Lydia Kellam - April 22 2020
7 Ways to Stay Connected to the Art Community During COVID-19
Going out and viewing art is a form of social interaction and, for many, a path to creativity. Each encounter sparks a dynamic process, where your own ideas, perspectives, beliefs, and experiences are filtered through the eyes of another human being. But what happens to our creativity when we are isolated from our usual muses? And what about the livelihoods of the artists?
Fortunately, the past weeks have proven that creativity can indeed be cultivated even in a time of crisis and social distancing. The surge of online art galleries, digital museums, live artist talks, and behind-the-scenes content is bringing us hope and keeping us inspired. Here is a collection of some of our favorite art experiences that can be found online right now. A clear demonstration that through innovation, digital technology, and social media, we can maintain our connection to the global art community and extend a lifeline to some of the artists who need our support right now.
Credit: CF Hill
7 Ways to Stay Connected to the Art Community Online:
1. The Social Distancing Festival
The Social Distancing Festival is a platform celebrating artists from all over the world who have been affected by COVID-19 in different ways. The curated site includes live streams and articles, and provides helpful tips for how you can support the artists.
2. CF Hill
To celebrate our upcoming Stockholm launch, we invite you to check out Stockholm-based art gallery CF Hill that you can now visit from home. On their website, you can walk through the rooms and get a 360° virtual tour of the entire art space. Currently on display is Black Voices/Black Microcosm, a collective exhibit featuring 31 emerging artists representing the African Diaspora.
3. Art Keeps Going
Art Keeps Going is a new initiative from the online art marketplace Artsy that is bringing attention to benefit auctions, online-only fairs, and other opportunities to support the art community.
4. MoMa Art Classes
Through the online learning platform Coursera, the Museum of Modern Art is inviting you to join a community of learners and experts and study subjects like “What is contemporary art?” and “Fashion as design.”
5. ArtPort
ArtPort is Whitney Museum of American Art’s online gallery space for commissions of internet and new media art. We can highly recommend the online art exhibit Sunrise/Sunset which lets you digitally experience the sunrise and sunset every day in New York.
6. Google Arts & Culture
Google puts the treasures, stories and knowledge of over 2,000 cultural institutions from 80 countries at your fingertips. Visit the world's leading museums like The MET, Tate Modern, Musée d’Orsay, MoMa, The Art Institute of Chicago, and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul
7. Art Movies To Watch
When you’re tired of online viewing rooms, look no further. In their “Stay The Fuck Home” section, art and culture magazine Elephant published the "The Only List of Artist Films You’ll Ever Need” - quite self-explanatory and does exactly what it says it will. Enjoy!
We hope you enjoy our curated list of online art experiences from your desk, couch or while taking that much needed daily walk.
Stay safe everyone, let creativity flourish and support the arts!
Written by Lydia Kellam for Works by Friends
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