In these strange times, staying connected feels desperately important. We call old friends and distant family, we email our favorite high school teachers, and follow every name we recognize on social media. Technology is our new communicator. Well, maybe not so new. But within this larger conversation about what is and isn’t essential, it’s beginning to feel pretty important.
The arts have managed to make their way to the forefront of this new, technological connection. From the Berlin Philharmonic’s digital concert hall, to Denver’s own Mercury Cafe live open mic, we are creating and maintaining artistic platforms. Right now, this is what’s important to us. Live streams from musicians, new support for local artists’ online storefronts, open mics where poets and musicians make sure to be heard; this is our new world.
So what does that mean when all this is over? Will the arts remain an ‘essential’ part of our world? It’s nice to imagine that this distant yet stubbornly connected community will continue on in the days after social distancing. Mass gatherings at cafes to hear poetry, local musicians and artists finding enough support to live off their passions. When this is all over it’s important to remember that we turned to the arts for comfort. That during this insanity we were most grateful for our artists and the escape they offered.