Finances at the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) largely returned to pre-pandemic normal, according to its most recent nonprofit tax form.
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UCPAC’s Form 990 was filed with the IRS on April 26 and became available this summer via Candid (formerly GuideStar). It covers the fiscal year from July 2022 through June 2023.
Generally, revenues and expenses returned to pre-pandemic levels. In particular, program service revenue ($1.515 million) was similar to what was reported in its 2019 and 2020 tax forms. Within program revenue, theatre rental ($788,942) and ticket sales ($450,265) both were more in line with pre-pandemic levels. There was an additional $161,000 classified as “county events,” which was not listed in the previous year’s tax form.
After recording $1.1 million in the previous fiscal year, which covered July 2021 to June 2022, governments grants returned to normal, with a reported $30,000.
Still, expenses outpaced revenues last year by $169,617, which was nearly identical to the -$169,701 reported in 2021. That led to a slight decline in total assets, from what was likely an all-time high of $1.467 million to $1.567 million last year. Total liabilities were up from $404,774 the previous year to $549,962 last year. Net assets dipped to $907,664 from $1.062 million, which was likely the first time it eclipsed $1 million.
Here’s a look at finances going back each year to 2018.
For the last several years, City Council has awarded a six-figure contract to the arts center for assistance with events throughout the year, such as the State of the City, and others. In March, the governing body renewed the contract for just less than $184,000 for 2024.
An Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request filed in March for invoices paid to UCPAC between July 2023 and December 2023 as part of the contract awarded in May 2023 returned a response that “After a search of our departmental/office files, no responsive records were identified.”
More recently, the governing body awarded a $25,000 contract (AR-184-24) at its meeting in August for the “presentation of temporary artwork at the historic theatre” from Oct. 1-21, 2025. The three-page contract accompanying the resolution does not provide specifics of the art or artist, only laying out financial, marketing and production obligations of the presenter (UCPAC) and co-presenter (the city) for the artist. Rachel Smith, the city’s chief communications officer, said last month that the city is “thrilled” to partner with UCPAC and that details of the exhibit were pending.
Rebeka Humbrecht contributed to this report.
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