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Museums Seek Silver Lining After One Year Of Closure
Museums in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties will be allowed to open again starting Monday.
In counties that have reached the red tier, museums can accommodate visitors at 25% capacity, with COVID-19 safety protocols in place.
After being closed for about a year, some institutions are looking for the silver lining in their pandemic experiences.
John Echeveste, the CEO of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in downtown, said the pandemic forced the museum to find innovative ways of making art more accessible.
“The real change ... is that we have done a lot more virtual programming,” he said. “We do our En Casa con LA Plaza streaming program three times a week, and we've also moved several of our exhibits to a digital platform.”
LA Plaza hopes to reopen by March 29. At that time, appointments will be required, and can be made online.
Hammer Museum spokesman Fred Yeries said after a year of being closed, they are looking forward to opening the doors.
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“The majority of our staff is in place, with the exception of our student staff, who serve as our ambassadors when visitors come to the museum,” he said. “A lot of the students are either not in class or [not] available immediately, so we're really starting the process to re-engage them.”
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