The COVID-19 crisis continues to reverberate in the Massachusetts arts and culture community. We thought we’d round-up some of the stories of interest to artists in Massachusetts.
Survey Mass Cultural Council undertook a survey of cultural organizations and individuals in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis and found striking results. Nonprofit cultural organizations lost at least $55.7M in revenue, and artists-humanists-scientists reported more than $2.89M in lost personal income. Commonwealth Magazine wrote about our findings. MASSCreative has urged state legislators to include the cultural and arts sector in any disaster relief response.
Culture Chat But we’re also hearing stories of generosity, innovation, and resilience. Mass Cultural Council Executive Director Anita Walker will hold a weekly Culture Chat to share some of those stories, and the first, a conversation with New Bedford teaching artist Terry Wilkowicz, is Friday, March 27, 2020, 1 PM.
Closed but Open All physical locations of cultural organizations are currently closed to the public due to Gov. Baker’s March 23 emergency order, but our field’s spirit of innovation remains open and energized.
Virtual Tours and Events WBUR has compiled a Guide to Virtual Events among Massachusetts organizations, including Boston Symphony Orchestra from Home, livestream performances from Passim, and Storytime for Grownups from Brookline Booksmith.
Virtual Screenings Film houses and festivals are adjusting amidst the crisis, including the ReelAbilities Film Festival, which moved online, and virtual screenings by Coolidge Corner Theatre and Brattle Theatre. Intriguingly, Brattle Theatre is launching the Brattle Theatre Podcast.
Alternative Platforms Speaking of finding new ways to share film, Filmmakers Collaborative is hosting a very pertinent webinar April 9, 2020, 12:30, about Alternative Platforms. It’s free for Filmmakers Collaborative members and $15 for non-members.
Performance Shelbie Rassler, a senior composition major at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, organized a virtual performance of “What the World Needs Now” featuring quarantined Berklee students.
Waived Rent for Galleries On his terrific resource Wonderland, Greg Cook shares the good news that GTI Properties has waived April rents for its gallery tenants and will provide discounts for artists studios, in Boston’s South End.
Online Galleries At the top of his post is an image by JooLee Kang (Drawing & Printmaking Fellow ’12). This month, the artist is exhibiting at Gallery NAGA in Boston, and even though the physical gallery is closed, you can see samples of the artists work on the NAGA website. You can also find her work on our Mass Cultural Council Gallery, featuring work by awardees from our Artist Fellowships, going back to 2004.
If you know of other exhibitions or other presentations shifted to the virtual realm, or about any welcome good news in Massachusetts arts and culture, let us know in the comments.
Image: JooLee Kang (Drawing & Printmaking Fellow ’12), TERRARIUM #1 (2020), ballpoint pen on paper, 30.5×24 in.
Tereza says
This is the type of opportunity our legislators should be looking to fund: https://koneensaatio.fi/en/open-call-to-a-home-residency-for-actors-working-in-the-arts/
And the funds should be available now when artists will need it the most.