Justify Your Existence is a recurring series where Chattarati interviews local nonprofit organizations. This week, Christa Mannarino, Executive Director of the Association for Visual Arts (AVA), answered our questions about AVA's mission, how they measure success, and where they fit in the local arts ecosystem.
Chattarati: What is your mission?
Christa Mannarino: To promote, advocate, and support local artists and original visual art
Chattarati: Who serves on your board of directors and who leads the organization on a day to day basis?
Mannarino: 2009-10 AVA Board of Directors
Ex-Officio Members: Charlotte Landis, Larry Stone, Juanita Tumelaire
Executive Officers: David Hudson, President; Warren Barnett, President-Elect; Evan Allison, Secretary; Cynthia Nesson, Treasurer; Susan Stein, Member-at-Large; W. Keith Sanford, Past President
Members: Jim Aplin, Katherine Smith Boehm, Paul Campbell, Suzanne Corrington, Madden Cory, Mike Costello, Catharine Daniels, Kurt Faires, Sally Faulkner, Cheryl Godwin, Andrea Hardee, Colleen Mann, James McKissic, Armando Rodriguez, Mark Song, Mike Taylor, Rachael White, Lillie Wills, John Wood
AVA Staff: Christa J. Mannarino, B.F.A., M.B.A., Executive Director; Nanette Ramsey, Associate Director; Mark Bradley-Shoup, M.F.A., Director of Programs; Neely Hyde, M.F.A., Director of Exhibits & Digital Media; Jerry Dale McFadden,4 Bridges Arts Festival Artistic Director; Katie Boerema, Public Relations Specialist; Alex Zuccarelli, Media Lab Monitor
Chattarati: Where do you get your funding and what is your annual budget?
Mannarino: We receive funding through grants, special events, corporate support, program fees, and our members. AVA is funded in part by AVA Members, Allied Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, Corporate Partners, Program Participants, Benwood Foundation, Lyndhurst Foundation, Community Foundation, G. Johnson Charitable Trust, Hamilton County, and the City of Chattanooga. Our annual budget is around $750,000.
Chattarati: How do you measure success?
Mannarino: In order to maintain the highest level of artistic programming, AVA’s Program Advisory Committee (PAC) conducts an annual program audit in August, with a mid-year report submitted to the AVA Board of Directors in November. The annual PAC report includes an assessment of program budgets, artistic quality, participant evaluations, the level of adherence to the AVA mission, and planning methods including a marketing strategy.
An operational plan is charted every June when staff members merge programs, events and development activities into an 18-month master calendar during a two-day retreat.
Also in August, the AVA Board evaluates the strategic plan, financial and marketing plans at the annual board retreat. Recommendations for changes or new initiatives are made at that time and progress is charted throughout the year. The board and executive board meet 10 times per year with individual committees meeting whenever necessary.
Finally, AVA measures success based on the number of program and event followers coupled with the organization’s bottom line. Each year our goal is to increase the number of participants and we have been successful with that over the past few consecutive years. On the financial side, AVA strives to have an overage of at least $50,000 at the end of the fiscal year in order to have operating capital moving into the next year. Unlike other organizations that have built large endowments, AVA survives year-to-year. With that being said, however, we DO have an endowment fund established with the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, so if you would like to designate a gift to us now or as a legacy, that can be easily received.
Chattarati: What were your biggest successes--and failures-- in the last year?
Mannarino: Biggest success – surviving!!! In fact AVA actually grew in membership this year. Much of that is attributed to our new Media Lab that offers professional and affordable software and documentation instruction. Citing the failures is difficult considering this has been an extraordinary year. Certainly relativity comes into play.
Chattarati: Why should people care about your organization?
Mannarino: People should care about AVA because we provide a positive, community-centered space where the visual arts are appreciated, defined and validated – whether you are a painter, a sculptor, a graphic designer, an architect, an interior designer, or an industrial designer. AVA is the place where these industries are celebrated and demonstrated. AVA serves an advocate for artists and for art collectors. We strive to make sure artists are at the table in community planning and development to ensure that their unique perspectives are included in the mix.
