Background Report - Arizona Town Hall

major cuts in staffing and general funding at MNA, despite MNA’s commitment to a diverse
funding program that includes gifts and grants from individuals, public agencies, private
foundations, earned income, and performance contracts.
Looking to the future, MNA believes that institutions that connect people to real places and
which hold and preserve the physical evidence of our natural and cultural heritage will become
more important in a world that is increasingly enamored with the general and the virtual.
Presenting Western Heritage in a Seasonal Community
W. James Burns, Executive Director, Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg
While located in Maricopa County, Wickenburg can hardly be considered urban, with a
population of roughly 6,400 year-round residents. One of the challenges of running a cultural
institution in Wickenburg is the transient nature of its residents. The same is undoubtedly true
for many rural communities in Arizona with visitors and residents who spend anywhere from
a few weeks to a few months at best each year in residence.
Permanent and part-year residents alike in Wickenburg talk about “the season,” which runs
roughly from October through April. The community—and the institutions in it—revolves
around the season, a situation that presents some opportunities but also some
challenges. There is a distinct buzz among the cultural institutions in town during the
season, but ultimately resources must be allocated to operate all year long.
How does one run a cultural organization when a majority of the members, trustees, and
volunteers are half-year residents and attendance fluctuates significantly between summer and
winter? To sustain our organizations through the summer cultural organizations scale back
and try to do more with less. As so many have had to do in these tough economic times,
sacrifices are made.
Arts organizations in Wickenburg concentrate the bulk of their programming during the
winter season, infusing the town with a rich cultural life usually found in much larger cities.
The community takes pride in the Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts and Desert
Caballeros Western Museum, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010.
These institutions focus on cooperation and collaboration to maximize their limited
resources. The museum and the center rely on a similar, limited pool of donors and volunteers.
When possible organizations work together and forge partnerships with others in town and
throughout the metro area.
Some of the challenges faced are to expand our audiences, funding sources, and membership
beyond Wickenburg. Success in expanding audiences and attracting new patrons has
implications for the town as well. Wickenburg possesses a fortuitous location on the welltraveled
highway between Phoenix and Las Vegas, but getting travelers to stop is a challenge.
If travelers do stop they tend to shop and eat, which translates into tax dollars for the
community and sales for local businesses. The museum has been successful in attracting over
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