It has been nearly a decade since Rhode Island voters approved a creative and cultural economic bond that provided the Newport Performing Arts Center $4.2 million, and it has been more than 22 years since the opera house renovation was first envisioned.
When NPAC received the state grant, it was welcomed by then Board Chairwoman Alison Vareika as “critical” to restoring the once majestic opera house, projecting that construction would be completed for the building’s 150th anniversary in December 2017.
Today, fundraising is limping along and other than regular maintenance, any major construction is on hold until the funds are raised for a renovation that has been projected to cost $23 million to $26 million or more by NPAC officials.
A couple of weeks ago, NPAC reported to donors and others that it had eclipsed its 2023 fundraising goal of $125,000 by $2,000. Additionally, NPAC received the second half of a Doris Duke Foundation grant of $125,000 (total over two years — $250,000). The grant and other funds bring total fundraising to $257,000 for 2023, according to NPAC officials. That represents what might be perceived as sluggish fundraising over the last five years, according to the organization’s 990 filings as reported by Guidestar – 2022 – $333,057; 2021 — $297,508; 2020 — $152,963; and 2019 — $390,772.
Fundraising was far more robust from 2016-2018, presumably because of the state and other grants. According to the organization’s 990 reports, contributions, grants and memberships brought in $2,393,357 in 2016, $3,738,779 in 2017, and $1,847,002 in 2018.
Meanwhile, employee and consultant fees are rising. According to the 990, NPAC spent $80,098 on salaries and compensation in 2022. According to NPAC officials salaries and consulting fees nearly doubled to $160,000 last year. The rise in costs in 2023 can be attributed to the hiring of fundraising consultant Susan Palmer of the Palmer Westport Group.
After Palmer’s hiring, NPAC formed a fundraising committee, and is now amid the latest fundraising campaign.
Until sufficient funds are raised, actual renovation remains stalled.
“As we are in the middle of a Capital Campaign to begin the next phase of construction and complete the building, we perform required maintenance until the funds are raised to begin construction,” says Melissa Caldwell Quinn, the Arts Center’s managing director.
There are those in the community that are frustrated that the project has taken so long, as volunteer leadership over the years have floated potential completion dates, only to have those pass and become unfulfilled expectations.
Update: On February 8, NPAC responded to our reporting with the following Letter To The Editor.
