April 2020 Update from Embracing Arlington Arts
Dear Arts Patrons, Aficionados and Supporters,
First, we want to send out our thoughts and well wishes to the many artists, theaters, galleries, actors, theater personnel and everyone in between who are being directly impacted by the COVID-19 virus outbreak and consequent regional shutdown. But we also know that arts and culture will heal our communities, bring us together (even in virtual settings), make us whole and will be part of the solution when our nation gets on the other side of this crisis. Embracing Arlington Arts has been working closely with artists, staffs and arts organizations to assist in any way we can, and our initiatives to date are detailed below, including the development (early stages) of a new Calendar of Arlington Arts Organization Online Productions and Events.
Calendar of Arlington Arts Organization Online Productions/Events
3/27-4/12 – Synetic Streaming Various Productions and Events, Buy tickets
3/27-4/12 – “Easy Women Smoking Loose Cigarettes”, Signature Theatre, Buy tickets.
4/1-4/30 – “Written in Arlington,” Arlington Poets, Read the poems here.
Continuously streaming
The Arlington Arts Center has classes, workshops, activities to do at home online.
Online Gallery of Art, Arlington Artists Alliance, View
“The Remarkable Four Seasons,” National Chamber Ensemble, List here.
To view the entire 2019-2020 Calendar of Events (NOTE: Many events are still pending at this time), click here.
Weekly ZOOM “Support Groups” Calls:
With all the turmoil and confusion surrounding this coronavirus “shutdown,” we believed that it would be very beneficial for Arlington arts organization representatives and artists to have an outlet to talk to each other, discuss the latest developments and hopefully gain some insight into how to deal with this fluid and devastating situation. Therefore, we instituted a weekly ZOOM “support group” call (many thanks to Richard Brewster for agreeing to moderate the sessions). Each week we will also include an expert speaker on one of these five focus areas:
- Well-being of ourselves (How to take care of ourselves, and our families and friends during this time of crisis)
- Financial Assistance (Loans, grants, foundations, etc.)
- Continuing Programming Throughout the Community (How can arts organizations keep in front of their patrons and keep programming going/collaborating with other non-profits)
- Technology (How to effectively conduct virtual meetings and/or continue business with new technology)
- Pro Bono/In-Kind Expertise Available (Experts who can share their expertise, such as strategic planners, fundraisers, marketing personnel, etc.)
If you have an expertise in one of these focus areas and are willing to share some wisdom with the organizations on a future call, please send me an email. Presentations are usually no more than 15 minutes, followed by Q&A.
Our first expert was the Strategic Planner and Founder of CSR Communications who graciously shared her company’s revised planning tool and process program to assist non-profit arts organizations cope and react to not only the “hair on fire” stage of this disaster we are encountering now, but also strategic planning exercises for when the “shutdown” is lifted, and then six months later after things “return to normal”. Nancy originally developed this tool (Strategy Quick Start 3-2-1) in February 2017 for organizations needing to adjust or revisit their strategies in the new Trump era. That tool has now been updated for today’s uncertainty.
We also have created a “COVID-19 Resources” page on our website that organizes links, guidance, articles and other materials into these five focus areas. The goal is to focus specifically on those resources that could be beneficial or of use to Arlington arts organizations and artists. If you come across a site or document that should be added, please forward it to us. We anticipate this page will be constantly updated throughout the crisis.
Finally, we have begun compiling a calendar of online Arlington arts organization productions and events included at the beginning of this Update. We will continually update this calendar as more organizations offer online productions.
Corporate Sponsor of the Month:
Our corporate sponsor of the month is the architectural firm HGA. This firm is a national multi-disciplinary design firm that stresses that the best design results from deep insight into the people and passions that animate each unique environment. More than 850 people in 10 offices from coast to coast work to make a positive, lasting impact for clients in healthcare, arts and culture, community, corporate, education, government and energy markets. They also have special expertise in theater and museum design, and they are currently working on the Capital One Tysons Corner Performing Arts Complex. To learn more about their architectural projects, check out their website.
“Embracing Arlington Arts Talks“ Podcast:
Despite the “shutdown”, the “Embracing Arlington Arts Talks” podcast continued to air weekly. First, we welcomed the relatively new Education Programs Manager at Encore Stage & Studio who talked about the organization’s numerous and multi-faceted education programs. Next up was Blair Murphy, the Curator at the Arlington Arts Center and artist Lynda Andrews-Barry who spoke about an upcoming exhibit (TBD due to current events) which relates to the history of the Maury Building, where the Center is located and Arlington slavery history.
We went back to the theater with our podcast with actors Garnet Williams and Adelina Mitchell who gave us all the details about “Head Over Heels” being presented by Monumental Theatre Company. Next we returned to the visual art genre with a very interesting interview with the President of the Arlington Artists Alliance Michael Allison who described his very unique style of acrylic painting. We rounded out the month learning about the wonderful “Devising Hope” program at Educational Theatre Company from program Director Francesca Chilcote. Managing Director Ashley Hammond also gave us details about their summer camps and programs.
To listen to these interviews, or any others in the past, follow this link.
In order to stay in contact with patrons and the community, Arlington arts organizations continued taking advantage of our Community Post subscription. Bowen McCauley Dance wrote about their Kennedy Center production (now scheduled for June 19 and 20) and its European/Turkish roots. The Arlington Artists Alliance posted a column highlighting the organization’s 20th anniversary and some of the events planned to celebrate that milestone.
County Board Democratic Candidate Debate on the Arts in Arlington:
Due to the “shutdown,” this debate had to be cancelled. However, both candidates – Libby Garvey and Chanda Choun – have agreed to answer five questions about the arts in Arlington in writing. Their responses will be posted on our website in mid-May.
If you would like to support the work Embracing Arlington Arts by making a donation, here’s how:
* Make tax-deductible contributions online.
* Tax-deductible contributions by check: check made out to Embracing Arlington Arts and sent to Embracing Arlington Arts, 754 North Vermont Street, Arlington, VA 22203
Every dollar helps us help the arts in so many ways. Thank you in advance!
Embracing Arlington Arts 