Hinsdale’s Center for the Arts lost $50,000 in funding from the village this year and could see more reductions as the Illinois Arts Council faces its own budget cuts.

But on Tuesday the HCA got some encouraging news when Hinsdale officials announced the 2009 End of Summer Bash — eliminated due to village budget cuts — is being reinstated.

Proceeds from the revived event will go toward the HCA.

According to village officials, local businesswoman Tricia Montgomery will produce the event, scheduled to take place Aug. 28 at Burlington Park in the downtown district. Hinsdale’s Park and Recreation Department had been running the event in the past, said Gina Hassett, director of the department.

Initially the event was pulled from the 2009-10 budget, but Montgomery’s public relations firm came forward wanting to produce the event pro bono, Hassett said.

“The idea is to keep the event free to the public, but also allow donations at the event that would go toward the HCA,” Hassett said.

The P.Monty Public Relations firm has worked with the village in the past when it promoted a parking ticket amnesty program a few years ago.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to keep this event going, and to help out the HCA, which has had its share of cutbacks recently,” said Montgomery, a Hinsdale resident.

The bash will feature three bands, activities and food/beverage vendors. Village officials said the cost to the village to provide staffing for the event would be minimal, and within budget constraints.

Last year the village budgeted $30,000 for the event.

Earlier this year Tom De Walle, executive director of the HCA, said the village’s elimination of HCA funding probably would not result in program cuts at the center. However, potential reductions in Illinois Arts Council funding could force the center to make some hard decisions later this year.

De Walle said he is concerned over the $58,500 the center expects to receive from the IAC for both operations and the center’s “re-grant” program, funds which may now be in jeopardy.

Losing IAC funding, coupled with the elimination of village funding, would result in a loss of about 10 percent of the HCA’s projected annual operating budget, De Walle said.

“We receive funding from the IAC because we are a regional arts center that serves many communities and provides a wide range of programs,” De Walle said. “We would hope that the IAC would consider our role as a regional center in their decision making.”

However, the state has yet to finalize its budget, and the IAC could face funding cuts of its own.

In the past, the IAC has informed funding recipients in August of pending awards, but De Walle said he is concerned over word that IAC cuts are likely.

Even though the village is expected to receive about $3.1 million in federal funding for road improvements this year it did not expect, it is doubtful the village will provide even partial funding to the HCA in the 2009-10 fiscal year, said Tom Cauley, village president.

“We are still behind the eight ball, and although we would like to do something for the HCA, at this time we cannot realistically expect to do anything in this calendar year,” Cauley said.

The HCA recently submitted a request to the village seeking repairs estimated at about $13,500 for the center’s building at 5903 S. County Line road in Katherine Legge Memorial Park.

According to Hassett, the village does not have the funds for the repairs.

Among the items requested by the center in its proposal are improvements to lighting, landscaping, gutters and the outdoor sprinkler system for the grounds.