New Mexico is rich in culture, but the coronavirus pandemic has put that to the test by transferring the Albuquerque art scene to an online environment.
“We’ve all experienced such a dramatic shift in our daily lives. Everything about how we interact and how we plan and how we move through space and our ability to travel — it’s all changed so much, so quickly,” Diana Gaston, the director of the University of New Mexico’s Tamarind Institute, said. “In the arts community, I think we’re still grappling with some of those changes.”
Arts institutes are very hands-on institutions and have faced the challenge of transferring this experience to a virtual space, according to Suzanne Sbarge, executive director of 516 Arts.
“Prior to the pandemic, our biggest focus was actually bringing people together in person to see art exhibitions in our museum,” Sbarge said.
Gaston talked about the difficulties of updating the lithography workshop to meet safety standards because it “functions very much like a lab space.”
Virtual events are commonplace nowadays, and Sbarge said these virtual art events include workshops, talks, exhibitions and more.
516 Arts will physically open on Sept. 26 with an exhibition called “Feminisms.” All events and gatherings pertaining to the event will still be held online, but visitors can make appointments to view the exhibition in person.
“It’ll be like a hybrid period this fall with some things online but still having opportunities to see the art in person,” Sbarge said.
Tamarind does not have a set opening date yet, and even made the difficult decision to hold an exhibition celebrating its 60th anniversary online in September.
516 Arts has also encountered the challenge of continuing to work hand-in-hand with education. Last spring, the organization set up an internship with art students at Highland High School.
Currently, 516 Arts is working on a pilot program to provide art kits for every art student at Albuquerque High School. Sbarge said about 600 students participate in art classes at the Title I institution, and the organization will gather money for the project through crowdsourcing and designated donor funds.
Gaston said Tamarind has also had to change its education programs, adapting art residencies and student programs to fit the times and operating virtually much of the time.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
“You can just imagine the difference. Instead of a conversation, you’re writing a letter. Instead of looking at a print together as it's pulled and deciding what changes to make, we’re shipping the print to the artists,” Gaston said.
Tamarind typically holds a printer training program but only had three of eight students attend this year, due to the unavailability of visas caused by both the pandemic and political tensions between the United States and other countries.
Tamarind started up its e-commerce capabilities about a year and half ago, according to Gaston, so the institution has had the ability to sell prints online, which provided a huge boost during this difficult economic period.
Tamarind is still financially stable but has lost revenue due to the coronavirus. However, Gaston said it’s a “balancing act” since they are also spending less on shipping and traveling fees.
Non-profit art institutions like 516 Arts are doing better financially than others because they don’t depend on earned income, according to Sbarge.
“And we never know as a nonprofit, you know, we’re always — all small nonprofits — precarious financially, so we’re actually used to it,” Sbarge said. “In some ways, it better prepared us for this situation than other groups that had more stability in that we’re used to it, and we know how to get through hard times.”
Local artist Frank Blazquez told the Daily Lobo that although he’s financially stable, he “would like to amplify the fact that many other artists in New Mexico are hurting right now” and encouraged people to buy directly from artists.
Blazquez said artists, unlike many other professions, are used to dealing with unstable situations.
“Real artists are very acclimated to dealing with horrible scenarios, demonization, marginalization and trauma (especially POC artists such as myself) — it's nothing new to us,” Blazquez said.
Sbarge said the current paradigm has given the organization the opportunity to connect nationally and internationally in ways they wouldn’t be able to physically.
“Although it’s not ideal, it is a way to reach people and a way to be together, so I’m appreciating that we can do that,” Sbarge said.
The Black Lives Matter movement has also had an impact on art institutions, and Gaston said the social uprising has amplified the need to diversify these spaces.
Sbarge said another unexpected benefit of the pandemic is “artists all coming together to share artwork and keep culture alive in our cities.”
Gaston said it’s fascinating that we still don’t know what lasting impacts the pandemic will have on society in the long term.
“I think art is essential to our human experience, so I think we’ll find a way to continue it,” Gaston said.
Megan Gleason is the culture editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @fabflutist2716
