Group #3:​ Arts and Culture

Title: The Surviving Arts in 2020

TRT: 56:41

Producers:​ Seon Pollard, Vanessa Lucero, Laura Chavarry, Tenzin Chime

Seon Pollard​, 21, is a senior at Hunter College who is majoring in journalism and political
science. He wishes to pursue journalism or other career choices that involve writing, producing
multimedia content, and other skills he’s gained both academically and professionally. His work
is available here: ​https://seonpollard.wordpress.com/

Vanessa Lucero, ​21, is a senior at Hunter College majoring in Journalism. She has a strong
interest in radio and television production in either English or Spanish. She is also interested in
magazine writing for topics such as celebrities, music, Latinx community and more.

Laura Chavarry​, 23, is a senior at Hunter College majoring in Journalism and Theater. She is
an actress, writer, and fashion designer in her spare time. She has an interest in the performing
arts, fashion, music and culture. She wishes to cover stories relating to acting, film, new trends,
and Gen Z culture. She hopes to present her debut fashion line soon.

Tenzin Chime​, 21, is a senior at Hunter College majoring in Media Analysis and Criticism as
well as minoring in Journalism. Outside of school, she is a Communications intern at the
Students for a Free Tibet. She enjoys spending time with her family and watching horror movies
in her spare time. In the future, she hopes to have a career in non-profit.

Episode Breakdown​: ​Seon, Vanessa and Tenzin will focus on the art world while Laura will go
into depth about the fashion world’s decline in the industry. Seon and Laura factor in how the
pandemic affected the industry while Vanessa and Tenzin focus on the cultural side of art.
Vanessa goes into depth about the term machismo in Latin culture is depicted through Adriana
Taobada’s art and how people can relate. Tenzin will talk about three tibetan art exhibitions. At
the end we will come together and talk about the ideas we brought together with each of our
segments and any new skills we learned during the pandemic. As well as discuss how we relate
to our topics and why we choose it.
Whole Episode Image:

Seon Pollard’s segment

TRT: 10:41
FinalAudio:​https://drive.google.com/file/d/14KMtuBX3A21XqcIVw6757swLKnV-1wrw/view?
usp=sharing
Script​:​https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V_mQkpYsL9cvj_j4OWmm_trg4T9oJrICAQ2_m
q7geiU/edit?usp=sharing
Description:​ With unemployment looming and revenue lost, the COVID-19 pandemic has made
this year challenging for the arts industry. In this segment, learn about all of that and how one
artist is producing work reflective of the times and of her identity.
Images:​https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1k8Nvn8i8BZDV_aLZo1qc9jFppWuRM_2d?usp
=sharing

Vanessa Lucero’s segment

TRT:9:56
Draft Audio LINK:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pkFCLaurjqqfhISJsewaxrbIATz_NLoW/view?usp=sharin
g

Updated Final Link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aqt_lfjzMHVf2XGuhhsnn09ERB0PxhCi/view?usp=sharing
TRT: 13:48
SCRIPT:
(Updated)​https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BSR188YLiSpAvRFZfLNckqqYvcjDL8go
3IeBJtl7pxk/edit?usp=sharing
Image:

SHORT DESCRIPTION:​ Podcast host Vanessa and artist Adriana Taobada take a deep dive at
the term machismo. While the focus was suppose to be the diverse arts initiative Latin American
culture brings our attention to machismo. We’ve seen it but sometimes it can be brushed off as
normal. That’s not the case anymore, women are getting jobs, can provide for themselves instead
of relying on a man. Machismo is acceptable for past generations but times have changed slowly
we have seen changes within our own households.

Laura’s segment
TRT: 8:40 (Final)
Audio link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JdbJOweqsQLWuFEAV_ERoICk2UFWM6mA/view?usp=
sharing
Script:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Uoo-zizh4CnIaXtzIL0vT0JPCH4PuCyPxP1s49BqA
Rw/edit
Image:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lMfRTovEXqYlFgtY22RJ7rSMQb8hdxLN/view?usp=shar
ing

SHORT DESCRIPTION: ​Laura takes a look into how the fashion industry was brought to a
halt due to the pandemic, and how businesses tried to stay afloat in these unprecedented times.
Everyone in the fashion supply chain took a hit, with many designers cancelling production
contracts and leaving factories with tons of unpaid merchandise. Retailers saw a decrease in store
traffic and laid off thousands. Some stores even filed for bankruptcy. After months of lockdown
and an uncertain future, retailers are scrambling to increase profits during the holiday season in
any way they can. But one question remains: can the fashion industry ever recover from this.
Tenzin’s segment
Audio:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LYsdAUisufvEeu-4SEbegaqPKvPJBDRy/view?usp=sharin
g
Image:

In my segment, I talk about the various Tibetan art exhibitions that have taken place
during this year as well as the organizations that they are affiliated with. I primarily focus on
three which are Lion Rock Cafe, Yakpo Collective, and the Rubin Museum. I start out by
informing the listener with background about the group and then go into depth of what the
exhibition consisted of. In addition to this, I included an interview I had with Yangdzom Lama,
whose work is currently being exhibited at the Yakpo Collective.

