Turner Center for the Arts is a visual artists’ gem. Born of artists and nurtured by artists, it nurtures the community through valuable opportunities to learn, admire and grow in the visual arts. But they cannot afford to pay the rent on the old school building from which they operate.

This doesn’t surprise me. As curator of L/A Arts Gallery 5, I fully appreciate the financial difficulties of managing a gallery. We do not have a strong tourist base to whom we sell art work. We sell to each other.

Fortunately for Gallery 5, we have visionary partners in the Agrens, our landlords who donate our space; Mechanics Savings Bank, who support our exhibits; and the Cities of Lewiston and Auburn who support the infrastructure of L/A Arts. Someday I hope that Gallery 5 will generate enough in sales to boost the careers of our artists and contribute financially to L/A Arts. But that someday is in the future. Today we operate in partnership with many to benefit many more.

The arts community depends on financial support from individuals, businesses and local government, which in turn depend on the arts for the richness and texture that make a community vibrant and unique. It’s a win-win relationship.

Turner Center for the Arts is a gem. It will increase in value to all who support it. I appreciate the difficult financial decisions of the selectmen and hope they see the value of long-term investment in this unique asset of their community.

Tammie Grieshaber, Auburn