The buzz of artists at work on Anderson Ranch Arts Center’s idyllic Snowmass Village campus was silenced by the novel coronavirus pandemic. But since the nonprofit announced in late April that it was moving its signature summer workshops online, a geographically diverse community of makers has flocked to the virtual Ranch.
More than 50 workshops have launched since early May, most selling out, and through reduced tuition options for artists impacted by the COVID-19 economic crisis, it’s reaching new communities of artists.
Over the last month, the popular virtual sessions — dubbed Innovation Studios — have convinced Ranch administrators to continue hosting online classes in perpetuity, even after the campus opens, in addition to its on-site program.
“They are here to stay,” said Andrea Wallace, the Ranch’s director of photography and new media.