The pandemic has left many of us in the creative community weary and traumatized by death and illness. Venues and organizations have lost millions of dollars. Artists have lost livelihoods.

Maybe you miss being in front of the stage, crowded shoulder to shoulder, watching your favorite band. The buzz and hum of a gallery opening. A weekend crafting class.  A Broadway show or dance performance.

Yet through it all, we continue to find ways to create and connect.

This Spring, we’re focusing all three of our State of the Arts conversations in Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton, on facets of the pandemic.  Here’s the lineup. Register today for our first conversation, in partnership with the Dallas Museum of Art. (It’s free!)

April 14, noon. Register. 

Together/Apart: Exploring Isolation and Solitude During COVID

How have artists portrayed our lack of connection during the pandemic? And have they found a silver lining in times of isolation? KERA’s Senior Arts Reporter Jerome Weeks hosts this conversation, in partnership with Dallas Museum. Our guests:

• Ruben Carrazana, creator of The Cube: An Interactive Experience for the Socially Distanced Era
• Joy Bollinger, choreographer, Bruce Wood Dance
• Shelby David Meier, whose exhibition “A Part of the Whole” was featured at Nasher Sculpture Center.

May 7, noon

What We’ve Gained in a Year of Loss — and What’s Next

Looking back on a year when we lost so much, members of Fort Worth’s creative community reflect on how they’ve been challenged to change their artistic practices, and how we engage with art works now because of social distancing. Join Art&Seek and the Kimbell Art Museum for a conversation celebrating innovation and resilience as we explore what the future holds. Guests tbd.

June 17, noon

Soul Art Renewal

This summer, the Greater Denton Arts Council spotlights poetry, murals, paintings and other works all created in response to the pandemic. Meet the artists and hear about the experiences that inspired their work featured in the exhibition, Soul Art Renewal.