Arts Center gains members

The Durango Arts Center had a good year in 2014, serving more than 38,000 people through its programs, services and events.

That was one of several numbers mentioned at the nonprofit’s annual meeting Thursday. About 80 of its 1,115 members attended.

That membership number is up from its 2014 total of just more than 1,000 members in 2014, an important financial indicator since about 40 percent of the contributed income at the center comes from membership. And contributed income in 2014 was about 54 percent of the $882,000 budget in 2014.

“When we were analyzing the DAC and trying to keep it open,” said Sheri Rochford Figgs, who was executive director at the time, “we figured out that we needed at least 1,000 members to be sustainable, so that’s great news. I hope it keeps going up.”

Given recent events at the Powerhouse Science Center, which had to temporarily close in May when finances hit a breaking point, DAC Executive Director Cristie Scott and Board Treasurer Melanie McLean made a point of talking about how finances are managed.

“There are lots of steps along the way of oversight,” McLean said. “Cristie and Julie Madden, the finance manager, monitor them on a daily basis, and the finance committee and the board look at every program monthly. There’s also a yearly review.”

Before getting down to business, docents gave attendees tours of its three exhibit spaces – the lobby, the Barbara Conrad Gallery and the art library upstairs – a preview of “Always Patsy Cline,” which opens Thursday, and dinner by Zia Taqueria and Bread.

As part of the event, members of the Science, Theatre, Education, Arts and Music Park’s leadership committee were on hand to update members on its project-overview draft. They’ll present it to the Durango City Council in July.

“After the feasibility study, people wanted to know what other communities like us are doing,” said Cathi Cox, a member of the committee, “so we have looked at a number of other communities.”

Of the 16 communities comparable to Durango – in population, being a college town and located on a river – 100 percent had cultural centers run by nonprofits, and 88 percent received operational support from their city or county.

abutler@durangoherald.com

The Durango Arts Center has an annual review. A review is less intensive and less expensive than an audit and uses a “does it make sense” rationale. An audit includes a physical inspection, evaluation of internal control systems and confirmation with outside parties.