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Arts council struggles to continue support By Bill Varble The Arts Council of Southern Oregon is scratching to come up with $10,000 to keep its doors open the next few months. The Medford-based arts organization under the aegis of the Oregon Arts Commission has raised about $2,000 through a recent appeal to members, but it needs about $10,000 more, said Lois Langlois, president of ACSO�s board of directors. Langlois said failure to raise the money in donations from individuals and businesses probably would not mean the end of ACSO, but it would disrupt services ACSO provides and force the office to close. "The worst case is we would have to close our doors for a few months and re-group," she said. ACSO, now in its 25th year, provides support services to artists and arts groups in Jackson and Josephine counties. Its budget this year is $119,871. It has about 450 members. It received $27,500 from the Oregon Arts Commission this year. Its only employees are new director Lyn Godsey and a half-time publications and membership staffer. ACSO has a board of 13 members. "And we�re recruiting more," Langlois said. ACSO�s best-known activity is an artists-in-the-schools program that puts professional writers, painters, potters, dancers and other artists in the classrooms of area schools that otherwise couldn�t afford such instruction. ACSO also sponsors an open studio tour with area artists and a young writers conference. Langlois said ACSO has negotiated a break on its rent, taken out one telephone line, cut back on publications and secured increased donations from several vendors. It has abandoned, for now, its popular tours of artists� studios. She said ACSO�s cash crunch stems in large part from the loss of two of the group�s larger grants, including one that had provided $5,000 a year for several years. "That was a big hit for us," Langlois said. ACSO is planning breakfast meetings with community leaders and renewed grant writing. It is seeking large grants from the Oregon Community Foundation and the Ford Family Foundation. Langlois said ACSO�s focus in the near term will be on arts enrichment programs for families and youth, including artists in the schools, pre-school programs and multicultural programs. "If we get over this hump, I�m convinced we�ll be in good shape next year," Langlois said. "We don�t need a lot of money. We saw this coming, but fund-raising hasn�t been our strongest suit." Reach ACSO at 33 N. Central Ave., Suite 300, Medford OR 97501, or call 779-2820. Reach reporter Bill Varble at 776-4478 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.