10/08/2020
For Immediate Release
Thursday, October 8, 2020
Announcing the Formation of the Ozarks Performing Arts League (OPAL)
Springfield Little Theatre, Springfield Ballet, Springfield Regional Opera, and Springfield Regional Arts Council announce the formation of the Ozarks Performing Arts League (“OPAL”), a voluntary collaboration between four of the Ozark region’s leading arts organizations working together to help offset the devastating consequences of COVID-19 upon the arts economy.
“The pandemic is wreaking tremendous harm on the performing arts,” says Leslie Forrester, executive director of the Springfield Regional Arts Council. “Our member organizations have already lost more than a million dollars in revenue, and we’re not going to be able to resume normal operations any time soon. The SRAC’s role in this coalition of performing arts organizations is to connect resources to all of the nonprofit performing arts organizations in Springfield. Through the SRAC’s annual Arts & Culture granting cycle, other performing arts organizations will be able to apply for financial support raised through OPAL.”
OPAL members contribute substantially to the $29.9 million generated annually by Springfield’s arts sector (2017 Americans for the Arts “Arts and Economic Prosperity Study”) and play a significant role in maintaining the high quality of life Springfield residents enjoy and businesses rely upon to attract talent and new investment.
"A decline in our industry has a domino effect. While our organizations currently suffer financially, if we can’t find support to get us through this tough time, our community could see a long term impact that endangers the precious cultural landscape that makes our city a desirable place to live,” says Ashley Walden, executive director of Springfield Ballet. “Our performing arts scene has taken many decades to create, and once compromised, it might take decades to rebuild.”
OPAL’s chief objective is to secure significant, catastrophe-averting relief from local and regional businesses and foundations, a new wave of grassroots support from the community, and ongoing and increasing awareness of the tremendous cultural and economic value of the performing arts and our critical need for help if we are to survive COVID-19.
“Every day, there’s news of another arts organization that has closed its doors for good. Even the MET won’t have a show until fall of 2021, and Broadway remains silent,” says Beth Domann, executive director of Springfield Little Theatre. “Being a bit smaller here in Springfield may be an advantage right now, but even with strict budget cuts, we’ll collectively need about $2.5 million dollars in support to emerge 18 months from now (and that’s optimistic) in roughly the same condition we were in before COVID.”
Funds donated to OPAL will be placed in an account managed by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks which will oversee all financial transactions.
“We may very well be the only organization of its kind in the country right now,” says Christopher Koch, executive director of Springfield Regional Opera. “It’s quite humbling—four different organizations coming together voluntarily and committing to hundreds of hours of extra work for the mutual good. I like to think this is just a small example of our community’s character, replayed each day in a thousand different ways.”
OPAL will be releasing an additional significant announcement with the City of Springfield the week of October 12.
For more information about OPAL, please visit www.opalarts.org.
