>> PAYROLL PROTECTION MONEY THAT THE NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM
APPLIED FOR FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL NOT COME SOON
ENOUGH TO AVOID FURLOUGHS.
THAT'S THE WORD FROM ITS DIRECTOR AND CEO LAURIE NORTON
MOFFATT, AS STAFF FURLOUGHS FOR NEARLY 65 PERCENT OF THE
MUSEUM'S EMPLOYEES WERE ANNOUNCED LAST FRIDAY.
PRIOR TO THAT NEWS, CARRIE SALDO SPOKE WITH NORTON MOFFATT ABOUT
THE IMPACT THAT COVID-19 WAS HAVING ON THE STOCKBRIDGE-BASED
VENUE.
>> WELL, WE DO KNOW THAT BEING CLOSED -- WE CLOSED ON MARCH
13TH THAT WE ANTICIPATE A LOSS OF NEARLY A MILLION DOLLARS OF
REVENUE JUST OVER THE NEXT 3 MONTHS SO THAT HAS CAUSED US TO
TAKE IMMEDIATE MEASURES ON FREEZING SPENDING AND HAVING TO
LOOK AT OTHER MITIGATING DECISIONS SO I DON'T KNOW THE
FIGURE IN THE STATE BUT IT IS SIGNIFICANT AND, OF COURSE, IF
THE ORGANIZATIONS CANNOT OPEN THIS SUMMER, WHICH IS UNKNOWN AT
THIS TIME, THE REVENUE LOSS AND THE FINANCIAL IMPACT WILL BE
MUCH, MUCH DEEPER PARTICULARLY IN THE BERKSHIRES WHERE THAT IS
OUR MAIN SEASON, OUR MAIN REVENUE GENERATING SEASON FOR
ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS SO THERE'S A LOT WE STILL HAVE TO LEARN.
>> I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU BECAUSE THE $2 TRILLION PACKAGE
WHEN IT WAS PASSED IT DID SAY HELP FOR THE ARTS BUT IT'S A
MASSIVE PACKAGE AS I UNDERSTAND IT, 800 PAGES OR SO -- TO LEARN
THAT YOU'RE STILL UNDERSTANDING -- WORKING TO
UNDERSTAND THIS, I JUST THINK SPEAKS TO THE NATURE, THE
CHANGING NATURE OF WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
>> THAT'S RIGHT AND WE AT NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM HAVE A
BOARD OF TRUSTEES WHO HAVE WIDE-RANGING KNOWLEDGE AND
ACCESS TO FINANCIAL, LEGAL WE'RE TAPPING ALL OF THAT EXPERTISE
AND WORKING WITH OUR BANKS AND LEGAL COUNCIL -- AND I WANT TO
GIVE A SHOUT-OUT FOR THE AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS NATIONAL
ORGANIZATION THAT IS WORKING VERY, VERY HARD AND FAST TO
EXPLAIN AND UNDERSTAND THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CULTURAL
ORGANIZATIONS SO THIS IS A WONDERFUL SOURCE THERE'S MANY
ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED THAT HELP WITH
VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MIGHT BE
AVAILABLE TO THEM.
WE'RE VERY GREATLY TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN
MASSACHUSETTS FOR SUPPORTING THIS STIMULUS AND UNDERSTANDING
THAT WE NEED TO HELP NONPROFIT SECTOR, THE CULTURAL SECTOR BUT
THE SELF-EMPLOYED CREATIVE WORKERS AND ALL WORKERS IT STILL
HAS PROVISIONS IN IT FOR SOLO PROPRIETORS AND THE
SELF-EMPLOYED.
EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE TO BE CARED FOR AT SOME LEVEL AND WE
NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO ACCESS IT.
>> THE NORMAN ROCKWELL FAMILY HAS BEEN CLOSED WITH YOU AND
OTHERS AT THE MUSEUM FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, NORMAN ROCKWELL
IS NOT WITH US BUT THE FAMILY HAS BEEN CLOSE AND HAVE THEY
TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY THINK NORMAN IS RESPONDING.
HE WAS KNOWN FOR CAPTURING DIFFICULT TIMES IN OUR SOCIETY
IN HIS WORK?
>> YES, CARRIE, I HAVE SPOKEN WITH MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY.
THEY ARE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE WORLD.
EVERYBODY IS WELL AS FAR AS I KNOW.
OF COURSE, WE JUST LOST PETER ROCKWELL A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND
ONE OF THE SAD THINGS THERE WAS TO BE A GATHERING IN HIS MEMORY
OF HIS LIFE IN ROME IN MAY AND THAT WAS POSTPONED FOR --
>> THAT'S ONE OF NORMAN'S SONS.
