Arts Center Members Struggle To Regroup
PHOTO: Tullahoma Alderman Greg Sandlin (left) and Tullahoma Fine Arts Center President Kevin Farris count votes during Thursday's election of center directors. Members also approved new bylaws. © 2011, Russel Mobley/MTA.
Story by Russel Mobley
September 29, 2011
Thursday night's board of directors election at the Tullahoma Fine Arts Center could be a make-or-break moment in the organization's long history.
“This might be our last chance,” said Ann Smotherman, an artist and long-time TFAC member. “How many times can we go through this? We have to do it right this time.”
After Lucy Hollis resigned last year as TFAC president and executive director, members rallied behind a new seven-member board led by Troy McFarland.
He promised TFAC would be "a phoenix rising out of the ashes."
Fast-forward one year—McFarland is charged with “theft of property” by the Tullahoma Police for allegedly taking approximately $2,200 from the center, the center is now deep in debt, and members are unsure who served served legally on its board since January.
At the TFAC September board meeting, Jamie Knight said that the center had outstanding debts of $9,000 and only had $1,000 in the bank.
WHERE DID THE MONEY GO AT THE ARTS CENTER?
The City of Tullahoma is stepping in to bail TFAC out of its financial difficulty by paying some of the center's bills.
Earlier this month, the city intervened to keep the Tullahoma Utility Board from shutting off power at the center, due to an unpaid $1,200 bill. On Monday the Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 7-0 to pay a fee owed by the center to the American Watercolor Society.
In May and June, TFAC hosted the traveling exhibition of the prestigious AWS.
Each year, only six hosts are selected to display around 30 to 40 of the winners of the society's annual competitions. Tullahoma is often among the chosen few.
According to John Patt, AWS general manager, the society charges a small fee for each day the paintings are shown.
In the past, the center charged admission to the show. This enabled TFAC to cover the cost for the exhibition, and to usually show a small profit from the event.
This year though, flyers promoting the show, listed the exhibition as free.
By the time the show closed on June 18, the center owed the AWS around $1,400.
Patt said the amount owed to AWS was “enough that people here are interested in receiving it,” but that it would not deter the organization from considering the arts center as a future host for the show.
“Somebody from [TFAC] asked that the other day. We certainly cannot hold the Tullahoma Fine Arts Center responsible, if it was the action of one individual. That wouldn't be right,” said Patt.
On Monday, Knight told the city board that it was “urgent” that the bill be paid now.
City Administrator Louis J. Baltz III told the board “there was fear that if the invoice was not paid, then Tullahoma would be dropped from the tour.”
Baltz suggested that “to keep Tullahoma on the map” the city should pay the bill directly to the American Watercolor Society, “while the center was still in flux . . . not $1,400 of new money, but basically just taking $1,400 in funds from those already appropriated.”
Alderman Greg Sandlin, who said three weeks ago that the city “shouldn't write another check until we can see some financial responsibility” at TFAC, made the motion that the city pay the watercolor show bill.
An hour before the election, TFAC board members Kevin Farris, Jon Gray, Becky Shelton and Knight met behind a closed door. Farris later said they were only discussing procedural matters for the election.
The center claims a membership of 306. Only 31 persons showed up to elect directors and approve new bylaws.
Serving one-year terms are Garth Segroves, Jimmye Lou Smith and Brian Seiber. Elected to two-year terms are Jon Gray and Rhessa Orr. Anita Zacardi and Karen Ingle will serve three-year terms.
Board members will meet at 6pm on Monday to vote on TFAC officers.
