Charlotte arts group drops executive director, citing ‘harsh economic climate’

Opera Carolina announced Monday that it has laid off the executive director it hired 18 months ago, saying budgetary problems are to blame.

In a statement to supporters obtained by the Observer, the opera said Beth Hansen’s role was cut “as a result of a harsh economic climate for the arts and a possible reduction in fiscal year 2021 support from the Arts & Science Council.”

Last November, county voters decisively rejected a referendum that would have increased the sales tax to inject $22.5 million annually into the local arts and culture sector, as well as provide funding for parks and other interests. Arts leaders warned that big cuts across the arts and culture community were likely if the referendum failed.

The opera’s move comes as arts groups across Charlotte are grappling with an announcement last month from the Arts & Science Council, Charlotte’s arts umbrella funding group.

The ASC said the annual operating grants it makes to 33 arts organizations will be slashed in half if it’s unable to raise $5 million by June. Opera Carolina is one of the groups that receives operating grant money from the ASC.

Opera Carolina received $336,150 in operating grant money from the ASC for fiscal year 2020, according to the ASC.

James Meena, the opera’s artistic director, told the Observer that money from ASC, in addition to other public funds, make up about 10 to 11% of the opera’s budget.

The expected loss of approximately $160,000 — or half of the $336,150 ASC grant — was the “tipping point” in deciding to eliminate the executive director position, Meena said.

“Looking at the percentage, it doesn’t seem huge, but when you quantify it ... it is roughly the budget we need to put on one grand opera at the Belk Theater, or our entire community programming initiative,” Meena said.

Consolidating work

In its email to supporters, the opera expressed its thanks to Hansen for her service to the company over the past 18 months.

Hansen had been in charge of the administration of Opera Carolina since 2018. Meena declined to say what Hansen’s salary was, he but said she was the highest paid of the opera’s nine full and part-time employees.

Previously, Meena led both the artistic and business sides of the opera, and Hansen’s arrival allowed him to focus on his role as artistic director. Meena is also artistic director of Opera Grand Rapids in Michigan.

Meena said that when Hansen was hired, “the anticipation was that we could keep up with the (ASC) cuts, and we could raise additional funds to meet the challenges.” ASC grants had been getting slimmer each year, although somewhat predictably so, Meena said.

“With the picture we’re now looking at, we think we have to be more proactive in aligning expenses with projected revenue,” he said. “I’m fully expecting we’ll come out of this a stronger organization.”

Hansen had been on the opera’s board of directors since 2012. In the statement released Monday, Opera Carolina said her responsibilities “will be consolidated within the existing organization.

“We will continue to do what is required for Opera Carolina to present world class grand opera in Charlotte and maintain our many community outreach programs,” the statement said.

The opera was founded in 1948 and calls itself the largest opera company in the Carolinas, according to its website.

This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 2:10 PM.