FARGO — Andy Maus had been looking forward to May 2 for a long time, but when the day finally came, he couldn’t wait for it to get over.

“It was awful,” he says with a groan.

Maus, director and CEO of the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, had planned on spending the evening at the Spring Gala, the Plains’ biggest annual event and fundraiser.

Instead, like so many other people around the world, he stayed home, just as he’s done since the Plains closed its doors in mid-March amidst concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

“It was super disappointing. I was seeing friends post pictures from past galas. And this was going to be the most fun gala ever. It was going to be over the top,” Maus says.

The coronavirus outbreak has hit businesses and other nonprofits hard, but where some performance arts organizations could easily pivot to online offerings with concerts, play readings or dances, the museum experience is often based on being in that space.

“Our business model relies so heavily on gathering people,” Maus says. “This has forced museums around the country to think differently and not just as a destination, but a place that does things for the community. I think we’ll continue to see museums across the country continue to adapt and change.”

Shifting online

Those adaptations happened within days of the building closing as Plains staffers started developing online content and learning options. One of the first developments was a downloadable coloring book series featuring drawings by regional artists. Another is "P is for Plains Art Museum," alphabetically exploring artists in the permanent collection with biographical information and an art activity kids or adults can do at home. " B is for Beck " looks at the late woodcut artist Charles Beck and shows how to make a block print with Styrofoam.

“It’s almost like talking to a curator or an educator,” Maus says.

The Plains also posted an online gallery of the ongoing Salvador Dali show so e-visitors could take it in.

In addition, the Plains also hosts a number of online classes for kids and family, where materials can either be delivered to the participants or are available for pickup.

“We’re always looking for how we can create creative bonding at home,” Maus says. “You don’t need a studio, you just need a place to do something.”

The Plains has also gotten into podcasting, with Joe Williams, director of Native American programs hosting the "5 Plain Questions" podcast, asking questions to Native American artists.

A very different feature has been the Collection Meditation, which pairs a piece from the permanent collection with an exercise in mindfulness meant to calm and focus the viewer.

Similarly, the Plains has been sharing videos of artists in its Center for Creativity throwing clay pots and trimming them.

“There’s something meditative about watching somebody throw a pot,” Maus says. “People take to the arts in times of crisis. The arts have the power to help us heal.”

He recalls hearing about how after Sept. 11, 2001, New York’s museums “were flooded” because people were looking for a calm break.

Maus says when the time is right, the museum will open in three phases, first with the galleries, allowing a limited number of people in, with everyone wearing masks and sanitation stations available. The second phase will see the reopening of the Center for Creativity and in-person classes. The last factor to return will be events, like openings, lectures and facility rentals.

That means this year’s gala may be an online affair. Not what Maus had in mind months ago, but it's a step in keeping the Plains a gathering space for people, even online.

The gala is the organization’s biggest annual fundraiser and already with the loss of charitable gaming, space rentals and even a closed gift shop, the Plains expects to lose at least $325,000.

“It’s a period of pretty intense transition of how we engage the public and sustain operations,” Maus says. “If there ever was a time arts organizations need support, if we want arts as a part of life, we have to keep engaging arts organizations and financially supporting them.”