Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
North Carolina’s <br />“stay at home” order <br />(Executive Order <br />117) had a profound <br />impact on the arts <br />sector. Describe the <br />specific steps your <br />organization took to <br />comply with <br />Executive Order 117. <br />This year has been one of unprecedented challenges. The Ackland is <br />facing budget reductions as UNC-Chapel Hill is struggling with the <br />economic fallout of COVID-19 and the Museum’s priv ate fundraising <br />results hav e dropped precipitously. Nev ertheless, the Museum <br />continues to be integral to the educational experience on campus <br />and in our community. <br />In accordance with Univ ersity guidelines for COVID-19 safety <br />precautions, closures, shelter-in-place orders, and social distancing <br />restrictions, the Ackland made the decision to cancel all in-person <br />programs as of March 11, 2020. Ackland staff were also prohibited <br />from trav eling out of state at this time. Following state orders, <br />including North Carolina’s Executiv e Order 117 dated March 14, 2020, <br />the Ackland closed its doors to the public until further notice on <br />March 18, 2020, and all Museum staff transitioned to working <br />remotely. <br />Prev iously directing most resources toward in-person programming, <br />the Museum was required to reimagine how to engage audiences, <br />remaining operational by transitioning to v irtual programming. <br />Ackland education staff consulted with Univ ersity faculty to dev elop <br />v irtual class sessions, as well as activ ities based on digital images of <br />works in the Museum’s permanent collection, to translate <br />experiences planned prior to the pandemic to v ersions appropriate <br />under the “stay at home” order. For K-12 teachers and <br />administrators, staff adapted in-gallery activ ities for school groups to <br />v ersions that students could do at home, led either by teachers <br />through online classes or by parents. Public program staff distilled <br />the essential characteristics of programs originally dependent on <br />access to art in the galleries, performance space, or studio art space <br />into formats appropriate for v ideo or v ideo conferencing. All this was <br />significantly enhanced by the introduction of the Museum’s new <br />website, which had been in dev elopment for a year, in mid-April. <br />To date the Ackland has not only inv ested considerable staff time <br />and resources to dev eloping high quality and fully accessible digital <br />programs, but has also had to adjust the exhibition schedule, <br />canceling or rescheduling at least three special exhibitions. <br />Additionally, the Museum delayed incoming and outgoing shipments <br />of art for acquisitions and loans; inv ested ITS serv ices to ensure all <br />staff were set up with needed computer access at home; cancelled all <br />ev ents and trav el for the foreseeable future; postponed plans for <br />necessary building repairs and upgrades; and halted the majority of <br />fundraising activ ity for sev eral months. <br />Moreov er, in order to make reopening to the public – when it <br />happens – safe, the Ackland has had to purchase necessary <br />materials and supplies, including plexiglass, masks, hand sanitizer, <br />sanitizer stands and dispensers, antibacterial wipes, and additional <br />cleaning supplies. <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: 2EB512DB-2890-4155-9D25-0E4B1972C619