In a surprise addition to a mid-year review of the city’s budget, the Laguna Beach city Council agreed Tuesday, Jan. 12, to issue matching grants of $1 million each over four years to Laguna Playhouse and the Laguna Art Museum.
Both cultural institutions are nearing the century mark and their facilities are showing their age.
In testifying to the need for capital improvements, Playhouse director Karen Wood described her extra task at a recent opening night premiere. Instead of greeting guests, including the playwrights visiting from France, she was scurrying to find buckets for each of the six leaks in her office.
Museum director Malcolm Warner says the quality of exhibitions has been hurt because of his inability to borrow art. Requests for loans have been rejected by
institutions that examine the museum’s temperature log, he said, which reveals a heating and air conditioning system that can’t maintain an even temperature.
The proposal from Council member Bob Whalen met with some dissent. Questions were raised over whether the funds should be restricted to underwriting physical improvements or programming. The council decided to revisit the issue soon to define the grant terms.
Whalen says, “I think we want to resist the temptation to tie their hands.”
