AN arts charity facing eviction from its City Hall gallery is calling on supporters to help in the fight to keep its doors open.

The Bermuda Society of the Arts (BSoA) will be forced to close within six months after the Corporation of Hamilton issued the eviction notice two weeks ago.

The Corporation says it needs the space in City Hall currently occupied by the BSoA to house an expanding administrative operation.

The two parties held crisis talks on Tuesday but could not agree on an alternative solution. The BSoA now claims that, if forced out of City Hall, it will be unable to afford to rent space in another part of the City and will have to shut down. It has been a Corporation tenant for 47 years and pays a nominal rent.

Yesterday, BSoA chiefs urged supporters to flood the Corporation with letters condemning the eviction, claiming they also have the backing of Culture Minister Dale Butler.

In a statement issued last night, Jean Gardner and Ed Smith, co-chairpersons of the BSoA's Governing Body, said: "If the Corporation's plan to evict the BSoA goes ahead, it will result in the death of the BSoA.

"We are asking everyone who supports the BSoA to write to the Corporation of Hamilton to express their opposition to this move, making sure to copy their letter to one of the newspapers, too. We also ask them to telephone the call-in shows to express their support for the BSoA.

"Everyone who feels passionately about the importance of arts and culture to our community must express how they feel about this decision.

"All of us at the BSoA are grateful for the widespread support that we have received since this news became public. We have received a great number of telephone calls and e-mails from a wide cross-section of the community.

"Our members and supporters are upset, of course, but we have also received pledges of support from politicians, business people, the leaders of other arts organisations in Bermuda, as well as from people island-wide who believe that the arts are a positive force in our community."

Referring to this week's meeting with the Corporation, the statement read: "Mayor (Sutherland) Madeiros and his colleagues listened to our concerns, but said they were obliged to act in the best interests of their taxpayers," the co-chairs said.

"The Mayor and his colleagues are reasonable people ¿ perhaps they will be persuaded to reverse their course if enough taxpayers voice their opposition to this move."

"A delegation from the BSoA's governing body met with the Minister of Culture and Social Rehabilitation, the Hon. Dale Butler, JP, MP, on Wednesday. The Minister was very supportive ¿ we are fortunate as a community to have a leader like Mr. Butler who feels passionately about the arts, and recognises the importance of the arts to the general health of the community. The Minister has pledged his support to the BSoA, and we are most appreciative."

According to the statement, the BSoA hosted 46 shows in 2007, and currently has 49 shows scheduled for this year.

"We are the 'People's Gallery'," the statement said.

"We are the only gallery left in Hamilton where local artists can both display and sell their work. We display work by experienced artists, but we also support primary, middle and high school students, college students, prisoners, and everyone else who has a passion for art.

"We are a community resource, and it is crucial that we be allowed to stay in our space at the Hamilton City Hall and Arts Centre so that we can continue to support and encourage artists island-wide, just as we have done for more than half a century."