We’ve got your (online) weekend: The arts that keep on giving

The toilet paper thing is real. (Meme by: Adam The Creator)

It’s true; we are still stuck indoors. Basketball hoops have been boarded up, we’ve drank more wine than we want to admit, and we still haven’t written that best-selling novel. Hell, we haven’t even read one. The week has been full of online teaching, online book clubs, online chatting, online sharing, and oh-my-G, we just want to hug each other. 

Luckily for us, our artists in New Orleans (who desperately need our support — I’m talking emotionally and fiscally) have been setting up online dance parties, quarantine concerts, and much more, so here’s what we’ve got for your weekend, which now is pretty much the same as your weekday. 

Get sultry, salty, and really satisfied with the sounds of Micah McKee. If you haven’t been to one of his fantastically intimate shows at Circle Bar, you now can be even closer (well, virtually speaking) to his cords (vocal) and chords (guitar). He is performing every Wednesday and Saturday live on his Facebook Page at 6:00 PM CST. Even better, there’s trivia. Yes, you get to use your brain for something other than, “Did I wash my hands for a full 26 seconds?” or “How much bleach is too much bleach?” He has a place for comments and requests, and if I might suggest it, request his rendition of “Dancing in the Dark.” You will feel that you’ve seen the light! 

Once you’ve seen that light, add on the cameras and action with NOVAC’s online courses they’re offering. According to the always-on-top-of-things and always magnificent Darcy McKinnon of NOVAC, their cinematography course has been postponed, but their After Effects courses are all online and ready for sign-up. You can find the courses and information about what is offered on their website, and you can also email Gigi@novacvideo.org for more information! 

(Meme by: Dailydot.com)

Get your art eye candy with Newcomb Art Museum: While the Newcomb Art Museum is temporarily closed, they will be joining in the worldwide #MuseumFromHome movement and providing digital content weekly via their e-newsletter and social media channels (Facebook and Instagram), including art activities, behind the scene tours, and more. Plus, they’ll be sharing some of their #favoritefinds from artists and art organizations across the world as they collectively come together to practice physical distancing but stay socially connected through creative means. 

*Note: Don’t forget that New Orleans Museum of Art partnered with Google to also bring you online exhibits. You can find out all the details in this piece by Renee Peck. 

You can bend, stretch, and move that body thanks to Sam Elizabeth. You might have seen Sam on the parade routes dancing with the Cosmonaughties and thought, “Dang, she’s so fine.” Well, she’s offering you the path to feel oh-so-fine yourself. She’s put together an entire spreadsheet of yoga, dance parties, breathing, and…hold up, self-massage? That brings self-sufficiency to a new level, and I’m thinking about it this way — the better I massage myself; the better I’ll massage others when this pandemic ends and all the touching begins. Double win! She’s got dance parties with Bear Hebert (“Social Dis-Dancing”), 45-minute Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Chelsey Backus, and many more. Check out her sheet and keep that body moving. 

(Meme from:Pixmus)

If you’re feeling like you need to talk to someone and don’t know who to talk to The University of Holy Cross (UHC) is offering free telecounseling to New Orleans area residents during the COVID-19 crisis. The phone-in counseling sessions are being offered Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. by calling 504-398-2168. Officials say they may expand the hours and add Friday hours based on demand. Residents can call during these hours to speak about their current mental issues, get tips to maintain sanity during social distancing and/or isolation, and talk about any long-term psychological effects from the COVID-19 crisis.

Get your theatrical wiggles out with Southern Rep Theater. In the spirit of staying connected with with audience, Southern Rep will provide digital connections to their arts education and artistic programming. You can look for videos and activities for their arts education students and for young artists of the city on Facebook on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Also, our theaters and our artists need help, so please think about donating to Southern Rep so those curtains can open again. 

Who/What else to keep an eyes on: Boyanna Trayanova is starting solo drum sessions on her page; Nick Huster let us know that Mighty Brother just released a new album and had a “Naked Winter” Watch Party, so keep up with him to see what’s happening; Southern Rep’s live ongoing soap opera, DEBAUCHERY!, the only one in New Orleans, takes off in cyberspace, so be on the lookout for next month’s digital episode!

And, remember, we have last week’s “We’ve Got Your Weekend” that’s all about quarantine life hacks!

If you have an event or party that you want included in the weekend, email kelley@nolavie.com