And on the bright side, I’ve never seen local artists as inventive as they are being in these unprecedented times. Don’t forget to support them with your wallet as well as your applause, so we’ll still have them when it’s safe to huddle together in the dark once again.

Now: Che Apalache bandleader, songwriter and activist Joe Troop, from Winston-Salem, is working with VoteNC.org and RuralOrganizing.org to make a series of videos leading up to the elections in November. He is spotlighting key progressive voices from across North Carolina by sharing songs and having conversations. The video series, “Pickin’ for Progress,” is releasing one mini-documentary film per week. The videos include Troop’s original songs and highlight activist and minority voices. The first video features a testimony from folk musician Nokosee Fields on the irony of U.S. immigration policy, in light of our history of marginalization of indigenous people. You can access the videos by going to YouTube and searching for “Pickin’ for Progress.” 

Now-Sept. 24: Winston-Salem artists Jasmine Huff, photographer, and Nannette Davis, jewelry designer, have teamed up for a joint exhibition in the Arboreal Gallery of the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce St., Winston-Salem. Titled “Form/Texture/Light/Shadow,” admission is free. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays. Visitors are required to wear face masks and observe social distancing guidelines.

Sept. 10: Bookmarks will present bestselling and award-winning author Yaa Gyasi on a virtual tour for her second novel, “Transcendent Kingdom,” at 7 p.m. online. Gyasi’s debut, “Homegoing,” was a Bookmarks bestseller and book club favorite. There are three ways to attend the event: 1) Buy a copy of “Transcendent Kingdom,” 2)  join the Signed First Editions Club (members will receive free entry to this event because “Transcendent Kingdom” is a September pick), or 3) make a donation to Bookmarks. Email info@bookmarksnc.org for more information.

Sept. 15-16: Poet, activist and icon Nikki Giovanni will headline the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts’ Artivate Summit on Sept. 15. Chris Wells, founding artistic director of The Secret City, will give the keynote address on Sept. 16. Each will also guide separate conference sessions, such as Arts Innovation, Creative Entrepreneurship and Artist Leadership. The conference theme is Art + Healing. Registration will be limited because of streaming capacity. Admission is free, but a $20 donation is suggested. Visit www.uncsa.edu/cc-artivate to register and get more information, or email artivate@uncsa.edu.

Sept. 25-26: Goodwill Industries of Northwest N.C. and the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art will present the sixth annual Winston-Salem Fashion Week online this year. It will feature nine designers from across the state. The winner of Project Run Slay, an online contest focusing on sustainable and upcycling fashion, will be announced from among three finalists — one from Charlotte, one from Greensboro and one from Los Angeles. Visit www.wsfashionweek.com to buy an access code. A tentative drive-in event is planned for 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at SECCA, 750 Marguerite Drive, weather permitting.

Sept. 28-Oct. 4: The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem Writers will present The 10-Minute Play Festival at 7 p.m. daily — seven plays for seven days at 7. One play will be premiered live each night on Facebook (@LittleTheatreofWS) and YouTube (The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem). The festival will feature virtual performances of new works by local playwrights Ken Ashford, Abigail Franke, Cameron Kent, Becky McLaughlin, David Ratcliffe, Bradley Stephenson and Tim Wiest. Set in locations as varied as a cattle ranch, the London Underground, a hospital, and the internet, the plays include dramas and comedies. Admission is free, and donations to the presenting organizations will be accepted. 

Oct. 2-9: For one week in October, collectors of fine craft can participate in Piedmont Craftsmen’s first major online auction, with the chance to bid on a curated selection of more than 30 pieces of fine craft — each created by Exhibiting Member Artists spanning the guild’s extensive history. This auction will help Piedmont Craftsmen bounce back from this unprecedented year, as they face the ongoing financial repercussions of COVID-19. To kick off the auction, there will be a short series of live, artist-paneled discussions on a topics related to the future of fine craft, the nature and growth of the maker-made industry, and opportunities for technique, professional and collector development. Visit www.piedmontcraftsmen.org, or email events@piedmontcraftsmen.org and follow Piedmont Craftsmen on Facebook.

Oct. 8: Poet Terri Kirby Erickson and her publisher, Press 53, will each donate $1 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina for every copy of her new book that is sold from 7 to 10 p.m. Erickson’s book, “A Sun Inside My Chest,” will be launched with Zoom webinar and reading. Those who register at https://tinyurl.com/sunshinechest will be contacted and sent a link to the webinar. For more information, email tkerickson@triad.rr.com

Oct. 14-Nov. 4: Sawtooth School for Visual Art will present the Community Art + Wellness Group 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays by Zoom to focus on creating art for self-care and wellness. Facilitated by art therapist Emily Ortiz Badalamente, each group meeting will open with short mindfulness exercises, followed by art-making and group discussion. Each week will explore a different art-making process and how it can be used for creative self-care. No art experience is needed. Specialty supplies are included in the cost of the class and will be available for pickup or mailing before the start of the group. Additional basic art supplies are required. Admission is $150, $135 for members. For information, email emilybadalamente@sawtooth.org or call 336-723-7395, ext. 1205.

Oct. 24: The Winston-Salem Symphony will present “London Calling” at 7:30 p.m. livestreamed from the Stevens Center. Part of the symphony’s “Reimagined” season, the orchestra will play Rossini’s Overture to “The Barber of Seville,” Anna Clyne’s “Sound and Fury,” and Haydn’s Symphony No. 104, “London.” Timothy Redmond, music director, will conduct. Haydn’s final symphony was written while the composer was living in London and heralds the city as its namesake. New York-based, London-born Clyne’s “Sound and Fury” quotes Haydn and lends a 21st-century spin to an 18th-century instrumentation. Rossini’s popular Overture to “The Barber of Seville” adds a humorous touch. Access is available only on Stage Pass, $75. Visit https://www.wssymphony.org/reimagined/.