We would like to add our voice to the list of people who are concerned about the potential for the Warwick Center for the Arts (WCFA) to be removed from their long-standing spot within the Kentish Artillery Armory under the notion that the city can get a better deal with another use taking over the property.

We will assume the best of Mayor Joseph Solomon and wager that he is coming at this situation with the same finance-first mentality that he has already displayed on numerous occasions during his short tenure as mayor – such as halting certain elements of sick time payouts for firefighters while waiting for an official analysis of suspicious practices to be concluded, going after the Interlocal Trust to try and get more money for the Annex building that was damaged by a burst pipe and working with local advocates to restore the Buttonwoods Community Center.

However, there is no denying that he could have navigated this situation with a little more charm and a lot better communication.

It is quite alarming that those in charge of the WCFA had not had a face-to-face conversation with Mayor Solomon until yesterday, when members of the media were set to talk to center staff and members about the situation. It’s not as if this was a new problem to solve. Mayor Solomon knew that the center’s $1 lease had expired last June and they were told it was a matter that could be addressed following the election.

The election came and went, yet no negotiations happened with the WCFA about what they could possibly do to stay in their home, despite the thousands of dollars they had put into renovating their building, competitive grant funding they received which hinges on their staying in the building for five years or their cultural importance to the village.

Why, we ask, would Mayor Solomon not reach out to the WCFA and alert them of the plan and see what could be done sooner? It was the center’s board chair that brought up the concept of paying rent in order to stay in the building. The mayor has now thrown out a figure of $36,000, which for an organization with an annual budget of $65,000 is as good as simply shutting it down.

It seems, unfortunately, that there wasn’t an attempt at negotiation, which is confusing considering the mayor’s established history of meeting with stakeholders, especially in the business community.

If it turns out that Mayor Solomon is indeed thinking purely financially about the WCFA’s place in Apponaug being cost-burdensome to the city, we would ask that he re-imagine what the “value” of an arts center truly is. Sure, they will never bring in the kind of dollars that a commercial business might, and they may receive an envious $1 lease from the city, but they bring benefits to the city and its people that are less tangible.

Since the dawn of humanity, art has been one of the things that separates us from other animals in the kingdom – something that makes us human. To be able to create something through a combination of our brainpower and the physical machinations of our bodies is special, unique, among all other forms of nature.

The WCFA doesn’t just provide an empty space for people to hang up pictures, it is a living entity which serves as a destination and hub for our city’s creatively minded individuals. It can bring people to the city, and specifically to Apponaug, as evidenced by their drawing of 10,000 people over the past two years. This can lead to big things for surrounding businesses and contribute towards the revitalization of Apponaug, which has long been a goal.

The center provides classes to our senior citizens and learning opportunities for our students. In a time of increasing dependence on electronic media, providing access to fine arts establishments continues to be of real importance.

To unceremoniously remove the WCFA from their beautiful home – which in many ways is like a work of art itself – despite all the work they’ve done to it, and plan to do to it, would not only be morally suspect but also economically questionable, considering the grants that they have both waiting to be utilized and potentially to be received in the future.

We hope that the mayor will think deeply about this decision, as he has demonstrated many times in the past, and find a different avenue to try and save money for the city and find space for displaced city workers from the annex.