INSERT TRANSITION MUSIC HERE

TRT 0:59
Host1 (Seon): Hi everyone! My name is Seon and welcome to this arts and culture podcast,
brought to you by Vanessa Lucero, Laura Chavarry (CHAH-VAH-REE), Tenzin Chime
(CHIM-MY) and of course, myself. Today, we’ll be taking a look at how COVID-19 has
impacted the arts and culture in New York City.
Vanessa and I will take a closer look at how the pandemic has impacted the economy as
well as how artists have adapted to the current circumstances and are still producing meaningful
work.
On the fashion side of things, Laura will take a deep dive into how the fashion industry
was impacted by the virus, and how a loss in profits has retailers scrambling this holiday season.
And Tenzin will give us an insight into cultural events taking place around the city.
We’ve got a full show for you today so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

*(INSERT TRANSITION MUSIC HERE)*

TRT 9:42
(ART SEGMENT)
Host 1 (Seon):

RT 2:55
LET’S START WITH AN ANALYSIS DONE BY THE RAND CORPORATION
ABOUT THE RISE IN UNEMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE IN THE ART SECTOR.
ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, UNEMPLOYMENT FOR
DANCERS, ACTORS, MUSICIANS AND OTHER PERFORMING ARTISTS, WENT FROM
ONE POINT SEVEN PERCENT IN JANUARY TO TWENTY SEVEN POINT FOUR
PERCENT IN MAY.
IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD, FOR VISUAL ARTISTS, PHOTOGRAPHERS,
WRITERS AND OTHER NON-PERFORMING ARTISTS, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
INCREASED FROM TWO POINT SEVEN PERCENT TO FOURTEEN POINT FIVE
PERCENT.
THEN IN A STUDY WHERE THEY GATHERED DATA FROM SELF-REPORTED
RESPONDENTS, THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS
FOUND THAT IN ARTS AND CULTURE NONPROFITS ACROSS THE CITY, OVER
FIFTEEN THOUSAND WORKERS HAVE BEEN LAID OFF OR FURLOUGHED.
AND THEN LET’S LOOK AT AN OCTOBER TWENTY FIRST TESTIMONY
RELEASED BY NON PARTISAN POLICY ORGANIZATION, CENTER FOR AN URBAN
FUTURE.
THEIR RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MANY SMALL AND MID-SIZED ARTS
ORGANIZATIONS IN NEW YORK PROJECT LOSSES OF REVENUE RANGING FROM
SEVENTEEN TO FIFTY PERCENT.
AND ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT BEEN
GOING ON IN ARTS THIS YEAR.

BUT DESPITE ALL THIS, SOCIETY HAS BEEN PUSHING FORWARD PAST ALL
THESE BOUNDARIES.
MANY PEOPLE, ARTISTS ESPECIALLY HAVE NOT LET THE PANDEMIC STOP
THEM AND CONTINUE TO RISE ABOVE THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
THIS BRINGS TO ME TO OUR FIRST GUEST, NOELLE SALAUN (NO-ELL
SUH-LON)
NOELLE SALAUN (NO-ELL SUH-LON) IS A NINETEEN YEAR OLD FRESHMAN
AT HUNTER COLLEGE. AS A STUDIO ARTS MAJOR, SHE IS MAINLY FOCUSED ON
FINE ARTS LIKE PAINTING AND SCULPTING BUT IS INTERESTED IN TEXTILE ART
TOO.
SHE IS ALSO A PART OF THE ARTS AMBASSADORS TEAM AT HUNTER, A
GROUP OF STUDENT VOLUNTEERS THAT SEEK TO BRING ARTS TO THE SCHOOL’S
COMMUNITY.
I SAT DOWN WITH SALAUN TO DISCUSS HOW SHE’S BEEN KEEPING BUSY
DURING THE PANDEMIC AND HOW ACTIVISM, CULTURE, AND HER OWN LIFE
EXPERIENCES INFLUENCE HER AS AN ARTIST.

Seon​: So, we know academics have been tough for many of us now that we’ve been completely
online. How have these months of the pandemic affected the work that you produce?
Salaun​: Of course, it does allow me to make more work and allows me to focus more diligently.
And it's really changed that I don't get input now from going to these cultural sites or museum
visits as I used to.

But at the same time, it's really inspired me to take up causes. That means a lot for me, it's
allowed me to get more access to more resources for me to make art about change and activism,
something that I've been a part of but can really engross myself in now.

Seon​: Have you always been involved in activism and change initiatives?

So I have interned at several places and volunteered. This is one place I'll just name, It was, I
was a part of Isamu Noguchi Internship as part of the teen advisory board. In one year, we were
able to make a public art exhibition where we got to talk to the community and survey and
interview them and ask them what was really going on.

So, the museum received an award for our efforts, which was really nice from the parks
department, but then we spoke to a lot of community leaders and members that said, People
need, there had to be more resources for the elderly and for teens. And we really strive to
implement that. And I've carried that everywhere I go, whether it's just trying to help out, uh,
other organizations, I'm a panelist for some, for some artists who asked me to speak for them.

RT (:13)
IN THE SUMMER, NOELLE (NO-ELL) RECEIVED A GRANT TO CREATE
ARTWORK THAT REFLECTED CENTRAL ISSUES THIS YEAR.
WITH HER PAINTING, WHICH IS TITLED, “NOT NEW YORK CITY,” SHE
TOUCHED UPON HOW RACIAL INJUSTICE AFFECTED THE PANDEMIC.

Seon:​ Now you also said that you were recently nominated for a micro grant to do a painting that
reflected something about the pandemic or the Black Lives Matter movement in some way. What
was the artistic process in creating that?

