HIGHLIGHTS: Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. Annual Community Meeting – June 26, 2010

• Current Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. Board of Trustees:
Jim Price - Chair
David S. Parker - Treasurer
Deanna R. Adolph - Secretary
Robert L. Oppenheim
Judith Profeta
Ron Wormser
Kurt Grasing
Mara Kerr
Sally Reed
Gerard Rose

NOTE: Absent Board of Trustee Members included, but not limited to, Treasurer David Parker, Secretary Deanna Adolph and former City Council Member Gerard Rose. Absent City Officials included, but not limited to, Mayor Sue McCloud and Jason Burnett; City Council Member Ken Talmage was present.

• For Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2010 and extending to June 30, 2011, the City subsidy to Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. (SCC) is $650,000 ($30,000 less than FY 2009/2010 City subsidy and SCC request of $680,000). The next three-years Contract between the City and SCC begins July 1, 2010. By July 1, Finance Manager Agha Bilal will have recommended to the SCC Board of Trustees a reduction in City subsidy of $30,000/year (or approximately 5%). The Board of Trustees is then expected to request of the City subsidies of $620,000 for Year 2 of the contract (FY 2011/2012) and $590,000 for Year 3 (FY 2012/2013). Previously City Administrator Rich Guillen has proposed a reduction in City subsidy of 15%/year without justification, however.

• Total Net Assets for the FY ending June 30, 2010 are expected to increase by $60,153 (including Facility Restoration Funds) for total net assets of $739,430.

• For FY 2009/2010, projected Total operating income is $1,186,322 and projected Total expenses $1,866,169, with a City subsidy of $680,000. SCC Board of Trustees Chairman Jim Price made a commitment to increase total operating income over the next years.

• Regarding Sunset Center facility use, there were approximately 55,570 patrons/users of Sunset Center in FY 2009/2010. Approximately 1/3 of users patronize the theater and 2/3 of users are non-theater users, i.e., rooms.

• The FACILITY UTILIZATION REPORT presented Rental Paid Use vs. Free Use (Community and City) and Total Use figures for spaces in the Sunset Center, as follows:

Babcock, Bingham & Chapman Rooms:
Rental Paid Use: 362
Free Use: 121
Total Use: 483

Green Room & Rehearsal Studio:
Rental Paid Use: 131
Free Use: 63
Total Use: 194

Theater:
Rental Paid Use: 126
Free Use: 20
Total Use: 146

Carpenter Hall:
Rental Paid Use: 124
Free Use: 3
Total Use: 127

TOTALS:
Rental Paid Use: 786
Free Use: 231
Total Use: 1,017

Note: Rentals are ½ day or 1 day.

• Executive Director Peter Lesnik touted CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS PROGRAM, Sunset Center’s Commitment to Arts in Education. A Classroom Connections Brochure presented “Why Classroom Connections?” “Facts” and “How it works.”

“Classroom Connections is a program that gives children an intimate, hand-on experience of the connection between process and product. Seeing a finished product-a play or a painting-can be fun and rewarding. Our goal is to empower children by breaking down the process of creating an artistic product step-by-step with the artists themselves."

“Our message is that success is not mysterious or unattainable. On the contrary, everyone can achieve their goals by developing the skills and determination to succeed; in baseball, business or ballet."

“Sunset Center believes in the potential of children; our goal is to help them believe in themselves.”

Facts:
• “In the first two years of the program we worked with over 2,200 children from Carmel to Salinas. We are doubling that number in the 2010-2011 school year.”

• “Our artists are as diverse as our students. We program modern dance, jazz, magic and much more. Our students range from kindergarten to high school and special needs to at-risk, throughout Monterey County.”

• “All of these opportunities are offered at no cost to the schools.”

How it works:
Visit 1: Preparing the Students
Visit 2: Artists Visit the Classroom
Visit 3: Students and Teachers see a performance at Sunset Center
Visit 4: Follow-up Lesson

For more information:
Peter Lesnik - Executive Director
Phone: (831) 620-2040
Fax: (831) 624-0147
Email: execdir@sunsetcenter.org

• Sunset Community and Cultural and Sunset Cultural Center, Inc.
Mission and Vision Statements

Sunset Community and Cultural Center (Sunset Center):
The Sunset Community and Cultural Center is a multi-purpose venue for events and activities that serve the residents of Carmel-by-the-Sea, visitors to Carmel and the people of the Monterey Bay region. It is a gathering place for cultural enrichment through the performing and visual arts and educational programs, and the Center provides space for organization meetings, City functions and offices for community organizations.

Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. (SCC):
Sunset Cultural Center, Inc., is a non-profit corporation that manages the Sunset Center under contract to the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea so that Sunset Center will serve as an economic and cultural stimulant for the community and the people of Carmel and its environs. It is responsible for operating and maintaining the facility to assure the most efficient and economical management of the facility consistent with the needs of the community, attracting cultural event sponsors to make use of the Center, offering a variety of performing arts under its own name, providing space for community use and acting to fulfill the Sunset Cultural and Community Center Mission.

The vision for the future of the Sunset Center includes:

• Providing a home to an expanding number of performing arts and cultural events based on the changing demographics of the region
• Expanding the cultural impact of the Sunset Center regionally
• Offering a premiere location for events and optimizing the use of the facility for cultural and other events
• Focusing on education as a significant aspect of the Sunset Center’s programs. Increasing support to assure financial, administrative and artistic sustainability.
• About thirty individuals attended the Annual Community Meeting in the lobby of the Sunset Center; the duration of the meeting was approximately 90 minutes.