Even when the bookshelves are dark and the galleries still, locals can connect with our cultural institutions. As Northeast Ohio implements social distancing, organizations across the region continue outreach through innovative social media programming, delivery services and more.
Already home to the ArtLens app and a 61,000-artwork online collection, the Cleveland Museum of Art, for example, is supplementing its robust digital offerings with “Home Is Where The Art Is,” programming which includes YouTube curator talks on current and postponed exhibits, and daily dives into specific works on social media. “It’s important because art institutions and art in general speak to the human experience,” says Chris Moore, the museum’s digital communications manager.
“This is a point of connection to keep us all inspired.” Here’s how five other institutions are reaching out, and how you can support them.
Apollo’s Fire
The Grammy Award-winning baroque orchestra launched “Music for the Soul,” a video series on its website that will be uploaded weekly through May. Each themed episode (think St. Patrick’s Day or Beethoven), includes video playlists of past performances, musician interviews and educational supplements. It’s the orchestra’s attempt to create a digital analogue to its live concerts, which often include Q&As and lectures. “Early music, baroque and folk music, they speak to people on an emotional level,” says Jeannette Sorrell, artistic director. “They help us tap into our shared roots as human beings on this planet.”
How You Can Help:
Made up entirely of freelance musicians, Apollo’s Fire is accepting donations online to help support its staff and players while it’s unable to perform live concerts.apollosfire.org
Canton Museum of Art
The Canton museum’s virtual outreach program is one of the most multifaceted to emerge since nonessential businesses began closing, encompassing weekly curator talks, collection highlights, art therapist videos and educational crafts, as well as shared content from sister organizations such as the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Massillon Museum of Art. We particularly love the 15-20-minute Museum To Go Take Out videos on YouTube and Facebook, featuring crafts and lesson plans adapted from the museum’s in-school curriculum.
How You Can Help:
A membership to the museum ($20-$5,000) includes free admission and discounts on merchandise and classes. Don’t forget to share the crafts you make at home during Museum To Go lessons on the Canton Museum of Art’s social channels. cantonart.org
Cleveland Metroparks and Zoo
The Cleveland Metroparks and Metroparks Zoo’s virtual classrooms on Facebook Live offer a little something for anyone missing creature comforts — local and exotic. Our current favorite is the Zoo’s 30-minute lesson from an animal keeper given while you watch elephants take a bath. And the Metroparks’ outdoor recreation tips, geared specifically for adult adventurers, cover everything from camping prep to mountain biking, and have been helpful in getting out and active.
How You Can Help:
The Metroparks’ online nature shop features mugs, gift cards, T-shirts and more for purchase, and Zoo memberships ($69-$189) offer free admission for a year. clevelandmetroparks.com
Great Lakes Science Center
Curiosity Corner Live! offers inventive lessons on scientific concepts and activities for schoolchildren. A 15-30-minute adaptation of the science center’s popular in-house demonstrations, the twice-daily YouTube series has seen the center’s educators lie on beds of nails, launch rockets and lead tutorials on duct tape fashion. “Not all parents are equipped to teach their children like teachers, and some don’t have the confidence to try,” says Scott Vollmer, vice president of STEM learning. “We decided to jump out in front and get some activities to get their kids up and moving.”
How You Can Help:
A membership to the museum ($75-$185) includes free admission for a year, discounts and invitations to exclusive events. Share your Curiosity Corner projects on the Science Center’s social channels. greatscience.com
Independent Bookstores
As the publishing industry grapples with book delays, canceled tours and store closures, independent booksellers were especially hard-hit. Spots such as Macs Back’s: Books on Coventry are encouraging shoppers to order books online; the East Side spot is offering free shipping on orders of $50 or more. “People in our community really value and treasure our indies,” says Mac’s Backs owner Suzanne DeGaetano, whose store is donating $1 of every online sale to nonprofits such as the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. “This has given us a lifeline to the future.”
How You Can Help:
In addition to Mac’s Backs, Visible Voice, Loganberry Books, the Learned Owl, the Bookstore in Lakewood and Appletree Books are all offering book sales on their websites. Fireside Book Shop is accepting orders placed via phone and email.
