April 20, 2020
Dear friends,
Get Closer. For years, this has been our enthusiastic invitation… to join us for intensely personal experiences that bring you face to face with brilliant and diverse art, artists, and audiences. While, today, it might seem defiantly provocative, it also has never resonated more clearly. It is our charge.
A longtime patron recently wrote, “With Strathmore dark, I feel unmoored.” Such a personal and poignant confession! Many of us are feeling alone and untethered from the things that we love, that bring us comfort, and that inspire us. I’m reaching out because we miss you, we hope you are well, and we want to help you Get Closer.
Our staff and volunteers are personally speaking with patrons every day.
We’re presenting creative online content that transports you to our Mansion galleries and invites you into the living rooms of our Artists in Residence!
We’re delivering free online lessons and videos directly to Montgomery County Public School teachers and gathering our Strathmore Children’s Chorus and Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra student musicians “together” every week in virtual rehearsals.
We continue to provide crucial access to the arts through our growing Bloom initiative.
And, it’s working. Thousands of you are listening, watching, writing, sharing, and creating. You’re sending us notes and photos of your artwork, joining us on Zoom for chats at lunch, and celebrating life’s milestones with us – new babies have arrived and our own House Assistant, Irv Andrusia turned 101 yesterday!
Despite the difficult financial impact and uncertainty of these challenging times, we will not waver in our commitment to our community. Strathmore continues to respond in bold and hopeful ways, staying close to you, and planning for a bright future.
The 2020-2021 Season is exciting and innovative and includes some of the most ambitious projects in Strathmore’s history. I cannot wait to share some of the special programs and profound work that awaits. We’ll unveil exactly what’s planned in the coming weeks.
This is what you expect from Strathmore, and these brave choices in such a demanding environment require more from us than ever!
So, I invite you to act boldly, too. Please consider investing in what you value most at Strathmore. This is a very meaningful time to give, and your support makes a tremendous impact on our artists, students, and community. Your tax-deductible contribution and purchase of tickets and gift certificates will help us continue to respond with confidence and optimism.
Until we can be together again, Get Closer. Invest in our future together at Strathmore. I cannot imagine a more hopeful act.
With much gratitude,
|
|
March 18, 2020
Dear friends, patrons, artists, students, staff, and volunteers,
As you know, Strathmore has maintained a fluid approach to responding to COVID-19 recommendations to maximize our ability to safeguard our people, protect our artists’ livelihood, and deliver exceptional customer service during this challenging time. With the recent modifications to State and Federal guidelines, we must take an extra step – Strathmore will close the Mansion and Music Center to the public for the time being. We are also working with artists to reschedule as many concerts and events as we can between now and early May.
While our team will be physically separated for this time, we remain connected in our mission to create opportunities for goose bump moments in the arts. And, our work continues! Our artistic staff are busy rescheduling your most anticipated performances; our education team is working to bring you and your families dynamic education experiences through Facebook Live and other streaming technology; soon, you will be able to view our current art exhibitions on line and be led through the galleries with a guided “virtual” tour. The Strathmore Artists in Residence are rearranging performances and tuning in to their mentors and seminars via lecture on-line. MCYO and SCC students are receiving on-line tutorials from their conductors and coaches so that they can continue rehearsing their music at home.
We will do everything we can to minimize disruptions to our work. All Strathmore staff will work from home and remain accessible via email, phone, and remote meeting technologies. Our ticket office colleagues stand ready to assist you with ticket exchanges, purchases, and refunds. We are busy preparing for when we emerge from this State of Emergency and are especially eager to restore creative experiences for so many of our students whose programs have been interrupted.
We ask that you, too, peer beyond the immediate horizon and look forward to the nourishing work and programs coming later this year. We’ll do our best to help you stay inspired. Visit www.strathmore.org for the latest streaming options and an exciting menu of programs to enjoy when the crisis has passed.
We will continue to actively monitor the pandemic, adjust accordingly, and update you on all changes in our operations. In the meantime, listen to music, sing, write, paint, dance, and allow your favorite art to lift your heart and spirit until we meet at Strathmore again!
Fondly,
|
|
March 12, 2020
We are actively responding to Governor Larry Hogan’s State of Emergency mandates and the most current health officer recommendations and working with artists to provide you with clear and accurate information about upcoming concerts and events. We now have several event cancellations and postponements and will continue to keep our audiences updated as things change. Patrons holding tickets to a current Strathmore presents show that is impacted will be contacted directly, but please check each show page for status updates and specific instructions. As each presenter in the building makes decisions about cancellations and postponements, we will update information about their events on our website event pages as well. This fluid announcement process allows us to safeguard our patrons’ health and offer the most flexibility possible to our artists. Thank you for your patience as we navigate rapidly changing information.
March 12, 2020
Dear friends, patrons, artists, students, staff, and volunteers,
We know you come to Strathmore to be uplifted, inspired, educated, and relaxed! We are taking many careful steps to help protect you and keep our venues clean and safe, so that you continue to feel comfortable at Strathmore throughout the COVID-19 situation.
Our preparation includes several general precautions, such as:
- Hands-free sanitizer dispensers have been ordered and when received will be positioned throughout all our venues.
- Additional cleaning and sanitizing of handrails, door handles, elevator buttons, surfaces, etc.
- Monitoring daily communications from the CDC, State, and County public health sources so that we can stay informed and respond quickly to new guidelines. We will provide clear updates on our website and through special emails.
- Additional training of facilities staff to remember to share a BIG smile, but not handshakes and hugs!
- We encourage all staff, Board Directors, Partners and/or 3rd party vendor employees to remain at home if they begin to show any sign or symptom that fits the criteria of cold/flu/etc. Staff and/or 3rd party employees reporting for work who are observed to be experiencing symptoms will be asked to leave the venue and/or to seek medical attention.
The above protocols are among those also followed by the vendors who support the Music Center, the Mansion, and AMP, including our Food Service Provider, Ridgewells.
We also encourage you to stay informed and follow all CDC guidelines for staying healthy—and to please stay home if you are sick.
If you have any questions about what you can expect on your next visit to Strathmore, please give us a call at 301.581.5100 or visit our website for the latest information. Strathmore is committed to protecting the health and welfare of all who work, perform, study, and visit here and to maintaining our exceptional customer service at all times. We look forward to greeting you soon with a warm hello and hearty “Welcome to Strathmore!”
Fondly,
Monica Jeffries Hazangeles
President and CEO