Leave it to the Creative Alliance to use these strange times to get, well, creative.
For more than 20 years, the local arts organization and venue has been a hub for artistic performances of every stripe, with its Highlandtown stage host to a diverse medley of talent from Baltimore and beyond. That is until the end of last week, when its Patterson Theater went dark as social distancing measures were put into place across the city and country, first barring groups of more than 250, followed shortly after by those of more than 50, and now 10. These restrictions had an immediate impact on artistic communities, many of which have long made their living by performing in front of crowds.
But in an effort to support local musicians, Creative Alliance has found a way to still bring live music to the local masses with its brand-new series, Sidewalk Serenades.
For a donation, these “close (but not too close)” personal concerts will offer city residents the opportunity to have a short musical performance delivered to their homes or sent as a gift to friends and family, with musicians performing several songs outside while keeping a safe distance from the sidewalk or street. Think of it as a singing telegram for these strange times.
“One of the magical things about Creative Alliance is, when we got together to figure out our messaging around closing down the building, we immediately started thinking, ‘Well, what if we . . . !’ How do we stay relevant as an arts organization and how we keep the artists and contractors that are really the lifeblood of this organization working?,” says performance director Josh Kohn.
Read full article: Creative Alliance Organizes Sidewalk Serenades with Local Musicians
