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56605 Sitka Drive
Otis, OR 97368
541-994-5485
info@sitkacenter.org
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COVID-19 Update: Caring for the Sitka Community

LAST UPDATED: April 9, 2020

In response to changing conditions and public health recommendations related to COVID-19 in Oregon and nationwide, the Sitka Center is planning ahead for the coming weeks. We want to share the steps we are taking here at Sitka, and to invite you to help keep the Sitka community healthy.

Spring event cancellations

Based on the most recent updates and advisories from the OHA, the CDC and the US government for public gatherings, Sitka has cancelled the following Spring events:

·      Saturday, March 21 Show & Tell at the Bijou Theater (this event will be rescheduled for later in the year)

·      Wednesday, April 22 campus Spruce-Up volunteer day (cancelled)

·      Saturday, April 25 Show & Tell (cancelled)

·      Thursday, April 30 Winds & Waves Concert and Workshop (cancelled)  

·      The Lincoln City Cultural Center has cancelled their scheduled June 6-July 12 exhibit, From the Banks of the Nechesne: work by Frank and Ian Boyden. Ways to experience this show virtually are in the works, and more details will be shared as they become available.

Summer workshops

As workshop season approaches, we will monitor changing regional and national guidelines and make decisions accordingly. In the event a workshop you are enrolled in is cancelled, we will contact you and give you the option to receive a 100% refund or to donate all or a portion of your workshop fee to sustain Sitka’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit operations. Those choosing to donate will receive a charitable gift receipt for tax purposes.

Sitka’s full cancellation and refund policy is available here.

Working remotely

Effective March 16, Sitka’s office is closed, all Grass Mountain group-based activities are postponed and our full team is working remotely. Thanks to decades of donor support and rainy day planning, Sitka's staff is still working their full scheduled hours at full pay. We are here to serve you, so don't hesitate to reach out. As we shift our operational practices during this interim, here are the best ways to reach us:

·      By email at info@sitkacenter.org. We’ll make sure your message reaches the right person and email you back. If you’d like us to call you back, send us a message with the best phone number to call and a good time to reach you.

·      By phone message at 541-994-5485.  During this interim we will only have one open phone line instead of three, so if we don’t answer, don’t worry. Just leave a message, include your name, phone number, the purpose of your call and a good time to reach you and we’ll follow up.

Any essential non-staff business partners needing to access our main or Grass Mountain campus will only do so by staff member invitation (such as a repair person), a 6' distance will be maintained at all times and proper hand washing and other sanitation best practices will be followed.

We will share an update with the Sitka community when our office reopens.

Spring 2020 Residency Program

The Sitka team is working to support the current cohort of residents completing their stays at Sitka this Spring, and to help them with onward travel arrangements as needed. All are healthy and are taking precautions to stay healthy. We look forward to finding creative ways to share their work with you virtually in the weeks ahead. For those scheduled residents who will be unable to come to Sitka this Spring, we are working to reschedule their residencies for the 2020/2021 season.

For the remainder of the Spring Residency season, only those current residents who determine that sheltering in place at Sitka is their most responsible willl be on campus. No outside day or overnight guests will be invited to or hosted on Sitka's campus.

Residents will keep car trips to a minimum and there will be no carpooling. Residents and staff will work together to make deliveries of essential supplies like groceries and medications.

On our campus (when open)

·      We are sanitizing our office, kitchen, library, restrooms and other shared surfaces, and we will sanitize chairs and high-touch surfaces (like hand rails, switches and door handles) before and after any gatherings or group activities. We are also doing a deep clean of each residential apartment in-between each departing and arriving guest.

·     We are providing soap, hand sanitizer, disposable towels and no-touch disposal receptacles in our bathrooms.

·     We are monitoring the situation and changing guidelines for organizations like ours daily.

·     There will be no non-essential activity in our shared spaces (office, library, studios, apartments, houses and courtyards) for the remainder of the Spring residency season.

Actions you can take to help

This is a challenging time for working artists, arts organizations, local businesses and many community members, especially those facing the greatest health and financial risks. Here are some actions you can take to help our community stay healthy and strong:

·      Stay home if you are sick.

·      Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly, use hand sanitizer when handwashing is not an option and cover random coughs and sneezes with the inside of your elbow or a tissue.

·     Be calm, use reliable news sources and stay up to date.

·     Contact us if you have a question about an upcoming Sitka event or workshop: 541-994-5485, info@sitkacenter.org.

·     Collaborate with neighbors to call and check in on those most vulnerable in your community.

·     Donate fees for cancelled performances, workshops and events to help organizations you care about sustain through challenging economic times, and make operational donations.

Wishing one and all a safe and healthy Spring,

The Sitka team

Additional Resources

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

The Oregon Health Authority

World Health Organization

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