Recapping Lansing arts and culture in 2020

In the realm of arts and culture, 2020 was a year of cancellations and postponements. As long as there’s a pandemic happening and large public gatherings are prohibited, the majority of live entertainment is practically impossible.

When the pandemic first hit in March, many institutions optimistically delayed their booked events for the summer. Well, when summer rolled around and it was apparent the coronavirus was going nowhere, events got pushed backed for the fall. Obviously, that also proved unrealistic. Now just about everything that was booked for 2020 is now booked for 2021.

The year threw a monkey wrench in the plans and ambitions of everybody involved in Greater Lansing’s many creative scenes.

Taking the virtual route

Rather than completely putting their lives on pause, many artists turned to Facebook Live, Zoom, YouTube and Twitch to share their passions with the world. A Facebook group created by folks from Lansing’s eastside neighborhood called “Party Like It’s COVID-1999” quickly attracted thousands of members. Using Facebook’s livestream function, hundreds of people shared themselves playing guitar, painting and even swallowing fire on a daily basis. A team of Lansing musicians also formed the Facebook group “Best Friend’s Club,” which hosts a weekly regiment of mock live shows in order to imitate the experience of attending a live show at a venue. 

The Threadbare Mitten Festival, an eccentric indie film fest normally hosted in REO Town, hosted four days of online screenings in September. For small, low budget films produced here in Michigan, fests like Threadbare are one of the only ways for ambitious local directors to find an eager audience. Festival director Dan Kofoed noted that Threadbare still garnered interest, citing that the pandemic was creating a “pent-up demand” among the stuck-inside masses.

The East Lansing Art Festival, one of the best weekends of the year for several decades now, turned the entirety of its programming into an online effort. Festival manager Heather Majano hosted live art lessons, the Swift Brothers performed a set of music and local artists did demonstrations including glass blowing and metalwork.

Lansing’s favorite music festivals, Old Town Blues Fest and Jazz Fest, also dipped their toes into the world of livestreaming. Viewers were able to check out a curated selection of gigs from past festivals and check out live music being broadcasted from around the world. As a nice gesture, it was all made available for free.

Silver Bells, Lansing’s biggest yearly holiday tradition, also made the virtual pivot with a block of holiday programming that aired on FOX 47. Overall, there are just too many events that made the livestream switch to list in a single article.

Murals and social justice

This year also saw Lansing become adorned with socially conscious murals. In response to the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers, Flint artist Isaiah Lattimore painted a portrait of Floyd on the Lansing River Trail beneath I-96.

The mural attracted vandals who defaced the portrait with white squiggly lines. However, donations to repair the mural were swiftly raised and the painting was quickly restored.

Artist Farrin Mitchell painted “Black Lives Matter” on the street in front of the Capitol building. The artwork is protected by traffic cones, which prevent cars from driving over it and damaging it.

These works connect Lansing to the largest grassroots political movement of the year, as similar tributes to Floyd and Black Lives Matter popped up across the United States during a summer of widespread protest against police brutality.

Going back to the drive-in

One solution to the pandemic saw the revival of a piece of retro Americana, the drive-in. The concept was brought back to life in 2020, as many got to experience the sensation of watching a film from their vehicle for the very first time. In Lansing, Celebration Cinema hosted weekend screenings of films such as “Black Panther” and “Deadpool.” Downtown Lansing Inc. also hosted drive-in screenings of its own, treating viewers to classic films such as “Do the Right Thing.”

Capital City Film Festival, which was slated to have its biggest fest yet to celebrate its 10th anniversary, was forced to postpone until 2021. But it was still able to show some great independent films before 2020 came to a close, thanks to a mini drive-in edition it hosted in December. The mini CCFF also featured the debut of the visual art installation, “Terra Forms: The Saga of a Cosmic Tree.” “Terra Forms” uses 3D projection mapping to transform the facade of a building into a stunning work of galactic art. CCFF plans to use the technology for other installations in the future.

Lansing theater group Peppermint Creek, which debuted its production “Hear Our Cry” with a downtown drive-in screening, also adopted the classic concept. Drive-ins were also utilized for concerts across Michigan, and it makes one wonder if Lansing will see some drive-in performances from touring musicians come 2021.

The new ‘Normal’

Even if the pandemic dies down at some point in 2021, and we’re able to enjoy concerts and art galleries without the threat of spreading the virus, it’s clear that certain regulations and social practices are going to be permanent for quite awhile. Scott Keith, president of Lansing Entertainment & Public Facilities Authority, which oversees the Lansing Center and Lugnuts Stadium, likened the new coronavirus-specific precautions to the implementation of metal detectors, which at one point also felt foreign but are now commonplace. 

Monica Ramirez-Montagut, the new director of MSU’s Broad Art Museum, said the museum’s staff now pays especially close attention on how to guide guests through the building in a structured manner that helps limit close contact. Scott Bell, a booking agent for Mac’s Bar and tour manager of rock group The Menzingers, said it might be years before venues and festivals relax measures to keep large crowds safe from the spread of the coronavirus.

Another certainty heading into 2021 is that your favorite arts institutions, whether that’s a concert hall or an art gallery, need your support now more than ever. If you are able to, it’s always worth it to check out if your favorite place to catch a show is accepting donations.