“The decisions we make now will have an impact for years and decades and will reconfigure the planet.” — Yuval Noah Harari
Dear AAC Network,
Over the past few weeks, we have shared quotes, stories, data, and questions intended to provoke deep inquiry. We hope you are reflecting on your policies, processes, and practices and coordinating thoughtful actions. We also hope you are working collaboratively with staff, boards, and artists because every decision impacts them. As I’ve said in previous newsletters, there is no single right response or “best practice” for every residency program. Our virtual sessions, #ResidenciesConnect, provide time and space for us to share our learnings and challenges.
It is important to acknowledge that we are all experiencing this moment differently. The effects of this pandemic disproportionately affect communities of color, people with disabilities, and the working poor — many of whom play a critical role in the supply chain that provides our food, water, transportation, healthcare, digital infrastructure, and so much more.
In the mire of an ever growing number of Zoom calls, grant and relief fund applications, rescheduling artists, uncertainty about if or when we can return to work, online schooling for our kids, or pets who are eager for our attention (at least mine is), it is easy to forget the privileges that many of us enjoy. This week and beyond, remember gratitude for the laborers, seen or unseen, who make our work and existence possible.
Lisa Funderburke Hoffman
Executive Director