In pre-pandemic times, non-profit arts and culture organizations in the Puget Sound region punched above their weight. They generated more than $2.4 billion a year and created tens of thousands of jobs.
Now, one year into the pandemic, many of those organizations have closed for good. Those that are still hanging on are doing so by a thread.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Margo Vansynghel reports on arts and culture for Crosscut. She recently surveyed more than a hundred arts organizations to learn about their economic challenges and their hopes for the future.
She told KUOWâs Kim Malcolm that everyone has felt the impact.
pretty intense experience. former navy seal clint bruce carried frustration over the meaning of memorial day. i put on my pack and i started walking around memorial day morning. as i was coming around the corner there was an older gentleman. you can always talk korean or world war ii veteran. i couldn t hear what the man was saying. i took my head phones out answered looked at me and said hey son. i said yes, sir, who are you carrying? it kind of unlocked it for me. organizers encouraged to bring along mementos of those who not come home. ruiz carried him w. him the badge of new york city firefighter badge he and his brand of brothers have brought along on 24 deployments. it has been special to carry harvey s badge. we will continue to use it as a symbol of why we are going to dig in and keep sacrificing. the organization expects to raise a half million dollars in donations.
pretty intense experience. former navy seal clint bruce carried frustration over the meaning of memorial day. i put on my pack and i started walking around memorial day morning. as i was coming around the corner there was an older gentleman. you can always talk korean or world war ii veteran. i couldn t hear what the man was saying. i took my head phones out answered looked at me and said hey son. i said yes, sir, who are you carrying? it kind of unlocked it for me. organizers encouraged to bring along mementos of those who not come home. ruiz carried him w. him the badge of new york city firefighter badge he and his brand of brothers have brought along on 24 deployments. it has been special to carry harvey s badge. we will continue to use it as a symbol of why we are going to dig in and keep sacrificing. the organization expects to raise a half million dollars in donations. all of which will be used to