Costa Mesa Council Votes More Arts Money

In the midst of controversy over a play being presented at the Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse, the City Council awarded an additional $75,000 to the city Cultural Arts Committee on Monday night--$9,400 of which is earmarked for the playhouse.

In a 3-2 vote, council members increased city funding for the arts committee to $250,000 this year. Opposing the increase were Sandra L. Genis and Mary Hornbuckle, who cited budget constraints, decreasing public support for arts subsidies and the need to give more city money to social programs that provide for more basic needs.

“I oppose this because I feel we’re spending an awful lot more for food for the soul than food for the body,” said Genis, who compared the funding to “rich folks’ welfare.”

The arts committee is still seeking about $15,000 more to conduct a community cultural assessment, in which residents would be asked what they want from the city-funded arts programs. The committee further plans to ask the city to consider hiring a cultural arts coordinator after an assessment is completed.

“I think we in this community need to better define an arts policy,” said Mayor Peter F. Buffa, who voted for the funding. “The committee has started this process of what we are trying to do here. . . . I hope it spends less time talking to the arts groups and more time talking to the community and see what they need and want.”

John Feeney and his wife have urged the council to withhold public money from arts organizations and suggested that the council place the funding measure on the ballot.

The Feeneys stirred the current controversy about the playhouse when they objected to its production of “Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You,” calling the play anti-Catholic.

But Councilman Orville Amburgey said placing the arts question on the ballot would be an “easy way out. The bottom line is for the council to decide where the funding should go.”

A report from the city attorney, expected by the council at its next meeting Oct. 1, is to address the objections by the Feeneys, who hold that city funding of “Sister Mary” violates a city requirement that no public money be spent for religious activities.

The arts committee will wait until the report is received to distribute any of the newly allocated money to the playhouse.