Arts&Life culture
Keeping
Arts Alive
Detroit’s cultural gems face multiple challenges during the pandemic. SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
T
DONALD DIETZ
he lights may be dim and the microphones disconnected, but leading local cultural organizations are working hard to provide art, music and education to their followers and the general public. The COVID-19 pandemic and Michigan’s “stay-at-home” order meant that concerts were canceled by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), Michigan Opera Theater (MOT) and the Chamber Music Society of Detroit (CMSD), among other local performing arts organizations. The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) closed its building and collections to visitors and canceled its educational and other programs. However, the pandemic has spurred all four nonprofit organizations to develop new ways of reaching their audiences. At the same time, they are being challenged to maintain financial stability despite drastically
DSO President and CEO Anne Parsons and Chairman Mark Davidoff
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JUNE 4 • 2020
reduced revenues. The DIA, DSO and MOT all received loans through the Paycheck Protection Program — part of the Federal CARES Act. LET THE MUSIC PLAY When the pandemic hit Michigan, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra had a crisis plan in place and had reviewed its protocols through a risk management study a few years earlier, according to Anne Parsons, DSO president and CEO. “We preempted the governor’s declaration and made changes in stages as things unfolded,” she said. “The immediate impact was disappointment, because sold-out performances of Carmina Burana were canceled for the weekend of March 13. Decision-making was in place with a focus on health and safety.” Subsequently all concerts were canceled through Aug. 31. DSO board chair Mark Davidoff says the organization benefited from a unique governance model in which the board usually operates collectively to make decisions, rather than relying on its executive committee. “We’ve all rallied to the moment — across the landscape,” he says, referring to Metro Detroit. Davidoff cites increased involvement of DSO board members with almost
DIA CEO Salvador Salort-Pons
100 percent participation on conference calls. He is CEO of the Fisher Group and formerly served as executive director of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. DSO staff quickly started to project the organization’s financial status without concert revenue. Fortunately, the DSO’s balance sheet was solid, the debt on its building was settled in 2012 and an adjacent office building owned by the DSO had been sold. However, the DSO’s June fundraising gala was canceled, and DSO leaders recognized the potential limitations for donations since many individuals’ investment portfolios had declined due to the pandemic and there was great financial need throughout the community. DSO staff, musicians and stagehands all took pay cuts, but there have been no layoffs for full-time staff. A plan for a “Resilience Fund” was developed with active involvement by the board and musicians. An immediate goal of $1 million was quickly met with 100 percent board participation. The fundraising effort will go public soon with a goal of raising another $1 million. The DSO has been streaming concerts online since 2011, so it was able to quickly expand its offerings, including a live chatroom on Facebook with
DIA
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comments from some musicians. The DSO also has an Innovation Committee with significant musician involvement and is regularly adding new programs, which Parsons says are creating “a deep connective tissue between musicians and audiences.” She anticipates that they will continue even when live concerts return. TAKING ART ONLINE The Detroit Institute of Arts closed to the public on March 13 and, since then, only essential staff remain on site to safeguard the building and its collection. According to Salvador SalortPons, director, president and CEO, the DIA has instituted a hiring and salary freeze and significantly cut expenses, including a 20 percent salary reduction for those at the vice president level and above. The DIA has established a Sustainability Fund to help compensate for revenues lost from being closed. “Our volunteers and donors continue to be incredibly supportive of the museum and our efforts,” Salort-Pons says. “When we shifted our programming online in March, we committed to continuing to serve the residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties with the benefits they receive from the DIA — free access to our world-class collection, field
