Tacoma Arts Live cancels events into June, makes new arrangements for annual gala
With the extension of the stay-at-home order through at least May 31, the Tacoma Arts Live gala will now be held virtually.
The change marks a growing burden nonprofits are facing in order to survive long enough to come out in one piece on the other side of the long closure.
In early March, Tacoma Arts Live rescheduled its fundraising gala to May 29, laid off some part-time staff and cut salaries by 25 percent.
The organization hoped the later date would mean the gala could be held in-person. Now it’s clear that is no longer a possibility.
David Fischer, executive director of the nonprofit theater group, spoke to The News Tribune in a phone call about current plans for the event.
“We have elected to move it to a virtual gala. We have booked a studio, entertainment, and we will have an online silent auction and a live oral auction, ” Fischer said. “We will have performances by our youth and hear about the 50,000 youth that our education team serves annually. It’ll be about a 45-minute cocktail party with an auction. We will be sending participants cocktail recipes, hors d’oeuvres recipes, and ways to spark up the experience at home.”
The plan is to stream via both Facebook Live and YouTube.
Fischer said the event is meant to keep the group strong but acknowledged this is uncertain territory.
“Given all of the constraints that we have and where we are in this period of ambiguity, this is an opportunity for us to let the community know what we do and that we need their help,” Fischer said. “We invite their help in any way with gifts of any size that can help make a difference so we can continue to serve students throughout the region.”
Fischer also talked through some of the plans Tacoma Arts Live has moving forward.
“We’ve eliminated all expenses associated with performances. So all of those contracts are either canceled or rescheduled for the future,” Fischer said. “We’re not anticipating seeing significant crowds until some point in the fall.”
That includes popular events such as Brew Five Three: Tacoma’s Beer & Music Festival, a large block party with food trucks which is set to take place in August.
“We are doing preparations to reschedule, and we are ready to move forward,” Fischer said. “But there will be a date at which point we can’t continue to stay in limbo, and we will just reschedule. I don’t know exactly what that date is now, but unless something shifts significantly, that will likely be rescheduled.”
Fischer expressed regret over what will be lost.
“We’re hesitant to make that decision because it’s such a popular event. It brings 3,000 people into downtown Tacoma and about 50 different vendors,” Fischer said. “It’s a big economic driver, and we’re not really eager to make that decision until we have to.”
AFFECTED SHOWS AT TACOMA ARTS LIVE
All events in May into early June, besides the gala, are either postponed or are canceled entirely. People with questions about their tickets can email tickets@tacomaartslive.org.
▪ May 6 — Outback presents Nate Bargatze, postponed
▪ May 9 — Symphony Tacoma presents Celebrating the Roaring Twenties, canceled
▪ May 15 — Tacoma Arts Live presents Video Games Live, postponed
▪ May 16 — Tacoma Arts Live presents Neil Berg’s 50 Years of Rock & Roll, rescheduled to May 23, 2021
▪ May 29 — Tacoma Arts Live 2020 Gala - Garden of Delights, modified to live virtual event
▪ May 30 — Tacoma Arts Live presents Paula Poundstone, rescheduled to Dec. 11, 2020
▪ June 5 — Tacoma Arts Live presents The Temptations, rescheduled to June 11, 2021
▪ June 4-21 — Tacoma Arts Live presents Cowboy vs. Samurai, postponed
▪ June 7 — Symphony Tacoma presents Mozart’s Requiem, canceled
▪ June 26 — Tacoma Arts Live presents David Sedaris, postponed
This story was originally published May 5, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
