Dear Elsewhere Community,

 In light of the recent spread of COVID-19 across the U.S., we are writing to let you know what precautions Elsewhere Studios is taking to protect our artist residents and our local community, which is of the utmost importance to us.

Elsewhere Studios has updated our policies and procedures and established a COVID-19 Business Safety Plan with added layers of precaution that prioritizes the health and safety of our staff, residents and community while continuing to provide the residency experience that is our mission. Your health and safety is Elsewhere Studios top priority and we are closely following guidance as it updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE), the Delta County Health Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Elsewhere Studios follows the CDPHE COVID-19 Status Dial. As a resident you should be prepared for state and local public health orders to be extended, amended, or changed as needed at any time to protect public health, which may impact the time or scope of your residency.

At the current moment we are in the green zone. We feel comfortable reopening at 100% capacity (4 artists) granting that everyone scheduled for the given month has met our criteria outlined below. We also wish to leave the option of hosting in person, virtual, or hybridized events, to the discretion of each month’s cohort.    

For more information on local and state COVID-19 response and regulations, please visit these links:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE)- https://cdphe.colorado.gov/

Delta County Covid19 response- https://www.deltacounty.com/688/Coronavirus-19-COVID-19

The closures of businesses and nonprofits has been very difficult for all of us. As a grassroots organization with a small budget, any uncertainty of income makes a huge impact. If you have any ability to donate to Elsewhere, it would be immensely helpful in paying our hardworking staff, keeping the lights on and making sure we have the ability to continue hosting artists and our community events. During Elsewhere's closure, we will be working hard on some much needed renovations to our building, like new floors, landscaping, and fresh paint jobs for the studios! We are excited to open our (whimsical) doors back up in the near future and show you what we've been working on. 

The safety of our community and our artist residents is our foremost concern at this time and we will keep our community updated as things progress. In the meantime, the arts are a wonderful way to turn our attentions inward and find expression for some of the collective angst and confusion of this time, so remember to breathe, laugh, stay safe and make art! 

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Lauren Blair, Board President

Carol Flueckiger, Board Secretary

Carolina Porras, Executive Director

Henry Kunkel, Program Manager