Despite a tough economic environment, the new executive director for the Cayuga County Arts Council says she can help expand on the Auburn Schine's Theater project while developing the region's cultural arts' scene.
“These are tough economic times,” said Michelle Graney, who was announced this week as the council's executive director this week. “Everyone is looking to cut budgets and to cut funding, so that means there is less money for projects like the Schine's Theater. Also the public is not as aware of our plans and efforts as I would like it to be. I want to share this with the public so that they are as excited as we are.”
The theater project, which will need about $8 million for construction, had already received $1.5 million for renovations on the roof and front entrance.
While the council has owned the theater for nearly 10 years, they did not have an executive director to raise money for the restoration until the organization hired Susan Harris in 2007. When Harris took a new job in April, the theater was once again left without an executive director.
“It has been a slow process and we share the public's frustration,” Graney said. “We do have a business plan, but we have fallen behind on our timeline. We need to make a new two-year plan.”
In conjunction with that two-year plan, Graney said she wanted to revamp the capital campaign project to make it more accessible to the public, and to start soliciting more grants from the state Council of the Arts, and the state and federal government.
“We should go after the funding that has already been allocated to projects like this,” Graney said. “We should go and bring that money to our community, otherwise it will go to somewhere else.”
Part of Graney's excitement and enthusiasm for the job came from the opportunity she saw to develop the local artisans and businesses in the region along with the theater. The council had already hosted a business planning class for artists last spring and was currently working on an Art in the Park program scheduled for Oct. 4, in addition to its annual piano recital series.
“We want to focus on the Schine's as it fits with the downtown revitalization project,” Graney said. “This is a treasure we have in our community and we need to preserve it to draw in visitors. Research has shown that the more tourism that comes in here, the more money stays in here. When people come in from surrounding areas for cultural events, they go to restaurants and hotels and spend money. That is money spent right here in Auburn, not in Syracuse.”
Because of the scope of the theater's project, Dia Carabajal, the president of the board of directors for the Cayuga County Arts Council, said the Schine's restoration would be a huge part of Graney's responsibilities.
“The theater gets a majority of our time because of its size,” Carabajal said. “It's a constant struggle, but even our other smaller projects deserve to be done well, so it's always a constant struggle to balance our time.”
Despite the scope of responsibilities, the executive director position was still considered a short-term entry level job. But Graney, who has worked with the Eastman Kodak Company and the advertising agency Catalyst Direct Inc., said she planned to see this project through to the end because she had a vested interest in it.
Graney, who has spent the past nine years as a stay-at-home mom, said her youngest daughter had just started school in Auburn, and that her husband was a doctor in the city of Auburn.
“I want this to be a vibrant and successful community and I think I can do that here,” she said. “The project will grow, and I want to grow with it.”
Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net
The theater project, which will need about $8 million for construction, had already received $1.5 million for renovations on the roof and front entrance.
While the council has owned the theater for nearly 10 years, they did not have an executive director to raise money for the restoration until the organization hired Susan Harris in 2007. When Harris took a new job in April, the theater was once again left without an executive director.
“It has been a slow process and we share the public's frustration,” Graney said. “We do have a business plan, but we have fallen behind on our timeline. We need to make a new two-year plan.”
In conjunction with that two-year plan, Graney said she wanted to revamp the capital campaign project to make it more accessible to the public, and to start soliciting more grants from the state Council of the Arts, and the state and federal government.
“We should go after the funding that has already been allocated to projects like this,” Graney said. “We should go and bring that money to our community, otherwise it will go to somewhere else.”
Part of Graney's excitement and enthusiasm for the job came from the opportunity she saw to develop the local artisans and businesses in the region along with the theater. The council had already hosted a business planning class for artists last spring and was currently working on an Art in the Park program scheduled for Oct. 4, in addition to its annual piano recital series.