Salaun​: Uh, it started with some long research. Um, I was trying to connect what does being
black or what does being a minority or what does being impoverished have to do with the virus?

Because I've heard that the virus doesn't discriminate, illness doesn't discriminate, everyone's
affected. And what was clearly being missed was how these. Impoverished communities of black
and Latino people had got hit the hardest and for so many reasons, but, you know, just to name a
few that the testing wasn't there first, they didn't care to have the testing there.

And these people had to still go to work and couldn't do it remotely. They were the people who
were giving you your groceries and, you know, cleaning and all these types of things. So I really
wanted to draw attention. To that. So that was just kind of the foundation in my painting, the
background, instead of being painted, it's actually a plastered article from other sources from the
CDC, which originally refused to acknowledge the correlation between being a minority and the
virus, which now has to, um, recognize it.
Seon:​ And I can imagine it took quite some time to make it perfect and reflect that through the
artwork.

Salaun:​ It was a lot of, because easily, there are a lot of misinformation and wrong sources out
there. I wanted to remove all that kind of compiling the data, choosing what sources I was going
to use. And then. Well, how do you make all that information into a painting for people?

And so from there I decided there were all these graphs and there were all these kind of maps
and numbers, but no one can look at all of this at once. So I wanted my painting to be kind of a
capture of a map and a graph in this moment in time.

RT (:10)

IN HER FINAL THOUGHTS, NOELLE (NO-ELL) GOES A LITTLE DEEPER INTO

HOW HER CULTURAL IDENTITY, INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES AND ACTIVISM ALL
FUEL HER ARTISTRY.

Seon:​ One of your upcoming art pieces is about colorism. What inspired you to work on that
topic?

Salaun​: I'm Dominican and a lot of people tell me I don't look Dominican because Dominican
has a color or a hair type or an eye color.

And. There's always been this argument. Um, what, what color is, is a race? What color is an
ethnicity? And it's something that's always bothered me. And I wasn't sure how I was going to
portray that because. I, my entire life have had to prove my ethnicity and at the same time, get
discriminated for it. And then other people say, Oh, well, it's a good thing you represent white.
Because that means you might have more opportunities. So I'm like the same people who refuse
to hire minorities. Hear my accent. It's a speech impediment, by the way, I don't have an accent.
Um, and still refuse to hire me or will, or will refuse or have an issue with me, or if they know I
make it very public, my ethnicity so if they, you can Google me and it will come up. So it's been
something that's bothering me for a long time.

Seon:​ And any last words about what influences you to do the art that you do?

My inspiration for art. I don't think I touched on it, but I, all my art that I make is through my
own lens.

I don't feel as though I can make art on topics. I can’t speak on. I cannot speak of. being a black
woman or, or representing as a Black Dominican woman cause that's just not my story. And I
just feel like some people would argue, well, you are a minority. No, I just don't. I feel like that's
correct. And I can only express through my art, what I've gone through.

And I hope through all my paintings that there's not one style or one technique, but there is that
this is what I've been through and this is how I'm interpreting it. And this is my spin on it. And.
For my art. I definitely want to move towards more activism. This is something that I've been
very passionate about and I feel moving forward, I want to do more.

My art in the past has been about domestic abuse and of course my take on it. My art's been
about, you know, drug, uh, drug abuse and those types of serious. Issues, but now even more so
just moving out of my own bubble, but just how, like this idea of race, how is my interpretation
of it? And I want to focus now on the idea of domestic violence, but on a bigger scale, I want to
do something, talking about the women in Turkey and kind of drawing attention to that.

RT (:24)
IT WAS SO INTERESTING TO LEARN WHAT INSPIRED NOELLE TO BE THE
ARTIST SHE IS TODAY AND TO HEAR HOW THE PANDEMIC HAS NOT STOPPED
HER.
AND….THE LEARNING ONLY CONTINUES AS I TAKE A STEP BACK AND
HAND THE SHOW TO VANESSA, WHO WILL LET US IN ON THE LIFE OF ANOTHER
ARTIST WHO DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM HER CULTURE.
STAY TUNED.

*Insert Transition Music Here*

(Art/Culture Segment)
Host 2 (Vanessa Lucero): Hey it's your host Vanessa. And today I am going to talk about how
the art world has changed drastically over the last year, museums and cultural institutions had to
close its doors. But one advantage the art world has seen is that it has become more accessible to
the public globally. People are now able to go on museum tours virtually, no matter where they
are in the world.

While scrolling through instagram and coming across Senator Jessica Ramos instagram story
about a Jackson Heights street art event. It caught my attention and made me want to learn that
the diverse streets initiative had put together this event and had a few other public events in New
York City.

Diverse streets initiative transforms streets into public, performative and equitable spaces
through the arts. The diverse street initiatives goal is to provide people of color and immigrants a
platform to express themselves with their art. Whether that will be through music, designs,
historical narratives and more.

DSI hopes that this movement will become an avenue for learning cultural exchange. While
further navigating their instagram page coming across a color striking painting of three women
working in a field, led to a conversation with artist Adriana Taboada.

Adriana is currently attends Queens College as a full time student majoring in studio art. We talk
about her career goals and how she took part of the diverse streets initiative.

