It’s a fall arts season like no other, but North Carolina artists are getting creative

As the coronavirus pandemic continues into its sixth month, museums, artists, musical acts and pretty much anyone who steps on a stage have been forced to reimagine their livelihoods.

With crowds kept to a minimum indoors and out, the concept of a traditional season of programming that launches in the fall and extends to the spring has been scrapped. Some have pushed previously announced concerts, plays and exhibits to 2021, while others have scrapped their entire seasons.

The International Bluegrass Music Association’s annual World of Bluegrass and the Hopscotch Music Festival, two of Raleigh’s signature events that typically attract thousands of people, are going virtual.

Even “Hamilton,” which had lingered on the schedule at the Durham Performing Arts Center earlier this summer, won’t be back in Durham until 2022, according to DPAC’s website.

But the need to connect creatively remains. So does the need to earn funds to ensure that art returns for large and small organizations alike.

It’s an arts season unlike any other, and artists and organizers have channeled all of their creativity to present meaningful programs and magical experiences this fall — with safety in mind.

“Artists and organizations have been creative and resilient during this time,” says Carly Jones, who works at the North Carolina Arts Council as senior program director for artists and organizations. Jones also is an actress and singer who has performed on area stages.

“The arts have kept us sane and reminded us of the human connection we are all yearning for right now,” Jones told The News & Observer in a phone interview. “It is important that we do not take artists and arts organizations for granted and we support this work so that it can continue.”

North Carolina is now in Phase 2.5, with indoor gatherings limited to 25 and outdoor gatherings at 50. That means virtual experiences — film screenings, live-streamed concerts, arts classes and even theater. An unseen audience may be on the other side of the computer screen, but they still provide artistic outlets for performers and spectators.

This fall, look for an intimate socially-distanced play for theatergoers; musicians performing in the N.C. Museum of Art; a virtual opera gala with a four-course meal; and a curated box filled with items created by Triangle artists.

Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find.

Testing the waters

Burning Coal Theatre Co., a small professional theater company in Raleigh, is operating, but on a much smaller scale in what’s called the “Reset Season.” The only show on the fall calendar is a live performance of the one-woman play, “A Hundred Words for Snow.”

But this will be a very personal show. Only four people will be in the audience.

“Your little group will have their own experience,” says Nathalie Tondeur, the company’s development director during a phone interview. “We’re going to have two different women performing the role. They will do four performances per night.”

Masks will be required for all attendees, and temperature checks will be conducted at the door.

The one-hour show written by Tatty Hennessy is about a 15-year-old girl who experiences loss for the first time in her life, Tondeur says.

“She’s starts off in a dark place and travels into the Arctic on a journey of self-discovery. It comes down to being a coming-of-age story with a lot of humor in it.”

Burning Coal tested the waters with an in-person event earlier this summer. “ACCORD(ING),” an original work about the mechanisms of the mind, was performed in June in partnership with Téa Creative and Sounding Line Arts.

“We wanted to see if people were ready to come back and how we could make them feel safe,” she says.

The theater company also is organizing a play, “DO Try This At Home,” about 12 local families in the Triangle. Playwrights have written original short plays for each family, which will be streamed for the public Sept. 12 from 4 to 6 p.m.

Details: “A Hundred Words for Snow” is Oct. 8-25. Tickets are $25, with discounts for seniors and students. Go to burningcoal.org.

Offstage Live: Music at the Museum

The N.C. Museum of Art’s popular outdoor concert series, long a staple of Raleigh’s summer concert scene, was just one casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. The museum galleries were shuttered for months, too.

This fall’s alternative is the new “Offstage Live: Music at the Museum” — four live-streaming concerts with regional musical acts performing from inside the museum.

Americana act Chatham County Line launched the series Sept. 1. Future acts include Dreamroot from Durham (Sept. 15); S.E. Ward from Chapel Hill (Sept. 29); and Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba from Pittsboro (Oct. 20). The concerts are free to watch, but people are invited to donate to help North Carolina artists and the arts. The shows will also be aired in the future on UNC-TV with behind-the-scenes interviews.

