Editor:
Why not two art galleries in Burns Lake? Why not?
The more art seen by the public the more the community will appreciate what talent the Lakes District has. We're blessed with so many talented artists and artisans so let's give them as much exposure as possible.
The issue isn't the number of places you can see and purchase art... the issue is the fact that our municipality, you the taxpayer, is subsidizing one business over all the others.
Each landlord, each business must offer competitive prices in order to keep their tenant and/or stay in business. Offering the artist co-op rent at $500/month means the municipality looses approximately $3,585,88/year (these are taxpayers dollars); at $800 per month the municipality recovers its costs (no profit - just recovers costs). Should the village council choose to publicly advertise that the Interpretive Centre building is available at $800/month then other businesses/other artists wanting to set up in our community could bid on it.
At $800/month I've got a list of businesses wiling to move in now; even I could bid on it but then my landlord would have to rent the space at a loss in order to keep me from moving... again; it comes down to the municipality competing with private business which contravenes the charter:
The village can not provide assistance or favour one business over another in a rental. "Solution" the artists co-op pay the going rate with no subsides. For clarity the various rental rates quoted above includes hydro, PNG, water, sewer, garbage and snow removal.
Understand, I am in favour of an artisan centre: I wrote a letter of support for an artisan centre when the co-op was applying for grants (more taxpayer dollars) in order to start up such a centre but not at the expense of my business which supports over 30 local artists each month and provides artists' supplies to well over 100, plus custom framing and other creative gifts. The centre should not be at the expense of any other business or landlord within our community. Support our artists... you bet. I've been doing that at Process 4 Gallery since 1977.
Respectfully, Wayne S. Brown, owner of Process 4 Circle Arts Gallery.
P.S. Thanks for the apology Paula.