“The couple comes for two hours and we provide an officiant, a bubbly toast, a ceremony with music and, of course, the backdrop at the Gibson Centre,” she said. “That has been an option we’ve booked for a number of couples.”
She said some of the people who had wedding deposits donated them to the centre instead of requesting a refund.
“That’s the good news out of this,” she said. “It shows the positivity that we are working within. We’ve certainly been devastated like everyone else, but we feel we’ve done the right thing in terms of our tenants, our students, our brides and grooms, and our staff — and we want to keep going on that.”
Suu Taylor, executive director for the South Simcoe Arts Council (SSAC), said the pandemic has also thrown a wrench into her organization’s plans for the year.
It started with the cancellation of March break workshops for kids, and spilled over into other activities and events that either had to be cancelled or heavily modified.
The annual music festival was able to move ahead in a virtual format, with participants submitting a video of their performance.
She said the Youth Arts festival was been postponed until the fall and will run concurrently with the Arts on Main in September and October.
While the storefront on Victoria Street was closed for a few months, it reopened in Stage 2.
Taylor said the SSAC also faces financial challenges, noting it did not get some grants on which it was banking. While this has led to a some cost cutting, she said they are now working to get back to “full speed.”
“The pandemic has shown us how important the arts are to us,” she said. “It is significant to note that when COVID-19 first struck and we found ourselves isolated with our world turned upside down, many people turned to the arts for encouragement, expression and inspiration.”
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Simcoe.com spoke with members of the local arts community to find out how they have been impacted by the pandemic and to see what their plans are for reopening in Stage 3.
