Pandemic roadmap for the arts
Three who got it right
AFEW TAOS ARTS ORGANIZATIONS emerged from the pandemic stronger than ever. They seem to have three things in common – tenacious leadership, a passion for the arts and an ability to plan with and inspire those around them.
Tempo asked The Taos Center for the Arts (TCA), The Society of the Muse of the Southwest (SOMOS) and The Paseo Project’s leadership to share their pandemic roadmap. It is a breathtaking example of all that’s good in the Taos arts scene, and it reflects a global theme of embracing technology and continuing their mission of bringing arts to the people when we need it the most.
We asked each organization about the programs that emerged during the last year, and how they rose to the challenges of 2020. In short, we asked them to “toot their horns.” Here are their edited responses.
The Society of the Muse of the Southwest (SOMOS) Executive Director Jan Smith
Last year’s mid-March lockdown occurred as SOMOS was making preparations for our annual poetry month celebration in April. We scrambled to switch the live readings to online ones via Zoom. The result was a cancellation by some poets who felt uncomfortable with our now universal platform and caused rehearsals and training for others. Amidst learning how to mute participants, turn videos on and off, maneuvering chats, and potential “Zoom bombing,” we had a successful poetry month. It included readings by Carolyn Forche, Ellen Bass, Jericho Brown, and Mark Wunderlich.
The community came together to gather and attendance exceeded our expectations.
Our next challenge was to replicate the shift to online for our summer Taos Writers Conference. One online promotional strategy that SOMOS used was the creation of short videos with each faculty member and blog posts about particular workshops and intensives. The surprise result was that this led to a similar number of attendees online as we’ve had to live events.
For our Storytelling Festival, held the second weekend of October, we employed a hybrid approach combining online programming with live streaming. Several of the local storytellers appearing on the “empty” TCA stage mixed online live with performances from remote storytellers in Albuquerque and Oklahoma - thus creating a verisimilitude of a live performance. We also sponsored online readings by writers, our monthly open mic, a variety of workshops, and fundraisers. Like many nonprofits we applied for the EIDL (COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans) and PPP (Paycheck Protection Program), between that and other generous donors we could continue staffing our programs and bookshop.
The written and spoken word became even more important during this past year. SOMOS remains committed to being a “Place for Words” and because our events have been online, attendees, writers and poets from far and wide have taken part. A combination of online and live events may be our future!
For more information please visit somostaos.org.
The PASEO Executive Director J. Matt Thomas and Director of Development Rita O’Connell
The PASEO’s 2020 theme was already Transformations (little did we know!). Our team realized how important art would be in keeping us inspired to make it through this. PASEO asked what does our community need from us and how can we provide it safely yet playfully.
In the first lock-down we checked in with our artists to hear from them how they were navigating this unknown time. Their words soothed our soul while inspiring our spirit and grew into a podcast series. Find it on The PASEO Project’s Soundcloud.
As the weeks wore on, we would need to come up with safe, distanced ways to enjoy art and support artists. We launched a joint call for “Windows on the Future” with Vital Spaces in Santa Fe and 516 ARTS in Albuquerque. Over 300 artists applied. With the support of our sponsors, we granted $500 each to 60 artists. Installations went up in windows all over the region.
By summer, as the pandemic worsened, we understood the magnitude of lockdown. But we knew art cannot be cancelled. We partnered with Seco Live to commission an installation by Christian Ristow and Christina Sporrong; they conceived of “Capsule,” still on view today in Arroyo Seco (capsuletaos. com). We encourage visitors to submit written reflections that will be burned inside the sculpture.
The concept Art Cannot Be Cancelled continued to inspire us. At the risk of bucking public health orders not to gather, we dreamt up a Surprise PASEO 2020, a DRIVE-THRU projection experience. PASEO artists submitted work digitally. A remarkable allfemale tech team led by Chelsea Reidy, wielding 18 projectors, set the stage for Taos Plaza immersed in light! We collaborated with KNCE: True Taos Radio, truetaosradio.com. For two hours each night DJ Julia Daye mixed the music. Hundreds made it out for Paseo, cruising the plaza and blending art and community. This spring we continue to look at both virtual and ‘real life’ projects.
We just wrapped up a partnership with TCA, curating an “Art and Activism” film series, delivering art and inspiration to your living room. It culminated in an online conversation with Nikesha Breeze around the film “Aggie” and activism. We continue to evaluate where we can support the arts in Taos and are here to inspire and support.
For more information please visit paseoproject.org.
Taos Center for the Arts Executive Director Colette LaBouff
The pandemic has emphasized how critical connectivity is. We’ve embraced connecting via Zoom, getting to know those around us finding ways forward. It was fruitful even though virtual and will lead to in-person collaborations.
In March of last year, we saw an enormous challenge, how to translate pre-pandemic programming into something workable. We embraced this time as an opportunity: How do we do new things and find new audiences? TCA’s identity is traditionally tied to its spaces – the theater, the Stables gallery. The pandemic made us consider who we are beyond those walls and without an in-person audience. These were exciting prospects and the pandemic could bring us long-lasting transformation.
TCA embraced virtual cinema and offered programming in drive-in settings. We presented a series of programs for six months entitled “Where We Meet,” and a radio show, TCA Radio Hour on KNCE 93.5 FM. Our virtual programming centerpiece has been streamed cinema, TCA BIG SCREEN @ HOME.
The core of our live programming has been events in our back lot, dating back to last August. Events included live music, presentations, a play,and art-projections. Live exhibitions in the Encore Gallery were also restricted, so we transitioned to a virtual presence collaborating with Taos Ski Valley and Town of Taos Community, hosting two shows for student-creators.
For more information please visit tcataos.org.