When seeking knowledge and/or improvement, itâs always a good idea to get input from others. Thatâs what the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County did recently by commissioning an extensive survey to help it prepare to resume its mission in the inevitable post-COVID era. The results were enlightening â and some were surprising. Theyâll assist not only the Arts Council, but any artist or artistic organization that wants to be ready to open their doors again.
First, the not-so-surprising results: People are eager to see and participate in live artistic events â and theyâre most eager to hear live music, followed by theater, festivals, film and visual arts, in that order.
In August 2020, Chad Cheek wanted to do something to help the arts community that had been suffering for months because of the pandemic. So he created Artarie, a curated streaming media platform.
Artarie, pronounced âar-ter-y,â debuted Feb. 12. The platform focuses on arts and cultural content for television, computer and mobile devices. This includes world premieres, live and recorded performances, online classes, lectures and exclusive content.
Through conversations with people on the various boards of directors of arts organizations he serves on, it became clear to Cheek late last summer that organizations were struggling to figure out ways to keep busy.