October 1, 2020

It’s been a tough year for everyone, including the Brandywine River Museum of Art. According to Andrew Stewart, the director of Marketing and Communication, some traditions will continue despite restrictions despite the COVID pandemic. And there will be something new.

The museum was shut down from the middle of March through June and reopened on July 1. Stewart said the museum reopened with a six-day operation and began using timed tickets for visitors. Still, attendance has been down to 30 percent of normal.

“It’s been quiet, but we’ve had a steady flow,” he told members of the Chadds Ford Business Association during the group’s October meeting conducted via Zoom.

But online exhibits and Facebook live events have been popular, he added.

“They resonate with people because, for most folks, they couldn’t get out and they gave people a chance to see the creek or familiar places that are peaceful and beautiful…We’ve seen a dramatic increase in our online engagement, which has been great, but obviously we’d love to see more people in the door.”

The museum did extend some of the exhibits from earlier in the year were, he said. Stewart specifically mentioned Votes for Women, the display that commemorated women getting the right to vote in 1920. That, however, is now closed.

Also extended was the photography exhibition, Witness to History, a collection of photographs from the civil rights march from Selma to Birmingham, Ala. in 1965. A then 24-year-old college student from New York, Stephen Somerstein took the photos. He was scheduled to speak at the museum on April 1, but that was canceled because of COVID restrictions. There is a virtual program with him scheduled for Oct. 6.

Looking ahead to the holiday season, Stewart told the CFBA members that Brandywine Christmas, the annual holiday display, will still happen, and it will actually start earlier than usual. Instead of the train display opening to the public on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, it will go up on Oct. 31, Halloween. The Ann Wyeth McCoy doll display will also be up on Oct. 31.

Stewart said the train display will be set back a little farther in that second-floor gallery and will include train sets donated by Nick and Jamie Wyeth. He added that the Jamie Wyeth trains were ones he bought with Andy Warhol.

The Critters, those handmade Christmas ornaments, will be on sale throughout the season, he said.

The museum will be open seven days per week for the holidays, he added. Beyond that, he said, there are no regular exhibitions planned until June.

“We’re just playing by ear for now.”

“We’ve been here for 80 years and want to be here for another 80 years,” said the Kennett Symphony’s race director Cathy Williams as she explained this year’s Beat Beethoven Virtual 5K. Like the previous seven years, the goal is for participants to finish the 3.1-mile run before the final notes of the symphony play, in about 34 minutes.

“This year’s run is virtual. We needed to avoid having people congregate,” said Williams. “Run on treadmills, go to a park and run. Families can run together.” The event also includes a one-mile walk and a 50-yard dash for the kids. Usually the event is held on the first weekend in June at Anson B. Nixon Park in Kennett Square. The event was pushed to October, but this past August the decision was made to go virtual.

Like the run, the symphony itself its going through a virtual period.

“It’s tough for everyone, and certainly it’s tough for the orchestra,” said Michael Hall, music director of the Kennett Symphony. While many musicians are performing from home and entertaining us online, there are few paying jobs. “Many have tried to supplement their lost income with teaching, but others have had to take on non-musical jobs.”

The Kennett Symphony marks its 80^th anniversary this October and will shortly release its plans for performance for the season. All dates are dependent on being able to gather safely in public, with the health of the audience and the orchestra members a top priority. When pressed, Hall acknowledges that the season may need to be adjusted until the right protocols are in place so that people feel safe.

“Plans are useless, but planning is essential,” said Hall quoting President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Until live performances are practical, the Kennett Symphony is keeping touch with the community by offering virtual musical experiences on Facebook. Thursday, Oct. 8 will feature a Groove Talk with Hall, a live Q&A about percussion in the orchestra and musical careers. Like the musicians from home series, this informal talk is all about keeping the connection between the community and the orchestra alive until a live connection is a safe option.

“We’re hoping to play together for an audience in March,” said Hall. In the meantime, fans of the symphony, fans of Beethoven, and fans of running can support the symphony by joining their virtual run at https://kennettsymphony.org/.