The Rialto Center for the Arts Looks Forward to the "New Normal"

By Darlene Hamilton

The Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University has stood at the corner of Luckie and Forsyth for over 100 years, surviving many devastating adversities.

The Rialto opened in 1916, the same year as the polio epidemic in the U.S. and stood through its peak in 1952. We stood during the Spanish Flu of 1918, Diphtheria from 1921 to 1925, and the Asian flu of 1957. We also narrowly escaped fire damage to our theater in 1920.

Through all these challenging times, the Rialto survived because of the resilience of the human spirit, the continued support of our beloved community and the hope and encouragement the arts provide during difficult times.

Gladys Knight

Photo by Judy Ondrey

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to stand steadfast. Like many organizations, we have found new ways to engage our audience during the long days of quarantine. During Georgia’s shelter in place orders, we introduced weekly Rialto Replays on social media every Wednesday, featuring full Rialto Series performances from our stage by Lisa Fischer, Off the EDGE Dance Festival, The Nile Project and more, as archived by GSU-TV. We are also presenting performances by local and emerging artists via social media.

With the newness of spring, we look forward to the “new normal” as it evolves after this latest crisis. We continue to explore ways to bring audiences back to the Rialto with safety being paramount, while offering the highest quality live performances that our audiences expect from us. To that end, we are developing our 2020-2021 season around the theme of Mastery. The Rialto Center’s executive director, Lee Foster, explains the season’s theme, stating, “We believe that mastery is where precision and expression meet, constituting the very pinnacle of artistic and professional excellence. This belief is one of our core values and inspires the framework for our new season.”

We stand ready to welcome you to the Rialto and offer the healing power of hope that the arts provide. Of course, we will continue our efforts to ensure the health and safety of all. For more information on all Rialto activities, visit rialto.gsu.edu.