In mid-March last year, Governor Charlie Baker issued an emergency ordinance banning gatherings of 250 or more people in an attempt to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Within weeks, that gathering limit dropped to 10 people and continued to fluctuate at a low level amid the pandemic. As a result, venues across the state have been forced to cancel shows and close their doors – many for more than a year.
The Narrows Center for the Arts, a live music venue in Fall River, lost nearly 80% of its revenue in 2020 due to the pandemic, said Executive Director Patrick Norton. The venue, which houses a theater and art galleries, only recently opened its doors following the state's full reopening.
"We tried to shoot, but it doesn't make that many dollars so we're very grateful for this [Shuttered Venue Operators Grant] Money came, "Norton said." Not just for ourselves, but for many of our brothers out there in the world of independent live music where it's really hard to exist.
The U.S. Small Business Administration last month provided venue relief through its Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program, which includes over $ 16 billion in grants for venues that have closed or are currently closed due to the pandemic are.
Applicants can receive grants equal to 45% of their gross income, with a maximum of $ 10 million available for a single grant. Eligible entities include operators or organizers of live events, theaters, live performance organizations, museums, cinemas, and talent representatives.
The Narrows Center received approximately $ 648,000, which Norton said was used to rehire staff (currently there are four), perform facility maintenance, and replenish lost revenue.
![Zeiterion Performing Arts Center in New Bedford]()
The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center in New Bedford received nearly $ 882,000 after being closed to the public for about 15 months. The theater has a capacity for 1,200 guests, but since government restrictions were lifted, the theater has not hosted more than 100 guests during one event since early August.
Executive Director Rosemary Gill said receiving the funds was "existential" and she wasn't sure she could have continued without it.
The funds can be used to cover payroll, rent, utilities, mortgages, debts with certain conditions, worker protection, contractors, maintenance, taxes, insurance and advertising. The fellows cannot use the funds to buy real estate, pay certain loans, or make investments or loans.
So far, Gill said they have used or will use the funds to invest in virtual programming, cover reopening costs (like barrier installations), pay for more cleaning supplies and crews, place new filters in the HVAC system, and the to fill financial "holes" left by the pandemic (largely derived from ticket refunds).
"It has given us the ability to be more responsive, not more reactive," said Gill. "We feel that we are in a very good position to face whatever comes our way."
Almost half of the funds go to payroll to keep the staff, which Gill describes as "awesome".
Howie Mallowes, co-owner of New Bedford's Vault Music Hall, said the funds would have allowed them to re-book some of the larger musical acts, a move that often requires substantial deposits.
"We can now get the deposits that we couldn't get when we first reopened," he said.
The Vault received the largest SVOG grant on the South Coast at just over $ 1 million. They are also using the funds to modernize the stage and lighting, and to cover payroll and rent for the coming months.
Mallowes said they had questions about whether they could keep working given the size of the building and overhead costs. He said that during the pandemic, owners tried to rent the building.
On Stage Theatrical Productions, a Fall River nonprofit aimed at engaging underserved children in the performing arts, received approximately $ 40,000. The pandemic had "detrimental" effects on On Stage's programs, said Linda Mercer-Botelho, founder and director of the organization, in an email.
"No theater has meant no performances, which means no income for our programs," she wrote. "The Shuttered Venue Grant has helped us tremendously in covering operating costs over the past 18 months."
![Battleship Cove Maritime Museum in Fall River.]()
For Battleship Cove, which operates a museum and several historic naval vessels in Fall River, the funds have played an important role in ensuring the continued protection and preservation of the ships.
Chris Nardi, chief operating officer of the USS Massachusetts Memorial Committee Inc., said museum goers have returned to their usual summer levels, but some programs have remained limited, particularly the overnight camping event, which he believes is a significant part of the revenue .
Battleship Cove received nearly $ 593,000 with federal aid. Between 2019 and 2020, revenue fell by almost 75%, and the ongoing cancellations or postponements of events and programs would continue to affect the museum's revenue until 2021.
