Budget shortfall closes museum

Massive state funding cutbacks and low revenues will force the California Center for the Arts, Escondido to temporarily close its museum on July 20, center arts representatives and city officials have announced. No re-opening date has been set.

Though the museum’s annual budget of $438,000 represents a small fraction of the arts center’s current $7.3 million budget, the organization cites museum-related revenue of less than $30,000 for the fiscal year that ends this month, leaving the museum with a projected shortfall of about $400,000 for the coming fiscal year.

-- Diane Haithman