COVID-19 has canceled many things,
and for the music industry, which relies heavily on in-person gatherings, some
have found creative ways to engage their audiences and use music as a way to
connect.
For local musicians like trumpeter Pace
Rubadeau, music has not been canceled – it’s just found a new venue.
For 53 days, Rubadeau stood in the
mostly empty parking lot at the corner of C and Girard streets, serenading the
neighborhood with tunes from his trumpet.
Throughout the past couple of weeks, trails and other outdoor areas have begun to reopen. Like most of us, I have been looking for a way to safely get out and experience something other than the inside of my home. A great place to check out to get some safe exercise is the Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve.
Whatcom Community College’s Visual and Performing Arts
courses have been functioning online this quarter for the first time due to the
state’s stay-at-home order, according to Whatcom’s visual art discipline lead
Rob Beishline.
Beishline has been working at Whatcom since 2001 running the 3D art classes. In his time at Whatcom, he said has never taught online.
2020 has been a very different year
than normal for all of us. COVID-19 has affected everyone in ways we never
thought would happen, and for the most vulnerable of our communities, it has
made life even harder.
For many in our community, the shutdown means no job, no opportunity to earn money, and no guarantee of food on the table. Nearly 20% of Bellingham visits the food bank on a regular basis, according to data released by the Bellingham Food Bank, and COVID has only made it more difficult for already struggling families to get the food they need.
Normally,
this time of year would have Bellingham’s Pickford Film Center busy with people
lining up, ordering popcorn, and enjoying films entered in the CASCADIA
International Women’s Film Festival. But the COVID-19 lockdown changed all
that.
This year,
the festival was forced to screen its official selections online. What makes CASCADIA
unique, is that it’s one of only five film festivals in the U.S. to showcase
films directed and co-directed by women.