What Can We Learn from Covid19?

Having received my second dose of the Covid19 vaccination one hour ago, I found myself pondering the question, “What now?” >Certainly I feel greatly relieved and thankful for all the reasons one might imagine. I also feel a strong sense of hope that perhaps as a result of what we have all gone through and are continuing to navigate there is great opportunity to make real differences on both micro and macro levels. How we have previously taken our casual and not so casual relationships for granted – family, friends, colleagues! How do we hope and plan to move forward bravely and without fear as a pervasive element of our lives? This is quite different from cautious and informed action. But what differences? I keep circling back to the way business in the arts has been done in my lifetime. The vast majority of my life has been spent in this field – as a student, professional performer and arts leader. It has always been a motivating factor as well as a vehicle for expression. I admit there have been times when I could have been more outspoken but feared (there’s that word again) some sort of retribution. It might be due to the possibility of a lost job, a lost grant award or a lost board member. You can add your own. Or even the dissolution of an entire organization, which happened during the pandemic under my leadership. I’ve come to realize that art is essential – as essential as getting a vaccine. Cliché after cliché cite the role that the arts play in our psyches so I don’t deign to try and top those. But is this not an opportunity for all of us to ensure that we as The Creative Class are part of the solution? We have spent our lives making something out of nothing – the blank stage, the blank page, the blank canvas. We bring a unique and valuable aesthetic that inspires and provokes thought.

A June 2020 article in Vox asks, “Artists helped lift America out of the Great Depression. Could that happen again?” If you are not familiar with the WPA, I heartily encourage you to read up on it. Our Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Tourism sectors have been devastated, and will be among the last to come back in their purest forms – with lots and lots of folks, shoulder to shoulder, feeling the sense of community that makes this experience so thrilling. I am old enough to remember the commissioning and then completion of the Vietnam Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. There was outrage at the concept of “just” listing names of those who lost their lives during the war. Anyone who has been there can attest to its overwhelming impact. There has been so much lost in the past 12+ months. It is vital that we remember, honor and do so with the valuable input of our artists. Let’s get back to work. We need to play a meaningful role in all solutions. What are you passionate about? What will you do on a micro and macro level to make a difference? Betsy, Organizations by Design