The Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts lost its interim director this weekend after laying off most of its staff in December.
The fiscal crisis has prompted the closure of the 47-year-old institution, as first reported by El Tecolote.
Its interim director, Derek Jentzsch, stepped down this past weekend, writing that the cultural center “cannot afford to pay” for his part-time contract.
Jentzsch, founder of Broderick Haight Consulting, a nonprofit consulting firm, assumed the role at the cultural center earlier this month. Jentzsch said he was scheduled to work part-time as a contractor at $1,250 per week, but he ended up working nearly full-time.
“No money was received, or ever will be,” Jentzsch wrote in an email on Wednesday. “I waived any payment when it became clear that the center couldn’t pay any bills. Unfortunately, I can’t afford to work for free for very long. ”
Now, he wrote, “the center’s board can focus on what’s next.”
The center, a main cultural hub that offers classes, art shows and printing workshops, usually closes during the first weeks of the year, but has yet to re-open its doors. An initial opening date had been set for Jan. 13, but a lack of funds has delayed the reopening, according to board member Robert Sanchez.
Jentzsch’s experience, his connections to nonprofits and the arts, and his willingness to take the position is what led to his selection as interim director, Sanchez said last week. He also lives nearby and frequents the center.
It is unclear who will take over the role or when the center will reopen.
At the moment, the center has only two paid positions: A facilities manager and an accountant. In early January of last year, the former director, Martina Ayala, laid off most of the center’s staff and reduced the center’s hours of operation.
Last week, the MCCLA’s board met with the city’s art commission, which partially funds the center and manages the city-owned property, to discuss an advancement in funds that are usually released in late March.
The conversations with the city will continue this week, Sanchez said.
Ayala stepped down on Dec. 15 after three years leading the organization.
“The Arts Commission has worked to secure the building during the extended closure, and is working with the Mayor’s office to meet with organization leaders to determine next steps,” a spokesperson for the commission wrote in a statement.
That’s a shockingly short tenure for an interim director—only three weeks! It really highlights the immediate financial strain at the Mission Cultural Center if they can’t even sustain a part-time contractor agreement that quickly. I wonder what specific budget constraints led to this immediate departure.
The former director prior to Ayala was horrible and mismanaged the center for years… I’m not surprised this is happening now.
$1250/week salary for a director would definitely be hard to sustain with having financial problems. A catch 22. Need one to get finances in order at the same time using up what little is left. Very sad. Another symptom of our decaying democracy when arts is being seen as a burden or unnecessary by the powers that be. Always a struggle for artists. The arts are very vital to a democracy. Why must this be an ongoing problem? And artists definitely need to be admin and financially savvy.
That $1250 a week was for a PART TIME director. He said he was ending up working at it full time and realized they couldn’t even pay him for the part time contract.
So sad! My daughter was in the Young Musicians program at MCCLA all through high school. Such a wonderful program.
This is truly sad news, even unexpected, despite the way all the prevailing winds are blowing today.
The arts center has provided a home for many talented and industrious artists over the years who have been a key component of the Mission’s heart and soul.
I have always imagined the next Frida Kahlo or Diego Rivera to come out of it.
it is puzzling to see users here, probably the same one, downvoting comments from people who share their nontoxic opinions or their memories here like the one mentioning his daughter in the MCCLA band…Downvoter probably has very low estime, probably still live in his/her parent’s garage..I know life is tough for some but get out, talk to people, try to make friends instead of spilling hate that no one cares about.
Sorry to hear about the Mission Cultural Center of the latinos Arts. Ever since Jeanette beloved director left it went downhill.