Under the leadership of Troy McFarland, the Tullahoma Fine Arts Center continued the legacy of the last decade – it lost money.
Before McFarland was pushed out of the organization as president and executive director in August of last year, he said that TFAC would break even with its finances for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2010 and ending June 30, 2011. However, the 990 tax form filed for that period, shows a deficit of $18,519.
The loss continues the trend begun while Lucy Hollis was at the helm of TFAC. The center had deficits for seven of the last nine fiscal years, ending in 2010, with excess money only for 2004 and 2007. Until this latest filing, records showed the center lost a total of $49,189 since the 2001 fiscal year. Last year's deficit brings the total to $67,708.
Hollis, who operated the center for four decades, resigned in August, 2010. McFarland gained control of the center with a new board of directors on September, 2010. The ever-optimistic McFarland described TFAC's status as “a phoenix rising out of the ashes.”
But despite the illusion of a turn-around for the center, the phoenix never actually got off the ground.
According to the 990 form, signed by TFAC treasurer Becky Shelton, the center had a total revenue of $24,391. TFAC paid $3,089 in professional fees, $15,242 for utilities and maintenance of the building, and $24,579 in other expenses.
The form also showed an outstanding debt of $13,476 to Lucy Hollis for a loan she made to the center to cover operating expenses.
Hollis recently forgave the debt.
According to TFAC treasurer Rhessa Orr, "the Board (represented by Jon Gray and Orr) approached Mrs. Hollis to discuss a repayment plan at which time she generously gifted the center by writing off the loan amount."
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
He Sleeps In An Unknown Grave
The Baillets were a New York family who settled in Tullahoma, Tennessee following the American Civil War. They built a home at 401 South Jackson Street in 1868, which now serves as the arts center.
When people ask about the paintings origin, the story often quoted for years is that one of the Baillet sisters painted the piece because a brother had been killed in the Civil War. The scene depicts two of the sisters being informed by post that the brother was dead. Another story has the painting entitled The Farewell, with the scene depicting a brother or boyfriend leaving for the war. Because both stories are vague and contradictory, many people question their authenticity and assume the stories are just folklore, unsubstantiated by facts.
Military and census records reveal that the sisters did have a brother who served during the war.
Eugene Baillet was one of three sons born to Felix and Affa Baillet. He was born in Farmersville, New York in 1842. And at the age of 20, he enlisted as a private in New York's 154th Infantry Regiment, Company A on September 24, 1862.
Prior to the Battle of Chancellorsville, Baillet was promoted to the rank of Full Sergeant on April 10, 1863. He was described as having black hair, a dark complexion and blue eyes.
On July 1, 1863, during the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Baillet was taken prisoner when his regiment was overwhelmed by the Confederate forces of General Robert E. Lee during heavy fighting. More than one hundred of the regiment's soldiers were listed at missing or captured following a retreat.
The Baillets never saw Eugene again. He died as a prisoner in Richmond, Virginia and was buried in a mass grave.
Military records do not give a date of death.
There is a grave marker in Tullahoma's Oakland Cemetery erroneously listed as the resting place of an Eugene Baillet in some records. The marker is inscribed with the name Eugene and the date 1885, followed by the name Mary Cora and the dates 1886 - 1887. The confusion could have arisen because the marker is in the area of several Baillet graves. But it is also near a Lupher grave marker inscribed with Frances Baillet, 1847 - 1909 and her husband, Jacob, 1853 - 1929.
Frances was one of the Baillet sisters who traveled to Tullahoma with their parents and a brother, following the war. Frances married Jacob Lupher. Their son, Harry Lupher, born in January 1888, is listed in the obituaries of Jennie and Affa Baillet as a surviving nephew. In all probability, Mary Cora and Eugene (possibly named after his uncle) were Harry's siblings who did not survive infancy.
A memorial to Eugene Baillet was erected in the Limestone Cemetery in Cattaraugus, New York. The inscription reads "He sleeps in an unknown grave . . . a victim of the War of Rebellion."
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Tullahoma Arts Resolves Question Of Loan
Tullahoma Fine Arts Center’s Board of Directors finally resolved a large debt hanging over the organization.
