MARBLEHEAD — The Marblehead Arts Association is launching a nationwide search — not for anything specific, but simply for art.
In this COVID-19 pandemic that has been a part of our existence since March, the MAA, like most entities, has had to struggle and be creative in its efforts not only to raise funds for its projects, but to do projects that people can see. After all, art is a shared experience, said executive director Patti Baker.
And the answer to that is the answer to everything else these days: get it up online.
“We’ve been able to deliver (art) online,” Baker said. “People have been able to go on websites to see our exhibits. We’ve had Zoom calls with members, so they can see our artwork online, and see how they’re doing.”
Hard as it may be to pivot from holding live events, the experience has been a blessing, said co-president Missy Fisher.
“It’s been good for us as an organization,” she said. “It has propelled us forward in online growth. We were sort of behind in getting online, so this has forced us to take a harder look as a board into this area.”
The restrictions due to the COVID-19 shutdown made the MAA’s two major fundraisers — a Kentucky Derby party in May and a Halloween masquerade ball — impossible, though the organization did hold a miniature golf/masquerade night last month. Now, the MAA is up with something extremely ambitious: its “Variations” exhibit, which will begin next month. The call for works didn’t just go out across the state and New England, the way it generally does, but nationwide. Judges from the Museum of Fine Arts, among other places, will decide on the best works of art from three categories: fine arts, photography and 3D.
“This is the first time we are opening up to artists throughout the country,” said Fisher. “It’ll be a real challenge for us.”
This will be a virtual display, which presents its own set of challenges.
“We’re learning all new computer programs,” said Baker. “To put the artwork online, there are specific actions. And it’s a steep learning curve. Once we’re up and running, it’ll work smoothly.”
“Because of what’s happened, we’ve had to come up with a different way of looking at things,” Fisher said.
The entry fee is $35 for one piece of art, and $15 for the others. There are a maximum of three pieces allowed, and MAA members get a $10 discount.
In general, during this pandemic, “we had to scrutinize the profit/loss financials,” said Fisher. “We’ve had to do a full-court press in terms of fundraising, and look at all the options open to us, and get funding from other sources. And we’ve become a lot more conservative in our spending. We had to.”
