General Motors, long a supporter of the arts scene in Detroit and beyond, says it is dramatically reducing its donations and sponsorships from the GM Foundation effective immediately. Not surprisingly, the move means that venues and galleries – like the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Michigan Opera Theatre – are reeling.
In 2007, the GM Foundation dispersed more than $31 million on arts gifts and grants, the Detroit News reports.
The Michigan Opera Theatre will be without its title sponsor, Cadillac , for the first time since the opera house opened in 1996. The house was promised an additional $250,000 that it won’t receive.
The GM Foundation also promised a further $350,000 to the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts in Detroit and $100,000 to the Detroit Symphony Opera. Neither venue will receive the pledges.
The Foundation had alerted Detroit’s higher-profile arts organizations in late 2008 that the pledges would be cut this year. The Foundation says it will continue to help, but in a much smaller, less-costly capacity.