SOT:
So last year in 2019, I took an illustration class with one of the now co-founders of diverse
streets initiative. Her name is Kim. We didn’t really talk in class but had mutual respect for each
other’s work and talked about it. She was very interested in like social activism and getting the
message out there. I never considered myself an activist. I think now I would change that, I
would say that I am but not forefront. A few months ago, she reached out to me on instagram and
she was looking for artists to show up in Artist.

I’ve gotten reached out by people from like Latinx culture or descent.And they say, I remember
one girl, your paintings feel like home. And I thought that was very touching,very sweet, a little
bit sad too but if we can all relate on that ground then I would say it was a success. But in terms
of fear, there is always that fear of either people I guess in the more snotty community, that it's
not intellectual enough or maybe it’s too literal or maybe it is not as transparent as it can be.
Which is why feedback is very good and I love it when people tell me when or what they feel or
what they get out of the work. Even if it's bad and they are like I don’t get it, I don’t like it. And
then it's like at least I got something to work with.

I guess as someone who is young in the art field and more open to the idea of that ambiguity, I
am very privileged and fortunate to be in a family who is not in financial difficulties. I am open
to the idea of working multiple jobs in the career field. I used to work in an art gallery in
Brooklyn. The pay was fine, the experience really allowed me to see that this would be
something that I can see myself doing. And it was really something very small too. It was really
like going around the gallery and talking to artists who were interested in displaying their work.
Handling work, shipping it, like that sort of regularity really spoke to me as well as just
interacting with art. Being like a coordinator or a gallery manager, in that regard. My goal isn’t
to be the star of any show but to get the message out there and cultivate a sense of community
through art. Whether it be an art community or a smaller art community within the Latinx
community, that sort of niche if that is what my goal would entail.

We further discussed the inspiration behind her paintings and the role Latinx culture plays in her
artwork.

SOT: My father use to paint, not professionally but just like in his free time. So I would sit down
with him and paint. The desire to cultivate a style and improve my skill set didn’t come until
later, maybe I was around 10 or 11 years old and can see myself doing it in the long term.
Working primarily in black and white but then paint seems like a more fun option. So as I
progressed down the line, painting became mostly what I’ve done or gravitated towards.
Painting as a medium it calls to me because it is versatile. You can blend, it is a variety of colors
but you are still working on the 2 dimensional style surface. As for inspiration, visually I don’t
have a lot of inspiration like just looking at the world. But I do like dream imaginary, surrealism,
it speaks to me as well as magical realism. Which is where the Latin American aspects sneak into
it because I am very fond Latina culture.

I think this imagery of like harvesters is something that is very iconic in Latin American art. So it
is like Deigo Rivera and popular muralists that paint these anonymous women in the field of
flowers and it's very vibrant. When I look at it from a more feminist perspective, I do see
influences of machismo in it type of art. Where first of all, the women who are working, they are
the ones who don’t show their faces, like there is always another focus on work, on everything
but them. Machismo is a big part of Latin American culture. As a woman doing it I felt a more
deeper desire to convey a more melancholic feeling, one that evokes sympathy. The colors are
more muted, the roses are radiant this type of light that illuminates their backs. Roses have this
theme of being very beautiful but also being very harmful. That women when they’re look at for
beauty, that in order to obtain that beauty, they pick the rose and risk cutting up their hands.

I was not born in a Latin American country, my parents were, I was raised in New York. So the
exposure I’ve had to Latin American culture has been through my family, through my
neighborhood, through friends and one the most prominent aspects is machismo. Men leer at
you, objectify you, it is something that I know even in my own home life. Like sometimes my
mom’s male friends will say something weird to me ever since I turned 18, sometimes they
would be very coquettish and that speaks to me. Take that type of imagery and make it somber.

RT: Machismo is a strong sense of masculine pride, they are there to provide and protect their
family. Shows a more traditional idea of what Latin American parents and older generations
grew up learning that a woman should be at home taking care of the kids and serving her
husband. Being submissive but times have changed and women have a stronger voice now
against violence and injustice. They go to work and not only rely on men. They have come a
long way and they are still fighting for equality. Thanks for listening and up next is Laura who
will talk about how the pandemic has affected the fashion world.

*(INSERT TRANSITION MUSIC HERE*

(FASHION SEGMENT)
Host 3 (Laura)​:
Out of the many industries affected by COVID-19, the one that took the biggest hit was
definitely the fashion world.
In mere days companies had to make critical decisions on whether their businesses would
close, order new inventory, or shift to an online presence. Some survived, some didn’t.
Runway shows were cancelled. Masks became the new trend. And thousands of retail
workers were laid off or fired. Everything came to a standstill.
Despite the challenges, many companies rose to the occasion, and are now in a frenzy to
increase their profits during the holiday season. Let’s take a look at the state of fashion in this
chaotic year.

