San Diego Arts Organizations Reflect On A Year Of Adapting, Uncertainty

Speaker 1: 00:00 The last 12 months in San Diego was spent mostly not going out. People didn't go to museums or galleries. We didn't see plays or live music for would be audience members. It was difficult, but for many, it meant a complete upheaval of their livelihood, KPBS arts editor and producer, Julia Dixon Evans spoke with organizations across the County about how they were affected by the pandemic and what they are anticipating going forward. Here's Julia Speaker 2: 00:30 COVID 19 has claimed the lives of over half a million Americans, 3,462 were San Diego wins and more lives will be lost. The San Diego art world shouldered a lot of impact from the pandemic, including the grief. Barry Edelstein is the artistic director at the old globe. He reflected on the loss. Speaker 3: 00:54 The virus hit our family. The virus took artists from us in the American theater. The virus took the great Larry bossa. One of the great advocates for the arts in San Diego. The virus took members of families, of globe staff members and families of globe artists. So, um, there's been a sort of sense of grief of just the sheer human toll of this terrible pandemic Speaker 2: 01:21 In an effort to decrease the number of people sickened or killed by the virus. School was moved online. Restaurants were asked to only offer takeout, theme parks, movie theaters, museums, and music venues were closed and in-person shows and events were canceled. Speaker 4: 01:38 Hi, my name is Tim Mays. I'm uh, the owner and founder, one of the founders of the Casbah also a partner of the soda bar. So when this first started in April, March, April, the first two months were spent canceling shows, rescheduling shows, cause everybody thought by, you know, last summer things would be okay, how, how could, how long could this last? I had a bunch of shows booked in late may then I thought, okay, we'll be good. By late may. Memorial day weekend is going to be huge. You know, and obviously that wasn't the case. I've got some shows that I've probably rescheduled three or four times, Speaker 2: 02:14 But like the rest of the art world, Tim Mays, and the Casbah adapted, they started streaming live music from the venue. Something that may continue once in-person shows are again allowed before the pandemic, the San Diego museum of art had already begun focusing on its digital efforts, but the closure of the museum sped up and increase the museums, virtual presence, something that Roxanna is the executive director and CEO of the San Diego museum of art says isn't going away. Yeah, Speaker 1: 02:46 It has really broadened the capacity, the accessibility to different audiences. So there is obviously a silver line and there's a piece that also, um, has, uh, taught us. So we are not changing. Now. We will not get back to only physical spaces. We know we have to continue providing this virtual platform. And as I like to say, they will be two avenues that run in a parallel Speaker 2: 03:13 Throughout the pandemic. Businesses have had to respond to state orders on when and how they could be open. That was also the case for museums. The San Diego museum of art we opened in September and was open for two and a half months before closing. Again, Speaker 1: 03:29 We don't think it is absolutely fundamental to open the doors of a museum. We think it has been a mistake in a way, right, to keep them close for so long because people do need a response, right? And the soul gets nurture with the art. We know that art matters, but art in this moments of crisis and, uh, helps responding many of the quandaries and questions that appear in our brains. Speaker 2: 03:59 The pandemic moved us outside and that included the arts. The front made that transition by painting five murals outside of its gallery and projecting a photography exhibit on its outside walls. Speaker 5: 04:12 And we were able to bring art to the streets and why not give some hope to the people and something to look at and some something to, to feel proud of in the community of Sunday, Cedar that was very hard hit by the pandemic. Speaker 2: 04:28 Francisco Morales says he was able to experience a sense of being back to normal with appointment viewings and in November at a gallery opening with a small group of people, Speaker 5: 04:39 We would just go inside to see the exhibition. And then we were outside because we had the projection on the facade and the general feeling was happiness of being together. And everybody feeling safe, everybody wearing masks, everybody keeping their distance, but we were able to have some kind of social moment and felt really good, really, really good, because that was before the last, very strong luck down in the holidays in December in January. So I think that kept us alive in a sense that the spiritually, you know, satisfied for awhile Speaker 2: 05:19 When things reopen, it will be a new normal and the long-term financial impact on surviving organizations and the loss of those that couldn't make it through is yet to be seen. The Casbah is Tim Mays is working with the San Diego independent venue association, part of the national movement to fight for relief for event venues. Speaker 4: 05:41 There is the shuttered venue operators grant. That is part of the bill that passed in late December. And we've been waiting patiently for them to roll out the application process for that it's being administered by the SBA and they have yet to release an application. So it passed like December 27th. Here we are mid, mid March Speaker 2: 06:04 With San Diego County now entering the red tier many museums, including those in Bubba park. Like the San Diego museum of art have announced reopening dates that for some begin this week, performing arts organizations continue to think about when and how they'll fully reopen for the globe. They're hopeful that their existing outdoor theater will help, but with capacity restrictions, it will still be a challenge to pull off productions. Here's Barry Edelstein with the old globe. Again, Speaker 3: 06:33 Basically life at the globe right now is about spreadsheets and models and scenarios. And every day we sit down together and we say, all right, what if it's this? What if it's that? What can we do here? What can we do there? What have we learned? What has changed as we dry with all of our might to get going again, Speaker 2: 06:52 As for live music at the Casbah Tim Mays says that because of financial reasons, they may not be able to reopen until the state will allow venues to operate at at least half capacity. Speaker 4: 07:04 A lot of things on the books for October, November, December. So yeah, there's, there's no certainty at all, but things are progressing and people are starting to book things, uh, when we can reopen, I think things are going to be enthusiastic. People are going to be so happy to be out and see live music or a DJ, or see their friends and, uh, participate in some sort of social events Speaker 2: 07:28 For the time being uncertainty and adaptation will continue to take center stage I'm KPBS arts editor and producer Julia Dickson Evans.