2020–In response to the COVID–19 pandemic and the shelter-in-place ordinance issued on March 17, 2020, SOMArts closed its building to the public and pivoted to virtual programming and streaming..
SOMArts initially launched Please Stand By, a donation campaign that culminated with a live-streaming event. The campaign was a response to the projected $45,000 loss in the organization’s annual budget caused by the COVID-19-related cancellation of the Spring fundraiser and demonstrated that Bay Area artists and arts advocates can stand together even as we must shelter apart, by leveraging digital opportunities for connection and disruption. However, in response to the killing of George Floyd and the Movement for Black Lives, SOMArts immediately shifted the goals of Please Stand By, and, with the consent of our donors, evenly reallocated the funds raised to the following nonprofit organizations:
- Black Lives Matter
- Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project
For the 2020–2021 public programs, SOMArts activated platforms such as Twitch and Zoom to host virtual drag shows, Murphy & Cadogan awardee presentations, and an online artist series called LUSH, which drew its inspiration from Solarpunk, a genre that imagines futures that reject dystopian narratives, instead favoring visions of sustainability and interconnection.