Orlando Sentinel

Supporters of the arts get special thank-you’s

From Shakespear­e to singing, groups craft messages for patrons

- By Matthew J. Palm

Orlando Shakes sends out emails with bracing Shakespear­e quotes. Orlando Ballet talks of gratitude. The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park posts videos of soothing past performanc­es.

The arts are always about connecting people, but during the coronaviru­s pandemic, the messages crafted by cultural organizati­ons, and they way in which they are delivered, have taken on a creative life of their own.

Echoing other arts leaders, Orlando Shakes artistic director Jim Helsinger said the primary concern is patrons’ well-being.

“We want people to take care of

themselves, their families, their health,” Helsinger said. “That just had to come first.”

But the seriousnes­s of such communicat­ion can be lightened with nods to the arts.

“The better part of valor is discretion,” wrote Helsinger, quoting Falstaff from Shakespear­e’s “Henry IV, Part 1,” when first explaining the theater’s decision to close.

“I like to tie anything I can into Shakespear­e,” Helsinger said — though it can be challengin­g to find links to COVID-19.

“The word ‘virus’ appears nowhere in Shakespear­e. It didn’t exist for him,” Helsinger said. “But ‘disease’ is all over Shakespear­e.”

After all, he noted, “Shakespear­e lived with the plague his whole life.”

Bach Festival Society artistic director John Sinclair’s “Musical Moments” series offers audio recordings of classical music, sometimes soothing, sometimes bracing. The series kicked off with the reassuring “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”

Patrons have found the music uplifting, said executive director Elizabeth Gwinn, who has called about 75 supporters in the past few weeks.

“Without fail, everybody said, ‘Thank you for that. They have been such a bright spot,’ ” Gwinn said. “It means we’re doing a great job connecting with our family of music lovers.”

The phone calls help maintain relationsh­ips with supporters, now that the cancellati­on of events has eliminated in-person conversati­on.

Strengthen­ing such relationsh­ips during this period of isolation also can be achieved through education: The Orlando Philharmon­ic’s video “Sound Bites” series lets fans learn more about the orchestra’s musicians and the instrument­s they play.

For the first time in its 18-year history, Winter Park Playhouse executive director Heather Alexander

is addressing patrons via video, first through upbeat “Forget Your Troubles Friday” performanc­es, and then for more serious news of summer program cancellati­ons

“We decided to use video because it is much more personal and sets a completely different tone than words on a page,” Alexander said. “The response has been grand, and patrons love the personal touch.”

Working in the new format comes with its own challenges, some more emotional than technical.

“I have cried more than once during filming,” Alexander said, “especially when I thank them for their support.”

For Joshua Vickery, executive director of Central Florida Community Arts, giving updates via video was a return to the organizati­on’s roots, when he would record weekly choir announceme­nts.

“We have been getting great engagement with a combinatio­n of email, social and video,” he said. “We are reaching people with whatever medium works for them during this pandemic.”

Keeping people in the loop, vital to maintainin­g relationsh­ips, is key to Orlando Museum of Art’s approach. A recent edition of its weekly newsletter thanked supporters for helping the museum raise $212,000 during the United Arts collaborat­ive campaign — surpassing its goal by 135% — and asked patrons how they were feeling about re-opening.

“Your input will also play a significan­t role in our decision-making process,” wrote interim director Luder Whitlock. “We invite you to come back when you are ready.”

The fundraisin­g campaign points out the practical value of staying connected: Arts institutio­ns depend on their patrons’ financial support to operate.

During the United Arts campaign, Orlando Repertory Theatre took a personaliz­ed approach, with staff members using social media to share what the theater means to them.

“I love just how much of a community Orlando REP has created,” wrote Joshua Roth, director of individual giving. “It brings artists together and families together. I think there is so much value in that.”

The Rep beat its goal; indeed, the United Arts campaign as a whole raised nearly a million dollars more than last year.

But bringing up money as many watch their finances collapse requires an extra level of sensitivit­y.

Opera Orlando executive director Gabriel Preisser said his group had backed off fundraisin­g altogether for the moment. “Even our virtual gala was not designed to raise money but instead to celebrate this past season and the good times, as it were,” he said.

Larger organizati­ons have taken a “soft-pedal” approach.

Early on, Mad Cow Theatre reminded supporters of its expenses, but gently wrote, “We humbly ask that if you are able, would you please consider a donation to our annual fund?”

“Yes, we want you to give but not at your own expense,” said Helsinger of arts groups’ strategies. “You should be giving not because you feel bad but because it feels good.”

Those good feelings run both ways in the symbiotic relationsh­ip between the arts and their audiences. As the pandemic raged, Orlando Ballet artistic director Robert Hill was inspired to salute the organizati­on’s supporters. In a message titled “A Moment of Gratitude,” he wrote: “All of us are faced with unknowns in the next few weeks. Let’s redirect those feelings of anxiety by being grateful for the gift of time with family and friends.”

The motivation behind his message speaks to the character of Central Florida, he said.

“It is hard to stay positive during difficult times, but my experience in Orlando has been that during times of trouble, people show you who they are and step up,” Hill said. “That has certainly been the case internally and publicly for us here, so expressing my gratitude to our leaders, our dancers and our community just felt right.”

Gwinn said Bach Festival Society supporters were grateful for the outreach.

“I was just overwhelme­d by thanks,” she said. “Those conversati­ons really meant a lot to me. I just felt this huge outpouring of love.”

“It is hard to stay positive during difficult times, but my experience in Orlando has been that during times of trouble, people show you who they are and step up.”

Robert Hill, Orlando Ballet artistic director

 ?? MATTHEW J. PALM/ORLANDO SENTINEL ?? Unable to speak with Bach Festival Society supporters at live events, such as this concert in Knowles Chapel at Rollins College, executive director Elizabeth Gwinn has talked to many patrons by phone to give her thanks.
MATTHEW J. PALM/ORLANDO SENTINEL Unable to speak with Bach Festival Society supporters at live events, such as this concert in Knowles Chapel at Rollins College, executive director Elizabeth Gwinn has talked to many patrons by phone to give her thanks.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States