The 2019–2020 season was unlike any other in Strathmore’s history. From July to March, we welcomed near-capacity crowds to our venues to celebrate hundreds of diverse artists and distinctive presentations. Then, as the COVID-19 pandemic arose, we abruptly transitioned to a condensed menu of virtual performances and online education programs. At times, we felt like David Dimitri of L’homme Cirque, balancing on a high wire without a net! Yet, we remained nimble and focused on our mission and continued to present innovative work that affirmed our support of local artists and engaged a wide range of audiences.
Here are some of the projects we’re most proud of from this season:
L’homme Cirque brought the big top to Strathmore
The season started on a high note as acclaimed tightrope acrobat David Dimitri brought his one-man show, L’homme Cirque, a stunning spectacle of high wire flips, human cannon stunts, and acrobatic feats, to Strathmore’s lawn for two weeks in summer 2019. The show delighted thousands of “kids” big and small, connecting us to the wonder of the arts.
For his grand finale, tightrope acrobat David Dimitri walks on a high wire 150 feet above the ground.
Bloom community programs flourished
Our Bloom initiative, which includes fruitful partnerships with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington, Montgomery Department of Recreation, and other community organizations, continued to grow as we expanded the Fun, Food, Fitness, and Fundamentals summer camp to serve twice the number of students.
Now offered at both Galway and Greencastle Elementary Schools, the program provides over 450 students with hands-on visual and performing arts classes free of charge. Students worked with Strathmore instructors from Step Afrika!, Latin American musicians Cantaré, visual artist Arturo Ho, and renowned steelpan performer and music educator Josanne Francis. 
Steelpan performer and music educator Josanne Francis teaches students how to play the steelpan.
Inspired Pairings celebrated artistic collaboration
As part of Inspired Pairings, Strathmore’s curated, season-long celebration of collaborations that magnify and enhance the work of both artists, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE and the Arturo O’Farrill Ensemble performed in November 2019. Their exhilarating work, New Conversations, combined African, Caribbean, and contemporary choreography with live Afro-Cuban jazz music. In a free preconcert event, Brown and O’Farrill discussed their creative process and reflected on the paths followed by African American and Latino artists in the contemporary dance and jazz worlds. Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE also held three free master class workshops for dance students in the community.
Acclaimed choreographer Ronald K. Brown (center) leads local dance students in a free master class workshop.
Arts & the Brain series explored the arts and aging
Strathmore’s Arts & the Brain series examined how the arts impact aging and vitality in four sessions that included innovative neuroscientific research and even an artistic initiative that reimagines the future of hospital sound. The series was co-presented by AARP Maryland and welcomed over 450 attendees across all sessions at AMP.
Musician Yoko K. Sen discusses her mission to radically reimagine the future sound environment of hospitals during our Arts & the Brain series.
Astonishing exhibition featured new forms of woodworking
Timber, an exhibition that featured creative woodwork by a diverse group of artists from across the country, filled the Mansion’s galleries in fall 2019. From a towering, 9-foot bear by Emily White to freeform baseball bats by Mark Sfirri, Timber invited viewers to discover the creative ways this natural resource can be used as an artistic medium.
Artist Emily White’s Boomtown Bear is a life-sized piece full of surprises. Our Timber exhibition featured artists’ work in wood, including sculpture, turning, and carving.
Stories and history forged new connections in the multi-dimensional No Blue Memories
Emmy-winning ensemble Manual Cinema brought No Blue Memories: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks to Strathmore in January 2020 as part of the perspective-broadening Windows series. The show tells the story of poet Brooks—the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize—through shadow puppetry, silhouetted actors, and a live jazz score. Audiences were invited to deepen their experience through in-depth and intimate events including a hands-on workshop, a preshow lecture with scholar and poet Kim Roberts, and a poetry reading hosted by Dwayne B of Spit Dat that celebrated DC’s grassroots poetry scene.
Members of Manual Cinema explain their technique of creating a movie in real time using vintage overhead projectors at a hands-on workshop.
Sensory-friendly program offerings expanded
As part of our continuing efforts to expand arts access for audiences with autism and sensory-sensitivities, Strathmore introduced Sensory-Friendly Backstage Tours. These small-group experiences are designed to introduce audiences to the inner-workings of the Concert Hall so they may feel familiar and therefore more comfortable in performing arts venues. Attendees could stand on the Concert Hall stage, visit the artists’ dressing rooms, learn how sound and lights work, and more.
During a sensory-friendly backstage tour, a young girl experiences playing the drums on stage at Strathmore.
Artists from across the globe performed on our stages
Strathmore is dedicated to presenting artists from around the world. The 2019–2020 season featured a spectrum of international artists, including Buena Vista Social Club founder Juan De Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars, Seoul-based Korean contemporary dance ensemble Bereishit, and Brazilian music legend Sergio Mendes at the Music Center. Venezuelan songstress Nella, Cuban musicians Omar Sosa and Yilian Cañizares, and Puerto Rican band Plena Libre were just some of the international talents who performed at AMP this year.
Grammy-winning Venezuelan songstress Nella performs to a packed house at AMP in November 2019.
We stayed close with artists and audiences while being apart
Though our venues were forced to close in March, we continued to provide accessible arts experiences and support artists. Almost immediately, Strathmore began offering free digital content to our audiences, and by June 30, over 140,000 patrons had participated. Our weekly Live from the Living Room series featured free livestream concerts in every genre by our incredible network of Artists in Residence.
For children and families, our Saturday Family Jam Sessions transitioned online for musical lessons each week. Virtual Art Talks gave children and adults the chance to meet visual artists and learn about their work, and online writing workshops and book clubs brought our community together through shared experience and connection.
Artist in Residence Cecily performs a live streamed concert from her home in April 2020.
Students remained supported through virtual learning
While schools physically closed in March, we helped ensure that arts education continued! In consultation with MCPS, Strathmore created a robust resource library of over 100 instructional guides and videos to help music teachers with their lessons during this unprecedented time of remote learning. Many of our own education programs including Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras, Strathmore Children’s Chorus, and Step Up also transitioned to virtual models.
Members of the Strathmore Children’s Chorus participate in a virtual rehearsal in spring 2020.
While much of what we experienced together this year was unexpected, it nonetheless awakened our imaginations and connected us to each other in new ways. Our community is stronger with the arts. We are more united, supported, and understood through their powerful embrace. None of this would be possible without the passion and dedicated support of our patrons, members, and donors like you. Thank you!
Learn how you can join us in our quest to expand access to the arts for all.