On the ship's maintenance side, Nardi said the funds helped repair a technological system that uses batteries to reduce rusting of the hulls.
"There are cables that extend between ships to hold the ground and those that are damaged," he said. "For us, the most important thing is probably to keep going."
Other funds will be used to buy paint, repair the battleship's 80-year-old teak deck, and rebuild docks next to the ships that workers use to paint the sides and fight rust, Nardi said.
![Jeremy Fontes and his two children Carter Fontes, 8 and Reagan Fontes, 5 enter the Lagoda room of the Whaling Museum in New Bedford.]()
Many venues were past recipients of PPP
For a venue or promoter that received a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) after the end of December 2020, the SVOG will be reduced by the PPP loan amount according to the SBA.
Most SouthCoast SVOG beneficiaries received PPP loans during the pandemic. According to a ProPublica database, Battleship Cove received about $ 370,000 between loans between 2020 and 2021, New Bedford Whaling Museum received about $ 813,000 between loans between 2020 and 2021, Narrows Center received about $ 66,000 in 2020, and Zeiterion received about $ 66,000 in the meantime $ 547,000 two loans in 2020 and 2021.
The Vault, which works with restaurant Greasy Luck, received approximately $ 344,000 between loans in 2020 and 2021. Mallowes said those funds largely helped the restaurant continue operations, which in turn helped keep the venue afloat with takeaway and delivery revenue from food orders.
Amanda McMullen, CEO and President of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, said the "safety nets" from multiple federal funding sources have allowed the museum not only to continue operations but also to grow.
She said they had seen a "massive drop" in revenue as a result of a month-long shutdown and then a limited reopening. The museum usually sees 100,000 visitors a year, but she said it will be a while before that number is reached again.
With the combination of federal funding, the museum has been able to expand its online or virtual program (which can lead to new memberships in the long term), keep staff on throughout the pandemic, and "overhaul" the HVAC system – which will benefit not just visitors , but also the historical collections are exposed to this air.
looking ahead
"We are hopeful, but the future is uncertain. It would be stupid to think otherwise," said Norton.
When asked about the coming months, some operators spoke of the COVID-19 vaccine.
"I would say the most important thing is if you haven't already, please get your vaccine. It's the key to gathering together again, "said Gill.
The Zeiterion has directed that all employees receive their COVID-19 vaccine to ensure the safety of employees, volunteers, patrons, and performers. Gill said staff must be fully vaccinated by September 1 and that the center will be welcoming crowds again on August 13.
Norton said he wished people just got vaccinated.
"I have friends in Europe who haven't been able to go to live music and do other things because they don't have access to the vaccinations that we have in this country," he said.
Mallowes said while most of the shows are going on as planned, some are still being postponed and postponed. An artist booked for a concert last week has been postponed until next April due to concerns about the Delta variant.
The safe has yet to reach its full capacity. A sold-out show will have around 350 to 400 people and the venue previously had a capacity of 300 visitors after it reopened. However, following a COVID-19 outbreak attributed to an event in July, Mallowes said they have since cut capacity to 200-250 guests.
Mallowes suggested that people get vaccinated, stating that if they don't, they put others at risk.
"We hope that people will be vaccinated and that the numbers that are starting to rise will go down again so that no more restrictions are put in place," he said.
McMullen's hope for the Whaling Museum and all of New Bedford's other cultural institutions is that community members will actively participate by visiting the various museums and sites, going to a concert, or buying memberships.
"The Whaling Museum and probably every other institution you speak to did it last year because of community support. We can't thank you enough," said McMullen. "The support of the federal government is immense, it helps us to reposition ourselves and to grow. But without the members, our visitors and our supporters, we would not have survived the past year."
Standard Times reporter Anastasia E. Lennon can be reached at alennon@st.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @ aelennon1. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard Times today.
source https://seapointrealtors.com/2021/08/11/new-bedford-fall-river-venues-receive-a-lifeline-of-federal-relief-funds/
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