10 minute read
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.
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.
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.
L I G H T T H E E B E M B R A C E T H E F I G H T
TOGETHER WE CAN
The FAC announced its grant opportunity on social media on March 14, more than a week before Gov. Larry Hogan ordered nonessential businesses in the state to close and two weeks prior to Hogan issuing a “stay-at-home” order.
Because the FAC was one of the first organizations to offer COVID-19 relief aid to artists, they quickly received hundreds of applications from artists all over the world, but grants were open to Frederick County residents only.
Several Frederick artists found themselves moving in new directions as a result of the pandemic or experimenting with different art forms. Matt Long, a graphic designer and multimedia artist, found an emerging need for coronavirus-related work, such as designing custom hand-sanitizer bottle labels. Other artists, it may come as no surprise, have taken to sewing masks for the community. People who were visual artists found themselves turning to poetry and vice versa. Long-neglected projects were given attention again. Some artists left their studios entirely and turned to gardening instead. “I lost most of my jobs,” said Will Saxton, a Frederick-based visual artist and musician. “They were all in the entertainment industry.”
Already adept at stringing together gigs in visual art, audio engineering, video editing, even bartending at Spinners, the pinball arcade in Frederick that closed during the lockdown, Saxton scraped together what money he did have and bought a 360-degree video camera and started a new business: Image Arts 360. He’s just begun photographing three-dimensional models of houses for real estate agencies and has picked up some odd jobs, such as farm work, in the interim.
The performing arts community has had, perhaps, the hardest time within the arts community.
Mosere began brainstorming new ways to bring theater to the community in the midst of a pandemic, uncertain as to when live performances will be safe again for both actors and audience. She began hosting online workshops and classes almost immediately, but performances have all been put on hold, including the Shakespeare Festival’s “Romeo and Juliet” that she was going to direct in Frederick this summer. She’s thinking of creative ways to utilize — and perhaps humorize — a cast of actors who has to stand 6 feet apart from one another. She’s mindful, while planning and rehearsing for an outdoor show, that it might have to be live-streamed.
Director Erik Hadden introduces a game during the Comedy Pigs’ first online improv show. Also pictured: Molly Parchment, Thomas Scholtes, and Rob Hughes.
“These are really interesting times and really challenging times,” she said.
Tad Janes, producing artistic director of Maryland Ensemble Theatre in Frederick, has run into similar issues.
In June, when the theater company typically announces its upcoming season, they instead announced “TRUST US: A Season of Surprises,” with many shows still to be determined. Because of restrictions and higher fees to produce content that is streamed or pre-recorded and aired online, the MET is focusing its 2020-21 season on original content by regional playwrights and content from the public domain. In the meantime, they’ve been hosting online staged readings and Comedy Pigs events on Twitch and Facebook, while rethinking their mainstage season.
They’re working on presenting drive-in theater experiences, where people could listen to the show on a smartphone or tablet — which, Janes pointed out, would be a good technology to introduce anyway, as it could be used for hard-of-hearing audience members once back in the theater. They may live-stream a show with no audience. They’re also planning one-man, pop-up shows, which would be performed in various people’s front yards — planned ahead of time, of course — and open for people to watch from a distance or via live-stream. One silver lining of a Facebook Live event is the community interaction component, as people can comment live in real time, even if they’re watching through a screen, Janes pointed out. “At least you get some sense of community,” he said. “Because that’s what we’re about. That’s what we’ve always been doing — bringing community together so we can all feel something together and have a conversation together.”
RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS Frederick Artist Relief Fund
Monetary funding for artists will continue as long as people continue to donate and sustain it. Go to http://frederickartscouncil. org for details on donating or applying for aid.
FREELANCE ARTIST RESOURCE
Emergency funding for most artistic disciplines is available at www.freelanceartistresource.com/emergency-funding.
KICKSTARTER’S LIST OF RESOURCES
Kickstarter created a comprehensive list of resources for artists during COVID-19, including emergency grants, freelance resources and legal aid: www.kickstarter.com/articles/covid-19-coronavirusartist-resources.
Comedy Pigs Rob Hughes, Molly Parchment, and Thomas Scholtes perform a Film Dub during their first online improv show.
Comedy Pig Katie Rictor performs a new game, PoweredPoint for The Comedy Pigs’ first online improv show.
ART CENTERS & GALLERIES
The ArtistAngle Gallery
,124 S. Carroll St.
Frederick O 240-285-4393 w www.theartistangle.com
Delaplaine Arts Center
,40 S. Carroll St.
Frederick O 301-698-0656 w www.delaplaine.org
The Frederick Arts Council
,5 E. Second St. and 11 W. Patrick St., Suite 201,
Frederick O 301-662-4190 w www.frederickartscouncil.org
MUSEUMS
Beatty Cramer House
,Liberty Road, Frederick O 301-668-2086
Brunswick Heritage Museum
,B40 W. Potomac St.
Brunswick O 301-834-7100 w www.brunswickmuseum.org
Heritage Frederick
,Frederick O 301-663-1188 w www.frederickhistory.org
National Museum of Civil War Medicine
,48 E. Patrick St.
Frederick O 301-695-1864 w www.civilwarmed.org
Rose Hill Manor Park & Children’s Museum
,1611 N. Market St.
Frederick O 301-600-1650 w www.rosehillmuseum.com
Schifferstadt Architectural Museum
,1110 Rosemont Ave.
Frederick O 301-663-3885
The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
,339 S. Seton Ave.
Emmitsburg O 301-447-6606 w www.setonshrine.org
Roger Brooke Taney House
,121 S. Bentz St.
Frederick O 301-663-7880 w www.frederickhistory.org
ACTIVITIES & SPORTS
City of Frederick Parks & Recreation
The Parks and Recreation Department was founded in 1927 to provide recreational opportunities to all Frederick city residents, regardless of age, race or religion, and to provide and maintain parks, swimming pools, and sports facilities for public use and benefit.
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Talley Recreation Center 121 N. Bentz St. Frederick 301-600-1300 cityoffrederick.com/255/ Parks-Recreation
Frederick County Parks & Recreation
Frederick County offers a variety of parks and recreation programs for its residents. Find out about seasonal activities for all ages at recreater. com. For a map of all Frederick County parks facilities, go to: http:// maps.frederickcountymd.gov/ parksandrecreation.
YMCA
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1000 N. Market St. Frederick 301-663-5131 www.frederickymca.org
SPORTS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Baltimore Chapter – Baltimore Adapted Recreation and Sports (BARS)
,Baltimore O 410-771-4606 w www.barsinfo.org
Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating
,Annapolis O 410-266-5722 w www.crabsailing.org
Disabled Sports USA
,Rockville O 301-217-0960 w www.disabledsportsusa.org
Maryland Ravens (Wheelchair Basketball)
,Baltimore O 301-825-5359 w www.marylandravens.org
NATIONAL PARKS
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail is a footpath across 2,168 miles from Georgia to Maine. Almost 40 miles cross Maryland, most following the ridgeline of South Mountain. There is only a 1,650-foot change in elevation from the low point at the Potomac River to the high point at High Rock. w https://dnr.maryland.gov/ publiclands/Pages/at.aspx
Catoctin Mountain Park
Contains 25 miles of hiking trails, camping and lodging, and scenic overlooks. w nps.gov/cato
C & O Canal National Historical Park
184.5-mile linear park that interprets the role of canals in America’s westward expansion. A towpath cuts through the Catoctin Mountains at Point of Rocks. Eight miles west, the towpath comes to the railroad town of Brunswick. w nps.gov/pohe
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park
,South Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg O 301-477-1000 w firehero.org
STATE PARKS
State Park Reservations
O1-888-432-2267 w https://parkreservations. maryland.gov
Cunningham Falls State Park
The William Houck Area is 3 miles west of Thurmont on Route 77 (lake, falls and camping); the Manor Area is 3 miles south of Thurmont off U.S. Route 15 (aviary, camping, Catoctin Iron Furnace). Swimming, hiking, fishing and canoeing, campsites and camper cabins available April through October. w http://dnr.maryland.gov/ publiclands/pages/western/ cunningham.aspx
Gambrill State Park
Located on the ridge of the Catoctin Mountains in Frederick. Includes 16 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Three stone overlooks offer views of Frederick and Middletown Valley. Nature center, wooded picnic areas, a small fishing pond, picnic shelters. The Tea Room lodge is available for reservation.
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https://dnr.maryland.gov/ publiclands/Pages/western/ gambrill.aspx
Gathland State Park
Once the mountain home of George Alfred Townsend, a Civil War journalist. A large stone monument dedicated to the memory of Civil War. Hiking trails and picnic pavilion available.
,Jefferson w http://dnr.maryland.gov/ publiclands/Pages/western/ gathland.aspx
Greenbrier State Park
Multi-use park with a 42-acre manmade freshwater lake and beach. Swimming, canoeing, boating and fishing. Visitor center open yearround. 11 miles of hiking trails.
,Boonsboro O 301-791-4767 w https://dnr.maryland.gov/ publiclands/Pages/western/ greenbrier.aspx
South Mountain Recreation Area
40-mile multi-use state park weaving along the South Mountain ridge from the Pennsylvania line to the Potomac River. It has no distinguishable boundary or entrance facility and can be accessed at a number of locations. Most of the park is only accessible by foot. Guided climbing at Annapolis Rocks requires a special use agreement to be completed in advance. w http://dnr.maryland.gov/ publiclands/pages/western/ southmountain.aspx
Washington Monument State Park
Located atop South Mountain and named for the first completed monument dedicated to the memory of George Washington. The monument is a rugged stone tower that was initially erected in 1827. Stop by the park office or museum to learn more about the first major Civil War battle fought in Maryland.
,Middletown O 301-791-4767 w http://dnr.maryland.gov/ publiclands/pages/western/ southmountain.aspx
