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Covid-19 Era Resources for the a2ru Community

a2ru News

June 1, 2020

Upcoming Symposia

The AEI Lab at the Center for Cultural Affairs is hosting a virtual symposium on June 8th titled New. Not Normal: Artists, the Creative Sector, and Innovation after the Pandemic. 

ONLINE TEACHING GENERAL

TIPS FOR REMOTE LEARNING, WORKING, INTERCULTURAL COLLABORATION

POLICY TRENDS

DANCE

VISUAL ARTS

  • “New livestream series features virtual studio visits with artists”

A new livestreaming video series, “House Calls: Virtual Studio Visits with Michigan Artists in a Pandemic,” will showcase 10 artists across the state via video chat with staff of the University of Michigan Institute for the Humanities, discussing the new reality of their work during COVID-19. See the article here.   

It would be impossible for artists not to feel disappointed after dedicating themselves to rigorous and costly programs of study that tout MFA exhibitions as a crowning opportunity.

MUSIC

MUSEUMS

THEATER

UNIVERSITY PRESENTERS

ADVOCACY/LARGER DISCUSSION

  • Contribute to CPNAS/Leonardo/ISAST Study – Collaboration and integrative ideas are critical now more than ever. The Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Issues in Science and Technology magazine, Leonardo/The International Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology, and the Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities have created a questionnaire to collect information about creative responses to the coronavirus pandemic. Please help us collect information as we generate a time capsule of creative responses. Share your creative projects or add projects that have inspired you. By collecting these stories we hope to map activities and provide a marker in time of resilience through collaboration and creativity. This questionnaire will take less than 5 minutes to complete. The responses will be shared with our collaborators to inspire programming, exhibitions, and more. In the years to come, we hope that your responses will become a reflection of this moment in time for historians, curators, and cultural researchers. CLICK HERE TO BEGIN.
  • Attend at Home-U-M Consolidates Arts Offerings in a Time of COVID
  • We Will Not Zoom Our Way Out of This Crisis by Hannah L. Drake 4.22.20
  • What if back to normal is never? Leaders in arts and entertainment are feeling increasingly pessimistic by Chris Jones 4.15.20

MISC.

RESEARCH

University of Florida Center for Arts and Medicine Study

Covid-19 and Social Distancing Study

University College London is conducting a study of the effects of COVID-19 and social distancing on mental health in the UK and US to inform public health decisions. The study is being conducted in the US through partnership with the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine and the Americans for the Arts Action Fund.

We’re looking for adults in US to take part in and also spread the word about the study. Participation involves completing a 10-minute online survey now and then answering a shorter follow-up survey once per week while social distancing measures are in place.

Take part in the survey here: https://redcap.idhs.ucl.ac.uk/surveys/?s=JD4RECJKDT

And, please share the link widely through your networks. Results will be made publicly available on a weekly basis beginning in mid-late May.

PUBLIC/HEALTH

Arts Emerson Guide: ArtsEmerson is committed to standing together while standing apart as the whole region works through this outbreak. We encourage you to share this guide widely in the hopes that it shortens the timeline for our return to standing together by standing, well, together! In the meanwhile, come by and see us at our online home any time, where the Together Apart series continues to create opportunities to connect with our artists, their shows, and our staff.

Have a resource to share? Please send it to a2ru-communications@umich.edu.

BONUS: STUDENT PERSPECTIVES

Muriel Steinke, art & design sophomore, Stamps School of Art & Design

Muriel’s art supplies

“As an art student who is perpetually frustrated when assignments don’t allow me to fully explore my most ambitious ideas, the downtime in light of recent events was something I was actually looking forward to filling with personal projects. In my mind, I pictured myself painting or drawing every day and feeling creatively refreshed. I brought my easel out of hiding and dug out all of my paint. I braced myself for a flood of quarantine-induced inspiration that would surely serve as a catalyst for my greatest work yet.

“This has not happened. I am not painting or drawing. I am, in fact, complaining and eating a lot of chips. I’ve already rewatched all of ‘Fleabag,’ and I call my friends and talk about nothing for two hours every day. My mom and I are trying to watch all of the Bond movies. I’m halfway through the second ‘Harry Potter’ book. But — I honestly feel okay about it. It’s true I’m not creating a magnum opus, but I’m fine, and I keep laughing at myself, which is just about all one could hope for at a time like this.”

Jared Pavlick, biomedical engineering freshman, School of Engineering

“Transitioning to all online classes has been a bit of a struggle. Since coming home, having online classes makes it tempting for me to sleep in, skip class to hang out with my brothers, check my phone when I’m watching a lecture, or forgo a discussion for a Youtube video.

Jared’s new study set up

“Yet, there are aspects of the shutdown that have been nice. It has allowed me to be with my family for the longest period of time since I have gone off for college. My brothers and I have found that the best way for us to stay sane is to play basketball. Every day we cycle through every pairing of teams, seeing who can win the most games. After playing basketball every day during this quarantine, I am just waiting to get a call from Juwan Howard asking when I can start playing for the team. Although this transition has not been easy, there are definitely silver linings to the whole situation.”

Alex Mullen, film, TV & media senior, College of Literature, Arts & Sciences

“One of the major disruptions this outbreak has caused is that I was forced to shut down the independent film project that I was working on all semester long. The project, intended to be a sort of senior thesis, required about a month-and-a-half’s worth of pre-production and was only about ¼ of the way finished with principal photography before classes moved online.

Alex’s kitchen, part of the inspiration for his new film

“Despite not being able to finish a project I kept close to my heart, this time has given me the opportunity to focus on smaller projects that I never would have thought of creating, like essay films. Spending so much time at home has reminded me of some of the things I love about my childhood house and the things about my house that make it home for me. I’ve decided to create an essay film that focuses on those feelings and all of the memories I’ve made here.

“While the change to remote classes online has been challenging, so far my professors have been very accommodating. Only one of my classes, a seminar of six people, has required synchronous class attendance, and that was a decision made by the students due to the discussion-based nature of the class. A wholesome moment I got out of this experience was the opportunity to get introduced to one of my professor’s one-year-old twin cats (very cute cats, I might add).

“To keep myself motivated, I’ve also started doing fitness challenges with friends — running a mile every day, doing 100 squats and calf raises, and more to make sure we stay in shape and motivate each other throughout our time spent inside. Although the end of my senior year has been more tumultuous than I ever could have expected, I’m excited for the time to try new things and continue to grow as a student and person.”

From April 1 Issue of Engaged Michigan https://engaged.umich.edu/news-features/coping-with-covid-19-u-m-students-share-their-new-normal/

ARCHIVE

Upcoming soon: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 at 4pm Eastern
Discussion for Deans: Transitioning Science and Lab Courses Online for Summer and Fall
Hosted by John Pratt, Dean, University of Louisiana at Monroe, College of Arts, Education, and Sciences Zoom Meeting: https://ulm.zoom.us/j/94668248334

THURSDAY APRIL 30

Going the Distance: Best Practices for Distance Learning and Engagement

From Art Schools Network (ASN)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_TxtehRmBclxILRysHTJrrAtULHotXeenLX26BkDW_U5-oQ/viewform

Faculty are prioritizing flexibility, student mental health after switch to remote classes