The novel coronavirus is at the front of everyone’s mind. Here’s how we are managing your safety and ours here at Bethany Arts Community.

Hours
M-F 10am – 12am & 1pm – 3pm

Advanced Appointment

• Advanced appointments are highly recommended.
• Appointments may be made by emailing us at infor@bethanyarts.org or by calling: (914) 944-4278. If we do not answer, please leave a message with your phone number and the day and time you would like to visit. We will return your call and confirm your visit or work with you to find a new time.
• Walk-in visits will be allowed if space permits.

Be Prepared

• Face masks are required for everyone over 2 upon entry and throughout your visit. If you are uncomfortable wearing a mask, we ask that you reschedule your visit for a later date.
• Groups are limited to five people.
• If at the time of your scheduled visit you are feeling unwell or know or believe you have been exposed in the prior 14 days to someone who has COVID-19 we ask that you reschedule your visit for a later date.
• Keep up to date by following us on our website: bethanyarts.org

During Your Visit

• All visitors are to use hand sanitizer upon entry.
• Visitors will be asked to provide contact information to support state and local COVID-19 tracing efforts. The provision of information is highly encouraged but optional.
• Face masks are to be worn at all times and visitors are to observe social distancing which at this time means at least 6 feet from staff and visitors not in your family/arrival party.
• Follow the posted one-way traffic pattern and enter through our front door (in the rear of the building by our main parking lot) and exit through Gallery 1.

What we are doing to keep our visitors and staff safe

• Limiting visitors and building / room occupancy to enable comfortable social distancing.
• Making hand sanitizing stations and wipes available.
• Requiring daily staff and resident artist health checks.

Recommended Practices to Reduce the Spread

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available.
• Follow cough and sneeze hygiene.
• Social distance and wear a mask when in public.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Stay abreast of CDC, NY State and Westchester Department of Health guidelines. [CDC.gov, coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home, health.westchestergov.com

A message from our Founder, David Lyons:

Bethany was founded with one guiding vision: that as a society we need more places that welcome all of us – artists of all ages and levels of experience and the community at large – to gather together to explore and create art, to engage in artistic endeavors, and through these experiences to enhance our perception and perspective of the world. At Bethany, everything we do is shaped by this vision and our aim to inspire sharing, connection and collaboration.

The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted our efforts just as it has changed life for all of us. Self-isolation, absolutely necessary these past few months, is so contrary to our vision of community. While it has been tough, we remain committed to our vision and are working hard to responsibly re-open.

Our current exhibit of deeply moving photographs by Artour Toulinov is available online. And, these past few months we made two of Dr. Jill Kiefer’s classes available online, including her 100 Greatest Artists of the 20th Century series. Upcoming online classes include Picasso: The Man – the Myth – the Legend and American Modernism: The Other Modern Art.

We now look forward with our 4-Phase reopening plan. Phase 1 began in early July when our new Managing Director joined the Bethany team and our Assistant Director returned to the office. We began the work of developing policies and procedures, training staff and contractors, and cleaning and preparing the facility for the public. Phase 2 will commence July 20 and will permit limited access for gallery visits and will allow for our resident artists to return to their studios. We also hope to welcome Theater O’s summer camp in August. Phase 3 will start September 18, when we will welcome a few artists to our fall residency program which was substantially reduced to enable plenty of room for social distancing. The public program component of our residency will largely take place virtually or outdoors with limited, socially distanced seating available. More details to come as we get closer. Finally, we look forward to the day we can enter Phase 4 and return to a full offering of programs and events.

Each stage of our reopening plan allows us to carefully track and adjust our practices so we can do our part in helping our visitors, artists and staff stay safe. We are carefully tracking federal, state and local guidance and will continue to evaluate our reopening plan at each phase. We intend to make adjustments to this plan as required or as our team deems prudent.

We excitedly look forward to welcoming our studio artists back to their second “home” and visitors to our gallery.