A SUMMARY OF CONTRIBUTIONS
Events
The Friends of the Bath House produce the Annual Art Mart which allows over 60 artists to exhibit their work for sale in the Bath House on the lower lever for a nominal fee. The event is free to the public. Hosted Art Mart online for 2020.
Hosted a new outdoor art exhibit Art Park which featured work from Bath House Artists, White Rock Lake Artist Tour artists, artists from the Creative Arts Center and the Dallas Sketchers. Paid for supplies, fencing and PR.
Lake-a-Palooza Music Festival is produced annually by the friends and features a multitude of genres of music featured in three different areas of the Bath House with a main stage out in back overlooking the lake. In 2019 the Friends built and donated a professional outdoor stage.
The Friends provide the food, decorations, and volunteers for ten gallery exhibition openings. The opening receptions can draw up to 600 patrons to the Bath House in one evening. Average cost per opening with food, wine, and police security ($400), provided 6 times per year.
Financial Contributions
The Friends have provided much need equipment for the Bath House (equipment not provided by the City but necessary for day-to-day operations of the Bath House).
The Friends of the Bath House understood the possibilities for programming in the lower level of the Bath House and made the space much more user friendly by paying to lay concrete floors (public/ private partnership with the City), the Friends portion and contribution. Commissioned a local artist to design and install wrought iron gates to replace a dilapidated cyclone fence.
Each year the Friends produce and pay for the printing of the season brochure in the format of the traditional playbill. What started as a two-page cover for the Festival of Independent Theatres has become an eight-page booklet that has a detailed listing of the upcoming events, the history of the Bath House, descriptions and pictures of events and the list of donors. This booklet has been one of the main marketing tools for the Bath House since its inception.
The Café call for artists software used for artists calls is bought each year by the Friends. This is not only used for the Art Mart, but for artist calls for group exhibitions. It has enabled the Gallery curator to expand Bath House shows to includes artists from all over the world.
The Gallery Coordinator works on an Apple computer bought by the Friends and has provided the illustrator software ($240 per year) necessary to do all the graphic design work for the Bath House programs.
When the City could not provide Wi-Fi for the Bath House, The Friends arranged for the Wi-Fi installation and paid for it as well. This was a huge help to companies using the theater and for artists at Art Mart.
Eight new LED cycle lights for the artists selling their work in the theatre at the Annual Art Mart. Total cost for 3-year period were purchased by the Friends for the theater. This investment enabled theater companies much for flexibility and was a wonderful addition to the Festival of Independent Theatres.
Storage has been a huge issue at the Bath House. To assist with the growing problem, the friends hired a cabinet make to build a wall of cabinets in the classroom to house afterschool program art supplies and a wall of cabinets in the box office to hold office supplies. Also built was a magazine and newspaper rack on wheels.
The Kitchen was in disrepair and in need of a facelift. The Friends hired a contractor and updated the kitchen with additional cabinets, a new refrigerator and microwave, and a large sink and faucet.
The Gallery lighting was in disrepair, so the friends paid for an updated track and additional lights.
With the lower level now in demand, the Friends purchased propane heaters to make the lower level useful year-round.
Provided a grant to the Cabaret Series when they came to the Bath House and purchased a new top of line electric piano which could be used in the theatre and the Lake Level.
The Friends have invested time and funding in the renovation of the public art. Paid for the landscaping/plants for the butterfly garden. Paid for the restoration of “A Place to Perform” and “Whirl”.
In 2012, the May of the Americas exhibit featured artists from Apaseo el Alto, Guanajuato, Mexico. The Friends made all the arrangements for the artist and provided housing at their homes for several.
The Friends have purchased plants for the Master Gardners.
The kiosk in front of the Bath House was a gift from the White Rock Lake Foundation and the Friends.
The Friends administer the Hammerbacher grant. In 2020 it provided funding for virtual programs on the BHCC and OAC website.
Advocacy
The Friends fought for the retention of the manager’s position during the 2008 budget crunch. They rallied patrons and went to Cultural Affairs commissions meetings, City budget meetings and called their council representatives in addition to paying the manager’s salary for one year. The Friends faced a similar situation the next year and once again saved the Manager’s position at the Cultural Center.
The Friends spent hours speaking with Councilman Clayton about the importance of renovations to the Bath House to assure that the Bath House would be included in the 2018 Bond Package. The result was $1.5 million allocated for the renovation of the restrooms, Kitchen, workspace, and the lower-level bathrooms, dressing room, stage, lighting, and water along with accessible pathways.
In addition to responsibilities as an advocacy and fundraising group the Friends have been advisors on many issues facing staff. They are connected to the community politically, in business, and personally. They are familiar with many of the arts patrons. Their varied backgrounds in business, architecture, law, nonprofit management, marketing, in areas where most artistic people lack knowledge or experience, The Friends provide staff with insight.