Gibbes to face less public, foundation funding

For more than a century, the imposing beaux-arts building on Meeting Street has attracted thousands of visitors from all over the globe. In the early days, it was considered one of Charleston's premier attractions along with the Dock Street Theatre and Cooper River bridges.

Charlestonians who frequently traveled abroad to visit the Louvre in Paris or London's British Museum pushed to make the Gibbes an exemplar of Southern art and to bestow an aura of gentility to the edifice that has as the cornerstone of its permanent collection the work of such artists as Elizabeth O'Neill Verner, Anna Heyward Taylor, Alice Ravenel Huger Smith and Alfred Hutty.

Until recently, the Gibbes, one of the nation's oldest art museums, has adhered to a policy of handling financial issues internally even though performing arts groups in the city have gone public concerning money problems.

Now, Gibbes Executive Director Angela Mack has decided it is time for the public to become aware that the venerable institution also is in serious financial difficulty.

The Gibbes operates under its founding organization, the Carolina Art Association, formed by a group of civic-minded, art-loving citizens in 1858. The present building at 135 Meeting St. opened its doors to the public in 1905, causing a flurry of arts activity.

"Here at the Gibbes, our major problem is that we are housed in a beautiful building that is more than 100 years old but it is extremely expensive to maintain — people have no idea," says Mack, the longtime curator at the Gibbes who was appointed executive director last spring.

Anticipating a financial downturn, the museum board asked Mack to wear two hats, as she also continues in her position as curator.

Unlike most theaters, where the heat often can be turned off at night and on weekends when performances are not in progress, the Gibbes' building must maintain an atmospheric consistency that doesn't allow such a luxury to save energy.

"People who visit the museum don't realize that we have to keep a strict humidity and temperature control to protect the art," Mack says of the structure that has 25,000 square feet and holds 10,000 art objects.

"Our utility bills alone run from $10,000 to $13,000 a month, and that doesn't include necessary structural repairs that must be made from time to time, such as repairing the roof," she explains. "And, of course, we have to maintain a certain quality to be proud of our building, which is difficult to do these days."

Half the Gibbes building is owned by the Carolina Art Association and half owned by the city of Charleston, which contributes $100,000 a year to the museum. Mack says this amount from the city is holding steady, but the institution's endowment has dropped 30 percent to 40 percent because of the economy.

"This is very difficult, as, like all institutions, we rely on the endowment for a certain amount of income," says Mack, who adds that contributions to the museum by Charleston County have been cut by $15,000 and that the S.C. Arts Commission already has informed her to expect a 25 percent cut in funding for the next fiscal year.

On the bright side, the museum has not experienced a downturn in ticket sales except during September, when hurricane warnings were frequent.

But the shortfall mainly was erased as the Gibbes saw a 15 percent increase in attendance in October.

Mack also said overall private contributions have not diminished, whether large or small, and sales in the elegant gift shop at the entrance of the museum have held steady.

"Luckily, our individual and corporate support has improved slightly, but support from foundations is down some," says the director. "Also, our membership has held steady at 1,500, the same as last year's."

Mack says the Gibbes' board still is mourning the sudden death of longtime board member Eric Friberg on Dec. 6. Friberg, a key figure in the local arts community, had been slated to become president of the board July 1.

A former Atlanta resident, Friberg had served as board chair of Atlanta's High Museum and with his wealth of experience was invaluable to the Gibbes in a multitude of ways.

"Not only was Eric a terrific fundraiser, he was such a wonderful person," says Mack. "For certain, we will greatly miss his expertise and the friendship that he brought to the Gibbes."

Finding ways to cut costs, the Gibbes also has combined the duties of the education director and outreach coordinator.

"We are trying our best to stay close to our $1.8 million budget, but we will definitely end in the red on June 30," says Mack. "In the future, we may have to dig more into our permanent collections."

Mack hopes the popular Charleston Antique Forum to be held in March will help, pointing out that the museum increasingly will rely on support groups such as Gibbes, Etc., which is active on Kiawah Island.

Also raising money is the Women's Council of the Carolina Art Association.

On the upside, after two years in development, the Gibbes recently launched an interactive Web site at www.gibbesmuseum.org to expose the museum's rich collection to a wider audience as it collects, preserves and interprets the art of Charleston, the Lowcountry and the American South from the Colonial era through today.

In addition, a cell phone program was activated that enables a visitor to use his own cell phone, with instructions as to which button to hit to learn the background of certain exhibits, without having to pay to rent a tape.

Mack says Charleston's Museum Mile, which went into operation in March and was paid for by an accommodations tax grant from Charleston County, has helped bring in museum visitors.

The project encourages tourists to visit the array of historical and cultural attractions on Meeting Street from the Charleston Visitor Center down to the Nathaniel Russell House.

Along the Museum Mile, visitors can discover six museums, five historic houses, four scenic parks, a Revolutionary War Powder Magazine, 10 historic houses of worship and five historic public buildings.

Visit www.charleston museummile.org or call 722-2996, ext. 235, for information.

You may take the Museum Mile tour by foot or by using DASH trolleys or CARTA buses.

Reach Dottie Ashley at 937-5704 or dashley@postand courier.com.