The museum announced earlier this week that it’s welcoming visitors back starting Wednesday, Sept. 9, requiring free timed tickets to encourage social distancing, and increased health and safety procedures including required cloth masks.

The gallery hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Museum Park remains open dawn to dusk, with reopened park restrooms. Visitors must reserve a free timed ticket to access the Museum collection. Visitors can reserve free timed tickets online for a no-touch entry experience. Tickets will also be available in both buildings.

Details: Concerts start at 8 p.m. Go to youtube.com/ncartmuseum and ncartmuseum.org/offstage.

Subscription Box for the Arts

NorthStar Church of the Arts in Durham is offering community-supported art in the form of a “Starbox,” a box of items and experiences curated by Grammy-award jazz singer Nnenna Freelon, as a tribute to her late husband, architect Phil Freelon.

NorthStar, founded by the Freelons, describes itself as “a sacred space for healing, creative expression and spiritual connectivity.”

This first Starbox featured items from Triangle creatives, including Bright Black Candles, N.C. poet laureate Jaki Shelton Green, Little Waves Coffee, Lady Pilot Press, documentarian Kate Medley and children’s book author Kelly Starling Lyons. The items inside the box are kept a secret.

“Everything is inspirational or interesting,” says Heather Cook, NorthStar executive director. “We didn’t identify the items on purpose. We just wanted to name the artists that are participating.”

The element of surprise worked and proved to be a good test for future collaborations. NorthStar sold 75 boxes at $55 per box.

“It sold out in eight hours,” Cook said. “This was the pilot to see if people were interested.”

Cook said she hopes to offer the subscription boxes every two months with an emphasis on filling it with items from Durham artists. The idea is to support them by supplying them with a demand for their goods.

“We have such a wealth of them here,” she said.

Besides the art boxes, NorthStar also will host online classes from local artists, including meditation and tarot card reading to how to apply makeup for a drag queen. Registration opens in September and the fee is based on a sliding scale starting at $25.

NorthStar has been working with the Durham Artist Relief Fund since the pandemic started. The fund has raised more than $117,500 and has distributed relief funding to more than 350 Durham artists.

Details: For more on the Starbox or classes, go to northstardurham.com.

Tour the Gregg Museum — Virtually

The Gregg Museum of Art & Design at N.C. State University presents several options for art lovers.

Director Roger Manley suggests two virtual exhibits, “All That Glitters — Spark and Dazzle from the Permanent Collection,” and “All Is Possible — Mary Ann Scherr’s Legacy In Metal.” The Gregg’s website presents a 360-degree virtual tour that allows users to feel like they’re strolling inside the gallery spaces on Hillsborough Street. Users can click on different pieces of art to learn more about them. Think pop-up art descriptions that normally appear next to a piece on a gallery wall.

“‘All the Glitters’ is a fun show,” Manley says. “Human beings have been attracted to glittery objects for a number of years. Things like gold, jewels…the whole idea of sparkling things sets off something in our brains that makes us happy. That’s why kings and queens wear shining crowns. We went through our collection and picked some of the most attractive objects.”

“All is Possible” is a tribute to the designer who was the first woman to be hired by Ford Motor Company’s automotive division, according to Scherr’s obituary. This show features her jewelry and as well as toys for children, maternity dresses and even a toaster oven.

She was an designer who never received the fame and recognition she deserved, Manley said. She became a major industrial designer who worked for Goodyear, Alcoa, and US Steel. She designed airplane interiors, Hoover vacuum cleaners and a heart monitoring bracelet decades before the FitBit. She moved to Raleigh in the late 1980s and designed jewelry.

Besides the virtual galleries, the Gregg has scheduled conversations with artists and behind-the-scenes tours. The programs started Sept. 3 and run through November. Some of the topics include conversations with Manley about art along with tours conducted by the education staff of the museum.

Details: For information, go to gregg.arts.ncsu.edu.

A Class Act

The North Carolina Opera’s traditional gala has been forced online for a virtual event, but organizers have found a way to make watching a screen a little more special. Participants can order a multi-course catered meal, complete with cocktail, delivered to their home.

The gala scheduled Oct. 17 will feature rising soprano Madison Leonard, who will perform four selections, live and silent auctions, and a tribute to longtime NCO patron Florence Peacock, said Bruce Loving, media consultant for NCO, in an interview with The News & Observer.