“We want to focus on the Schine's as it fits with the downtown revitalization project,” Graney said. “This is a treasure we have in our community and we need to preserve it to draw in visitors. Research has shown that the more tourism that comes in here, the more money stays in here. When people come in from surrounding areas for cultural events, they go to restaurants and hotels and spend money. That is money spent right here in Auburn, not in Syracuse.”
Because of the scope of the theater's project, Dia Carabajal, the president of the board of directors for the Cayuga County Arts Council, said the Schine's restoration would be a huge part of Graney's responsibilities.
“The theater gets a majority of our time because of its size,” Carabajal said. “It's a constant struggle, but even our other smaller projects deserve to be done well, so it's always a constant struggle to balance our time.”
Despite the scope of responsibilities, the executive director position was still considered a short-term entry level job. But Graney, who has worked with the Eastman Kodak Company and the advertising agency Catalyst Direct Inc., said she planned to see this project through to the end because she had a vested interest in it.
Graney, who has spent the past nine years as a stay-at-home mom, said her youngest daughter had just started school in Auburn, and that her husband was a doctor in the city of Auburn.
“I want this to be a vibrant and successful community and I think I can do that here,” she said. “The project will grow, and I want to grow with it.”
Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net
Citizen
Hot Jobs
New! Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are 6 comment(s)
nature lover wrote on Sep 18, 2008 8:34 PM:
The Word wrote on Sep 18, 2008 4:55 PM:
I suppose that to these misguided folks this could be considered their hobby or job. "
SittinPretty wrote on Sep 18, 2008 2:42 PM:
The solution is to stand behind actual organizations that benefit Auburn, the problem is any organization that has been spewing the same old, same old and has not made any substantial progress with a historic gem as all it has ever been is "an asset worth value" to them.
As for getting a hobby I have been involved with many things that have benefitted Auburn, NY from our historic sites to our schools to our community, can you say the same. "
MaryLS wrote on Sep 18, 2008 12:50 PM:
The Word wrote on Sep 18, 2008 12:37 PM:
The theater project could benefit from a FULL TIME director. The use of funding in this manor would be respectable. Allowing the Arts council to Piggy-back and use the project funds for its own benefit is an outrage. Here we have just another example of where The Arts Council is sucking the life-blood out of the theater project. In the past the Arts Council has always proven to be nothing more than a distraction from the huge job that lay ahead.
With all due respect, I am glad that Mrs. Graney has a Doctor for a husband because after the Arts Council is done with her she is going to need a transfusion. It sounds like little has changed with her employers. "
SittinPretty wrote on Sep 18, 2008 10:20 AM:
The only Arts Council that has been successful as both an arts council and theater owner is the organization that runs the Stanley in Utica. As much as I know and believe that Auburn has more than enough history to have an extraordinary tourism business based with the 5 Save America’s Treasure’s, myself as well as some very dedicated people put a lot of time and effort into the restoration only to be shot down by petty bickering and in fighting during meetings, which seems to be the history of the Cayuga County Arts Council. At one point in time the Arts Council had an architectural firm all set to start restoration as well as help fund the restoration but the short sightedness of some of the members of the board killed the project before it started and today it still sits decaying.
The previous Arts Council subcommittee, F.A.S.T. was the organization along with Mr. Mike Long who raised most of the money that the current Arts Council members would like you to believe they secured and as for the restoration to the front of the theater, the brick work was done under the previous administration as well as the roof. The only progress to the outside of this building has been the doors and trim, which in case the community is not aware is not even the right color and does not match. I know this because I have a set of the original blueprints with the colors listed, so kudos, not even close to original, so much for accurate historic preservation.
The project has never been and never will be about what is best for Auburn but about who gets credit for it. Auburn as a whole should be ashamed of itself for not learning to work to promote our treasures; instead all of the groups affiliated with different projects are too worried about who’ll get the money and recognition. Wake up Auburn before the things you say you treasure are nothing but distant memories. "