According to minutes of the November board meeting, Lucy Hollis is not requiring that the center repay a $13,476 loan she made to TFAC, while serving as its executive director and president.
According to the center’s 990 tax return for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008 and ending June 30, 2009, and previous statements by Hollis, she loaned the money to help pay the center’s bills. The 990 form states that the loan, made without a written agreement, was approved by the board of directors.
At the October board meeting, members discussed approaching Hollis and asking that the money be considered a gift to TFAC.
However, according to email sent to MTA on January 12, by TFAC treasurer Rhessa Orr, "the Board (represented by Jon Gray and Orr) approached Mrs. Hollis to discuss a repayment plan at which time she generously gifted the center by writing off the loan amount."
MiddleTennesseeArts.com
The previous board, led by Troy McFarland, failed to take action on the matter. It was McFarland’s opinion that the center did not owe her the money.
According to minutes of the November board meeting, Lucy Hollis is not requiring that the center repay a $13,476 loan she made to TFAC, while serving as its executive director and president.
According to the center’s 990 tax return for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008 and ending June 30, 2009, and previous statements by Hollis, she loaned the money to help pay the center’s bills. The 990 form states that the loan, made without a written agreement, was approved by the board of directors.
At the October board meeting, members discussed approaching Hollis and asking that the money be considered a gift to TFAC.
However, according to email sent to MTA on January 12, by TFAC treasurer Rhessa Orr, "the Board (represented by Jon Gray and Orr) approached Mrs. Hollis to discuss a repayment plan at which time she generously gifted the center by writing off the loan amount."
MiddleTennesseeArts.com
The previous board, led by Troy McFarland, failed to take action on the matter. It was McFarland’s opinion that the center did not owe her the money.
Illustration Created For Aladdin At Cannon
This is an illustration created for the Arts Center of Cannon County's production of Disney's Aladdin Jr. The image will be used on MiddleTennesseeArts.com.
It was created with Painter and Photoshop.
The play will be performed in February.
It was created with Painter and Photoshop.
The play will be performed in February.
Tullahoma Arts Posts Festival Application
In addition to an $80 booth fee, artists and craftpersons participating in the Tullahoma Fine Arts Center's Arts and Crafts Festival are being asked to provide door prizes for the festival's “shoppers.”
The festival application, available on their new website, states that “each artist/crafter will be asked to donate a door prize to be given away to shoppers during the event, representative of merchandise in your booth.”
The arts center has hosted an art fair for 42 years. However, this will be the first festival held since the center's long-serving executive director and president, Lucy Hollis, resigned. Her successor, Troy McFarland, canceled last year's event saying, “what [TFAC] had for years, just did not work.”
Now a new board of directors hopes to renew interest in the juried festival. They have scheduled it for May 26 and 27.
The booth fee is just $5 more than the 2010 fee. But the registration deadline has been moved up one month, from May 1 to April 1. And after that date, the fee goes to $110. In previous years the late registration fee was only an additional $5. No discount is provided for center members.
There is also no mention of awards. In 2010, a total of $1,200 in cash awards was offered. There were also product awards provided by art supply companies and purchase awards from patrons.
Despite the arts center's long history of hosting festivals, this one is being organized by a new group of volunteers and they see it as “a new beginning.”
The festival application, available on their new website, states that “each artist/crafter will be asked to donate a door prize to be given away to shoppers during the event, representative of merchandise in your booth.”
The arts center has hosted an art fair for 42 years. However, this will be the first festival held since the center's long-serving executive director and president, Lucy Hollis, resigned. Her successor, Troy McFarland, canceled last year's event saying, “what [TFAC] had for years, just did not work.”
Now a new board of directors hopes to renew interest in the juried festival. They have scheduled it for May 26 and 27.
The booth fee is just $5 more than the 2010 fee. But the registration deadline has been moved up one month, from May 1 to April 1. And after that date, the fee goes to $110. In previous years the late registration fee was only an additional $5. No discount is provided for center members.
There is also no mention of awards. In 2010, a total of $1,200 in cash awards was offered. There were also product awards provided by art supply companies and purchase awards from patrons.
Despite the arts center's long history of hosting festivals, this one is being organized by a new group of volunteers and they see it as “a new beginning.”
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