We’ve been studying the American Revolution in our homeschooling this year. But despite living in a cultural mecca during normal years, we’ve found ourselves instead living in a cultural desert thanks to COVID-19-related lockdowns.
We usually live in the perfect place for homeschooling: right outside of Washington, D.C., the home of some of the best museums in the country. But as we have tried to plan new field trips, we keep running into the same situation: In politically left-leaning areas such as Philadelphia, Boston, and to some extent, New York City, almost all of the attractions we’d like to have visited are closed. It’s the rural areas that now provide the best opportunity for exploring new museums, arts, and music.
The cost of cultural institutions staying closed isn’t something my family is feeling alone. Far from it.
In New York, the famed Metropolitan Museum of Art is floating the idea of selling off some of its collection, cannibalizing itself, to stay afloat. The Union League of Chicago is already there, selling off its artistic assets (like a Monet) to survive. The Metropolitan Opera is also sinking deeper and deeper into the red (and isn’t doing itself any favors hiring a “diversity” expert while its doors remain closed). Here in Washington, D.C., the National Zoo announced that its nonprofit arm responsible for running all programming, events, education, and concessions will essentially cease to exist. When I tweeted about this phenomenon, a museum employee in Philadelphia told me she had just been let go from her 20-year stint as an educator. I heard similar stories of mass layoffs in symphony orchestras, museums, and more while writing this piece on the progressive abandonment of ideals in the face of COVID-19.
An autopsy of one Broadway show canceled by COVID-19 tells a similar story. The New York Times reported how actors and technicians have either left New York and/or left the industry entirely. It’s unclear how many, if any, would return whenever Broadway reopens.
So, where is the talent going when they hit the road looking to stay in their chosen field? I heard from the wife of one Broadway musician: They were headed to the “South,” a land where her husband could find work.
Where might a museum science student head upon graduation if he or she were looking for a reliable income?
Surprisingly, Indiana, where museums almost never closed, as opposed to New York, where they have shuttered indefinitely, looks like the more stable bet. And what about a culinary graduate, for that matter? Same story: a city where they know they won’t be forced to close or only operate outdoors in winter months. New York is less of a draw for an aspiring chef or restaurant entrepreneur, but Florida certainly entices. These days, a ballerina, pianist, actor, or violinist is safer considering a move to Nashville or Dallas than he or she is to Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York.
The future of the arts is grim, but there is a shining light: the Midwest and the South, otherwise derisively known as “flyover country.” It’s never been a synonym for the arts, theater, or culinary achievement, but that will soon change. After a year of closures for blue urban areas, there’s a cultural exodus taking place.
It will be a painful process to claw back the former glory. Because, at least for now, the glory is taking down new roots.
Bethany Mandel (@bethanyshondark) is a stay-at-home and homeschooling mother of four and a freelance writer. She is an editor at Ricochet.com, a columnist at the Forward, and a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog.