New York Fashion Week is definitely one of the things that makes the city a cultural
epicenter. Every year talented designers showcase their new collections to buyers, the media, and
influencers alike. Tourists and locals hang around show locations in an effort to get a glimpse of
a celebrity or supermodel, and all the fashion magazines race to declare a new trend or color for
the year. This year things were different.
Reuters reported that fashion week was limited to a few socially distanced shows and
some that were live streamed online. Couture Houses in Europe followed suit, with Versace,
Fendi, and Armani showcasing their collections online and through social media.
 In a videochat series from Vogue, designer Marc Jacobs said ​“What I do and the clothes
that I make and the way we present a show, it feels like that probably will never exist as we
know it, the way we did it.” He also highlighted how self-isolation really took away from his
team being able to collaborate and bring a collection to life. Jacobs is also one of the few
designers who is not currently producing his Fall 2020 collection, and has not begun developing
his Spring 2021 collection.
Anna Wintour, chief editor of Vogue, believes that the pandemic can serve as a catalyst
to upend the old ways of working and make fashion new. To find new methods of producing,
selling, and appealing to younger shoppers who can revive the industry. She says “​Yes​, fashion
shows can be virtual experiences that still harness emotion—and engage millions. ​Yes,​ retail
stores have a future, as places of connection and community—not just commerce. ​Yes,​ we should
produce less—but what we produce must be more valuable and meaningful to those who want
it.”
But while high fashion didn’t face much hardship, department stores and other mass
retailers had to sort out their priorities in order to keep business alive.

Sometimes circumstances are far beyond our control. No one saw this pandemic coming,
and the carefully curated, meticulous fashion industry was not ready for their world to be turned
upside down, at least not in one fell swoop.
The statistics are astounding. The New York Times reported that J.Crew, Neiman
Marcus, Brooks Brothers, and J.C. Penney filed for bankruptcy this year alone. Century 21 went
out of business, as did Lord and Taylor. Add to that a 79% decrease in clothing sales, and it
paints a depressing picture. For some, the doors closed for good.

It’s not just stores that are hurting. The entire clothing supply chain has been disrupted, as
garment workers have been laid off and manufacturers have ended up with massive amounts of
unsold inventory. Some entities didn’t even have the funds to pay garments workers who had
already made items for them, like Kohl’s, who cancelled large orders from factories in Asia. An
unintended effect of the virus has subsequently exposed the longtime power imbalance between
third world countries and the US/Europe. While some retailers were committed to paying
factories for their labor, other companies like Walmart, TopShop, and Urban Outfitters refused to
honor their contracts. If you have a conscience, keep that in mind the next time you choose to go
shopping.

Many designers have opted to forego in-store representation and have now shifted to a
direct-to-consumer model, allowing customers to order from their website. Some partnered with
online retailers like Amazon, while others chose to connect with shoppers through social media.
Brands like FashionNova, PrettyLittleThing, and Meshki have proven to be hits on Instagram,
and have gained a massive following over time. FashionNova’s meteoric success was tracked by
retail market blog Edited, who reported that “Fashion Nova continuously puts its efforts into
expanding its Instagram presence. They post new content every 30 minutes on the @fashionnova
Instagram, which currently boasts 15.6m followers. Collaborative collections with high profile
celebrities such as Cardi B has legitimized the brand even further.”
Online shopping became even more popular than it was before the pandemic, since
people can easily shop from home. CNBC reported that online spending on Black Friday
increased by 22% and that Cyber Monday Online sales reached a new record of $10.8 billion.
This gives brands an incentive to invest more in their online presence, since it will be key to
attracting more customers.

The future of traditional brick-and-mortar stores is something that many companies are
worried about. Paying rent for a place that will get little to no foot traffic during a pandemic can
be a significant financial loss, oftentimes a loss many can’t afford. Several high fashion Fifth
Avenue stores tried to end their leases early to no avail. Others closed locations permanently.
Small boutiques and family stores found themselves in jeopardy of losing it all. With the shift to
online shopping becoming popular, what happens to physical stores?
In one of Vogue’s Global Conversations several experts tackled this subject and offered
thoughtful solutions. A representative from Tory Burch said that by checking up on customers as
a friend, it opened up a channel of sales that didn’t exist before. He suggested an emotional
aspect to retail to draw customers in: “​Show [emotion] in your product, in the way you set up
your store, the way you talk to your customer, in the tools that you’re using—just show yourself;
we are trying to position ourselves as more of a place than a store: a safe place to be, a friendly
place to be, a place that is always open for you. … That function of security and a safe place to
be, as soon as we reopen, is going to be even more important.”

Macy’s is one of the well-known big retailers that got impacted by the pandemic. By the
end of April, they closed all their stores for about 3 months, and many employees (myself
included) were furloughed. They reopened in late July, and tried to recoup lost profits by putting
the entire store on sale. It wasn’t enough. Fortune reported that sales fell by 21% in the third
quarter, which is slightly better than competitors Target and Walmart. At this rate, it’ll take the
vaccine to bring the crowds and sales back to stores.
Now that the holiday season is in full swing, I’ve noticed that customers tend to have
similar shopping habits. During Black Friday, only 2 out of the 9 floors were crowded: The sixth
floor (Bed & Bath) and the eighth floor (kitchen/cookware). It seems that since everyone’s
spending time at home, they want to buy stuff to improve their experience and make themselves
more comfortable. Makes sense!

