County agrees to consider helping with Art Gallery of Northumberland funding

05-11-2024 11:45 a.m.

COBOURG

Pointing out that it is indeed the Art Gallery of Northumberland, though Cobourg has paid all its operating costs for 60 years, Mayor Lucas Cleveland made a motion that county council consider sharing those costs

After 60 years of serving the community, Northumberland County has agreed to consider providing some level of funding to the Art Gallery of Northumberland.

Gallery representatives made their presentation to ask for $25,000 for programming purposes Tuesday at Northumberland County council's finance and audit committee. Committee chair (and Cobourg Mayor) Lucas Cleveland, however, questioned Executive Director Olinda Casimiro why – if it is indeed the Art Gallery of Northumberland – their operating expenses had been covered solely by the Town of Cobourg for 60 years.

Casimiro had recently appeared before Cobourg council to request $250,00 in funding for 2025, a significant increase over the $150,000 they had been receiving in recent years. But inflation, as well as the loss of a key Trillium grant, made it impossible to continue on the lower amount.

And in order not to have staff layoffs, Cleveland pointed out, Casimiro had “sacrificed” her full-time position.

“Otherwise we would have had to close the gallery,” she said.

In her seven years at the post, she added, this was the first time she had approached county council for funding.

Cleveland turned over chairmanship of the council to Warden Brian Ostrander in order to put forward a motion.

Acknowledging the gallery's contributions to the community, including its role in enhancing economic development and in strengthening the community through the arts, the motion calls for increasing the upcoming county budget to include $100,000 for the gallery to support it operational needs, programming expansion and capital improvements.

The motion calls for an additional $100,000 over each of the next two budget cycles, the money to be transferred to the Town of Cobourg for disbursement to the gallery – on the condition that Cobourg match or exceed that amount. As well, the county will be asked to work with the gallery on long-term funding strategies and to provide help with grant applications.

Ostrander added an amendment – that the motion be referred to county budget deliberations on Dec. 18.

The motion passed, though Ostrander noted that he expects this item will be only one of many in a long list of discussions at that meeting.