Photo: Wyoming Fine Arts Center Facebook” class=”uk-display-block uk-position-relative uk-visible-toggle”>
The Wyoming Fine Arts Center
Cincinnati’s Wyoming Fine Arts Center is seeking $60,000 to stay in business through the beginning of 2024. If the community arts center doesn’t receive funding, it may not be able to keep its doors open through January, according to a press release from Nov. 28. An end-of-year campaign is underway to gain the necessary funding.
The release states that an “expected source of funds” did not come through in 2023. In order to sustain its variety of programming — including art, music and dance classes — a total of $250,000 needs to be raised annually. The nonprofit was founded in 1995 and at one point served 1,000 people per week from 208 zip codes.
“Prior to the pandemic, we served over 1,000 individuals a week from 208 zip codes, but this did not necessarily translate into financial giving for the organization,” Executive Director Ramona Toussaint said in the release. “Now that enrollment is lower, we depend on community support more than ever. Unfortunately, donors take time to cultivate and we need help now. We need time to build a runway to establish long-term stability.”
In part of the Wyoming Fine Arts Center’s 30 years of service to the community, it survived mostly on programming fees, the release states, which is “unheard of” among nonprofit organizations. The center’s mission is to educate, create experiences and nurture art appreciation for all people through teaching, programming, interdisciplinary experiences and community partnerships.
An “unanticipated” hole in the budget is a result of the center’s inability to implement its development plan created in 2018 on account of switching to “survival mode” during the pandemic. The source of substantial funding imagined in the development plan did not materialize, leaving the community center short on funds with limited time to recover.
“If this hole cannot be filled, the center is at imminent risk of running out of money and will be forced to close our doors,” the press release states. “To continue to make an impact for so many, an end-of-the-year fundraising campaign is underway. The hope is the campaign results in a bridge to get the center through December and to confidently continue to serve the community in 2024 and beyond.”
The Wyoming Fine Arts Center needs $60,000 to continue to serve the community and put its development plan into action. Donations can be made here or by mail to: 322 Wyoming Ave., Wyoming, OH, 45215.
“The Wyoming Fine Arts Center is a well-established, invaluable component of the community,” Board President Brad King said in the release. “Coming from modest means, founder Paul Bartel’s life was transformed by art; he wanted to create that kind of access for others. Please help us keep Paul’s dream of a rich and vibrant arts culture in Wyoming alive.”
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