A Word from Arts & Culture

Apr 02, 2020 at 09:33 am by adminjen


Dear Friends of the Arts:

In these difficult and unprecedented times, our world is changing every day, often every hour, as we work together as a community to defeat the coronavirus (COVID-19). In an effort to prevent the spread of this virus, we are following the federal, state and local regulations to limit large gatherings, which obviously affects our ability to produce live productions, obtain revenue, and sell tickets. These measures do not merely detract from providing the community with high quality education, entertainment, and exposure to the arts, they also have a devastating economic impact for the organizations’ artists, performers, stage crews, designers, directors, and administrative staff.

At this time, we are asking you, our community, for your continued support during this temporary hiatus. Our organizations serve Middle Tennessee by providing entertainment, education, employment, enlightenment, and inspiration, and we need your support now to ensure that we can continue to serve you after this temporary crisis has passed.

Here are three ways you can currently support our local arts community:

1. Donate 

All of the organizations endorsing this appeal rely on the support of both patrons and donors to further their mission to serve the community through the arts. If you purchased a ticket to a show that has been postponed or cancelled because of COVID-19, please consider donating the price of your ticket back to the performing arts organization. If you would like to support the organization directly, one-time or recurring donations are both welcome contributions and excellent ways to help. These organizations are all 501(c)3 non-profit organizations, and all donations made to support them are tax-exempt charitable contributions. You can find out more information about how to support these companies through their individual websites.

2. Reach out to government leaders

As ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic continue to play out, immediate and bold action will be required by all communities to provide relief for affected individuals, companies, and industries. Our rich cultural history and thriving arts scene are critical components of what make Nashville and its surrounding communities so desirable for people from across this country who are looking to start a new business or find a new community to call home. As local, state, and federal leaders create legislative relief resources, we ask that you serve as an advocate for the support of local fine arts organizations alongside other impacted arts and entertainment workers, venues, and companies.

Arts Action Fund: https://www.artsactionfund.org/

Tennesseans for the Arts: https://www.tn4arts.org/

Metro Arts: https://www.metroartsnashville.com/

3. Connect online

Although in-person gatherings have been limited, the arts community is still creating engaging content and inspiring audiences online. In a time when we can’t be together physically, we are endeavoring to connect from a distance. Please like, follow, and subscribe to local performing arts organizations on social media and engage directly with the creative ways they are connecting with fans during this unique season. By interacting, commenting, liking, and sharing content, you are introducing more people to the valuable contributions that arts organizations add to our community.

We believe that the arts are a necessary part of life but especially in times like these when we turn to the arts to sustain us, entertain us, and help us make sense of the moment we find ourselves in.

We are a strong community and part of our strength is our innate desire to support one another and come together in times of crisis. Together, we will foster a spirit of strength and resilience. We ask that you give to, advocate for, and engage with your local arts organizations, so that at the end of this unexpected intermission, we can move forward into a strong and bright future together. Thank you.

 

OZ Arts Nashville

Nashville Ballet

Nashville Children’s Theatre

Nashville Opera

Nashville Repertory Theatre

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival

Nashville Symphony

Studio Tenn Theatre Company

Tennessee Performing Arts Center