A R T S & L E I S U R E \\
CREATIVE CLASS PERSISTS DURING PANDEMIC BY LAUREN LAROCCA
The repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the economy have hit hard for the creative class, many of whom had to quickly scramble to make ends meet. Some innovated new ways to make or present their art form or came up with entirely new alternatives to bring in an income. Artists are known for being resourceful. Musicians — facing the grim reality of an entire season of gigs small and large suddenly canceled — looked to online platforms that would allow them to receive tips for playing concerts online while in quarantine. Theater companies started hosting online staged readings. Visual artists gave virtual tours of shows and created window installations in downtown spaces. Authors launched virtual book readings while local bookstores sat vacant. Christine Mosere, longtime actor, director and founder of Endangered Species Theatre Project in Frederick, was in the midst of production of the play “The Awakening” when lockdown began in Frederick and everything closed. “All artists kind of lost everything in a day,” she said.
The Frederick Arts Council, however, had created the Frederick Artist Relief Fund, which continues to raise funds and award $250 to $500 grants to Frederick County artists who are in need. Mosere was one of the first artists to apply and receive a grant. “Because of them, I went grocery shopping, when the week before, I was like, ‘How am I gonna get groceries?’ And I take care of my dad and my son,” Mosere said. She commends them for being one of the first resources available for artists.
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“Literally day one, they jumped into creating funding,” she said. “It was at a time that made a big impact. It was before there was any government rescue or unemployment or time to think about what we could do.”
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She searched for grants and other resources, but found that despite the economic impact on the arts community, she wasn’t eligible for most of the grants that she found.
