Laguna Museum Completes Fiscal Year With Surplus

For the first time since it completed a major renovation in 1986, the Laguna Art Museum has ended its fiscal year in the black, according to preliminary figures released Tuesday by museum director Charles Desmarais.

“We’re $91,453 on the plus side” for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, Desmarais said. Last August, the organization ended the year with a $72,000 deficit. The museum’s 1990 budget is $1.3 million.

Desmarais said the museum held 1990 spending at roughly the same level as last year and attributed the financial turnaround to increased charitable contributions and grant support.

“I think it’s a result of increased excitement about the museum and where it’s going,” he said, pointing to two traveling exhibits organized by the museum--one of work by media artist Ilene Segalove, another showcasing California Impressionism--and to three scholarly catalogues the museum published.

“We’re not entirely where I’d like us to be (financially) for the long term,” said Desmarais.