Lichterman Nature Center to Cut Staff, Planetarium Closed

"Lichterman Nature Center? Never knew it existed!" That's what you'll hear frequently from tourists visiting Memphis as well as many of the local citizens. Though not very well advertised, Lichterman has been around since I was a kid and is a place I like to take friends who are visiting to just get away from the hustle and bustle. It's a beautiful place, but it's in trouble, folks. Apparently, city budget cuts are affecting all areas of the arts in Memphis. One of our great natural resources and protectives, Lichterman Nature Center, has had most of their funding chopped. I talked with a man who works for the city (who asked not to be named) and he told me the following: all the teaching teaching staff is part-time and they will all be laid off March 1st. The teaching staff at the center does animal and plant care in addition to teaching the many programs offered there. The handful of full-time people that are left will do everything -- which means serious cutbacks in what Lichterman can offer. There is a good possibility that animals that are cared for will be sent elsewhere, and the center will be cancelling many of the resource programs that are offered. It seems that our mayor, in cadence with the city council, is cutting the budget dramatically and Lichterman is suffering. Citywide, as a result of budget cuts and a 28 million dollar deficit, there will be 200 full time and 1800 part time city employees getting laid off.

Why is Lichterman, a place that had brand new buildings costing 7 million dollars when built in 2000, being pushed aside? One side of the story appears to be that many of the buildings require major repairs. The center, which is operated by the Pink Palace, had no comment on the story.

As for the Sharpe Planetarium, the staff of the planetarium had been asking Pink Palace officials for a very long time to provide funding for new equipment, as much of the planetarium's equipment is outdated. In response to the repeated requests for new equipment, the Pink Palace could not keep up with the operating budget needs and has instead closed the planetarium to the public.

What's next on the agenda? Will we be closing the Memphis Zoo? The Brooks? These are questions that everyone in the arts in Memphis should be considering carefully. It's pretty clear to me that the arts in Memphis is in dangerous territory here. The potential for losing major centers of culture in Memphis is very much a possibility. Because these are non-profits, donations can be made to these centers to keep them alive. If you value these places as much as I do, please do whatever you can do to raise awareness of the potential for what could prove devestating losses to the city's cultural centers.