Machine Project makes an appeal for funding

With just about every arts organization (see MOCA, Bob Baker Marionette Theater, et al.) desperately seeking funds, it’s not shocking to hear that local arts organization Machine Project is facing a budget crunch. Still, it was a surprise to fans of the whimsical Echo Park collective, which in mid-November “took over” LACMA for a day, when founder and director Mark Allen posted a letter on the group’s home page asking for donations.

The plea for funds isn’t as urgent as the letter might make it seem. Machine Project has enough money in the bank to operate for the next four months. But its budget relies heavily on foundation support, and the group didn’t receive certain grants it was hoping for. And there isn’t time to wait it out through the next round of grant proposals.

Allen admits that the organization has been less than aggressive about developing its member rolls -- something that’s changing now. “People are very enthused about Machine Project, but I have not done a good job of communicating to them that we’re all in this together.”

Machine Project operates on a monthly budget of $9,000. According to Allen, about $3,500 covers rent, $4,000 goes to operations manager Michele Uyu’s salary and her payroll taxes, and the rest pays for bookkeeping services, graphic design services, electric bills and the like. “That’s just the bare minimum to keep the doors open,” says Allen, who said that people have been donating money since he posted his letter on the Machine Project website.

Last year, Machine Project staged almost 100 public events. Some cost nothing; others required props, building materials and plane tickets for resident artists. That includes its current artist-in-residence, Joshua Beckman. From 9 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, you can call (213) 448-7668 and Beckman will read you an original poem based on your stated tastes and mood.

For 2009, Machine Project plans to bring in Walter Kitundu, a San Francisco-based musician and instrument builder who received a 2008 MacArthur “genius” grant.

“When you’re a space like ours that’s run largely on enthusiasm, we can’t lose a lot of funding without cutting into our core programs. This is the year that I gave money to all the art spaces that I went to,” Allen says. “It’s important for people to think about supporting the culture that they participate in.”

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elina.shatkin@latimes.com