Chattarati: What would Chattanooga do without you?
Mannarino: Without AVA, Chattanoogans would not have a visual arts resource where they can find answers to questions like where to find an artist to paint a portrait of their child, where to find an art class, how to start a career in the arts, where to find the most talented artists in the region, etc. In addition, there would be no more 4 Bridges Arts Festival, there would be fewer artists in the schools, fewer venues for artists to exhibit their work, and the loss of the most state-of-the art digital media lab accessible to the general public.
Chattarati: What can you tell us about your shift in focus towards education?
Mannarino: AVA has been focused on education from the very beginning with our artists in Waterhouse Pavilion, artists in the schools and studio classes. Today the nature of these have changed to more technology-based classes versus studio. Also, our artists in the schools teach teenagers how to create their own documentary film projects rather than more traditional projects from the past. AVA has also always been in the business of “growing artists” through our emerging artist programs. Whether it is through the annual 4 Bridges Arts Festival or the FRESH exhibit, both highly competitive juried opportunities, AVA has been helping artists get their start for more than 20 years.
Chattarati: How is the recession affecting AVA in particular and, more generally, the arts community in Chattanooga?
Mannarino: The economy is taking its toll on everyone—including AVA. Arts organizations across the country are suffering—even closing. Every day, we are seeing evidence of these difficult times. In January’s Chronicle of Philanthropy, Sue Hoye’s article, entitled “Painting a Grim Picture,” says,
“For some cultural groups, the strain has already reached a crisis point. Since September, several arts institutions have closed across the country. And as the economy worsens, philanthropy experts say arts groups could have a harder and harder time competing for donations against social-service organizations. But arts experts worry that the cumulative effect on arts organizations might not be realized by the general public until the situation gets dire.”
Unfortunately, the situation hasn’t improved too much since January. Since the first of the year, AVA has cut its expenses by 30% and our corporate sponsorships were down 50%.
Fortunately, we responded early to this situation and came up with a survival plan. The board stepped up to raise an additional $20,000 to help make up for an anticipated deficit. AVA also made the decision to charge a modest admission fee to the 4 Bridges Arts Festival. And we recently applied for and were granted stimulus funds from the Tennessee Arts Commission to be used solely to retain jobs. We are calling on everyone who has ever supported us to continue to do so and give a little extra if at all possible. Plus we are kicking off a new membership drive this month that will run through September. Our goal is to bring in 100 new members of the organization.
Chattarati: How would you describe the working relationships between the many arts-oriented organizations in Chattanooga and AVA's particular role in that ecosystem?
Mannarino: As an early catalyst for much of what you see today in our cultural landscape, it is incredibly rewarding to see the numerous galleries, artist studios, and new niche arts organizations and initiatives achieve success in Chattanooga. Chattanooga is truly becoming a city of the arts, and that is a very positive thing since a strong arts culture indicates a thriving city. The important thing for each of us to do is communicate our unique role and direct those seeking arts consumption to our fellow arts producers. This ensures that we are organized and united in our industry.
John Hawbaker
Robert T. Nash on July 8, 2009
Nice work. At the risk of undermining my reputation as a perpetual malcontent, I am - generally speaking - a fan of the functional outcomes AVA facilitates...
Charles Allison on July 8, 2009
Their media lab is awesome and stocked with every program you could need. There is nothing else like it in the city.
Allison on July 8, 2009
Mr. Hawbaker, This is very insightful reporting on subject matter of interest. While you did ask what the full budget amount was and the source of funding, you did not ask what the CEO, director, or average salaries were. A true non profitt does not have lavish spending, and the salaries are consistent with the region. There are very valid charities and non profitts, then there are the worst offenders, such as River City where the CEO is paid about $120,000, I look forward to your interview of this non profitt.
atrowbri on July 10, 2009
Allison, you can find the tax filings from non-profits at guidestar.org