We count ourselves among the lucky — while many of our counterparts have had to shutter their doors completely,

Orcas Center has been able to sustain minimal operations, with our staff volunteering many hours to keep the center going — making necessary building repairs and updates, securing technology to pivot to streaming events, and keeping our community informed throughout the pandemic.

But we are under no illusion that our financial situation will remain steady until we are able to open again.

Realistically, even under the most optimistic of all rosy-glassed best-case scenarios, Orcas Center most likely won’t be able to hold in-person events, or just be open to the public, until spring of 2021.

That’s at least another six months from now. Think about that: we may not even be at the half-way point yet! There isn’t an arts organization alive that can sustain a year-long closure without consistent income from events and rentals. And yet, here we are…trying to figure out how to do so. This is where we turn to you, our island community, with an adventurous goal: We need to raise $90,000 before the end of the year, so that when we do re-open (and have the BIGGEST. PARTY. EVER!) we are on solid financial footing to not just pick up where we left off but to move forward stronger than ever. If you have let your membership lapse, or haven’t donated in awhile, please consider doing so now (https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?membership=orcas and https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?donation=orcas). Every donation, no matter the amount, gets us closer to making sure that Orcas Center is on a solid foundation for 2021 and beyond.

A BIG THANK YOU to those who have donated! Since last week we have received $8,580 in donations and memberships!

We appreciate you all so much, and can’t wait until we’re able to celebrate the arts together — in person — once more!

Orcas Center