Photography courtesy of The Sheldon
All the world’s a stage—even, according to The Sheldon, the computer screens inside its patrons’ homes. The premier music venue and art gallery space in St. Louis has not allowed the COVID-19 pandemic to stop it from offering a wide array of programming, from concerts to educational sessions for children, to its loyal patrons and potential newcomers alike.
It’s all part of the venue’s newly adapted mission: to provide “art without borders.” Although the new model was already in the works before the pandemic struck, COVID-19 has given The Sheldon a chance to put that tagline into action. Staffers hope the new virtual reality will make the music and art programming even more accessible than before and keep veteran patrons feeling connected.
“We miss each other, us and our long standing patrons, whom we haven’t seen in six months,” says Chis Peimann, director of marketing and publicity. “We’re trying to line up great content, so they feel like we’re still in touch with them.”
On Tuesday, September 15, the venue will welcome Devon Cahill in a virtual concert, streamed live for free on its Facebook page, as part of its long-running Notes From Home series. Other free virtual concerts are also planned. Over the summer, The Sheldon purchased state-of-the-art streaming equipment to make the concert as close to an in-person experience as possible.
Photography courtesy of The Sheldon.
Devon Cahill
“Perfection is the goal,” Peimann says. “We’re known for our high-quality acoustics, and we don’t want to compromise that.”
The third annual Golf the Galleries, a course where each hole is a unique art installation, did proceed in-person, albeit with a sparser crowd than in years past. Patrons needed timed tickets to view the displays, which allowed The Sheldon to meet social-distancing requirements. Also preceding in-person but spaced out is the venue’s weekly Picnics on the Plaza featuring live music outdoors.
Photography courtesy of The Sheldon.
Photography courtesy of The Sheldon.
And the Arts Without Borders goal goes beyond just holding events. The Sheldon is offering its educational concerts virtually for free. Schools can also register for the free STEAM program and learn how to create instruments from recycled materials at home. This allows students to learn with their hands, not just with their eyes trained on a screen.
Also in the works are virtual fundraisers to support not only the venue but also the performers and artists who bring it to life. Musicians and artists largely rely on gigs as their source of income, so many in St. Louis and beyond were hit especially hard by COVID-19. Peimann says a major goal of such programming as Notes From Home is to give artists a platform.
“We’re a nonprofit, so we can help the artists and musicians who rely on gigs,” Peimann explains. “We can help get them through this.”
Peimann says some of the new strategies for reaching patrons, such as more free and online events, might stick around even after the pandemic. “We’ve realized we can reach so many more people with a combination of in-person and digital.”
This post was created by SLM Partner Studio on behalf of The Sheldon. For a complete list of virtual and in-person events at The Sheldon, visit thesheldon.org/events/.
