Pandemic Brings Immense Challenges, and Some Silver Linings, for Bay Area Arts Organizations

Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a $500 million grants program for nonprofits, small businesses and cultural institutions in an attempt to alleviate COVID-19’s impact on California’s arts industry. Still, the pandemic’s toll on the state’s large and small arts institutions has been devastating, as venues and theaters have closed, ticket revenue has vanished and funding sources have become scarcer. But a number of organizations are finding new and creative ways to survive. We’ll talk with the leaders of some Bay Area arts organizations about the pandemic’s impacts, how they’ve adapted and what’s ahead.