by Zach Murphy
The coronavirus initially hit like something out of a disaster movie. But unfortunately, it has been a crisis that’s all too real. Along the way, films have been yanked from cinemas, theater productions have come to a halt, museums have closed their doors, and art festivals have been cancelled — at least physically. While these unprecedented times of social distancing have caused venues for arts and entertainment to shut down, the heart and soul of creativity has not stopped. Many local venues are finding alternative ways to keep the spirit alive and deliver content to audiences, from virtual performances from artists to online streams of films from the Walker Art Center. Below, I’ve compiled a list of ways you can still enjoy and support our creative communities:
Stream full performances and highlights via At Home with MN Opera: mnopera.org/season/2020-2021/at-home-with-mn-opera/
Watch The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library’s 2020 Minnesota Book Awards: thefriends.org/minnesota-book-awards/
Keep an eye out for special performances created by artists in isolation, presented by Park Square Theatre: parksquaretheatre.org/
Get creative with virtual and remote art lessons from COMPAS Home Studio: compas.org/compas-home-studio
Take a tour through St. Paul’s Virtual Art Crawl: stpaulartcollective.org/art-crawl/#!directory/ord=rnd
Read, share personal COVID-19 stories at the Minnesota History Center’s History is Now blog: mnhs.org/blog/historyisnow
Visit the Minnesota Museum of American Art’s virtual exhibitions via The M @ Home: mmaa.org/the-m-home/
Check out the Science Museum of Minnesota’s Learn From Home activities: new.smm.org/learn
Explore the Minneapolis Institute of Arts’ 360-degree views of galleries from the comfort of your home: new.artsmia.org/art-artists/explore/
Stream online newest offerings from the History Theatre: historytheatre.com
Dive into film and family fun via the Walker Art Center’s Walker at Home series: walkerart.org/
Support the Penumbra Theatre by joining the #PenumbraStrong movement: penumbratheatre.org/
Stay connected with happenings within the Illusion Theater: illusiontheater.org/new-page-2
Feel the power of music with the Minnesota Orchestra’s at home performances:
minnesotaorchestra.org/community-education/lifelong-learning/minnesota-orchestra-at-home
Embark on virtual tours at St. Paul’s Landmark Center: landmarkcenter.org/
View short performance pieces inspired by the George Floyd tragedy at Mixed Blood Responds: mixedblood.com/
Art thrives in the harshest of times. It adds immense beauty to our world, and it gives us all hope for the future.
Until the spotlights shine and the silver screens glow again, Zach.
Zach Murphy is an avid enthusiast of cinema, theater, and storytelling. He lives with his wonderful wife Kelly in St. Paul. You can read more reviews at his blog, Fade to Zach.
