Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
VIRUS impacts creative economy.
It’s too early to tell what the new normal is, NWA artists say
FAYETTEVILLE — Venue closures and event cancellations have caused unprecedented damage to Northwest Arkansas’ creative economy, experts say.
“There is no longer a fear of loss — the losses are already here,” said Allyson Esposito, executive director of a regional art service organization founded by the
Northwest Arkansas Council. “The revenue will never be recouped,” she said. The council is a group of local leaders set up to foster regional cooperation.
Closings in response to the covid-19 pandemic that have prevented for-profit creative service businesses, nonprofit arts groups and independent artists from operating are unique, according to Patrick Ralston, Arkansas Arts Council
director. The council’s mission is to advance and empower the arts for the benefit of all Arkansans.
“The covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the arts community. Even after 9/11, galleries, cafes and music venues remained open. Artists continued to go to work,” Ralston said. “The Great Recession hurt everyone, but artists
“There is no longer a fear of loss — the losses are already here.” — Allyson Esposito
were still able to maintain their craft through the rise of public art opportunities, new digital platforms, and gallery and pop-up shows. We’ve not seen or faced a crisis like the coronavirus in our lifetimes.”
The nation’s creative economy was a healthy and active sector prior to the pandemic, said Sunil Iyengar, Office of Research and Analysis director with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Arts and cultural economic activity added $877.8 billion to the economy and contributed to 5.1 million jobs nationally in 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis.
“The arts are vital to Arkansas’ quality of life and overall economy,” Ralston said.
Arkansas’ creative sector contributed $2.9 million and 33,513 jobs in 2017 to the economy, according to the bureau.
A study by Americans for the Arts commissioned by the Northwest Arkansas Council found $131.2 million in total economic activity annually in the region, Esposito said.
“Spending in this case included $67.5 million by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and an additional $63.7 million in event-related spending by their audiences,” she said. “This spending supports nearly 5,000 full-time equivalent jobs, generates $92.9 million in household income to local residents and delivers $14.3 million in local and state government revenue.”
Northwest Arkansas has more than 300 art assets that offer creative experiences, according to a study by Artspace, a Minneapolis-based arts place maker. Such assets include locations that have closed brick-andmortar spaces, such as galleries, museums, restaurants and libraries.
“Museums, art venues and artists are navigating this crisis in creative and inspiring ways,” said Beth Bobbitt, public relations director with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. “In challenging times, when we’re not able to physically be together, art can be the connector to each other, and art is always a reflection of the times in which it was made.”
CLOSING CONCERNS
Art Ventures in Fayetteville is a nonprofit gallery that represents 54 artists, according to Sharon Killian, president of the gallery’s board.
The gallery moved from its permanent space downtown in December and is featuring exhibits at the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and Eclectic Kitchen on Garland Avenue as it searches for a new brick-andmortar location, Killian said. The chamber office is closed while its staff works remotely, and Eclectic Kitchen closed after the state banned sitdown dining in response to the pandemic.
“We’re actively negotiating terms with multiple locations and would love to be in all of them,” she said. “The covid-19 pandemic has slowed the process.”
The gallery canceled receptions in support of current installations and an exhibit by Latin artists that was scheduled last month at AXIS Lounge downtown.
“Exhibitions and programming have been scheduled through June, and we continue to develop our calendar for artists and the community, expecting that normalcy will return some day,” Killian said. “We want to be ready.”
The Momentary, a multidisciplinary art space which opened Feb. 22 in Bentonville, closed its doors less than a month later. The space is owned by Crystal Bridges.
“We are prioritizing the health of our guests and staff first,” said Lieven Bertels, Momentary director. “We look forward to welcoming visitors again when we reopen.”
There’s something special about being able to see art in person, Killian said, especially for a consumer.
“It is also convenient and educational to get to learn about a work from a gallerist who can answer any number of questions for you as you explore art in place,” she said. “Cancellations mean that we have to create other ways to get close to providing this ‘something special.’”
Art Ventures is using a social media campaign to keep its artists’ work in the public eye, she said.
“This campaign has not only elevated public discourse, but has given people who aren’t able to routinely visit a gallery a chance to put it on their ‘to-do list,’” Killian said. “We have greeted artists and lay people alike through this campaign.”
Crystal Bridges is following suit and has created unique content in response to the pandemic to stay connected with the community, Bobbitt said.
