director disappeared to (Maybe they could set up a Science Center exhibit, find the Development Director. Is she behind the curtain? Is she hiding under a desk?) You would expect to at least hear an announcement of someone replacing her? Right?
Nope. Instead their big announcement is adding another (co)President. Ironically, they could have ten co-presidents, and the same person would still be running the joint, VP of Operations, Jon Loos. Rumor has it, Jon Loos knows exactly what happened to the Development Director, and let’s just say, Jon likes job security, he has been there since day one, he runs the joint, and no matter how many retired CEO’s of former communication companies you bring on board, Loos still is in charge. Just ask former Presidents Hoffman & Wood, but good luck tracking them down.
This is just Smoke & Mirrors from the Pavilion to distract away from their real problems, a Board of Directors that consists of ‘Specials’ that want to keep us ‘Have-Nots’ out, a policy that I will never see changing (The first Director, Steve Hoffman, actually tried in his first few years to get away from that culture, but he was hamstrung by the Board, then eventually quit). A public arts institution that has no Development Director, and isn’t apparently looking for one, but they have two presidents!
I enjoyed the nice little story written about it;
“This is really all about the Pavilion. It’s not about Scott or I at all,†Toll, 65, said. “The thing we’re saying is the two of us are not additive. We’re exponential.â€
Oh, how cute. I think I am going to puke.
The amazing part is that not one single public official questions what the heck is going on in the place. I could blog about it until I am blue in the face, and I have, but unless the very people responsible for handing over the subsidy to the WP asks questions and demands answers, we might as well just prepare ourselves for more press conferences on the Great Hall stage announcing more leaders without a peep from minions about what really goes on in the Big Purple Building.