LEWISTON — Future efforts for L/A Arts may center on its ongoing education efforts, according to officials.

Board Chairwoman Judy Vardamis said L/A Arts would continue to promote the Friday night art walks in the downtown and the winter-themed ICEFest.

But other events, including the Brad Strause and Friends Concert that was scheduled for Wednesday night, would be postponed.

“We are trying to get our act together to see if we can reschedule them,” Vardamis said. “It’s all a communication effort going on now and continuing.”

Board members have been meeting regularly over the past several weeks, going over the organization’s financial books. The group has more than $100,000 in debt with limited income. The board parted ways with Executive Director Odelle Bowman in July.

Vardamis said the organization’s current financial woes have less to do with past decisions than with low ticket sales to special events.

“We aimed really high in bringing special performances to town,” Vardamis said. “We agreed to spend money to do that, but we didn’t sell the tickets to pay for them. We kept trying, but we heard some of the other arts organizations felt we were competing against them.”

That has the group focusing on core efforts, and education will be a big one, interim Executive Director Josh Vink said.

“What we are looking for now is to latch on to the programs that are the mainstays of what we are, decide how they serve our mission and find out what the community needs,” Vink said. “We need to take that and go deeper and break down programs and develop them to the extent that you know there are measurable outcomes.”

Vink also serves as director of the group’s Arts in Education program. He said that program will continue this fall, when L/A Arts will offer a 10-week poetry program in Lewiston schools.

“Basically, children will be writing poetry at a high standard,” Vink said. “We are being very relevant to the schools and adhering to their standards.”

Special events and performances will be evaluated critically, he said.

“So, if we are doing ICEFest again next year, we need to know, ‘What is the economic value of ICEFest to this community?'” Vink said. “Just like the art walks. Come to the downtown on Friday nights at the end of the month. Businesses are feeling a positive benefit from having people on the street, but we need to measure it. We need to determine how the arts can be a vehicle and a forum for economic development in this community.”

Vardamis said the board is asking for donations to help support L/A Arts. Vink said he is drafting letters to past supporters and sponsors explaining the organization’s current situation.

“Once we have a plan set, we will have a specific number for the community to rally around,” he said. “I hope they do. In the end, we are only as good as the goodwill of our community and the value of what we have been delivering for the last 40 years.”

staylor@sunjournal.com

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