Despite the worldwide chaos, some see this time as a unique opportunity to press the
reset button on the fashion industry. For a while it has spiralled out of control, from the frequent
fashion shows to the harmful effects of fast fashion, many designers and their teams were worn
out over the ever-changing schedule of events they had to be at or present their collections at.
Some designers want to be more eco-friendly, like Prabal Gurung, who was chosen to be a part
of a new CFDA initiative to rebuild his brand’s supply chain using more sustainable methods. If
fashion continues down this path, they may be able to reduce pollution and also help save the
planet.
There are many questions about the industry possibly bouncing back once the vaccine is
announced. We truly won’t know anything for sure until a cure is found, but until then, we can
continue to keep ourselves healthy and shop from the comfort of our home. And while we’re
there, we can also take a glance at the many cultural events related to Tibetan art going on in the
city. Tenzin has more on that in the next segment.
*(INSERT TRANSITION MUSIC HERE)*

(CULTURE SEGMENT)
As Laura discussed, the fashion industry was hit hard by the pandemic. But one thing that hasn’t
been affected is the showcase of Tibetan art. Tibetan art is very niche. Many people don’t know
about it or even care. However, that hasn’t stopped the artists because the Tibetan art industry is
booming in New York.

During the beginning of my internship at Students For a Free Tibet, I got an opportunity to
volunteer at the Lion Rock Cafe art exhibition. The Lion Rock Cafe, founded in 2019, brings
together New Yorkers who have their hearts in Hong Kong. The “cafe” borrows their concept
from a French Salon which means there is no fixed location as well as no coffee served. They
aim to create open conversations to discuss current affairs in Asia through arts. In the long term,
the Lion Rock Cafe hopes to establish itself as a gathering space for individuals and artists, who
believe in the same set of universal values of freedom, democracy and justice.

When I volunteered at Lion Rock Cafe, it was the opening day of “Disappearing Map”.
“Disappearing Map” is an art exhibition in collaboration with Keep Taiwan Free and Students
for Free Tibet. The exhibition featured artworks in support of each group’s unique culture and
ethnicities. Through this exhibit, Lion Rock Cafe hoped to establish an avenue for people to
experience the fragility of culture and heritage as interpreted by the people and organizations
who campaign to protect their identities. A featured artist includes Zunzi, the prominent Hong
Kong political cartoonist.

Recently, Zunzi stated that he won't back down from drawing images that sharply criticize the
Chinese leadership, despite the passing of the controversial security law. In an interview with
Canada Broadcasting Corporation Radio, Zunzi talks about how he comes up with the drawings
stating, “Political leaders want cartoonists to make them look ugly, because that makes people
scary. So what I did is the other way around, and make them look foolish and stupid.”

Similar to the Lion Rock Cafe, the Yakpo Collective has been active during the pandemic as
well. Yakpo Collective is dedicated to the Tibetan Contemporary Art Movement. They provide a
creative platform that showcase contemporary artworks by Tibetan artists. They state their
mission to be to represent and create a safe space for Tibtan artists from across the world. They
exhibit works of art beyond how the mainstream media portrays the Tibetan diaspora.

Yakpo Collective has had two exhibitions during the pandemic. One of them is called,
“Transcending Boundaries”. Transcending Boundaries is the first virtual exhibition from the
Yakpo Collective. The theme of ‘art transcending geographical boundaries’ has been explored
continuously throughout art history. However, what is often overlooked are the boundaries —
both physical and mental— that are created through our experiences within our immediate
environments and communities. The exhibition presents a selection of work by Tibetan artists
from both inside and outside Tibet.

On October 27th, they had a pop-up exhibition at Dawa’s NYC, a Tibetan restaurant located in
Queens. The event highlighted artists whose works were exhibited in the virtual exhibition.
Despite the pandemic, the collective was able to host a successful pop-up while still maintaining
social distancing guidelines.
[INCLUDE INTERVIEW HERE]

Contemporary Tibetan art has been around for a while. It refers to the art of modern Tibet, or
Tibet after 1950. It can also refer to art by the Tibetan diaspora, which is explicitly political and
religious. Contemporary Tibetan art includes modern thangka paintings, which are religious
scrolls, as well as radical, avant-garde, works.
A popular contemporary Tibetan artist is Karma Phuntsok. ​Born in Lhasa, Karma Phuntsok and
his family fled Tibet in 1959 when he was just a child, after the uprising. Over the years, his
interest in art grew. True to his hard-working nature, he took on many jobs before he decided to
earn a living as an artist. In 1973, he began to study with a master Tibetan Thangka painter in
Nepal. Phuntsok’s artwork is currently being sold on artfortibet.org. Art for Tibet was founded in
2009 by Students for a Free Tibet in order to raise critical funds. If you’re interested, feel free to
check out his work as well as the work of other artists on artfortibet.org.

Tibetan artwork, although underrated, has found a home in New York where people are able to
discover its creativity and boldness. Hopefully, once the pandemic is over, people will be able to
enjoy more of these exhibitions in person rather than virtually.

*INSERT TRANSITION MUSIC HERE*

(Group Roundtable Discussion via Zoom)

Host 3 (Laura): This year, the pandemic forced many cultural institutions in New York City to
close its doors. The plans people had made to go outside and have fun were cancelled. Some of
these places were like a beacon of hope for us, places where we made precious memories and got
inspired in some way. In this virtual roundtable discussion, we talk about the places that we
missed while we were in quarantine, and what we are looking forward to once COVID is over.

Laura: ​What did you guys miss while we were all in quarantine? Was there a specific place or
area or an event that you were looking forward to that you kind of missed out on? Because it just
got canceled?

Seon: ​Yeah, actually one event that I'm bummed that I didn't get to go to was a cultural event
that my church usually holds every year. It's called like an international festival and people from.
They're mainly Caribbean countries and we all just come together, share food, talk about
different things and learn about everybody's culture individually.So I was kind of bummed out
that I didn't get to see that or experience it. Cause it's always like one of my favorite events that
we have.

