Oglebay Institue has planned special online offerings due to COVID-19 cancelations of plays, concerts, art, dance and nature classes and the closing of museums, theaters, and galleries.
Oglebay Institute is working on ways to continue to serve the community during this time of social distancing and sheltering at home. Even though their brick-and-mortar sites are temporarily closed, they will be utilizing social media to stay engaged and connected with patrons, whose loyal support makes all that they do possible.
Available Activities
Below is a list of some of the activities that will take place through the OI Facebook page.
Nature Time with the Schrader Center
Every day at 3 p.m. you can enjoy a short video on plant, animal or tree identification, feeding demonstrations, and other cool nature-themed topics.
Listening Through the Lens: The Musical Portraits of George J. Kossuth
The Museums of Oglebay Institute will digitally share George J. Kossuth’s photographic portraits that immortalized internationally renowned musicians, singers, composers and conductors who visited Wheeling in the early-mid 1900s. A different portrait and bio will be shared every day at 10 a.m.
Towngate Memories
At 1 p.m. each day, Towngate Theatre will share photos, videos and newspaper clippings from past productions. Also, some of the fabulous volunteer actors will talk about their favorite roles and share monologues and songs.
Storytime with Miss Cheryl
OI director of dance Cheryl Pompeo will read some of her favorite dance-inspired children’s books on Facebook every evening at 7 p.m.
Online Dance Classes
OI’s School of Dance is offering free online classes through a private Facebook group. Classes include ballet, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, dance sampler and more. Contact Cheryl Pompeo through the Oglebay Institute Facebook page or at cpompeo@oionline.com if you are interested in joining the group.
Online Art Instruction
Stifel Center Director Rick Morgan will provide online pottery instruction. Learn how to center the wheel, watch demos on making a mug, a bowl and much more. Director of Art Education Brad Johnson will share hands-on art projects that kids can do at home. Look for their lessons every Wednesday at noon.
Additionally, they encourage you to follow the social media sites of your favorite actors, musicians, authors, dancer, and artists along with zoos, museums, and galleries. The creative community is coming together in a big way by offering free online concerts, performances, book talks, music, dance, art and nature classes, virtual tours and more.
Online Arts
Here are a few examples they have compiled:
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. features a collection of 145 million natural specimens and artifacts. You can check out their tours and exhibits on YouTube.
March is Women’s History Month and you can check out the rich history of women in America and their impact through online exhibits on the National Women’s History Month Museum’s Youtube channel.
The Shedd Aquarium, Dallas Zoo, and San Diego Zoo are all sharing behind-the-scenes footage, educational videos on their social media accounts and other digital resources.
Get some virtual fresh air and explore some of the country’s most famous national parks with the National Park Service’s YouTube channel! Full of information and gorgeous footage, dozens of parks are featured.
MetKids, a site from New York City’s Museum of Metropolitan Art lets kids explore the famous museum with an interactive map. Behind-the-scenes videos feature kids just like them, and a “time machine” allows them to explore thousands of years of art!
Google Arts and Culture, a partnership with 500 museums around the world, provides virtual glimpses of some of the most incredible collections available. Take a look at internationally renowned sites like the British Museum in London, England, or the Ufizzi Gallery in Florence, Italy. If you’re looking for something a little more niche, try taking a look at the National Quilt Museum in Kentucky.
Mark Kanemura, the Instacelebrity and former Lady Gaga dancer has started to host virtual dance parties on Instagram to keep dancers to spread the joy of dance during this difficult time.
Bestselling children’s author Mo Willems is teaching kids to draw through free online art classes. His Lunch Doodle sessions take place on YouTube every weekday at 1 p.m.
Many theaters are live-streaming their plays and musicals. The New York Times recently published an article about online performances being planned.
“The arts inspire us–particularly in times of struggle and uncertainty. Stay engaged and connected. Also, be in nature as much as possible. Practice safe social distancing by finding an area where you won’t encounter crowds. Talk a walk. Breathe fresh air. Notice things about the world around you that you didn’t see before.”
