Hudson arts 4 months into pandemic Pt 2: Differing takes on virtual art, ‘arts ed important’

Levina said Zoom and streaming help JCTC keep up with the times. Content comes out year-round now. Before the pandemic, JCTC would generally not have much in the summer because of lower seasonal audience attendance.

But now, with what she said is strong competition that comes from the likes of the Metropolitan Opera, which is streaming programming with their “incredible equipment,” JCTC’s platform has crystallized.

“So I know the competition of course is enormous, but if you have a strong mission and our mission is social justice, you have an opportunity to have each other’s audience through technology.”

Six out of 10 people among JCTC’s usual audience would come back to the theaters straightaway, Levina said. “But it’s probably going to change by January, because Broadway just announced it’s going to open by then, so we’re hoping something is going to change so we can open.

“We also run a tremendous loss in terms of money, but not only revenue from ticket sales. But for me, what I see ... I can imagine how people’s habits change. So we’re going to have to work extra hard to bring people back to theaters to make sure we’re competitive, and in Jersey City and in Hudson County it’s always been a challenge because a lot of (our staff) volunteers and we do it because we love to do what we do …”

She’s hopeful the next generation of artists in Jersey City and the county benefit. Right now, there’s a lack of a stable of professional venues, Levina said.

“You also need qualified people to be competitive. And especially being so close to NYC you have to provide something to the public that is worthwhile. And of course with corona we’re going to have to clean our spaces, we’re going to have to hire people to take temperatures. It’s all extra money”

“I don’t think it’s going to be an easy comeback,” Levina said. “But arts is something that’s worth fighting for at any time. I believe that the human connection we get in theaters … the human expression of art and especially theater is not only expression but also exploration of the human condition, and today like never before you can see how important it is ... If people go to theater they sympathize and they see what others experience and hopefully they change their ways. So we’re going to have to work hard to make sure our art comes back and that we can continue to provide food for thought to people.”

Eonta Space

Tucked in the corner of a dead-end street near Journal Square, the Eonta Space home gallery sits eerily bare – and will do so for longer than it has in between shows since it started.

“Eonta Space is on hiatus,” said Dan Peyton, who co-runs Eonta with Lauren Farber and Bayard. “Our program for many reasons rests on the presentation of art in an open accessible place. It is a fusion of artists, curators, food, dialogue and the physical interaction between art and human. Our funding comes from our volunteer co-directors; donated space, donated curation, donated presentation costs.

If we wanted to become virtual we could, but adding our artist’s images to the swipe-left-swipe-right digital culture can’t replicate the actual experience of being in the presence of a work of art. Yes, it is currently the only way to broadcast our existence but we would rather wait and restart when we can be truly open. It means starting from the beginning again and probably working a lot harder to re-attract our audience. But we didn’t start Eonta just to be liked.”

The pandemic has revealed how much the U.S. economy runs on a sense of capitalism that isn’t particularly health-conscious -- along with how much society runs on the labor of essential workers in general. For Eonta Space co-runner Bayard, Eonta’s closed doors seem to be a small act of subversion.

“Virtual shows suck,” Bayard said. “Actual shows rule. Virtual shows are a sad example of our all too prevalent vapid cellphone culture. Don’t be a tool and imagine the internet is nothing more than a tool, a secondary resource not the primal experience. Eonta Space is not now, has never been and will never be concerned with/influenced by or a slave to money or commerce. The pandemic has closed our doors temporarily but not our hearts minds or souls. We are taking this time to reflect, plan and create for a future when the world returns to crazy normal in opposition to this normal crazy. As Aunty Entity says to the citizens of Bartertown in the iconic 1985 film “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome”: