“There’s something magical that happens in the serendipity of a space”.

That was the revelation Rachel Berger had in 2016, when she set out to build The Artist Co-Op in NYC. Envisioning a shared co-working space for creatives, Rachel wanted to make the sort of space where the “multi-hyphenate” artist could thrive. Not only thrive, but connect and exist in a community filled with like-minded creatives looking to create searing new work.

By 2017, Rachel built the organization from the ground up, transforming a 2,000 square foot Hells Kitchen Space into a home for the artist. The Artist Co-Op, or TAC, turned from a seed of an idea into an artistic Mecca, complete with rehearsal and event space, co-working territory, dedicated offices, a full roster of weekly events, a play development program, and more. In May of 2017, when the space first opened, TAC had 15 members. By March of 2020, it had over 175. And then COVID-19 happened.

COVID Hits NYC Artists Hard

New York City became the epicentre of this virus which continues to wreak havoc throughout the world. As our world transformed in what felt like overnight and lives were in turmoil, Rachel’s years of hard work, tireless crowdfunding, energy, and investment began to crumble. “It just felt like a slow, slow death,” Rachel says, recounting those first few months of the pandemic. The structure she had carefully and attentively built, the community she formed, the work she was poised to do was all put on a hard pause.

Quickly, Rachel, along with the TAC’s three full-time staff members, constructed an online membership. Shifting to the virtual arena, the TAC team worked to develop programs that would continue to carry out the mission of the Co-Op. While The Artist Co-Op continued to foster the development of new creations and build its community in NYC, funds ran dry.

With the loss of over 100 memberships, no rehearsal space bookings, or event rentals, all of TAC’s primary income sources had disappeared. A small PPP (Payroll Protection Program) loan allowed for Rachel to keep paying the staff members who made the TAC run so smoothly, for a handful of weeks. Faced with the harsh reality of the times, Rachel announced in June that the TAC would have to leave its 52nd Street home and lay off all staff.

The Artist Co-Op Fights to Stay Alive in NYC

There are unforeseen circumstances and then there is COVID-19, something so rare and tragic that few could have predicted it. What has happened to the Co-Op is distressing in a lot of ways most of all because it has nothing to do with how the Co-Op is constructed. Its business model is strong, its member base has grown rapidly, and it has fulfilled its mission ten-fold. And then, in what seems like the blink of an eye, the TAC was suddenly thrown into upheaval.

Hopeful that the TAC isn’t completely on its own, I asked Rachel if the government had provided any guidance or aid. She laughed – “nope”. A small grant from New York City enabled the Co-Op to hold free workshops, a lecture series, and a program that provided memberships to volunteers. With the onset of COVID-19, the City pulled grant funding, stating that unless the TAC reapplied for the grant and proved the worthiness of the funding, it no longer could use the grant. The City took away what remained of the money.

The most TAC has received in way of governmental support is the possibility of an $80,000 loan, essentially a burden disguised as help. “The idea of a loan at this moment… is it the smart move at this moment when we just don’t know about the future?” Rachel asked. The TAC board denied the loan, deciding that the financial support came with far too much risk from an organization that was already suffering.

TAC Builds Connection and Community Through Virtual Membership

On the surface, the story of The TAC is bleak and upsetting. With a combination of hard work and determination, a seed of an idea grew into a large, flourishing organization. And overnight, so much of that work was undone.

Look deeper though, and a different story emerges. Since entering a world where in-person contact is rendered moot, the TAC has reimagined itself, providing a virtual membership to creatives. Through this program, members continue to co-work, checking in with each other throughout the week in virtual coworking sprints.

They support and collaborate with each other’s projects in Community Check-Ins. The Cold Read Series, produced by Steph Miller, hosts weekly virtual readings where TAC writers hear pages of their work performed by TAC actors. In the months since we have entered quarantine, the Cold Read Series has commissioned full readings of two TAC member’s works. The mission, though altered and transformed, remains the same. As does the determination.

Such is the way of artists. When one door closes another door opens – or, through sheer will and might, the wall is broken down and that door is made by the artists themselves. Persistence and nerve are the defining characteristics of those in the arts and now, more than ever, it’s needed.

There are too many wounds to be healed, too many stories to be told, and, after so many days isolated, connection to be had. If this moment in time has taught us anything, it is that humans thrive off of connection. And that just happens to be the very reason artists create.