In an effort to bring bigger, and more numerous activities to the community, the Buffalo Grove Arts Commission might soon create a 501(c)(3).
“Obviously, you’re going to walk before you run,” said Elliott Hartstein, the arts commission’s chair. “How well it will work remains to be seen.”
Nothing is in motion yet, but Hartstein brought a wide variety of possibilities to Village Hall on Feb. 22, when he spoke to the Village Board about new ideas. In his presentation, his suggestions ranged from the small — a sewing or knitting contest along the lines of last summer’s landscaping contest, or an ethnic food cook-off — to the sizable, such as an international dance competition or even a new art show.
“We hope to have some type of major activity,” Hartstein said last week. “Whether it will be this year or next year, I can’t tell you.”
But the big suggestion might end up being the creation of a new funding source. A 501(c)(3) organization would be technically independent, with its own board and its own discretion to use whatever money it receives as it pleases, like friends-of-the-library groups, school foundations and park auxiliaries. Donations to this group would be akin to paying extra taxes earmarked for the group — except that donations to a 501(c)(3) are tax deductible.
Hartstein said the commission might put its extra revenue into any number of new directions —including a new large scale production of some sort. He talked about an annual musical performance or dance event, or even a new showcase for paintings, photography, sculptures and such, similar to the showcase the commission used to put on.
Until recently, Buffalo Grove worked with Amdur Productions to put on the Buffalo Grove Art Festival every summer in the Town Center parking lot. Then-Village President Jeff Braiman appointed Hartstein to chair the arts commission about a year and a half ago, and Hartstein said that reassessing the festival was one of his main priorities at his start.
“Some people thought maybe we could be doing something better or different,” Hartstein said. “The event wasn’t what it was when it first started out. It was time for a change.”
Officials at Amdur Productions did not respond to calls for comment. The Buffalo Grove Art Festival has not missed a summer since its creation. Amdur organizes it independently now, and its 14th edition is scheduled for June 4-5.
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The commission made an attempt at launching their own festival shortly after parting ways with Amdur, but a partnership with Howard Alan Events of Jupiter, Fla. did not pan out. Hartstein said that effort was a lesson that now drives them toward either something large but altogether different from the Buffalo Grove Art Festival, or maybe a series of smaller events.
“It’s very difficult to try to set up another art festival,” he said. “The community can only support a limited number of art shows.”
But, whatever the future holds, Hartstein expects that independent fundraising will be the key to making a new move financially possible.
“It’s not like there’s money sitting in a pot somewhere,” he said.
Twitter: @RonnieAtPioneer