All you have to do is utter the number "2020" and it likely conjures up thoughts and images of all that was troublesome and terrible these past dozen months or so.
From our social gatherings to the economy and our mental and physical well-being, this past year made an impact like no other, and generally in a remarkably bad manner. The year 2020 roughed us up with a COVID-19 pandemic that permeated every facet of our lives.
Sure, we may have found diamonds along the ill-marked paths or summoned grit and determination to get through the tough times, and, as such, that builds a certain amount of character. Nevertheless, a truth remains: 2020 stank something fierce.
While memes may make light of how bad this year was in a humorous way, 2020 truly wreaked havoc on so much, from business to relationships, from family life to our daily jobs. After all, more than 340,000 people died from COVID, a stark and sad marker of the devastation the virus brought.
The arts were no different, often feeling that same sense of devastation and loss. By year's end, money was included in a new economic stimulus package to help those working in the arts. The cry went out for months to "Save Our Stages." For many venues and arts workers, the help may arrive too late.
This trouble was truly felt here in Texarkana, where museums were shuttered temporarily and the Perot Theatre sat dark for many weeks.
But 2020 didn't start off so poorly, in fact, with a visit by the Harlem Globetrotters, Mardi Gras hoopla, a huge new mural outside the 1894 Market, an opera appetizers performance, a Texarkana Symphony Orchestra concert featuring the electric guitar and renovation plans announced for the Crossties facility.
And while "les bon temps" is a phrase commonly voiced at Mardi Gras, the good times also rolled with a resurgent entertainment scene downtown as that Crossties project arrived and new activity sprang forth in the district. That may be one of the few bright spots in the local arts and entertainment scene.
However, with the mid-March onset of the coronavirus pandemic, most things changed when it came to the arts. At first, officials monitored what was happening, but soon more forceful actions were taken, such as canceling festivals and postponing fundraisers.
From Austin's SXSW music festival in Austin to Party with Picassos here in Texarkana, the show largely couldn't go on as planned. The TSO's "Happy Birthday, Ludwig!" concert initially planned for early April happened, just not until this fall as the season opener for the 2020-2021 season. Even the Hope Watermelon Festival, not slated until August, was scrapped for the year.
"The safety and health of our patrons, musicians, and staff is of utmost importance at this time," the TSO announced back in mid-March. Eventually, safety protocols were in place at the Perot Theatre, including mask wearing and socially-distanced seating, to enable events taking place there.
The Texarkana Regional Chorale felt the heartbreak of canceling a trip to Paris. For choir members, singing out loud poses unacceptable risks and problems with not only concerts, but also with rehearsals, when there is a virus of this nature that's so easily transmissible.
The TRC's conductor and music director, Marc-André Bougie, though, believes fall could bring a solid chance to restart the Regional Chorale's performances with a fresh, new season.
The Texarkana Museums System found a novel way to reach out to its fans by holding online workshops. People could pick up workshop packets and then watch a livestream of the event itself via the TMS page on Facebook.
Local musicians, too, went online to reach out to their fans and also share what they love: live music. The itch to perform was strong for singers and musicians after just a few weeks of quarantine. Later in the year, some live music was reborn in Texarkana venues.
Before reopening with shorter hours, the Regional Arts Center staff also began presenting exhibits and programs online, linking artists with art lovers in a way that keeps everyone healthy and virus-free. Video tours gave insight into the different sorts of art to be found there at the gallery, even if visitors couldn't step inside the gallery itself.
Texarkana Repertory Co. put its season on hold but, like Silvermoon Children's Theatre did a few months earlier with a Zoom-style show, presented a show online with several performances of a two-actor play, utilizing some of the great TexRep talent.
"All I know is that we will be back," said TexRep's leader, Michael Cooper. And they were.
Other innovative ways were found to bring the arts to the people, whether it was Hempstead Hall in Hope, Arkansas, hosting drive-in movies and a virtual play to the Regional Chorale sharing videos of past performances every day at its Facebook page.
Dance teachers taught using an online platform, while the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council responded to current events by arranging a pop-up exhibit to showcase the local peaceful protests that arose regarding George Floyd and Black Lives Matter.
While the arts were compromised and challenged through 2021, just as every other facet of our lives were, artists and arts backers responded to the moment with creativity and courage, insight and bold perseverance, just as we should expect.
For 2021, perhaps we should expect more of the same on the arts and entertainment calendar, even if it's another wild year for us all. The arts will find its way.