Small businesses throughout the Capital Region continue to look for ways to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some, like the Arts Center of the Capital Region, have turned to small business loans.

On a normal day, the hallways of the arts center would be full of exhibits and classrooms would serve as a place to teach some 500 students to paint and make jewelry.

The Arts Center of the Capital Region was forced to close its doors at the end of March. That left employees and artists with nowhere to go.

"For 20 years, our whole mission has been to bring people together to make art, to celebrate art, says Elizabeth Reiss, CEO of the arts center.

But the gallery and business weren't able to stay open, which has caused money to stop coming in.

"Not for profits don't live with a lot of extra cash," says Reiss, "So the first thing we did was we had to downsize our staff. Our faculty isn’t getting paid right now, our front desk, maintenance."

That's why the center applied for the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, last week. Reiss says her bank was amazing and helpful, but the process was "really unnerving."

The arts center got approved for the loan just hours before PPP announced it ran out of money. In the days since, it's been revealed a number of chain restaurants also got approved.

"I can't say I'm surprised but I am very happy that in this world of steak houses getting $10 million and Shake Shacks getting $10 million, that it did last long enough for the arts center to get funded," says Reiss.

Reiss believes the loan will help the business stay financially sound through the summer. But it's unclear what will happen then.

She's hoping to reopen as soon as it is safe, but the business model may look a bit different.

"In general, I'm an optimistic person and there are two choices in life. Either think it's going to work or don't and I'm going to opt always for thinking it's going to work," says Reiss.