More than a hundred people packed the Shatford Centre auditorium last night for a special meeting of the Okanagan School of the Arts.
The night had long been billed as decisive. At the end of the evening, the OSA would either part company with its longtime home and potentially dissolve, or it would soldier on in the face of mounting debt and attempt to bring in the money it needs to flourish over the long term.
As it turned out, that particular vote never happened. But another one did.
On the 13th of March, the OSA requested a grant in the amount of $120,000 from the City of Penticton to cover operations, electric, and capital improvements.
At a city council meeting held on Tuesday of this week, council gave a thumbs down to the $120,000 but thumbs up to $47,000 - enough to cover the group through to the end of its fiscal year in September. A lifeline that would, theoretically, give the OSA enough time to execute a new and sustainable business plan focusing on long-term Shatford tenants.
"The only vote tonight was to accept that revised agenda," said OSA president Robin Robertson later.
Not surprisingly, the motion passed. And that vote means the OSA will continue to function in its Shatford Centre headquarters, at least to the end of summer.
The meeting was highlighted by a Q&A session that quickly became an audience soapbox.
Penticton Art Gallery curator Paul Crawford queried if the best route would involve the OSA separating from the aging Shatford building, an approach echoed by others in the crowd.
Some, like Penticton's Eva Durance, took their time at the microphone to deliver impassioned critiques. Durance would later refer to the "utter shambles" of the process that took the organization to this point in time, saying that members didn't have access to key information until the past few days and disparaging the methodology.
"I don't think it's going to work," she said afterward. "They don't have a strategic plan. Nobody seems to know what a strategic plan is. They don't have a business plan. They say it'll come later, but no, that's where you start."
But most of the dozen or so speakers were more positive, clearly buoyed by the city grant and expressing confidence that it, along with the OSA's new tenant-oriented plan, would usher in a brighter future.
Said Robertson later, "We can use that money now to continue the work we've started on strategic planning. We can keep our staff, who are trying to sell the building to new tenants. Hopefully, we can get two more tenants in the building and we can be sustainable. We have two now. If we can have four core anchor tenants, then we can be sustainable."
"The crowd here tonight shows that there's a huge desire to keep the building going and to have the arts supported in the city."
"We will be going back to city council in the future for building improvements."
One of the two current tenants and therefore one of precious few entities providing the OSA with a consistent income stream is an arts supply and instruction shop called Anomaly House, run by Penticton artist Shae Ayris. Ayris attended the meeting and had a few thoughts afterward.
"I'm so caught off guard. I don't know Robin that well. There are issues with me being here that they have not talked to me about. It's frustrating when there's so much back and forth and it's so hard to discern where things are coming from."
"There's so many valid points that this place should be here and should be a thriving art community. But it has to be allowed. In this place, it seems, there are a lot of obstacles that people are running into."
Keith MacIntyre, CEO of Penticton-based software consulting company Big Bear Software and a somewhat outspoken OSA board member, was upbeat afterward.
"We now have the operating capital to survive the next six months, which gives us the chance to execute our business plan and work toward capital improvements and make this organization the best it can be. There are fantastic ideas in the community, so we want to make sure we hear those ideas."
And MacIntyre might just be ready to put his money, and his business, where his mouth is.
"I'm strongly considering moving my company here. My employees are excited about the possibility of helping build a community. And I know of several other companies who are interested in moving here as well."
MacIntyre says it's all about balance. "What it should be is a good balance of different types of people here so we can get this building thriving. Getting some energy back into it."
"We could have a coffee shop here, for example. And a security system that makes it easier for people to enter the building on their own in the evening. I believe in the plan we have, particularly if I'm here every day to help build the community."
