Letters: Harbor owns art gallery's land, but not the building

Attention artists! The harbor commissioners need our help. As artists we are always being asked for donations for worthy causes. We are used to that. Usually it is a painting (framed of course) or use of our skills, which we like to do because it is fun.

I don't think we have ever been approached by a government agency to donate, especially something as large as our building. Government entities usually find funds in their budgets to help support the arts. The Coast Redwood Art Association has never made it a practice to solicit funds from anyone except people wanting to support the arts in Crescent City.

We have survived over 40 years and we were able to purchase our own building in the 1980s. Unfortunately, it was on harbor property. We have paid rent for the land the building is sitting on for over 20 years, but now the lease is up and the harbor wants to increase our land rent over 600 percent because they tell us they can rent our building for over $1,200 a month if we were not in it and that would help them with their financial problems.

We are a 501c3. A non-profit.

In their infinite wisdom as successful business people, as the harbor commissioners see themselves, they have suggested we need to find a "boutique" setting for our organization. They have even volunteered to help us with our marketing strategy, which as artists they know we are lacking. They have informed us they think that a "boutique" would be a more appropriate type of building for us.

Of course, we need a "boutique" that will have space for over 300 children a year to benefit from very low cost art lessons. The classes are kept at a very reasonable rate so most children can afford this. We need a "boutique" that will hold over 50 people a month who come to our educational art demonstrations (free to the public). We need a "boutique" that will accommodate several non-profits who regularly hold their board meetings at the Crescent Harbor Gallery. We need a "boutique" that will have space for two juried shows a year bringing artists from Portland to San Francisco who enter their work. We need a "boutique" with space enough when we are asked to help with a fundraiser for the Maritime Museum to crowd over 100 people in our gallery and raise over $14,000 for another non-profit.

We gladly do things to support our community. You can do a lot when you have passionate people working together for a worthy cause. Of course, the harbor now needs our help. Don't worry, commissioners. We have just put a new roof on the building and had a fundraiser to replace the 30-year-old carpet. The building does need new siding, but maybe we can get that on for you before January 2009 when our lease expires.

Doris Dalbec

Crescent City