This year, like many of our colleague organizations, The Umbrella has moved its annual report to a virtual platform. This change is in keeping with the wishes of many of our donors and our commitment to being conscientious about our resources and our environment. In addition, we’re excited that this new format will create opportunities for our supporters to learn even more about our work at The Umbrella and to engage more personally with the arts. 

From the Executive Director and Board Chair

Annual Greetings to our Arts Community:

This year we will hold our annual meeting in person for the first time since 2019. As you know, it has taken a lot to get back to this point. The number of virtual experiences is waning, we see fewer and fewer face masks in our audiences, and it’s been some time since we last had to “pivot”. While all of this is true today, fiscal year 2022 will likely go down as a year of transition. 

The beginning of the 2021/2022 season was marked by the hopeful release of the COVID vaccine.  Confidence in returning to public gatherings and to The Umbrella varied from program to program. Our Studio Artists -- many of whom had never left, choosing instead to escape into their studios -- returned largely in full. Many of our students were willing to return, and we faced the same challenges as many schools and organizations to rebuild our teaching staff. The exception to this was ceramics, where both teachers and students were anxious to come back, even when it meant being outside under tents.

The area where we saw the slowest return was in the theater. Our fall 2021 productions required proof of vaccine, face masks, and distanced seating. Audiences were thin. When Omicron hit in December 2021, we had to restructure our spring schedule and eliminate an entire production. We got through the season with critically acclaimed productions, yet less than full crowds.

Despite the obvious challenges, our creative spirit was strong and we focused efforts on several meaningful collaborations. Last spring, The Colored Museum was produced alongside a gallery exhibit The Colored Museum; Past, Present, and Future. Our Arts & Environment team worked with our Visual Arts team and Zeke magazine to produce Sustainable Solutions in the gallery last fall, and Middleton Heights, our first commissioned full-length play, by Hortense Gerardo, that was intended for the spring of 2022 will have its world premier in our Black Box theater opening March 31, 2022. 

Our donors generously supported us through another tough year impacted by the pandemic. Our Gala Committee organized one of our most successful Galas, bringing us back home to the building after two years away. Due to COVID-related closures in the spring we ended 2022 with a deficit that we were able to balance with cash reserves. Looking forward, with at least the perception that we can cautiously move on from COVID, our registrations and ticket sales are strong. 

You will see in our FY22 Annual Report that our staff continues to produce exceptional programs for a very supportive community. We are grateful for all of you, and we look forward to rebuilding that vibrant community to which our mission aspires.

Eagerly moving forward,