Arts Advocate Aims for Legislation
Written by Melinda Ennis-Roughton Sunday, April 04 2010
Snapshot: Flora Maria Garcia 
Since becoming CEO of the Metro Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition (MAACC) in 2007, Flora Maria Garcia has had many goals for the regional cultural organization (which advocates for and builds community support for arts and culture). But one overriding mission has consumed much of her time – getting a permanent public sector funding stream for the area’s cultural community. During the current Georgia legislative session, HB1049, a bill co-sponsored by Dekalb County’s Rep. Stacey Abrams and backed by a coalition of cultural, business, and civic leaders, could be the turning point.
If passed, the bill would allow each Georgia county to hold a referendum on an up to one penny fractional sales tax that could be totally or partially dedicated to cultural funding. A similar public funding model in Denver, Colo., has distributed about $43 million each year to cultural organizations in seven counties via a sales and use tax of one tenth of 1 percent.
The Atlanta arts scene has long suffered from underfunding from the public sector as compared to peer cities, or even many smaller markets. According to a 2008 analysis compiled by MAACC, the public sector annual investment per person in Atlanta is $1.21 ($3.75 including Fulton County). The amount in Denver is $14.93 per person. Austin, Texas, spends $9.50, and Portland, Ore., spends $6.79 per person. Charlotte, which is nipping at the heels of Atlanta’s tourism and visitor market, spends $8.67 per person, more than double that of Atlanta (including Fulton County).
The recession has only deepened the problem. The Georgia Council for the Arts, which oversees state-funded arts programs, is slated for a 79-percent budget cut in 2010. Small and medium -sized arts organizations throughout Atlanta have struggled to stay alive as sponsor and grant dollars have dried up and ticket sales have fallen off.
Garcia came to Atlanta by way of Fort Worth, Texas, previously known for its stockyards, rodeos, and honky-tonks. Thanks in part to her efforts, the town now bills itself as The City of Cowboys and Culture. Leading a private, nonprofit arts council there, Garcia developed a $2.33 million arts fund budget that awarded $1 million in grants to the local arts community and helped transform downtown Fort Worth into a thriving cultural scene.
Prior to her success in Fort Worth, Garcia led the Missouri Arts Council from 1996 to 2000 and was deputy director for administration for the Cultural Arts Council of Houston from 1982 to 1996.
Womenetics: Can you give us an overall picture of how Atlanta metro arts organizations have fared during the last year?
Flora Maria Garcia: When asked a few weeks ago by some legislators, “Why do you need passage of HB1049 this year,” we conducted a quick assessment of how nonprofit cultural groups are faring. We received about 50 responses from all around Georgia – all very grim. Some groups have seen a 60-percent reduction in contributions, ticket sales are down, most have cut staff and salaries to the bone. Cultural groups from big to small have been reducing their budgets for the past few years. They cannot cut anymore. Many will shut their doors within a few months without some relief.
Womenetics: Why is it important to publicly fund the arts in Atlanta?
Garcia: Most nonprofits traditionally generate up to 50 percent of their budgets from earned income – the rest is made up from sponsorships, grants, and private sector giving. In addition to regular programming, all nonprofit groups provide a public service; whether its programs in the schools, outreach and education, free programming in parks and churches. And all of those outreach services cost money. If nonprofit arts had to cover their costs solely by earned revenue, only the very wealthy would be able to afford them. Public funding of the arts is important to make the arts affordable and accessible to everyone in our community.
Womenetics: What are the biggest challenges the HB1049 bill faces?
Garcia: The bill has been received very well by the legislature. It cleared every house committee until it reached the house floor when they ran out of time to review it. It did not make the crossover deadline. We are now exploring options in the senate. The biggest challenge today is making it through the legislative process before they adjourn for the year.
Womenetics: How will MAACC work with counties to pass the referendum if the legislation does go through?
Garcia: Passing a referendum is a whole new ball game. We would partner with professionals who have been successful in passing local referendums, but will continue mobilizing the cultural community county by county – which has been so incredibly engaged and effective.
Womenetics: What would the timing be on the referendums if it passes?
Garcia: If our legislation is successful this year – a referendum could be held as early as November.
Womenetics: What happens next if it doesn’t get through this legislative session?
Garcia: We go back next year, more experienced and savvy. Having spent a year educating and engaging legislators, we now have a united and motivated statewide cultural community who did a fantastic job of advocacy. They’ll be raring to go in 2011.
A veteran of the marketing/advertising business, Melinda Ennis-Roughton is the principal and owner of an Atlanta-based marketing firm called MelWorks Inc., and a freelance writer specializing in women’s issues and film criticism. She was an on-going contributing film critic for the Atlanta Journal Constitution from 2004-2007.
Her career highlights include the position of executive director/chief marketing officer (CMO) for Brand Atlanta, which was responsible for marketing the city under Shirley Franklin’s administration. She served as Global CMO for Church's Chicken, supervising marketing direction, from China to Costa Rica. And her career also includes executive positions at Atlanta ad agencies, including Fitzgerald & Co. Ennis-Roughton began her career with Arby’s Restaurants, where she stayed for 10 years, eventually rising to the position of senior vice president, marketing and was the first female vice president of the organization.
