Daily Memphian: As the pandemic eases, arts organizations in Memphis attempt to recover
This 30-minute podcast was hosted by Eric Barnes with guest Elizabeth Rouse, the president & CEO of ArtsMemphis. It was recorded on Tuesday, May 11, and airs on WYXR on Thursday, May 13, at 11:30 a.m.
By Eric Barnes
It’s a mostly pointless conversation to try to identify what businesses and organizations were hit hardest by the COVID-19 shutdowns. Restaurants, hotels and hospitality certainly sit high up on the list.
But arts organizations – from theaters to music venues to performing arts groups and more – are certainly also near the top of the list.
The economic impact was brutal. And the lack of performances and connection that those organizations bring to the city was, for many, hard to bear.
But on this week’s episode of The Sidebar, Elizabeth Rouse, the president & CEO of ArtsMemphis, talks about how organizations are beginning to come back.
There is much more work to be done. But it was a hopeful conversation about the slow but growing turnaround in the arts community.
The Sidebar, which airs every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. on WYXR 91.7 FM, is also available as a podcast here on the site or wherever you get your podcasts.
Note: WYXR is a partnership between Crosstown Concourse, the University of Memphis and The Daily Memphian. As part of that partnership, I serve on the board of Crosstown Radio Partnership, which owns and oversees WYXR.