On September 1, 2020, thousands of arts organizations across the country projected the color red throughout their building, on social media and everywhere else they have had impact to show that the arts are desperate to survive. The arts and culture sector of America is the only sector not allowed to do what they do best: gather people to start conversations.
This red alert was not only a reminder, but a call to action for people around the country and globe to engage with the arts so that they remain past this prolonged hiatus that took us by storm. A call to action to pick up the phone or open an email to see how your favorite arts organization is doing through all of this. A call to action to give what you can today to ensure that the arts are around for tomorrow.
On that warm September day, there was a hope throughout the arts community that in a few short months we would be back up and running; On October 8, 2020, Broadway announced it will not be returning until June 1, 2020. This is something that is devastating to our community at large. But with all the glum circumstances where is there hope?
Well, the hope comes from community involvement and growing as an industry together. We know that there is a long journey ahead of us, but we also know that we have a community of supporters ready to help. We find hope in the accomplishments that our organization, as well as many other organizations, have achieved. A high-quality production of 35mm: A Musical Exhibition, an emergency relief fundraiser, the new blog series that you are reading right now, and the list continues. We know that from hardship comes growth and from growth comes new opportunities. When the country shut down and the world as we knew it turned upside down, no one anticipated the length of stay that this virus would have, but it has proven to us that our roots are strong and viable and that this will not dampen our spirits, but we need your help.
We need your help to ensure that the arts remain a valuable asset to the livelihood of our community and the nation at large when we return. We need your help to help us come back stronger after this. The arts need you to invest in them today. Now an investment does not necessarily need to come from your pocket. Well then how can I help, you ask? Here are a few things you can do to support your local arts organizations if you cannot support them monetarily:
Refer a friend to follow them on their social pages.
Share events that the organization is presenting in the future.
Tell your non-artsy friends why the arts are important to support.
Show empathy for your fellow artist friends. Their careers are currently on pause without a definite start date again.
Ask your local non-profit how you can give of your time to support their mission.
Most importantly, be kind and show empathy.
As we navigate into the next stages of COVID-19, rest assured that your favorite arts organizations are analyzing every possible way to connect to you and your desires and wants. We want to do the same. This is why we are hosting a Masquerade Virtual Gala on Wednesday October 28, 2020 from 7:30-9:00 p.m. EST on Facebook Live. Join us for an evening of mask fun, performances, raffles, a silent auction and more. We cannot wait to join you again in a virtual event. Make sure to check out our social pages for more info and join our mailing list for the most recent updates to our organization.