Dear Friend,
COVID closed LAC in 2020, but it is now open temporarily and provisionally. It will be shuttered for good when the first of the building’s systems fail, an imminent concern due to a long history of deferred maintenance. LAC’s future depends on demonstrated public support, which you can facilitate by sharing the following information with your friends and colleagues, asking them to contact the County Board and the County Manager, and attend the public hearing on March 29.
The proposed FY23 budget would require that LAC artists pay 100% of direct costs. That means a fee increase of almost 200%, even though the program uses about 15% of the facility. Fees for other County programs do not approach this level. For example, an annual swim pass at Long Bridge Aquatics Center costs $630 for residents and $819 for nonresidents. According to the County’s Cost-Recovery Model, LAC fees must generate 100% of direct costs. The model does not factor in “offsets,” or consider the values of Enriching lives, Arlington’s Arts and Culture Strategy:
· Art has value in itself.
· Arts and culture are a strategic community resource.
· Arts and culture underpin economic development and sustainability.
LAC’s benefits to the community make it worth far more than what it costs to operate. Its 40-year history of public engagement has provided enrichment and encouraged expression throughout the community. For years, it was the site of the Arlington High School Apprenticeship Program in the Arts, as well as teacher-training workshops, and after-school art programs. LAC ran a gallery with rotating exhibitions of visiting and resident artists. Open houses and art sales were a popular opportunity to learn about the disciplines, as well as to purchase a piece of art to take home.
No other public printmaking studio in Arlington (or the metro area) offers the access and selection of equipment found at LAC.It has been the place for artists to develop skills learned elsewhere and a critical resource for recent graduates of university art programs. Frequent workshops led by nationally and internationally known artists were open to all. The proposed fee schedule would keep developing artists, recent graduates, and fixed-budget artists from contributing to community building and enrichment in Arlington.
Public comments on the FY2023 Budget are scheduled for March 29.* We urgently need community presence at this meeting, in person or on-line. Your support in the form of letters/email to the Board (countyboard@arlingtonva.us 703-228-3130) and County Manager (countymanager@arlingtonva.us) is also important. Please see SaveLAC.org for more information.
Thank you for your consideration.
* 7:00 pm, Suite 307, 2100 Clarendon Blvd.
The link for (virtual) registration will be posted on March 22 on the Speaking at a Budget and Tax Rate Public Hearings webpage.
A sample letter to the County Board and County Manager is posted at saveLAC.org