“I think it will be fun and very interactive,” Loving said.

Leonard is a 2018 winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, at which she sang arias from Rigoletto and Hänsel und Gretel, according to her website.

“Opera Gala 2020 includes the elements from our past galas, but in a new format that will enable far more people to participate in the celebration,” said NCO’s General Director Eric Mitchko in a news release. “We will all be able to be together virtually for NCO’s largest fundraising event of the year.”

Details: Tickets for the live Opera Gala broadcast are $25 at ncopera.org or by calling 919-792-3856. The meal is provided by Mitchell•Casteel: A Fine Catered Affair. The meal for two is $150, with $20 donated to the Opera. It features two hors d’ouevres, a first course, entrée, dessert and cocktail and instructions to finish the meal at home. Go to mitchellcasteel.com/gourmetdelivery.

Thoughtful content

David Henderson and Susannah Hough, co-artistic directors of Honest Pint Theatre Co., understand the need for online content, but not just for the sake of having it.

“The rise of Zoom/streamed theatre has been something to behold, but we have been very cautious about diving into that world,” Hough said during a phone and email interviews. “We firmly believe that theatre is about the connection between audience and performer, the exchange of energy in a shared space. It is a communal art form.”

The Raleigh-based theater is offering a play club of sorts, which functions like a book club. Participants read a play on their own time, and then join a discussion about what a production may look like.

“We are choosing plays with social relevance right now,” Hough says.

“The Niceties” by Eleanor Burgess is September’s play. It’s the story of Zoe, a bright, ambitious, Black political science major, and her interaction with her acclaimed, white professor, Janine, during the professor’s office hours. Zoe is seeking feedback on a paper she has written. The conversation quickly spirals from polite disagreements into heated arguments.

“It is important to us to bring this play to the attention of audiences because history really is storytelling,” Hough says. “Why do things happen? What are our responsibilities to each other? What is our story as Americans? And as individuals?”

“Hillary and Clinton” by Lucas Hnath, is October’s selection. The play takes place in an alternate universe and centers on a woman named Hillary Clinton who is running for president of the United States in 2008. This play explores the vulnerability Clinton must show to win over voters.

Details: Both works are free, with donations accepted. Go to honestpinttheatre.org.

How to help the arts

Arts lovers and supporters should not rely on traditional means of finding out fall programming, Carly Jones says. With so much uncertainty, she suggests people check social media and artists’ websites for updates.

Artists are finding it difficult to make money with virtual events, so Jones suggests ways to support and enhance those art experiences.

▪ Even if livestreams are free, consider donating the ticket price for a live performance to the musical act or donate funds to an artists relief fund to keep the local art scene going.

▪ Buy or commission visual art for your home or business. Consider individual artists like you would small businesses.

▪ Gather friends virtually to enjoy a concert or event together via Zoom or Google Hangout. Here are some ideas.

The Clayton Center hosts a livestream every Wednesday night and encourages people to get takeout from a local restaurant.

Other programming includes Mallarme Chamber Players “Music in Spaces. Virtually: Ode To Joy Series” and Theatre Raleigh “Living Room Live!” Series.

The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle has aptly titled its season “Making Space for Music,” with musicians performing live with masks, when possible, and socially distanced. The concerts will be recorded and released to digital subscription holders while a small audience may attend — depending on state guidelines for gatherings.

▪ Use your car. People are finding new ways to experience live music. North Carolina saxophone player Brian Miller was recently featured at the Live Music & Movie Drive-in event at the Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre in Henderson, accompanied by the film “Bird” about Charlie Bird Parker.

▪ Expand your geographical reach beyond the Triangle. With everything going virtual, check out venues’ events that you might not travel to under normal circumstances. Consider the Harvey B. Gantt Center in Charlotte and the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington. The NC Folk Festival in Greensboro will host at virtual video series Sept 11-13, featuring Mandolin Orange, Chatham County Line and Rissi Palmer.

This story was originally published September 4, 2020 at 10:00 AM with the headline "It’s a fall arts season like no other, but North Carolina artists are getting creative."