Reading Between the Vaccination Lines: How Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures is Leaping Off the Page, April Arts Organization Member Spotlight
After successfully transitioning to online programming and expanding offerings to schools and communities, this literary staple has found even more ways to flourish in the wake of 2020. Read this month's arts organization spotlight to sneak a peek into what makes Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures' programming so evergreen.
"I just read a statistic that 35% of people in the world have read more books than usual since COVID began. I know I have!," said Stephanie Flom, executive director of Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures.
"It makes it make sense—we’re home more than ever and many of us are isolated." In this way, Pittsburgh’s literary staple is thriving. “I think we’re searching for meaning and reflection as well as diversion and entertainment. The publishing community has come through for us. It’s been a great year for reading,” she continued.
Welcome to our heart-to-heart with Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures’ Stephanie Flom, and Lisa Christopher, manager of community engagement. After successfully transitioning to online programming and expanding offerings to schools and communities, Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures has found even more ways to flourish in the wake of 2020.
How would you describe Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures to those who are unfamilliar?
Through our five-program series, Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures presents acclaimed authors to the Pittsburgh community with public events and opportunities for authors to visit with schools and with community organizations whose missions relates to the author’s subject.
Our "Ten Evenings" subscription series is perhaps the best known among the five, although we are also very proud of our other series. "Words & Pictures" presents authors writing for children and young adults, "New & Noted" allows us to present authors from a variety of genres when they are touring with a newly published book, and our "Made Local" series presents the Pittsburgh launch of books by local authors.
How are you manifesting your mission at this time? We've noticed very consistent online programming!
Thank you for noticing! We have been very fortunate to pivot successfully to virtual programming during the pandemic. Our staff has literally transitioned into a video production and distribution team. Like everyone else, we have learned a lot! We hear from our audience that they are grateful that we continued to provide the lectures they love, and that people find them engaging and look forward to them.
We’ve been amazed by the success of the school and community visits with authors. There is an intense connection between the students and the authors when they are “face-to-face” in their Zoom squares— the student, often in their poster-filled bedroom, and the author, sitting at their kitchen table. The librarians and teachers who we partner with have been incredible, making sure the students get the copies of the books that we provide and spending time, either in classes or in book clubs, to deeply discuss the book and prepare their questions. The questions by students were so amazing that we included them in the public presentation of “Ta-Nehisi Coates.” Based on that success and audience feedback, we’re doing something similar for Kazuo Ishiguro’s upcoming lecture.
It’s also been exciting to provide timely authors, whose books relate to important events of the day—as well as values stated in our mission—on our New & Noted series. We had over 4,000 people view the lecture by Robin DiAngelo author of "White Fragility" last fall. Far more than we could ever have accommodated in the 600-seat Carnegie Library Lecture Hall. We are expecting a similar response when we present Heather McGhee next month. She is the author of the recently released, bestselling book "The Sum of Us -- What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can All Prosper" on May 4.
Of your five main programs, which has grown the most in the pandemic? Which programs are you most excited for as we return?
Made Local has grown significantly during the pandemic, although that may have more to do with the increasing number of extraordinary authors living in Pittsburgh than the switch to virtual programming. We’re seeing record attendance for all the wonderful authors we’ve presented on this series since the shutdown. Your readers can find them on our YouTube channel.
Words and Pictures is truly the program that has grown the most in attendance. Exponentially! Because we have permission to keep the lecture link live for one week, many teachers are showing the presentations in their virtual classrooms. We provide free copies of the books to our Title 1 school partners when teachers are willing to incorporate the book into the curriculum and prepare their students for the lectures as well as the visits. The reception has been phenomenal.
The moments of human connection that authors and audiences have in-person are greatly missed, as well as the palpable anticipation in the foyer beforehand, the shared stories among animated strangers leaving the hall after the lecture, and the emotional exchanges between readers and authors in the signing line.
We have put plans in place to gather, once we safely can, in 2022. We can’t wait!
As Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures continues to grow, what do you think you could best teach other arts organizations?
An important part of our success is our strong and growing partnerships with organizations who do the work, day in and out, addressing the topics that our authors write about, as well as our partnerships with area schools and universities. Several times this past year when closing a Zoom call, the author has requested to remain in touch and continue their relationship with the organization they just spent an hour with. My heart leaps from my chest at those moments.
Do any of your staff members have reading recommendations for 2021?
We've just announced our 2021/22 Ten Evenings roster, so of course we recommend the wonderful authors you'll find there including Brit Bennett, Charles Yu, Lawrence Wright, Maggie O'Farrell, Yaa Gyasi, Douglas Stuart, Ayad Aktar, George Saunders, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Isabel Wilkerson. If you're looking for hot-off-the-press, I'd recommend Kazuo Ishiguro's "Klara and The Sun" and Heather McGhee's "The Sum of Us." Brilliant!
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