SANDPOINT — With the cost of living climbing ever upward, the Pend Oreille Arts Council (POAC) has decided that local audiences shouldn’t have to choose between gas, groceries and good entertainment.

The arts organization on Tuesday announced that it has lowered its ticket prices after the POAC board voted unanimously in favor of the move.

“When you look at what’s happening, everything has gone up and we’re in challenging economic times,” said Judy Thompson, vice president of performing arts.  “We want to let people know that we understand.

“This makes it easier for families,” she added, “and it gets the word out that there are still opportunities to support quality, live performance without breaking the bank.”

POAC has dropped the price of children’s tickets by $1.50 per show, while adult tickets will now be $2 to $4 lower — a discount of almost 20 percent for children and 10 to 15 percent for adults on most shows.  Prices for season tickets and memberships — both of which already make tickets available at discounted prices — are not affected by the recent board decision.

The new pricing will go into affect for the 2008-2009 Performing Arts Series, which includes nine performances between this September and next April (see sidebar).

By keeping the shows within financial reach, POAC believes the top line could actually benefit as more people attend its performances and offset the lower pricing.  The decision may also help generate additional sponsors for performances, according to Kim Queen, executive director for the organization.

“We’re having a harder time than ever getting sponsorships for this year,” she said, citing the economic challenges that face consumers and businesses alike.  “And the sponsors we do have right now have expressed their desire that ticket prices remain affordable for local audiences.”

POAC has managed to make that happen without skimping on the quality of its offerings.  If anything, the upcoming season promises more variety and as much quality as at any time in the group’s history.

“It’s still the same internationally known performers from all over the world,” said Thompson.

As part of the 2008-2009 season, POAC plans to expand educational outreach activities for area students with more special concerts while performers are in town.  In the past, youngsters who got a taste of those performances during the day encouraged their parents to return that evening to take in the show.  Lower ticket prices, Queen said, acknowledges the fact that those families are working within already tight household constraints.

“We did this because we don’t want the arts to become an expendable part of the family budget,” the executive director said.

For information about POAC educational programs, gallery showings and performances, visit: www.artinsandpoint.org