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University budget cuts result in the loss of Arts Carolina,a 3-year-old umbrella organization,
leaving its director without a job, its separate parts without a leader and administrators in mourning
BY NICK PARKER, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
The arts community has
never been a cohesive
unit. Each of the eclectic
fields of the fine arts
dramatic, studio, musical, perform
ance, written has its own lingo, its
own advocates, its own world.
Weaving together a song and dance
in front of a massive modern mural is
a logical step in creating a mixed
media production, but bringing it all
together is another story.
“It is very difficult to bring a bunch
of different, ego-driven performance
folks together collectively,” said Jim
Ketch, chairman of the UNC
Department of Music. “Everyone has
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DTH FILE PHOTO
Chancellor Moeser joined students and
citizens in remembrance at Arts Carolina's
first anniversary Sept. 11 memorial.
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their own goals and own idea of what
message they want to tell.”
Art, no matter the form, is a vehi
cle for expression. It is sacred
because it is so individual. Therein
lies the problem in bringing the arts
community together for a single, col
lective goal.
But for the past three years, Arts
Carolina an umbrella arts organi
zation established in January 2000—
has made such collaboration possible.
Arts Carolina, or more specifically its
director. Amy Brannock, focused
voices, events, volunteers, ideas and
creations from across the campus
community on a central goal.
And it worked.
Arts Carolina consistently updated a
Web site promoting the arts, printed a
tabloid section every semester highlighting
almost every campus arts event, established
a balanced working relationship with town
and University officials and organized mas
sive events of its own, combining the skills
and expertise of various University depart
ments.
“Arts Carolina and Amy really pulled their
weight,” Ketch said. “She exceeded the initial
hopes and even the idea of the program.”
But a dream can’t last forever.
As of June 30, Arts Carolina is no more.
The nation is experiencing its worst budg
et crisis since World War 11, and its effects
can be seen everywhere.
UNC alone lost $23.7 million in funding
this year, and cuts have been felt all over
campus. From computer labs and class
funds to HEELS 4 Health and the First
Year Initiative, administrators faced a series
of tough decisions about what to nix.
Arts Carolina, with a $120,000 annual
budget, was one of the largest cuts. When it
was established three years ago, it was a
pilot program funded by the College of Arts
and Sciences.
But in December 2002, Arts Carolina
received a glowing review from a commit
tee headed by Darryl Gless, dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences, and officials
decided Arts Carolina should become a per
manent program.
Its funding was renewed temporarily for
the spring 2003 semester while leaders
searched for permanent funding. The
money was never found.
“Between December and May, clearly not
enough efforts were made to find new fund
ing,” Brannock said. “I w r as never allowed to
commission directly to the administration
and was never given a satisfactory answer
about the money I asked about. Apparently,
other things took priority.”
Those other priorities, administrators
say, were exactly the motivation for the pro
gram’s elimination.
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DTH FILE PHOTOS
Top: Students share their views on the Iraqi conflict at last spring's Prayer for Humanity.
Above: The Sept. 11 memorial wall was erected to give citizens a form of free expression.
Gless the same Gless who so vehe
mently praised Arts Carolina in December
had to make cuts within his college, and he
chose to preserve as many classes as possible.
“There was just no money this year for
extra programs,” Gless said. “I drafted that
(December) report myself, but my respon
sibility is to protect, first, programs that
serve an educational purpose."
Brannock said that she understands and
accepts the cuts but that she is frustrated by
what she views as the sudden and cruel
nature of the process.
“I have been disappointed in the way
that I was treated,” Brannock said. “I was
given no severance package, only a two
month notice that Arts Carolina would be
eliminated, and no preferential treatment
in finding another job in the University.
The job ended, and I was left on my own.”
But since the University is, first and fore
most, about academics, administrators said
they believe the core curriculum not
extracurriculars must be its primary
focus.
“Amy was a real champion of the arts with
high visibility in the University, and she did
a great job. No one is disputing that" Provost
Robert Shelton said. “But we have to make
sure that we have quality classes and instruc
tors. Otherwise, we compromise our reputa
tion as a leading public university.”
But that doesn’t mean Arts Carolina will
not be missed. Students and departments
have come to depend on the Arts Carolina
calendar and its organizational efforts.
Student Body President Matt Tepper
established new Cabinet co-chairmen in
the spring the Arts Advocates/Liaisons
who were slated to work closely with
Arts Carolina.
“This cut is hard on everyone the stu
dents, the departments, the arts liaisons,”
Tepper said. “It seems to me like the
University is stopping and reorganizing,
which may be better for the future but is
creating problems now.”
What the program’s loss really means for
students, the arts liaisons and especially
University departments is a lot more work
with fewer tangible results.
The Arts Carolina steering committee,
SEE ARTS CAROLINA, PAGE 7
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SEPTEMBER 4, 2003
BRIEF HISTORY
Spring 2000
The Arts Carolina Web site is
established soon after the pro
gram’s initiation in January. It
provides a common place for pro
motion and organization of arts
events. In the coming months,
the Web site begins to run calen
dars for the arts community.
Sept 19, 2001
The Sept. 11 memorial wall,
erected around the flagpole at
Polk Place and serving as a
blank slate for student reactions
to the terrorist attacks, is dedi
cated by members of the arts
community'. It was dismantled
by members of the Chapel Hill
Fire Department one month
after the attacks.
February 2002
Chancellor Moeser and a special
committee, along with Arts
Carolina, begin discussion about
a public art program for UNC.
Sept 11, 2002
In cooperation with the mathe
matics department. Arts
Carolina sponsors what is
arguably its most memorable
event the stone spiral Sept. 11
memorial. Circling the Polk
Place flagpole once more, the
spiral of small stones —one for
each life lost ran through six
WTeaths commemorating the six
UNC alumni killed in the
attacks.
December 2002
As the program’s three-vear pilot
period expires, the Arts Carolina
Evaluation Committee grants
temporary' funding through the
College of Arts and Sciences. A
task force report urges that Arts
Carolina funding not only be
continued, but increased.
March 30, 2003
The Arts Carolina-sponsored
Performance for Humanity
takes place at the University
United Methodist Church. An
evening of drama, spoken word
and song, the event allows
members of the UNC communi
ty to voice their opinions of the
impending war.
June 30, 2003
Amy Brannock is informed April
25 that Arts Carolina will receive
no further funding. After run
ning many successful events on
temporary', decreased funding,
the program permanently' ceases
to exist at the end of June.