Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Program Director for the Arts Maurine Knighton shared her perspectives in an Inside Philanthropy article about how arts organizations are contending with the effects of the delta variant and what philanthropy can do to better support the sector in this shifting environment.
“We always understood the shift from pre- to post-pandemic realities would be a long-haul enterprise,” Knighton said. “When I look back at where the field was a year ago, early forecasts already predicted an extended and uneven recovery. Even then, researchers and journalists tracking the evolving impact of the pandemic on the arts agreed that a full recovery for the sector will take years as artists struggle to survive financially and organizations are forced to reimagine business models, reengage audiences and recoup lost income.”
Knighton added that “this lingering set of conditions calls for DDCF to stick to its knitting, maintaining our commitment to flexible funding that trusts organizations to self-identify their priorities and to be true partners with them as they navigate the road ahead with still-limited visibility.”