Narooma School of Arts Committee members Barb McConchie, left, president Jenni Bourke and Petti McInnes. Photo: Supplied.
Narooma School of Arts has launched a community shares program to support the new Narooma Arts Centre.
The 1 in 100 Community Shares Program is intended to attract financial support for the Narooma Arts Centre’s (NAC) ongoing operations and to draw community involvement so that NAC becomes a vibrant hub for Narooma’s cultural scene and tourism economy.
Barb McConchie is a member of the Narooma School of Arts (NSoA) management committee. She said their studio engagement coordinator Liz McCrystal came up with the concept.
“We haven’t heard of a program like this in the arts, but Eurobodalla has a culture of it in the agriculture sector and it has proven to be popular,” she said. “We think this can be something our community can contribute to, to keep NAC running.”
The program offers community shares at $335 each on a yearly cycle from 1 April to 31 March, allowing ongoing community participation and new members to join.
Shareholders receive a five per cent discount on NAC-run workshops, invitations to exhibition previews, voting rights as NSoA members, and a five per cent discount on art purchased from the gallery. The latter comes from the organisation’s commission.
“The 1 in 100 program recognises that NSoA has been an association for 100 years,” Ms McConchie said. “Do you want to come on board, celebrate imagination, support the arts and be part of this hub in a financial way, as well as a champion?”
Buying shares is not a donation because there are benefits attached. Nor is it a one-off arrangement like a donation.
“We will keep in touch with people and help them feel part of it and give them the knowledge and information to spread the word about this wonderful facility,” she said.
NAC under construction in January. Photo: Russell Bourke.
NAC will have income from workshops, its cafe and gallery, and leasing out the Kinema.
The community shares will increase accessibility for artists by reducing the charge to exhibit.
They will also be used to support NAC’s operations and to build resources including staff and a volunteer program.
There is no cap on the number of shares that can be issued. NSoA hopes to raise $30,000 from the program.
Ms McConchie said the shares program would suit people keen to contribute but without the time to volunteer.
“This is a really affordable and sustainable thing for them,” she said. “Through the program we hope to get people excited about NAC. They own the shares and want NAC to thrive.”
The program launch comes at a time of decreased government funding for the arts and rising competition for support from the philanthropic sector. “At a time with what is going on in the world, people can connect through the arts,” Ms McConchie said.
NAC will have a year-round program of exhibitions and activities, a sprung floor for dancers, and equipment including printing presses, sewing machines, and easels, plus ceramics in the cottage.
“The building will be beautiful with the finesse that an architect brings,” she said. “TAKT Studio for Architecture have thought through all the materials and how people move through the building. The windows on the Bowen Street side frame wonderful views of Gulaga. NAC is the only public building in Narooma to have that.
“This is a very special arts centre, not owned by the government or council, but by the people of Narooma and held in trust of NSoA, a not-for-profit association,” she said.
NAC received $9.92 million from the Australian and NSW governments’ Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund.
Ms McConchie said their grant application proposed that NAC would bring money into the economy through visitors attending exhibitions and workshops, and commission on artworks purchased.
“The aim was to build an aspect of economic development based around the arts and not only outdoor or beach tourism. It’s year-round and not weather-dependent,” she said. “It would bring new tourists and contribute to the wellbeing of the community as well as the economy.
“Narooma will become a fully rounded destination, with recreation through the arts,” Ms McConchie said. “The arts are crucial for us to tell our stories and keeping the community alive just like sports and festivals, and now we have a home for it and no longer need to travel to Canberra and Sydney.”
The official launch of the program for supporters is on 27 February at Narooma Golf Club. The NAC will open mid-year.
