WFHB FireHouse Broadcasting

The John Waldron Arts Center is run by the Bloomington Area Arts Council. Council board members say they must close the Waldron if they cannot raise $120,000 by March 1. On January 27 the arts council laid off its entire paid staff, the latest development in an ongoing financial crisis that has galvanized the local arts community. Public outcry rose to a fevered pitch when rate hikes for performance groups using the Waldron threatened to make the space too expensive for many of its users. The crisis prompted mayor Mark Kruzan to appoint an eight-member study group to help figure out how to protect the Waldron and its galleries, theaters, and classroom spaces. The study group has organized itself into three teams evaluating the building’s functionality, the cost of operations and a fair fee structure, and the legal aspects of its disposition. As part of its research the study group invited the public to have a say in keeping art alive in downtown Bloomington. More than two hours of public comment communicated a clear and unified message: save the Waldron. This program is a WFHB radio exclusive recorded on-location at City Hall in Bloomington Indiana on January 26, 2010. Hosted by study group member and city council representative Susan Sandberg.