It’s hard to believe that it’s August. This year is a blur of pivoting and adapting to try to do what’s best for our family, business, customers, and community. It’s especially hard when “what’s best” isn’t really clear.
Tony and I continue to work primarily from home, being fortunate to have high speed internet at both locations. Our office phone has been forwarded so our contact information remains the same. Masks are required at our office building.
We have been busy working with Culpeper Tourism & Economic Development to support small business relief programs like Culpeper Cares and Culpeper Recovers. These programs are designed to get funds in the hands of local small businesses that have been so profoundly impacted by the pandemic. We also created materials to support the new parklet program that is currently adding outdoor seating along East Davis Street in our historic downtown. Creating presentations, forms, and fillable pdfs on tight deadlines might just be the most important work we’ve ever done. It’s been gratifying to be able to contribute to these efforts.
Our fall Art Jam classes will be held virtually on Zoom, a platform with which we are all now familiar. I’m nervous about how to engage students and the advanced planning that virtual teaching will require, but we’re going to do our best to keep offering classes that share art education in a fun way! We are preparing project kits with supplies to make it easier for families to participate.
We are continuing to celebrate 15 years of K Art and Design being in Culpeper, and this month I’d like to spotlight our work with Culpeper County Public Schools. They have been facing the “what’s best” question in perhaps the most difficult of situations. I think we can agree that teachers, staff, and students need our support more than ever. They are facing an enormous challenge and everyone is feeling that stress before the school year has even begun. The only thing we can control is how we choose to respond to this situation, and while kindness won’t solve everything, it’s a great starting point.
This school year, Joy is a freshman at Culpeper County High School, and Cole is a junior splitting time at CCHS and Mountain Vista Governors School. We’ve selected the remote learning option, and we’re looking forward to getting the kids’ schedules and figuring out what they will need as far as time, supplies, and workspace.
We sincerely hope you and those dear to you are well. These are incredibly challenging times, and if there’s anything we can do to make some part of your day easier, please let us know. Keep us posted on your schedules and plans for the fall!
~Kelly