The Arts Will Show Us The Way
Written By Rob Levy
Intent on emerging from the pandemic with renewed vibrancy, leaders of St. Louis’ arts community have rolled up their sleeves and gotten to work building a post-coronavirus future based on innovation, adaptation and creativity. While the pandemic has altered the cultural landscape and wreaked economic havoc, it also has given arts organizations an opportunity to collaborate and transform as they work to come back stronger than before.
Chris Hansen, executive director of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, explained how the current status of the arts in St. Louis will lead to a better future. “We are the canary in the coal mine. We finally have been stripped of the things that are most precious to us, arts and culture. Now, more than ever, the impact of the arts and their contribution to our daily lives is more glaring than ever. Moving forward, I think the arts have an opportunity to tell their story and lead us out of this through innovation and healing.”
Although there is no definitive answer about when live performances will return or how details like ticketing, seating or pricing may be handled, leaders in our arts community remain resolute in planning for their return by exploring online content, harnessing social media, incorporating visual presentation and deepening outreach programming. Having been received warmly by quarantined audiences, many organizations are now planning to include the programming they initiated during the pandemic with regular offerings in the coming months.
One certainty in an unknown future is that arts organizations will continue to innovate by deploying new techniques and technologies. Opera Theatre of St. Louis (OTSL) General Director Andrew Jorgensen commented on the role of technology after the coronavirus. “I think the notion that this will come to an end and we will go back to the status quo is just not realistic. Artists have always been inspired by the world of technology and by events that they’ve experienced.”
Hansen also noted, “Right now, you are seeing innovation across the board. I think what is really important to remember is that artists are always going to find a way to deal with the environment in which they work. I think what you will see after the pandemic are innovations in technology, changes in intellectual property rights and more advanced mechanisms for how art is monetized. In the end, the will, entrepreneurial drive and spirit of artists will lead us out of this.”
Moving forward after their 2020 season was canceled, OTSL converted to a digital festival, implementing weekly Tent Talks and expanding online programming. Helping others find their way out of the woods, they also collaborated with more than 15 other companies for Arts United STL, a one-night virtual concert benefiting the Regional Arts Commission’s Artist Relief Fund.
Recently, Metro Theater Company announced the launch of a two-play summer digital streaming series in partnership with HEC Media which is targeted to youth and families. They also are utilizing technology to present virtual summer camps and create a COVID-19 Memory Project.
St. Louis Shakespeare Festival is flexing its tech muscles with a juggernaut of programming including Shakespeare TV, a collection of performances, readings, analysis for quarantined audiences as well as Shake20, a community-wide program with 20 nights of plays presented virtually.
The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, photo by Phillip Hamer.
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is connecting with audiences through digital happy hours, rebroadcasts of concerts, the SLSO At Home series with musicians recording intimate performances, SLSO Stories featuring a look behind the music and a series of educational activities to help those sheltered at home. They also presented an online conversation with Music Director Stéphane Denève about Hector Berlioz’s “The Damnation of Faust.”
Marie-Hélène Bernard, SLSO president and CEO, commented on how the organization is adapting. “Creativity and flexibility are paramount to reimagining the way we continue to deliver on our mission to enrich people’s lives through music. Our team is preparing for various scenarios for in-person events. Artists and the arts are resilient. It’s impressive to see how quickly everyone shifted when concerts were canceled. That nimbleness makes me optimistic for the SLSO and the entire industry.”
The pandemic has caused chaos for The Muny, which postponed their 2020 season until next summer. Despite the cancelation, they remain committed to keeping audiences engaged with a series of digital broadcasts including Muny Magic at the Sheldon, Muny Jingle Jam and virtual programming featuring Muny friends and family from around the world. They also created Muny Move & Groove, a how-to-dance class led by Muny choreographers.
Emily Parker, The Muny’s marketing manager, described how they are presenting energy-driven content while their stage is dark. “Obviously with things moving online it opens the potential to deliver digital programming and continue to utilize technology. Because having a digital presence is now more important than ever in connecting with audiences.”
The St. Louis arts community is also using change as a catalyst for assessing and planning life in the post-pandemic world. “Change is always easiest when the status quo is not possible,” said OTSL’s Jorgensen. “If you view legacy art institutions collectively there is a lot about our business models that would benefit from a closer look. The stakes of trying something new are lower than the stakes of waiting for the past to return. So, the only option for us is to be bold, think differently and try new ideas. I think that being forced into an adaptive posture and accepting a different mindset about our future is not necessarily a bad thing.”
Hansen also hopes that the pandemic changes how the arts prepare for the future.
“I hope we lean into a resilient business model, understand that things can happen and that we build stronger organizations so that the next time that something happens, maybe not to this scale, we are more prepared and more aligned to respond faster.”
Responding to the present and forecasting the future, the Kranzberg Arts Foundation and the Missouri Arts Council played a leading role in facilitating a statewide reopening-the-arts workgroup. For Hansen, this is a huge opportunity for the arts in Missouri. “We are a powerful contingent that is helping to create a reopening plan, a safety pledge and a mechanism to lift up and prepare organizations of all sizes and disciplines. There has never been a time when so many leading institutions, funders, theaters, museums and studios have gotten together like this. Once we get past this pandemic, I hope we continue to work on things collectively across the state and come together when we need to affect change.”
He also provided a possible timetable for reopening the arts. “The hardest thing in leadership right now is to avoid speaking in absolutes. We don’t have answers to everything. I think certain parts of the industry, potentially the literary and visual arts, can start to move us out of this. But the performing arts and large-scale events could be sidelined for quite a long time. I think you will see reopening in incremental stages with safe approaches this summer. You will see starts and stops. It is going to be different for every organization based on things like their size, their venue, structure or even their budget.”
When asked about what patrons can expect when the arts return, Hansen answered with enthusiasm. “What is exciting for local arts right now is that you’re not going to see a lot of touring things. Everything will be local. You won’t see many authors flying in or touring bands coming to town. What audiences need to prepare to do is pay for, support and value their local art.”
Hansen is confident the arts will rebound. “We at the Kranzberg love to say that St. Louis is, pound for pound, the most vibrant arts city in the country. Unfortunately, St. Louis is not the best at recognizing what is right underneath its own nose and valuing it to ensure its vitality. That is what we have to change. The thing that gives me a sense of hope is just the opportunity to restart the dialogue and reset the narrative. I think that putting art in the right place of the conversation, to ensure that we look different coming out of this; that we cherish, and we love it differently.”
Parker echoed Hansen’s comments on the city’s support for the arts. “St Louis has always been and will always be supportive of the arts. Of course we are all going to have a time of major financial struggles but it will be interesting to see how we all rally around each other, not only with our patrons, but also with other organizations, because obviously some will need the funds more and some are able to skip a season and be fine. We are all very aware of what is happening with each other and are on call to help one another.”
Tre G “As I Am,” at The Grandel, photo by Matthew Washausen.
