The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Beginning of a partnership with Crested Butte’s Center for the Arts
The Gunnison Arts Center (GAC) is reevaluating the way it brings the arts to Gunnison Valley. Currently between directors, GAC staff and board members are taking advantage of the off-season to redefine the organization’s mission and develop a new strategic plan.
Local consultants are leading the way, including Crested Butte’s Center for the Arts executive director Jenny Birnie. And both organizations hope the short-term consultation will be the beginning of a long-term partnership.
The decision to work together grew out of the Arts Alliance, a coalition of nonprofit arts organizations working together to promote the arts in the East River Valley.
“Because the Center for the Arts and the Gunnison Arts Center work in the Arts Alliance, there has been a lot of discussion about what we’re calling ‘Gunny to Gothic,’” Birnie said.
Where the Center for the Arts has traditionally focused on the performing arts and the GAC on the visual arts, the organizations have been looking for ways to bring a more regional focus to their work.
“For a while now we have been talking about how we can work together more effectively as two organizations,” Birnie said.
What that means will become clear as Birnie contracts with the GAC from October 1 through December 31 of this year. In addition to looking for ways the organizations can partner together, Birnie will consult on matters like board member recruitment, budget development and fundraising, creating a new organizational structure and utilizing focus groups to get community feedback.
The GAC has also hired Gail Digate, founder, president and chief executive officer of Leadership Learning Systems, to develop a three-year strategic plan. Through that plan, the GAC will redefine its purpose and mission statement as well as the organization’s core values and goals. Digate will also help the GAC consider its role within the entire alley.
“The GAC and the Center for the Arts have shared interests and complementary missions of bringing the arts to life in the valley. We have to look at the valley in its totality. The arts play a positive role in stimulating the economy, so everybody wins. Bringing our relationship together in new and meaningful ways will help us make a valuable contribution to the community,” Digate said.
The timing of the reevaluation was prompted by the departure of interim director Jenn Morgan, who recently fulfilled a six-month contract to facilitate summer programming for 2011. But the partnership between GAC and the Center for the Arts does not signal a merger.
“The discussion is more about sharing resources. They do booking for shows, we do booking for shows. Can we share staff?” Birnie said.
Chad Zummach, Gunnison Art Center board president, echoes that sentiment. Zummach has served on both the GAC and Center for the Arts boards and has observed the similarity between their missions.
“There is an untapped opportunity for the two organizations to share resources and gain efficiencies to better serve the entire valley’s creative needs,” Zummach said.
The GAC will hold all prescheduled events and classes as planned but has reduced hours so staff and the board of directors can focus on the restructuring. Hours are Thursdays and Fridays from noon until 6 p.m. and Saturdays from noon until 5 p.m.
The new strategic plan will be unveiled at the Gunnison Arts Center Gala on December 3. Tickets are $40 until October 31 and then $50 through December. Order tickets to the gala by visiting www.gunnisonartscenter.org, by calling 641-4029, or by stopping by at 102 S. Main in Gunnison.