Tenzin: ​That sounds fun. What activities do you guys usually do there?
Seon: ​Well, aside from eating food, we usually have like a little bit of dancing and stuff, or
there's different presentations from each country. So we all actually like, learn something new
about the people that we're with, like every week.

Tenzin what about you? What event did you miss from this year?

Tenzin: ​I mean, there's a lot of things that were cancelled because of the whole pandemic. But I
think the one thing I miss most is theaters because it's like the one thing that's stayed closed, like
restaurants have opened and like museums have opened up, but movie theaters are still not safe
to go to.

And I think I miss that the most because that is like the hangout place that me and my
sisters go to, like, we try to watch movies in the theater, like once a month and not doing that has
stopped us from exploring the city and, um just like having fun. I mean, that's like the memory I
associate most with, like with my sister is because we, we just love movies. We love
entertainment and like being in that dark theater for two hours, it just it's, I don't know. It's fun
for me.

Do you guys also miss movie theaters?

Laura: ​Yeah, definitely. And going off of that, um, aside from movie theaters, I definitely
missed Broadway. Um, right when the shutdown happened, it was around my birthday and I was
supposed to see a show actually, and we couldn't go because the entire theater district was shut
down. And even up until now, we don't know when they're going to open again. So I was kinda
upset about that.

Um, I was also​ ​kind of disappointed that the MET museum shut down for a while. Um, I
really like going there and it had really nice memories of looking at the art and feeling really
immersed in that area.

So it was like a really relaxing, calm space for me, where I could just like, look at the art
and just reflect on life and stuff. And, um, I guess having it shut down kind of, don’t know, it
took away inspiration, I guess. But, um, I do know it opened back up recently and that's great
and that they're taking good safety measures. So I'm glad that we can go now and enjoy it still.

Seon: ​I mean, hopefully everything opens up soon. Cause I know, um movie theaters, at least
they're like now all of the blockbuster movies they plan to release this year, they're probably
some of them I know are releasing them like on Disney plus or like Starz, like different
streaming services, but they're still like making you pay for it.

And I know they kind of have no choice in that sense because they still have to make a
profit.

Tenzin: ​Yeah. Um, I don't know if you guys heard, but there's this one theater that called them
Alamo draft house, which they're doing like a trial where like a party can rent out a theater for
like a specific amount. And, um, it can just be like only them in the theater. So I don't know what
you guys thought about that.
Seon: ​I think I heard about that. I actually think it's a pretty good idea. Like it's helpful because
you can still go and enjoy the movies, but, um, social distance, it's only you and like people that
you trust. So I think it's pretty understandable.

Tenzin: ​Yeah. I think if they started doing it in like more states, I think it's only like Texas
they're doing that right now, but if it like expanded to other states, I feel like it would really be
good for people because I think they'd prefer that rather than like, Rather than like them, that
rather than like theaters taking social distancing measures, because it's only the people they
know, like you said.

Would you guys do it, if it was like me or you guys?

Seon: ​Hmm… I think I might take the chance possibly of like, just making sure. Yeah. I think I
would. I think it would rely on me trusting the people that I'm with, but I think I probably would.

Tenzin: ​Yeah. same.

Laura: ​yeah. Um, I, I might be a little bit hesitant to do that. I mean, I think even if I would
consider it, everyone who I would be going with would have to be tested first and, you know,
social distancing and all that. But, it does seem like a good start like in a way to make things go
back to normal.

Vanessa: ​Yeah, I think to add on, I don't know if I would do it like in the city. I would like to do
something like that in Long Island, just because of the space. I think the theaters are much larger
and I don't know. I feel like, um, the bigger the space, the better. Um, but of course everybody
would get tested as well. Um, so yeah.

Laura: ​I think the biggest thing that everybody was looking forward to and I mean literally
everybody was concerts. I know I, myself, had like four or five tickets to different shows this
year. I was really excited to go. I already made plans with my friends and we're already picking
out outfits and what we were going to do before the show and then they said stuff had to get
postponed. Some shows got canceled, we got refunds. And for some other shows, we don't know
what's going on. And I feel like, honestly, it, it was a big hit for everyone. Like people took
losses from that. Not only like the artists, but their touring crew, the fans, venue staff, then it's
like, how would concerts work going forward in the future?

Like what precautions would we have to take in order to make it happen or as make it as
normal as possible? So, I don't know if the vaccine is going to be able to bring back the original
environment we had with concerts, but I guess we'll have to see.

Tenzin: ​I also have like a couple of concerts planned, um, and it sucks because like they were
canceled.

I wouldn't say oh, but, um, I know like most of the concerts that I had planned, like they,
after the pandemic, like they started doing like online concerts. So, through YouTube live
streaming, that's what me and my sisters are listening to. So I guess it was like, it wasn't that bad
of a transition to like put concerts online.
Vanessa: ​I dunno, but like, I mean, if we get this pandemic under control and everything, how
would you guys feel like in general admission concerts, you know, where people just they're all
like crowded in the front of the stage? Like, how would you feel about going back to concerts
like that?

Laura: ​Well, um, It would be weird. I mean, I feel like people would be a little bit more
conscious about how close they are to people. I've also been seeing that a lot of people think they
might keep up the mask thing for a while, even at concerts cause they're like they still don't trust
other people and what precautions others might be taking.

