readers,” she says. “A lot of our emails reach more people than we know because people send them out to others and we hear about it when we’re out and about and tabling and in the community.” O’Mara says that tabling at art festivals and other events has been another great way to get the word out about MarinArts, as well as encouraging locals to support the arts. “I could wax eloquently about why the arts should be supported but I think that mental health has become a very large one, coming out of COVID,” O’Mara says. “People are learning that the arts actually have a huge benefit for the emotional and mental health of our beings on the planet.” “I think that the health of the arts is
middle school—[because then] they’re not prepared for the high school level.” Adds Tim: “It’s essential for these kids to have creative outlets and not just all the core programming, because it changes their motivation to come to school and participate.” Marin Arts In Marin County, locals were able to continue supporting local artists and the arts community during the pandemic even as everything shut down. That’s because one organization had created an online calendar, a hub for the community to post and find arts events. Since 2017, MarinArts has provided a free online calendar— marinarts.org —where artists and arts organizations across Marin County can list their programs. The calendar is available in 11 different languages making the arts accessible for more of the community. Mary O’ Mara, the director and co-founder of the organization, says she’s very passionate about the arts in Marin. “We’re a service organization at MarinArts,” O’Mara says. “We support the arts. That’s what we do. “We really reach out and try to make sure that every artist or agency or arts program is on our site,” O’Mara says. “We also just want people in the community to understand how much there is to do here so they can get out and have a really full and meaningful life.” The calendar was able to survive with very little funding through COVID because they were online. They were able to support arts organizations by letting people know that although events were closing, a lot was available through online streaming. O’Mara says they were lucky because they were already there and have about 4,500 email subscribers and around 14,000 web page views per month. “They’re very loyal The groovy MarinArts booth at a San Rafael Chamber of Commerce event where attendees dressed in their favorite music-era garb. From left, Mary O’Mara, director and co-founder of MarinArts, with Susan Searway-Furtig and Sandra Riley Grimshaw.
the health of the community,” O’Mara says. “If the arts are healthy, then that shows a healthy community, and I think that resonates throughout the world.” O’Mara says she sees a direct influence upon local businesses by those attending arts events. “If you think about it, people who go out to the arts, to the symphony, to the ballet, to the theater, to movie theaters, they spend money in restaurants and walking around in shops and are supportive of other venues and businesses,” she says. People often go out to dinner before a show, or pick up food afterward to take home. O’Mara pointed out that restaurants have been suffering because fewer people have been out and attending events. “Businesses do suffer when the arts suffer,” O’Mara says. “It’s kind of a domino effect.” “We’re starting to see a lot of creativity bubbling up from lots of different people who created a lot of art during COVID,” O’Mara says. “I think the art shows are amazing. I think there’s a lot of interest from the artists and the arts community and also supporters for open studios and the different venues.” O’Mara says we have a new normal now and she encourages everyone to think about where they appreciate art. “Whether it’s the library, art gallery, store or even an artist, get in touch with them and participate—just show up—buy something or donate,” she says. “I just think that we should celebrate how lucky we are to have this wonderful art world here,” O’Mara says. “We should open our minds and our eyes to supporting them, because without them the vibrancy of this community would not be as rich.” g
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January 2024
NorthBaybiz 57
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