Price Costs. Price Tower Arts Center, in downtown Bartlesville, has announced a change to its operations. The non-profit Arts Center, located inside Frank Lloyd Wright's only realized skyscraper, is looking to enhance visitor experience and also reduce the impact of a tight economy on its annual budget.
Executive director Timothy L. Boruff said the center will increase admission prices and reduce the number of exhibitions offered annually from three to two. Staff reductions will also help sustain operations.
According to its 2010 Financial Report, Price Tower Arts Center listed total support and revenue at just over $1.6 million, less than the $1.7 million reported in the 2009 Financial Report.
Price Tower Arts Center is one of the top tourist destinations in the area, hosting nearly 30,000 visitors annually. That number is expected to double if it is confirmed as a World Heritage Site.
Scott W. Perkins, the curator of collections and exhibitions for Price Tower Arts Center, estimates that it costs between $30,000 and $60,000 to install an exhibition. He says those costs do not include the budgets for associated programming or marketing.
The budget reductions are not new to Price Tower Arts Center. Boruff noted that there were lay-offs and budget cuts in 2009 that were followed by additional budget reductions in 2010. He says the organization has also taken other money saving steps including digitizing annual reports, reducing the number of member newsletters to two mailings a year and a move to self-management of Copper and the Inn at Price Tower in April of 2010.
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