Eastside Culture Crawl takes a hybrid approach to 2020, with virtual, in-person, and other ways to engage with art and artists

The 24th annual festival maintains strong connections between artists and audiences while keeping people safe

SPONSORED POST BY EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL SOCIETY

Cadmium Yellow Paris by Deanna Fogstrom is one of hundreds of works people can experience at the 24th annual Eastside Culture Crawl.

November is an exciting time for local arts lovers: the 24th annual Eastside Culture Crawl is here. Fully adapted for the times, the fest features a hybrid approach across multiple platforms: virtual, in person by appointment, or a combination of both. While 2020 is turning out to be a year unlike any other, artists are still creating art, and there’s an extraordinary breadth of works to discover and explore.

The event’s new format maximizes engagement and offers an even more intimate space of connectivity between audiences, artists, and art. At the same time, the safety and comfort of guests and artists is top priority. The 2020 festival has built-in flexibility to ensure that it can respond quickly to changing government and health guidelines around gatherings to control the transmission of COVID-19.

Eastside Culture Crawl has extended festival dates this year. November 2-9 is the Virtual Preview Week, while Open Studios run November 12 to 15 and November 19 to 22. (Hours are Thursdays and Fridays from 5 to 10 pm; Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 6 pm).

Here’s how the different options work.

The Eastside Culture Crawl 2020 Virtual Catalogue is a terrific way to discover Crawl artists; it features one image from each, viewable here.

During Virtual Preview Week, look for the live Talking Art Series as well as Moving Art Broadcast, workshops, and demonstrations; a full listing of events is here.

Virtual Engagement throughout the Crawl allows artists unprecedented presence through the website as well as media and social media channels. Notably, artists have the opportunity to include a 360-degree virtual studio view, plus the option for embedded livestreaming and Live Chat engagement directly from their profile pages on the ECC site. Full details related to the Virtual Crawl can be found here.

Audiences have the option to book in-person visits to studios by appointment. COVID safety measures will be in place, including physical distancing, and masks are mandatory. Studios will be thoroughly sanitized regularly, and anyone who is experiencing COVID symptoms is asked to stay home.

Appointments are limited to ensure there is adequate space for everyone to visit safely. All appointments are for an entire studio building, not just individual artists, meaning guests can visit any artists in a given venue.

You can see a complete list of which buildings are open and when, and make appointments,  here. It’s easy to cancel an appointment if need be, making spots available for others.

Some artists will be streaming workshops and demonstrations during the Open Studio weekends; check their artist profile page for info. Some artists may also be available during the Crawl and afterward for private appointments. Guests can contact artists directly to see if this option is available.