Arts Council, City Council taking risks

The Arts Council of Wilson's decision to decline Wilson City Council's gift of the Edna Boykin Cultural Center might have been the only option it could afford to take, but it was still a risky decision. City Council, hastily and without real discussion, voted last month to hand the historic theater over to the Arts Council, which had been managing the theater since its reopening in 1996. The circa 1919 former vaudeville theater, with its restored plaster work and new seating, has been host to numerous concerts, Playhouse plays, Theater of the American South and other events. Accepting the deed would have meant accepting responsibility for insuring the public venue and maintaining/repairing it. The costs the Arts Council would be accepting are unknown.

The Arts Council's risk, of course, is that its snub might anger City Council, which has a stranglehold on the group's finances. City Council contributes $100,000 annually to the nonprofit, in part to cover the expenses of a youth theater program the city used to provide through its recreation program. Additional Arts Council funding comes from grants and membership dues. The group has a broad and enthusiastic membership, constituting a potentially powerful political force. The city also owns the Wilson Arts Center, the former BB&T headquarters office that was given to the city by the bank.

So while the Arts Council's refusal of the theater deed was a risky decision, forcing the deed onto the Arts Council would be risky for City Council. Wilson has a growing, statewide reputation as an arts haven in eastern North Carolina, and the Arts Council enjoys faithful support from a broad array of city residents, ranging from funky artists to wealthy benefactors.

Pushing the deed transfer makes little sense for City Council. It risks offending a large voting bloc while saving little money for the city. Including the Boykin Center on the city's umbrella insurance policy amounts to a tiny fraction of the city's expenses. Even if substantive repairs are needed in the future, the city's long-term outlay would be relatively small.

The only group benefiting from this controversy is the vocal anti-arts, anti-downtown, anti-Wilson malcontents who submit their tirades anonymously to online forums, including this blog's comments section. Let's hope City Council won't put them in charge.