So different to have an audience - performing arts groups are starting to go live again
Deborah Martin, Staff writer
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Cassandra Parker-Nowicki, director of the Carver Community Cultural Center, got teary watching patrons arrive last month for “The Bad Mama Jama Remix,” the first show with a live audience there in more than a year.
“I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to have an audience in the theater again,” she said. “We’ve done things virtually, but it’s so different to have an audience with you.”
The doors of the Carver and the rest of the city’s performing arts venues and organizations largely have been closed to the public since the middle of March 2020 to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
San Antonio arts venues sticking with masks, other COVID-19 safety measures once state mandates are lifted
March 3, 2021
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The San Antonio Symphony returned to live performances in February with a socially distanced performance at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. The Tobin Center plans to keep pandemic-related safety measures in place for the time being.Robin Jerstad /Robin Jerstad
Several of San Antonio’s performing arts organizations, museums and other attractions plan to stay the course with COVID-19 safety measures in the wake of Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement that state mandates will be lifted March 10.
Many spaces that have been closed aren’t in a hurry to reopen. And many of those that have been operating at reduced capacity levels have no plans to open up additional seating or relax mask requirements right now.
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Ayala: For San Antonio arts groups, normal didn t include everyone, and a new normal might not either
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It’s impossible to imagine getting through the coronavirus pandemic without arts and culture.
Movies, music, literature, visual art, spoken word and dance have gotten us through some tough times. They’ve kept us company, helped us cope, lessened the isolation.
Yet for as much as arts and cultural groups, and individual artists themselves, have contributed to the city’s identity and vibrancy, the relationship hasn’t been reciprocal.
Before the coronavirus struck, the city was an arts, culture and historic landmark destination. Cultural tourism was part of the city’s ethos.
A city’s culture is its life and soul. A city’s culture is its story. But the pandemic drastically impacted the viability of creative industries and overall cultural vibrancy in cities around the world, including San Antonio.
Lockdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19 resulted in closures or curtailed operations at museums, art galleries, theaters, music venues, restaurants and historical sites; caused the cancellation of local cultural events; and prevented in-person arts education and other hands-on experiences.
Lost jobs and other economic uncertainties meant less discretionary income for outings and experiences, and a devastating dip in cultural tourism, which in turn jeopardize the livelihoods of artists, cultural institutions and organizations, and individuals working in San Antonio’s arts and culture and hospitality sectors.
A city’s culture is its life and soul. A city’s culture is its story. But the pandemic drastically impacted the viability of creative industries and overall cultural vibrancy in cities around the world, including San Antonio.
Lockdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19 resulted in closures or curtailed operations at museums, art galleries, theaters, music venues, restaurants and historical sites; caused the cancellation of local cultural events; and prevented in-person arts education and other hands-on experiences.
Lost jobs and other economic uncertainties meant less discretionary income for outings and experiences, and a devastating dip in cultural tourism, which in turn jeopardize the livelihoods of artists, cultural institutions and organizations, and individuals working in San Antonio’s arts and culture and hospitality sectors.