110 W. New York Ave., DeLand, FL
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Parke Teal takes the reins
posted Feb 24, 2010 - 4:30:04pm
Some people like sudoku. Others fiddle with Rubik's Cubes.
Accountant Parke Teal's puzzle of choice, these days, is figuring out how to make DeLand's Cultural Arts Center survive.
Teal, a former president of the Cultural Arts Center (CAC), has stepped back into the presidency to usher the nonprofit through its current crisis. In December, one of the CAC's two tenants departed, leaving the facility with less than half the income it needs to carry on.
The CAC was built by volunteers to house DeLand-area arts organizations in one beautiful, prominent building. But the bills have become too high for those organizations to pay.
In 1991, a large group of West Volusia movers, shakers and arts lovers unveiled a home for DeLand's art museum, community theater and symphony.
The ribbon was cut at 600 N. Woodland Blvd., and the Cultural Arts Center opened. The building was paid for; the land was owned by Stetson University.
The $1.8 million facility was a lot to be proud of, but the job wasn't really finished.
"People just don't realize how expensive it is to maintain a building," Teal said. "When they raised the money to build the building, they stopped. They should have pushed forward and raised money for an endowment."
Teal estimates an endowment of $2 million could produce an income of $100,000 a year — enough to meet the bulk of the Cultural Arts Center's bills, and relieve pressure on the arts-group tenants.
The original CAC business plan was simple. The DeLand Museum of Art, Sands Theater Center and the DeLand Little Symphony would split the costs of operating and maintaining the 18,000-square-foot building. The CAC, a separate nonprofit 501(c)(3), would own it.
The plan worked pretty well for 18 years, although the symphony was never really large enough to pay a full share, and moved out a couple of years ago.
In 1996, the Krewe of Amalee was founded, and the nonprofit group began contributing a few thousand a year toward the Cultural Arts Center's $130,000 a year expenses.
Then, late in 2009, Sands Theater Center announced it could no longer afford the $6,000 monthly rent the CAC was charging, on top of $3,000 monthly electric bills for its half of the building.
The theater company moved out, cobbling together a plan to stage some of its plays in its own new building, the restored Athens Theatre, and show the rest in rented auditoriums, perhaps including DeLand High School and the CAC.
"It's not our intent to abandon them. We just don't have the financial choice," said Steve Blais, who is currently volunteering as executive director of Sands Theater Center.
As 2010 gets under way, the art museum, now called The Museum of Florida Art, is the only CAC tenant left. Building expenses are running about $11,000 a month, and the roof and HVAC system are crying out for expensive attention.
Enter accountant Teal, somewhat reluctantly. Teal is quick to emphasize that he, alone, will not solve this problem.
"It's going to be the community that makes the change, not me, by any means," Teal said.
He agrees a few expenses could be cut. The contract for building maintenance and cleaning, at $26,000 a year, might be a little high. The annual copier lease, at $18,000, could be shaved.
But more than shavings are needed to meet the annual budget. Teal has put out an appeal to the original founders of the Cultural Arts Center, to gauge their interest and get their ideas.
One proposal currently on the table is to dissolve the Cultural Arts Center and turn over its assets to The Museum of Florida Art, which is more financially stable. The museum board has yet to weigh in on the proposal, although the board has asked museum Executive Director Jennifer Coolidge to look at ways the CAC could generate income.
"It's going to be tremendously challenging for the museum to sustain that whole facility," Coolidge said. "This is a facility that was developed by the community and can only be sustained by the community."
Teal isn't interested in dictating the solution. What he does care about is that a solution is found. He has long been a supporter of the arts, and his accountant's practicality guides his passion. The CAC's survival, Teal said, is closely linked to the health of West Volusia's economy.
"I think what separates communities, when they try to attract good businesses with intelligent people; it's not the tax breaks, it's the availability of leisure activities, whether it be natural resources or the arts," Teal said.
TOP 10 EXPENSES AT THE CAC
For the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2009:
1. Building depreciation: $69,000*
2. Contract cleaning and maintenance: $26,563
3. Copier expense: $18,043
4. Insurance, property and liability: $16,402
5. Receptionist: $15,686
6. Electricity: $9,628**
7. Repairs: $8,024
8. Water, sewer and trash pickup: $6,495
9. Maintenance supplies: $5,000
10. Lawn maintenance: $3,633
All other expenses: $19,844
* Although the "cost" of building depreciation is an expense, according to proper accounting procedures, it doesn't actually represent a check written. Not including building depreciation, the CAC's total expenses for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 were $129,318.
** CAC tenants pay the electric bills for their portions of the building. This figure represents the annual electric bill for the common areas of the building.
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I was afraid something like this would happen when the restoration of the Athen;s Theater was started. We had good signs of things going for DeLand with the Cultural Arts Center---why did we have to have another project with the Athen's? DeLand is not big enough for it. We have Stetson, Lake Helen, and church groups plus the schools----we are so over whelmed with cultural activities and cannot attend all. Some body just got too "big for their britches" in thinking we could afford another place. They should have waited another 10/20 years.
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