While art may be open to interpretation, Drumheller’s Town Council wants its art funding policy to be clear cut.
Council will seek to define its arts funding policy in the wake of a funding request from the Badlands Art Gallery September 15, 2014. The matter returned to Town Council and was discussed at its regular meeting Monday, October 6, 2014.
Town Council directed administration to set up a contingency fund for artists in the amount of $5,000 subject to Council’s passing of the 2015 Capital Budget, and for further discussion on the ability of the Town of Drumheller to annually fund such a program.
“What we’re going to do is look at it during the (2015) budget deliberations. But Council has asked administration to provide some policy. A funding request comes in, we need the policy to substantiate it. And we have to be able to let administration know that they have to budget for this,” said Mayor Terry Yemen, “and right now, we do not have that money in the budget. So we’ve asked that they incorporate into the budget deliberations, some policy that we can use to go forward with.”
Included in that work will be the establishment of clear guidelines and criteria for similar groups and organizations seeking financial assistance from the Town.
The Mayor said he’s heard from a number of the Town’s residents voicing their concerns over the art gallery’s request, and notes forming clear cut guidelines may help eliminate taxpayer’s concerns over setting an unaffordable precedent or viewing some groups in a more favourable light.
“Obviously, we’re a small community, we don’t have a never ending pot of money. So once the money’s gone for 2015-2016, it’s gone. “ Regardless of the name the new policy is delivered under, the Mayor indicates residents would support having it in place, and he encourages further feedback.
“I feel pretty confident going forward. I’ve gotten some direction from the people of Drumheller, and I think that they should be talking to the rest of Council, too, and letting us know what they think.”
