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When the board of directors called the police
to escort me out the door on March 16, they also escorted
out a philosophy. TCAN was built on the philosophy that each
of us had a right to dream and each of us had the right to
try that dream out. I can say that – to the best of
my ability - I have tried to live by this. I believe that
this is why TCAN has been so incredibly successful and why
TCAN has been so incredibly busy with 380 events a year and
ballerinas and Hamlets and people who just dream to meet someone
to love. The Center for Arts
in Natick doesn’t pay much, As a matter of fact it pays
very little. But over the past seven years, it has become
one of the most popular places to visit, to perform at and
to volunteer for anywhere in Massachusetts. So
what has gone wrong?
Vision of Community:
Here is the vision TCAN has helped realize since its inception
– I call it “The Mantra:” The
arts are a rich form of communication that allows us to meet,
understand and accept each other.
I have articulated that vision or philosophy
over many years and to countless people. – Almost certainly
you have heard me say this. It is not only in words but in
deeds that, I and the TCAN staff, have carried out this very
special covenant with our members and patrons.
The group that inhabits our space now lacks
this vision. One board member sees it as “an amenity
for the town”, another as “a means to attract
people to the downtown” and another “a place to
go on Friday night”. TCAN IS these things – make
no mistake. But that the heart of TCAN is much, much more!
It is a community, which enables members, performers, patrons,
and volunteers to:
- Grow friendships
new and old
- Promote understanding
of diverse cultures
- Empower people
to establish connections with one another through the experience
of art
- Challenge
people to explore their own feelings and creative capabilities
- Develop Leaders
- Provide opportunities
for personal enrichment through performance, volunteerism,
etc.
- Enrich existing
communities and establish new ones
Here is our job and here is our covenant
with the people who have supported us over these years.
Community of Giving:
TCAN is also about giving. It provides the opportunity to
give of yourself – both your time and your expertise.
TCAN is about learning and teaching – sharing. That’s
right. TCAN is - most of all - about volunteerism. Yes –
monetary donations are important in keeping the lights on
and the infrastructure world class. But it is the giving of
the volunteers that make it a special, vibrant community.
Unfortunately, the current TCAN board does
not appear to understand the value of volunteer contributions
in either the community or the financial sense. It has recently
eliminated some volunteer positions, replacing them with part
time staff positions. For instance, where we used to get help
with the computers for free and we had a situation where someone
else could LEARN from the expert, they will pay an estimated
$12k a year to keep the things running. This not only costs
TCAN money, but seems to cast aside the contributions made
by many of us over the years of our time and expertise
The Program:
What are our programming goals? The present TCAN board –
which can be characterized pretty fairly as a collection of
business people, is, by and large, interested in ticket sales.
Chairman Fiske was quoted in a recent newspaper article “we’re
doing fine – we just had another sold out show”.
Another board member was expostulating at the recent Ellis
Paul concert “why should we present things that don’t
make a profit.” The fact
is that the board – as a board – just doesn’t
get it! TCAN is NOT about trying
to sellout every show. ART will NOT sell out every show. I
see the program as a stool with three legs. One leg is popular
“national” acts. The second leg offers local performers
a “chance” to “shine with the stars”
- to have played on the same stage (albeit not the same day)
as Richie Havens. The third leg offers challenging experiences
including jazz, modern classical, international music, and
other ART offerings.
A balance of program between the “three legs of the
stool” is essential to meet the mission and vision of
TCAN. As founder and steward of the operation over the past
7 plus years, I know more than anyone that we need to be successful
enough to pay for ourselves. When I began TCAN, I worked for
the first three and a half years for no pay! Why? Because
we didn’t have any money! And if that’s what it
takes, that is what you give. I
should also point out that under my direction, TCAN operations
has made its budget targets each year and last year turned
a “profit” of $20K. Yes, TCAN IS healthy –
at least it WAS. And if we get back to serving the community
it will remain so. So I ask
the TCAN board Where’s the Beef, folks? Why has the
vision suddenly become unworthy and where have I failed in
my job?
- Michael Moran
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