But I also saw this really interesting picture on Twitter, about some music festival. They
made like little square platforms for like two to four people. And then they separated them over
like six feet. So it's like a little square for every six feet distance. And that's how people were
seated at this festival.

So it's like everyone had their own little area. It wasn't like general admission where
everyone was squashed. Everyone had their little spot. And I feel like that made things a little bit
more organized and a little bit more safe so that people could enjoy their stuff, know where
they're seated and not have people be on top of each other and risk getting the virus.

Seon: ​That also sounds like a good idea. As long as people will just make sure that they like
socially distance and keep to their spaces. Cause I know some people. Are not exactly fans of
that but if they abide by it, then it'll definitely work. I don't know how it would feel just going
back in general admission, I'd probably still be a little bit on the edge a little bit too. And
hopefully the vaccine will be as effective as possible. So that could happen, but who knows?

Tenzin: ​Yeah. I heard about the like platform, social distancing that you were talking about
Laura, but I also saw this other concert where it's like, it was like a metal band and they were,
they had all their concert goers and like these little bubbles. So I feel like, um, if the measures
were taken, like to that extent, then it would be possible for me to go. But if it's like, Going back
to normal with everyone crowded up in the front, then yeah, I think I would stay away from that.

Seon: ​Which, um, do you guys have any, I guess, specific concerts that you guys were planning
to go to or artists to see?

Laura: ​I was going to go see several different artists, like a whole different variety. I had more
Broadway shows on my list though, but I guess all that had to be put on hold because, um, they
said Barbara might reopen in 2021, probably in the spring. But even then we don't know. So,
yeah, we're still waiting on that.

Tenzin: ​I had a couple. They're mostly like electronic bands, like Gareth Emery, um, star fucker,
if you guys know them. Res, these probably sound like not interesting, but they're pretty fun, but
hopefully next year they like reschedule and then that becomes an option

Vanessa: ​I was hoping to go to England and attend a concert there. Um, but yeah, that didn't
happen. So I was very sad about that. I think with​ ​a few friends, we were planning to go see
Harry Styles. Um, but that didn't happen as well. And just before Broadway closed, I was
actually thinking about going to see the waitress on Broadway, but yeah, that didn't happen as
well.

So everything was put on hold. So there was no more planning, no more concerts. And
hopefully soon, I don't know yet. If I would go to a concert at least next year for now, maybe
2022.

Vanessa: ​So for me, what I was upset about was the closure of the holiday market in Court
Square. I don't exactly go there to buy, but I do go there for inspiration and I just like the smell of
hot chocolate and all those scented candles. It just, it's a nice atmosphere, especially during finals
week. And like, it gives you inspiration for homemade gifts and just Christmas, it gets into the
Christmas vibes. So I really miss that. And I don't know, it's just that market specifically that I
like walking around, even though sometimes it's very crowded, but it just, it gets you into the
heart, into the holiday spirit.

Laura: ​So yeah, bouncing off of that concept about what's different in the city, there's one thing
that I actually don't miss and I'm thankful that we don't have any more. And that's the tourists. I
mean before Manhattan was so crowded and there were so many tourists everywhere, and they're
kind of annoying, I guess, for most New Yorkers, that's what we think about them.

Um, but, uh, this is the one year that we did not have any tourists and the few times that I
did go outside, it was amazing. Like, it was just the locals. It was just us. So I feel like I could
enjoy the city a little bit more peacefully. I mean, even busy places, like Times Square weren't
packed. So I felt like I could walk calmly and enjoy the day without tourists, mobbing, or taking
pictures with the people dressed up as characters. So yeah, that kind of did bring you some peace
of mind.

Tenzin: ​Yeah. The few times that I've been in the city so far, it's been a lot less crowded than
last year, but I don't know if that's due to the tourists or because everyone in New York is staying
home because of the pandemic.

Laura: ​I feel like a lot of new art pieces and installations and just artistic work in general is
going to come out of this pandemic. And some of it we're already seeing right now, um, I think
there are already some art exhibits up in some museums where they're just displaying work that
artists have made in galleries on themes on the pandemic.

I was watching the news the other day and they were talking about how a hospital worker
was making art related to the pandemic after he saw it all first hand so it's just really
interesting-what the future of arts is going to look like now that this virus has just deeply
impacted society, you know?

Seon: ​Yeah, I can definitely say it's definitely going to be interesting. And it's also important too,
that they, in some way, all of us kind of shine a light on all of that artwork, because it is
reflective of like a real life experience as something that’s serious that we're going through. So it
would be beneficial for us to learn from what that artwork holds.
Seon:​ I guess I'm looking forward to possibly going to Guyana maybe like next year around
December and stuff. Um, cause I know like my family has been urging me like, “Oh, when are
you going to go to Guyana?” cause that's where they're from, like ethnically. And I haven't been
there since like 2007, but I think it would be a nice opportunity to just travel and experience the
vibe in a country that is not like the U.S. and everything. And to connect, I guess, culturally and
see what. Everything is like in a different place.

(OUTRO)
Host 3 (Laura): Once again, thank you for tuning in and spending time with us. We hope that you
enjoyed today’s episode, and we’ll see you next time. This has been Laura Chavarry,
Host 1 (Seon): Seon Pollard,
Host 2 (Vanessa): Vanessa Lucero,
Host 4 (Tenzin): and Tenzin Chime.
Everyone: Bye!

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