Arts Place is preparing to reopen

To the editor:

Arts Place has been closed to the public for over two months due to the pandemic.

The list of cancelled and postponed events, classes and lessons is extensive. Of course, all this was necessary for the safety and health of our audience, students, faculty, staff and volunteers.

But, we’re not used to so much quiet time at our arts centers. Events and teaching are integral to what we do. Arts Place staff, faculty and volunteers are ready to get back to making the arts happen live and in person. Our first step will be on Monday, June 15, when our Portland, Hartford City and St. Marys centers will once again open to the public.

You will note a few changes when you come to our centers. All visitors will be required to wear a mask. If you don’t have a mask, one will be provided. Social distancing will be the new etiquette. We look forward to a time when all the safety precautions are no longer necessary.

At the Portland center, the run for our Regional Student Art Exhibition will be extended through Friday, June 26, to allow the exhibiting students and their families a chance to see the show. This highly popular annual exhibit was scheduled to open the day our centers were closed to the public. We owe a big thanks to the teachers who helped coordinate this show, the more than 100 student artists who participated and our sponsor, George Family Dentistry. As with all of our exhibits, admission is free of charge.

We’ll start teaching in-person music lessons on June 15. A number of safety measures for our students and faculty will be implemented based on the research we’ve reviewed on playing and singing music.

After two months of study we came to the conclusion that, with proper safety measures, we can conduct Arts in the Parks for its 44th summer. The program will begin much later than usual with our first classes beginning on July 6. We will ramp up to a full schedule by July 20. The program will be offered in 14 communities in five counties in west central Ohio and east central Indiana. Arts in the Parks will continue through Aug. 15. With the exception of family classes, enrollment will be limited to 10 children per class. Family classes will be limited to 15 participants.

Arts in the Parks will be offered free of charge for 2020. Many families are experiencing financial hardships and we think this is an important consideration for this unique year. Registration will be available online at artsland.org.

Masks and gloves will be provided to all students and any caregivers attending with their children. Portable washing stations will be set up for class sites if the circumstances warrant.

We know that governmental rules could change this summer. Yet, we believe it’s important to be proactive by offering Arts in the Parks this summer. Parents may appreciate an opportunity to enroll their children in an educational and fun experience when many other summer programs have been cancelled.

While you’re waiting for Arts Place to open, we continue to expand our virtual programming. Many MusicWorks students took advantage of our offer of online instruction. Exhibits at all three of our facilities were posted on our website. We’ve been soliciting our communities to share their creative endeavors with us. Please visit artsland.org and click the “Share Your Art or Talent” box on the homepage. Please don’t ignore the possibility that you may have a creation worth sharing with us.

To date, our service area has not been affected by COVID-19 to a degree comparable to many communities around the country. While we know that situation could change for the worse, it’s important to count one’s blessings while one can. I hope you will take advantage of the many program offerings that Arts Place will be re-launching in the coming weeks.

Eric R. Rogers

Executive director and CEO

Arts Place