BILLINGS— The Yellowstone Art Museum (YAM) in Billings has eliminated four jobs after the county cut more than $100,000 in funding for the museum in September.
The YAM let go of their membership coordinator, rental coordinator, communications manager and a position in the curatorial department.
Watch to see how funding cuts are affecting the YAM:
“These were all amazing staff members. They were dedicated to the museum, and most importantly, to our audiences. They did work that was really meaningful to the community, and not having them as part of the YAM has been a painful decision for all of us,” said Executive Director Jessica Ogdin.
Related: 'Not insignificant': Yellowstone Art Museum faces $170K cut from county
The museum has relied on county funding for several years, typically receiving $220,000 annually. That funding decreased to $188,000 in last year and to $50,000 this year.
Before county commissioners finalized the budget in September, they opened their meeting to public comment.
“We had the opportunity in August and early September to speak with the commissioners at public hearings, and it was incredible to see the public comment that folks made. Business leaders, working artists, parents and grandparents, whose little ones have been part of our programs over the years, it felt really meaningful to the museum to have all of those people step up,” said Ogdin.

Ogdin said the lay-offs mean the museum will no longer offer public rentals, and membership coordinating and curating responsibilities will be distributed among staff members.
The museum is also scaling back on adult education programs.
“In just a short period of time, it's been a lot for the museum to absorb,” added Ogdin.
The YAM will not be able to continue with regular fundraisers, such as SummerFair and the Masquerade, due to short staffing, but Ogdin is confident the museum will continue to find support in the community.
“We're making large scale appeals to the community, really trusting and believing in the people who love the museum to help us figure out a way forward in these next difficult months,” she said.