>> HIS YOUNGEST SON, HIS SCULPTURE SON WHO HAD A PEACEFUL
PASSING IN JANUARY.
I THINK WHAT WE ARE ALL REMINDED OF AND THE FAMILY CERTAINLY
HOPES AS WELL THAT NORMAN ROCKWELL WAS ONE OF THE
GREAT INSPIRE RATIONS IN MUCH OF THE LAST CENTURY AND NOTABLY
DURING THE HARDEST TIMES THE NATION FACED DURING THE
GREAT DEPRESSION AND WORLD WAR II AND THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENTS AND FOUR FREEDOM PAINTINGS WERE HIS CALL
TO ACTION WHEN PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT WAS FACED WITH HOW TO
ENTER WORLD WAR II AND HELP THE ALLIES WIN IT AND
NORMAN ROCKWELL'S PAINTINGS WERE JUST TREMENDOUS INSPIRATION AND
UPLIFTING, MOTIVATING PICTURES OF WHAT WE ARE ALL CAPABLE OF AS
CITIZENS AND, OF COURSE, THE CALL TO ACTION NOW IS QUITE
DIFFERENT.
WE'RE BEING ASKED TO STAY HOME, NOT TO STEP OUT OTHER THAN OUR
FIRST RESPONDERS EMERGENCY AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS WHO WE REALLY
NEED TO BE DOING THIS FOR TO KEEP THEM AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
>> AS YOU MENTIONED WE'RE BEING ASKED TO STAY HOME BUT THAT
DOESN'T MEAN PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO ART AND THE ARTS AND
THE WAY THE MUSEUM IS MAKING THAT AVAILABLE TO THE VIRTUAL
TOUR BUT ARE THOSE MAKING USE OF IT MORE OR ARE YOU SEEING THE
TRAFFIC INCREASE NOW THAT THE TRAFFIC IS INCREASING.
>> YES, THE TRAFFIC TO THE VIRTUAL MUSEUM HAS JUST
SKYROCKETED NOT ONLY HAVE WE BEEN BUILDING OUT THE DIGITAL
MUSEUM THE VIRTUAL MUSEUM FOR SOME TIME FROM VIRTUAL TOURS TO
VIRTUAL REALITY AUDIO TOURS BUT MOST NOTABLY, EDUCATION, A LOT
OF ART RESOURCES, JUST BEAUTIFUL VISUALS AS WELL AS VIDEOS, WE
HAVE VIDEOS OF ALL OF OUR EXHIBITIONS AND VIDEOS OF
ARTISTS.
A LOT OF MATERIAL TO ENJOY AND BE INSPIRED BY BUT THERE ARE A
COUPLE OF NEW THINGS THAT WE HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED.
WE ARE OFFERING A DAILY CLASS SKETCH A SMALL LITTLE SKETCH AT
HOME PROGRAM THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO WITH ONE OF OUR EDUCATORS.
THERE WILL BE SOME ENHANCED ENHANCED INNOVATION AND THERE'S
A NUMBER OF THINGS WE'RE PLANNING AND CONNECTING WITH
ARTISTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE MONTH AHEAD.
SO STAY TUNED.
YOU CAN FIND ALL OF THESE EXPERIENCES AT OUR WEBSITE WHICH
IS NRM.ORG.
>> AS I UNDERSTAND THOSE ARE FREELY AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE AND
YOU SENT OUT A VIDEO CALL TO ACTION MAKING THE PEOPLE AWARE
WHILE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT THE NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM IS PART
OF THAT.
YOU MADE AN INCREDIBLE ASK OF PEOPLE.
WAS THAT A DIFFICULT THING TO DO KNOWING WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING
THROUGH.
>> IT'S DIFFICULT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE CARE OF ALL THE
PEOPLE AND ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS AND PLACES WE VALUE IN OUR
SOCIETY.
WE PUT A CALL TO ACTION OUT FIRST FOR THE BROADER ARTS
COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF THE POTENTIAL OF 25%
OF THE JOBS IN BERKSHIRE COUNTY BEING DRIVEN BY THE CULTURAL
SECTOR.
ABOUT 15,000 JOBS ARE IN THE ARTS ORGANIZATION AND THE
HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM ORGANIZATIONS SO, YOU KNOW, WE
WANT TO CERTAINLY TAKE CARE OF ALL THE SECTOR AND THE EMPLOYED
ARTISTS AS WELL.
IT'S VITAL THAT WE ALSO SUSTAIN THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT DRIVE THE
ECONOMY HERE AND THAT WILL BE HERE TO ABOUT IT ECONOMY BACK
WHEN WE'RE ALL PERMITTED TO BE OUT AND ABOUT.