ONE YEAR

 

This month marks the one year anniversary of our lives flipping upside down. The pandemic has been hard on all of us mentally, emotionally, and physically. We've lost loved ones, experienced isolation, and have been knocked down by immeasurable & unforeseen obstacles. 

 

The arts community has been hit especially hard. All in-person events were cancelled, including the concerts, dances, plays, writing groups, and art galleries that so many creators relied upon as a means of income. Some creators even felt paralyzed by the intense pressure to create during the pandemic, leading to a creative block that was (and is) hard to overcome.

 

However, the creative community is resilient. Let's reflect.

 

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ARTS AMIDST the PANDEMIC

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Here are a few ways the arts community has ~thrived~

 

One. More people are creating & joining our community. Some have picked up instruments that they hadn't played in years. Others are publishing books (or a literary magazine👋). Many never considered themselves artists, but now they paint every day.

 

Two. Not only are more people creating, but more people are also consuming creative works. Buying new books, new art, new music. Taking solace in the arts.

 

Three. While in-person events were little to none in the past 12 months, we used our creativity to our advantage, spurring online events across the spectrum of the arts, some that people even paid to attend. This opened up accessibility to the arts around the world that wasn't previously there.

 

Four. Pain often manifests itself in art. Our trials & tribulations have worn us down, but they reflect themselves in our art in a way that binds us together from common experience. Our shared experience of isolation, hopelessness, and fear is immortalized in the art we've created during this time. 

 

It's been a rough year, but the arts have carried us through it. Keep your eyes out for our second issue, a magazine full of the emotions and stories from the past year, coming out in the beginning of April (release date to be announced soon on our social media).

   

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ARTS EVENTS

 

🌸 North Carolina

• March 25, 7pm: Virtual Lecture: Women in Art at the NCMA

  • "Women artists have been marginalized for centuries & underrepresented in most museums, including the NCMA.  Jennifer Dasal, curator of modern & contemporary art, shares some of her favorite works by women artists in the collection & speaks about the NCMA’s ongoing efforts to expand representation of women." Raleigh, free registration.

• Daily until April 21st, 11am-5pm: Interactive Exhibits, Learn to Play a Synthesizer

  • "Discover the [synthesizer's] impact on all genres of music from classical to jazz and country to rock. Interactive highlights include a "Hands-On Synthesis" exhibit where visitors can learn about the building blocks of synthesis in a self-guided lesson before learning to play a Moog synthesizer." Asheville, $8.50 admission.

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🏵️ South Carolina

• April 9, 7pm: Poetry Reading: Chad Abushanab & Maria Martin

  • Free Zoom poetry reading event hosted by the Poetry Society of South Carolina.

• April 10-11, 10am-6pm: College of Charleston School of the Arts: Arts under the Oaks Festival

  • "An entertaining day of outdoor performances by the College’s Department of Music alongside the Department of Theatre and Dance." This festival offers both in-person and virtual performances. Charleston, Price varies. 

• Weekly on Friday, 9pm: Virtual Improv Jam: Online and Unscripted

  • This event is "open-to-all improv cast members, Indy teams, Alchemy students, and all those interested in a joyous celebration of trying new, scary, fun things." Greenville, free.

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CREATIVE ARTS INSPIRATION

from our team

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