New interview series: How Latinx artists adapted to survive the pandemic
By hola | Published | No Comments
One of the biggest casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to be artists and other members of the creative economy, which is particularly vulnerable to the restrictions on public gatherings that were put in place to prevent the spread of the virus. According to one study by the Brookings Institution, creative industries will lose an estimated 2.7 million jobs in the United States, nearly a third of creative-industry jobs.
Given such sobering predictions, we are excited to launch a new collaboration between the Arts & Humanities and Covid-19 in the Community storytelling teams enrolled in Hola Cultura’s S.P.E.L. program, We interviewed artists from the Washington D.C. area, who discuss how they have creatively adapted their work during the pandemic. Whether it’s playing music outdoors, hosting poetry interpretation workshops via Zoom, directing street films, or creating podcasts on mural art, these creators have turned to the arts during a very dark year.
Every week throughout this summer, we will bring you a fresh interview from local artists who remind us of the importance and resilience of the arts.
Read more below and find out about the artists we will feature.
“For me, art really has been ‘an antidote,’ not only during the pandemic, but for as long as I can remember. The only change is when the pandemic began, I became even more engrossed in art.”
—Carolina Mayorga, a local artist who has led the interdisciplinary ARTedotes project at Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery at the Smith Center for Healing & the Arts on U Street NW in the District.
“The pandemic is more difficult for artists. We miss the necessary human contact, especially since our jobs are based on a direct relationship with other humans.”
—Quique Avilés, is an artist, poet and performer, who helped bring street theater back to Mt. Pleasant last year and also produced a drawing series about his experiences during the pandemic.
“Because I didn’t have many clients in the spring and summer of last year, I decided to focus on making a podcast. That doesn’t bring in any money initially, but it does help grow my brand and let people know what I do. That was kind of my pivot and I was able to keep some of my main clients.”
—Artist and entrepreneur Stephanie Echeveste on how she turned challenges of the pandemic to her advantage.
“The most important thing to me is to make [children] happy, to make them sing and dance, and hop, hop, hop even for 25 minutes, once a week.”
—Musician Lilo González, who began performing for children via Zoom due to the pandemic and recorded his latest album, “Cuando Sea Grande“, while the pandemic raged on.
“The pandemic pushed us in some way to create these workshops, said Nucky Walder, who added that “poetry has been a great source to develop these activities that have brought joy to the participants.”
—Nucky Walder and Mario Marcel, founders of Teatro de la Luna, which produces plays, teaches theater workshops to adults and children, and organizes DC’s annual poetry marathon.
—Story by Hola Cultura’s Arts & Humanities and Covid-19 in the Community storytelling teams
—Series icon by Shayla Oerman & photos courtesy of the artists
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