Tacoma Museum Row slammed shut by coronavirus, but there’s hope on horizon
Tacoma probably isn’t the first city that springs to mind when one thinks of world-class museums, but there are six in the heart of the city’s downtown, all within walking distance of each other.
Unfortunately, like most things coronavirus-related, the city’s Museum District is under duress.
Since Gov. Jay Inslee issued his stay-home orders in March, lights in the Washington State History Museum, Tacoma Art Museum (TAM), Museum of Glass, Foss Waterway Seaport, Children’s Museum of Tacoma, and LeMay – America’s Car Museum have all gone dark.
Even though Inslee recently gave cultural institutions the option of reopening in Phase 2 or 3 under strict conditions, partners in the Tacoma Museum District remain closed in Phase 2.
“Safety first,” says Hillary Ryan, spokesperson for TAM. She told us that Tacoma’s museum directors, who meet weekly, are taking cues from Tacoma- Pierce County Health Department’s director, Dr. Anthony Chen. He wants the 14-day COVID-19 case rate to get below 75 cases per 100,000 people, a threshold that’s now within striking distance.
When Chen gives the green light, museums will announce a re-opening, or at least some will. Due to the highly interactive nature of the Children’s Museum, it’s staying closed until next year.
Even when museums roepen, patrons should prepare for a different experience. The days of self-guided meandering are over, at least for the foreseeable future. Expect online reservations, enforced social distancing rules, one-way routes and sanitizing stations.
Hey, we’ll take those conditions if it means museums can open sooner, because all of this necessary caution has come at a cost.
Museums across the US are collectively losing at least $33 million per day during the outbreak, estimates Laura L. Lott, president and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums.
The losses don’t stop at the museum door. According to Matt Wakefield, spokesperson for Travel Tacoma, Pierce County’s tourism industry has taken a hit due to museum closures. A big hit. Summer hotel occupancy in Tacoma was down 62 percent from last year.
Wakefield says occupancy numbers are the best barometer for how well other businesses and other attractions are thriving -- or, as is the case during the virus lockdown, how they’re not.
Our region is actually doing better than most; in July, Pierce County had the fullest hotels in the Washington, according to Travel Tacoma, thanks to our proximity to Mount Rainier, our beautiful parks and the Ruston Way waterfront.
As great as these attractions are, they don’t bring in the same revenue. When elected officials are creating stimulus packages and handing out grants, they’d do well to remember that.
Case in point: This summer, TAM had to cancel its long-awaited Andy Warhol exhibition, which would’ve drawn thousands of art lovers to our community.
Perhaps Warhol, the late 20th Century king of pop art, would have found it amusing that he was deprived his 15 minutes of fame in T-Town. But those of us who looked forward to his larger-than-life lithographs of Marilyn Monroe aren’t laughing.
Thankfully, Tacoma museums have worked hard to keep Pierce County residents digitally engaged. Blogs, lectures and virtual field trips are still bringing people together if only online.
* The Children’s Museum is taking fun seriously by offering a free curriculum with group activities, songs and virtual “circle times” for children age 6 and younger.
* The Washington State History Museum has a virtual exhibition of contemporary native arts, featuring work from new and established artists.
* The LeMay has automotive-inspired activities for the family, sure to spark interest in budding car designers and future race car drivers. There’s even a lesson on how to crash-test cars. Meantime, on Sept. 12 the LeMay will reopen its original site, at the Marymount Event Center in Spanaway, for in-person visits to see more than 500 vintage cars plus auto memorabilia.
Whether in-person or online, museums are often an antidote to chaos, inspiring innovation, creativity and empathy strengthened by the imagination. This is the skill set needed to solve the myriad problems caused by COVID-19.
Museum Row is also the place that future generations will visit when they want to learn about the people who endured the Pandemic of 2020.
In real time, Tacoma’s museums are documenting the impact of our current crisis. They’re the keepers of our stories, and when they unlock their doors, we hope they’re greeted with a grateful public.