LAWTON – Christmas miracles still happen. Just ask Ronda Norrell and Chance Harmon who will continue their life’s work in the Lawton fine arts scene thanks to some timely grants.
Norrell, a board member of the Lawton Philharmonic, and Harmon, the managing director of the Lawton Community Theatre, were almost floating on air after receiving the news that each organization would receive $20,000 in grant funding.
“It’s a gift,” Norrell exclaimed. “Oh my heavens, it’s an answer to prayers because of lost revenue.” Harmon was just as happy. “Talk about a Christmas gift,” he said. “We had decided to get creative and bought equipment for live streaming our productions. This comes at a really good time.”
Grant amounts were approved by the Governor-appointed Oklahoma Arts Council board during a meeting on December 15. Funding was prioritized for organizations with arts-based missions that serve geographically isolated areas, under-resourced communities, culturally diverse populations, and underrepresented groups.
The one-time grants were available statewide to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, museums, historical societies, colleges and universities, public libraries, tribal nations, and departments of city and county government that present arts programming.
Funding must be used toward eligible expenses resulting from the pandemic including payroll for staff members serving as COVID-19 coordinators, distance learning, interruption of business, personal protective equipment (PPE), disinfectant and sanitization, public safety measures, and other costs to safely open facilities to the public.
The Lawton Philharmonic has struggled financially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which created chaos for public performances and outreach programs.
“We haven’t been able to put fannies into the seats,” Norrell said. “We were allowed only 13 musicians on stage at our last performance when it called for 52. I don’t know what we’ll do for our next two performances.”
Oklahoma’s creative sector, which relies heavily on in-person fundraising and event-generated earned income has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A report released in July by Richard Florida, noted scholar and author of The Rise of the Creative Class, estimated pandemic-related losses of 19,000 jobs and $606 million in sales in Oklahoma’s creative sector, with the performing and fine arts being disproportionately affected.
The grant money, however, will help the philharmonic continue its music and theatre outreach to students, military veterans and retirement centers. Typically, the performances are recorded and aired at a later date on MeTV and ABC affiliate KSWO-TV Channel 7 in Lawton.
Philharmonic musicians have started giving their time and talent to the cause by playing without pay, but that required special approval since the musicians belong to a union, Norrell said.
“They had to have special permission to do that and for us to record it and air it twice without them getting paid,” she said.
The next Lawton Philharmonic performance at the McMahon Memorial Auditorium is scheduled for February, but Norrell said plans are tentative at best.
“We have to get the city’s permission to allow musicians to be in there and perform so we will have to examine the situation three weeks prior,” she said. “We will go toward doing the concert in some form and then do outreach specific to that concert.”
State arts officials are hoping the grants will allow nonprofits such as the Philharmonic and community theatre to continue operating.
“Since the Governor’s announcement of this investment in our industry three weeks ago, Oklahoma Arts Council staff has worked round-the-clock to ensure the funding could save jobs and stabilize as many non-profits and other essential organizations across the state arts and cultural industry as possible,” said Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Amber Sharples.
“The grant awards we have announced are a meaningful part of what we hope will be a commitment by state leaders to assuring the long-term health of the state arts sector as it fights to bounce back from the pandemic.”
Lawton Community Theatre meanwhile is focusing on streaming productions and delivering the play straight to school students. Live productions with an audience may be in jeopardy, though.
“The theatre is so small we can’t have a big crowd there,” said Harmon. “I’ve done this for 30 years and it’s been amazing when I talk to my friends across the country. They’re experiencing the same thing we’re going through.”
Streaming equipment Harmon and his staff purchased include cameras and sophisticated editing software. “It’s really going to help us innovate,” he said. “We have a wonderful technical director I snagged from Texas. I think we’ll need streaming services even after COVID is over.”
The streaming theatre productions will be available to anyone with Internet access. “We have patrons ... who don’t feel comfortable coming out,” Harmon said. “With this, we can be creative and flexible.”
The Lawton Community Theatre typically produces five regular shows a year, plus two children’s shows.
Harmon has found another way to bring the theatre to area residents without requiring an in-person audience. Community theatre actor will be performing It’s a Wonderful Life on the radio, which is a throwback to a different era. The entire performance will be broadcast Christmas Day on Magic 95.3 in Lawton and www.Magic953.com.