The Českobudějovice council will not close the gallery after protests

České Budějovice - The Českobudějovice city council today decided that the operation of the Gallery of Modern Art will be maintained in 2010. Following the dissolution of the company City Cultural Houses, it will operate under the auspices of the city starting in February. This was stated to journalists by Deputy Mayor Ivana Popelová (ODS). The councilors will submit a proposal for its financing to the city council. All nine agreed exhibitions, mostly of foreign artists, are expected to take place this year.
    There has been a wave of protests against the possible closure of the gallery, with around 2,000 people from various parts of the country signing petitions in ten days.
    "We never said we wanted to close the gallery, but we wanted to clarify its financing," claimed councilor Martin Kuba (ODS) today. According to him, the media frenzy was unnecessary, arising due to the fact that as of February 1, the joint-stock company City Cultural Houses, which also operated the gallery, will cease to exist.
    After a meeting of the city council, however, Deputy Mayor Rudolf Vodička (KDU-ČSL) told journalists that the operational costs of 1.1 million crowns are considered unacceptable by the councilors, and the activities of the gallery need to be terminated as soon as possible. Even during the budget assembly, the councilors did not hide that the economic crisis would force them to sell some properties to finance European projects. That is why they sent the joint-stock company City Cultural Houses into liquidation.
    According to Deputy Vodička, the councilors also discussed the focus of the gallery in the coming years. This should, according to Deputy Popelová, be decided in a debate among experts.
    According to the gallery's curator Michal Škoda, the concept for the gallery and its future existence should have been decided at the time it was known that the joint-stock company would be dissolved, as exhibitions are arranged a year and a half in advance. Grants are also tied to the concept. "It is important to realize that the gallery has a certain standing thanks to a concept that has been developed for 12 years,” he told ČTK, adding that if the councilors change the concept of the gallery, it is the same as if they decided to close it. "The Ministry of Culture will not subsidize a low-quality enterprise, and I would not be able to function in such a gallery," he stated.
    People around the House of Art believe that the efforts to close the gallery are driven by councilor Jaromír Procházka (SNK ED), who operates a commercial and auction gallery there. He rejected the criticism today by stating that as a councilor, he is responsible for the finances. According to him, such galleries abroad are not funded with city money.
    According to the director of the company City Cultural Houses, Jana Sýkorová, the company had an annual turnover of eight million crowns and the city did not subsidize it a single crown. It managed to generate income for the operation of the gallery through rent, but also by obtaining grants. The company was profitable for two years and invested 23 million crowns in the repairs of the Slávie cultural house.