“We’re helping audiences virtually step into some of Crystal Bridges’ most popular artworks during a time when they can’t come see them in person with Crystal Bridges Virtual Reality,” she said. “Our newest video takes viewers into the neighborhood of Kerry James Marshall’s Our Town, peeling back the layers of the painting to highlight new details and symbolism of this iconic artwork.”
REFRAMING ART
Individual artists also have turned to social media to overcome the challenges of venue closings and show cancellations.
Caleb Schoeppe, 39, of Lowell has an exhibit at Ozark Folkways in Winslow and was scheduled to be featured as part of a “Whispering Winds” exhibit March 14 at Local Color Studio Gallery in Fayetteville, he said. Both venues are closed.
Schoeppe works in film and digital photography out of his home studio for Grey Cell Photography, he said. The pending “Whispering Winds” show would feature 10-15 prints from his “Tree” series.
“It is all connected from us as humans to the earth and trees and everything in between,” Schoeppe said of the themes of life and nature that are prevalent in his work. “I try to capture the raw moment in our eyes and in the natural environment.”
Schoeppe used Facebook Live to create a walk-through of the “Whispering Wind” exhibit to allow viewers to see his art and the works of other artists in the exhibit.
Schoeppe said he works full time for J.B. Hunt and selling his works isn’t a main source of income.
Not all artists find themselves in such a secure situation, said Ziba Rajabi, 32, of Fayetteville.
“The major part of my income comes from hourly jobs, such as teaching art and working as a studio assistant, and both of them got canceled,” Rajabi said. “I might not be able even to pay my rent.”
Rajabi’s work involves layers of acrylic and watercolor on fabric and canvas, she said. Her pieces often reconcile her relationship with Northwest Arkansas and her hometown of Tehran, Iran.
Rajabi has an exhibit at the 211 South gallery in Bentonville that’s been postponed and had contracts to participate in an ArtFields competition and exhibition in Lake City, S.C., that were voided because of the pandemic, she said.
At least 85% of her income as an artist relies upon participating in shows and exhibitions, she said. She graduated with a master of fine arts from the University of Arkansas in December 2019 and is residing in the United States on a student visa.
“I was working so hard to improve my artistic resume to be able to find an academic job and apply for an artist visa,” Rajabi said. “All the exhibitions got canceled, and it harms my resume severely and, consequently, my future.”
Economic losses may push some down the socioeconomic ladder, Esposito said.
“Perhaps not financially stable before this crisis, this community is now suffering the same consequences as all low-income workers — they need food, housing and health care as much as our other highly vulnerable Arkansans,” she said.
NEW NORMAL
Artist Craig Colorusso, 49, of Rogers said he seeks to create moments of stillness through his work. Most of the artists’ pieces involve sound and technology, he said, noting he’s beginning to see hope for art following the pandemic.
“The initial shock has passed. I am starting to see the possibilities,” Colorusso said.
The artist is featuring his solar-powered piece “Sun Boxes” on YouTube and via a phone application, he said. The original installation consisted of 20 speakers, with each playing a single note.
“I collaborated with my web guru, and she designed an app to recreate the experience with 20 devices,” Colorusso said, adding the tracks can be downloaded through music streaming sites like Spotify and iTunes.
“I did not have a quarantine in mind, but it’s perfect,” he said. “We are trying to organize Zoom (video) sessions where friends can get together and recreate Sun Boxes while responsibly socially distancing themselves.”
Diana Michelle Hausam, 45, of West Fork said the pandemic is apt to change the nature of art. Hausam operates Diana Michelle Fine Art out of her home studio, she said.
“My main focus as a fine art photographer is to portray the artist struggle as an art form,” she said. “My focus has just become more relevant recently due to the pandemic.”
Hausam said she anticipates it getting harder to sell art following the pandemic.
“Art is the ultimate luxury item,” she said. “We will just have to try harder than ever. Those that try the hardest will persevere.”
Change is absolutely certain, Esposito said, but it’s too early for anyone to predict what the new normal may be for the region’s creative community.
“I don’t think anyone knows for sure what the next era of art making will look like,” she said. “My hope is that this will allow policy makers; system builders and philanthropists; and creative leaders to come together to collaborate and rebuild an art world that is more equitable; inclusive and diverse; financially stable and relevant.”
Artists are creative by nature, and Ralston said he’s confident the creative community will find a way to bounce back.
“Although this period is stressful and difficult, artists are renowned for their abilities to reflect back the world around them and to instigate needed changes,” Ralston said. “It will be interesting to see what their work shows in the coming months and years.”
Mary Jordan can be reached by email at mjordan@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAMaryJ.