“GCAC as a part of the city is our number one supporter and sponsor here in Columbus,” said Tim Valentine, executive director of the Short North Stage. Short North Stage, a regional theatre company on High Street, also supports the arts tax. “They’re ready to stand with us on this, and they’re willing to pay into the fee, too.” Columbus Museum of Art, COSI, Franklin Park Conservatory,” Goldstein said. Ohio law forbids GCAC from applying the tax to high school and college sports games – like Ohio State University Football. That tax would apply to admission for cultural events, pro sports and movie tickets at venues like Ohio Stadium, the Schottenstein Center and the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The new tax would help double grant funding for artist grants. Goldstein says the arts are underfunded in Columbus. “Right now we run out of money about halfway through the year.” “We need to shore up our anchor institutions, and we need to be able to fund artists programs year-round,” Goldstein said. GCAC runs the Columbus Arts Festival, and supports organizations like Opera Columbus and the Columbus Museum of Art. It’s the arts that Goldstein wants to emphasize. Nationwide Arena would get 30 percent of the proceeds, and the remaining 70 percent would fund arts in Columbus. The tax, if passed by Columbus City Council, would help fund local arts as well as maintenance at Nationwide Arena.īut members of the arts community are divided on how much it would actually benefit the city.Īt 7 percent, GCAC expects the ticket fee would generate approximately $14 million a year. Under the proposal, tickets for events like concerts, movie showings and professional sports games would be subject to a 7 percent tax. “We’re here to hear everyone’s perspectives and hear from you,” announced GCAC vice president Jami Goldstein before projecting a PowerPoint presentation. The topic at hand: a proposed ticket tax that has the whole city up in arms. Some clutched paper cups filled with hot coffee, while others pulled out notebooks and pens. Columbus artists, entrepreneurs and residents gathered in a meeting room at Ohio Dominican University on Tuesday to hear from the Greater Columbus Arts Council.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |