LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — If you've watched a show, watched a movie, listened to music, or even viewed a virtual museum online during this coronavirus pandemic, you've benefited from the arts.
The Arkansas Arts Center has also carried many people through this difficult time.
Dr. Victoria Ramirez, Director of the Arkansas Arts Center, said adjusting amidst coronavirus restrictions hasn't been easy but the challenge has been eye opening in unexpected ways. They've seen amazing results after shifting programs online.
"Our theatre programming, museum classes, events, and exhibitions are going online," she said. "We're finding we're reaching more people than we have before and introducing the AAC to new people."
Dr. Ramirez said they have a slate of online courses they are offering with over 200 registrants enrolled and a lot of them are coming from outside of Little Rock and even Arkansas.
"In some ways we're expanding our reach," she said.
The AAC created a Facebook group called Arkansas Arts Center Amplified to help connect people to all their virtual offerings. Over a thousand people have already joined.
"This may become a permanent feature for the AAC to reach audiences in Little Rock and beyond central Arkansas," she said.
As they work on expanding their reach online, they're still working to expand their reach locally with the construction on their new facility at MacArthur Park.
"Things are on schedule and we are still looking at 2022 for our grand opening," said Dr. Ramirez. "We have over 100 workers at the job site right now pouring foundation and building the roof."
Dr. Ramirez said their annual donors have committed continue their support allowing the AAC to move forward on planning their reopening. They've even unfurloughed a few critical staff weeks earlier than planned.
"With these annual gifts, we are able to end the fiscal year with a balanced budget and bring back some employees," she said.
Dr. Ramirez said that with the community's support, they can continue moving forward right on schedule.
"Our staff is already working hard on making sure that we are ready to move back in 2021 for our 2022 opening," she said.
Dr. Ramirez said the Young Arkansas Exhibition will be online along with the Delta Exhibition.