WPA Trims to Survive
The Washington Project for the Arts, the much heraldedÛÓand by now almost EstablishmentÛÓanti-Establishment gallery that faced off Jesse Helms three years ago by presenting the Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit, has met a more daunting opponent: the recession.</br></br>As of Wednesday, its staff, which once numbered in the twenties, will be reduced to five. Two weeks ago, the WPA told its bookstore assistant, exhibits preparator, membership coordinator, receptionist and even its curator, Alan Prokop, that it could no longer afford to employ them.</br></br>ÛÏItÛªs awful,Û said Executive Director Don Russell. "All of these people busted their gut to make this place work.Û</br></br>The move, prompted by ÛÏa commitment to tailoring our finances to economic realities of the Ûª90s,Û was not unexpected. ÛªItÛªs been an issue for a really long time,Û said Russell. Û÷But instead of going out in a blaze of glory, weÛªre actually doing something to address the problem.Û Russell, who became WPA director after Marilyn Zeitlin resigned last month to become director of the University Art Museum at Arizona State University in Tempe, blamed the recession and stalled downtown development for the institution's financial crunch. ÛÏWe were slow to adapt to economic circumstances,Û he said. ÛÏThese plans have to be postponed. We need to remain healthy until we can benefit from them.Û</br></br>The remaining staff includes Russell, a development director, a director of community outreach, a bookstore manager and one allpurpose utility program person. Prokop will stay on to prepare next yearÛªs "Hearts on Sleeves: The Influence of Tattoo on Contemporary Culture" and remain on a contract basis. Grant applications and other fund-raising will continue while operation costs are reduced. ÛÏWe need to be more conservative with our money in order not to be conservative with our programs,Û said Russell.