Enrich your days with virtual art!

In the midst of the pandemic, so many of us feel starved for artistic experience. The arts inspire creativity, foster empathy and energize our spirit, especially during times of crisis. Why not schedule an in-home date night, evening “in” with friends or wrap a performance into virtual school while supporting a local arts organization?

The Community Foundation recognizes that arts organizations have been especially hard hit during the COVID-19 pandemic as performances shuttered and venues closed. In August, we awarded $1.15 million to 28 arts organizations profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic who have responded to the needs of their constituencies with safe, innovative programming to uplift arts throughout the region. More than a million of that – representing 91% of total funding – was granted to organizations founded or led by Black, Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC). Read the full press release with information about all of the grant recipients from the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund here.

Below is a list of a few of Arts Fund grant recipients that are performing virtually or in a socially distant fashion in coming weeks:

Abel 2, Inc. will produce ADA30 Virtual Arts Care from October 19-30, 2020, which will highlight the vibrancy and contributions of professionals across the disability spectrum as well as community concerts and talent.

Alternate ROOTS presents ROOTS Week Annual Meeting & Artists’ Retreat is several days of performances, art and organizing workshops, UpROOTing Oppressions sessions, visual art exhibitions, and late-night cabarets. Due to the pandemic the gathering will take place online and is FREE to all – some performances early in October remain.

APEX Museum is Atlanta’s oldest Black history museum. The museum is now reopened with social distancing enforced and it has launched digital tours and videos and is partnering with Out of Hand Theater to promote a monthly equitable dinner series.

ART Station will present a virtual Southern Ghosts Storytelling Festival that showcases six master storytellers who have performed the best ghost stories from the South for over 25 years. Learn more here.

ARTiculate ATL 2020 is a virtual experience, available now.

ArtsXchange will offer Signs of the Times: Documenting the Power of the People, 1960 – Today until October 15, 2020. Learn more.

Dance Canvas recently partnered with the Atlanta Contemporary to provide time and space to dance artists in metro-Atlanta. Watch the 15-minute story on WABE here.

gloATL will perform March on Variations! from October 3 – November 3, 2020. Its first digital art public intervention, Stitching (up up up) the Sky, will also occupy four public sidewalks on the Westside, downtown, midtown and Reynoldstown with human-sized monitors where people can experience art ‘face-to-face’ without risk.

Hammonds House Museum will present Conversations About Jazz and Other Distractions with Carl Anthony on October 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Soul Food Cypher showcases the improvisational dexterity of rap emcees through challenging and engaging freestyle rounds every Sunday on Facebook live through #CypherSunday.

True Colors Theatre Company will host Community Conversations: Black Branding on October 3, 2020, via Facebook Live.

Main photo courtesy of Dance Canvas, Inc. and Atlanta Contemporary; Artist: Thulani Vereen