Local Arts Establishments Hoping to
Come Back from Lost Revenue
54 JUNE 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY LAUREN LAVELLE
As COVID-19 restrictions lighten
and the path to normal life
seems a bit more clear, local
arts lovers can rejoice as theaters
art galleries organize new exhibits.
“It’s wonderful to be able to
provide the performing arts with a
community after such a devastating
time,” said Jonathan Vena, vice president
of Marketing and Public Relations
at the Count Basie Center for
cultural arts center located in Red
Bank. “Thanks to our community,
our donors, sponsors and a dedicated
Board of Trustees, we were able
to survive the worst of it. But like
many businesses, surviving came
at the cost of furloughs, cuts in pay,
less opportunity to be an economic
engine for our region and a reduced
Originally established in 1926
as the Reade’s Carlton Theater, Count Basie captures the local Jersey
charm while remaining one of the most well-known and respected theaters
throughout the Garden State. With performances from Bruce Springsteen,
Joan Jett, Bon Jovi and hundreds of other musical legends echoing
throughout its halls, Count Basie has remained a staple in the community
Like many businesses though, the wrath of COVID-19 was unkind
and forced the theater to go dark in March 2020 following a performance
from singer Tony Bennett. With performances and shows postponed or
canceled, Vena said Count Basie entered into survival mode, and strate-
“We presented drive-in concerts, created an outdoor supper club and
were able to sell more than 30,000 tickets,” he said.
The theater also debuted its new performance venue, The Vogel, in
October 2020 following Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order that allowed
performing arts spaces to reopen to limited audiences.
to be optimal for the seated, socially distanced, limited-capacity shows
we’re able to produce under state protocols,” Vena said.
In addition to its shows and performances, Count Basie also offers
arts education programs to communities in need, which were able to be
held virtually, according to Vena.
Now, with summer quickly approaching, Count Basie will continue
to host its “Concerts On The Green” series at the Suneagles Golf Club in
Eatontown, along with programming at The Vogel and its new “Concerts
On The Plaza” series presented outside its Red Bank theater.
While Vena looks forward to Count Basie’s future, times are still
tough for the legendary theater. With capacity restricted to only 30 percent,
Count Basie is far from its pre-pandemic days.
-
ater environment. Until we have the green light to operate at 100 percent
capacity with distancing, we have concerns for the performing arts as a
whole. But like we have since the onset of COVID-19, we won’t stop trying
Another aspect of the arts that found itself in a tough spot as the
art studio and exhibition hall by its founder, Yvonne Aubert, in 1960,
the Guild hosts art shows, painting classes, and art-focused clubs while
remaining a creative outlet for local artists wishing to showcase and improve
their work.
Unsurprisingly, when COVID-19 took the world by storm, it took The
Guild with it and forced its doors shut to its members, exhibitors, students
and the general public in March 2020.
“We lost gallery rental revenues and even had to refund artists
who had rented the gallery for their 2020 exhibits which had to be canceled,”
said Vicky Culver, coordinator of Gallery Exhibits at the Guild.
continued on page 55
/TheJournalNJ.com