For Immediate Release	Contact: Richard Engel
Nov 9, 2005	412-681-5449 x204
Merger of Pittsburgh Filmmakers and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts Approved in Membership Vote (Pittsburgh, PA) — At their annual meeting on November 6, 2005, Pittsburgh Filmmakers artist members passed a measure approving the merger between Pittsburgh Filmmakers and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PCA). The boards of directors of both organizations had already voted for the merger in two separate votes in early September. “This merger puts us onto more solid ground financially, and will spark other collaborations across artistic disciplines through all our programs,” said Charlie Humphrey, executive director of Pittsburgh Filmmakers and executive director of PCA. “Both organizations have education, service to artists and the arts, and exhibition as our mission,” said Cathy Kraus, board president of the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. “This will give us a great new chance to continue our 60 years of service to the community.” In the last 13 months Humphrey has served as interim executive director at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and the PCA’s debt has been reduced from $1.1 million to an anticipated $420,000 by the end of 2005. No debts remain outstanding to artists who have taught or sold art at the PCA. “We’ve operated short-handed at the PCA,” said Humphrey, “We hope to add one or two people to the staff there as soon as budgets permit.” George Davis, curator at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, was recently moved from part-time to full-time status and has been working for both organizations. The 2005-06 total budget for Pittsburgh Center for the Arts is $1.1 million, down from their 2003-04 budget of $2.35. The 2005-06 budget for Pittsburgh Filmmakers is $2.2 million. The next part of the merger process involves the Attorney General’s office and Orphans’ Court. Following expected approvals from the state and city, Humphrey will lead the first phase of the integration process between January and June of 2006. The two organizations’ budgets are planned be unified starting July 1, 2006, with a preliminary combined budget of $3.4 million.