Engaging in Art During a Pandemic
For the last six months, our lives have been so interrupted that it has been impossible to appreciate in real time how much we miss the basic things that we love and perhaps took for granted. But, as an arts educator and passionate consumer and collector of visual art, I have been waiting for the time and moment to venture back to New York and to begin visiting galleries again.
Last week, my family and I went down to the Tribeca neighborhood and we spent an afternoon that felt almost normal. The highlight of my tour was a visit to James Cohan Gallery to see new work by Trenton Doyle Hancock. Trenton is a one of a kind genius and the work he makes is compelling on so many levels. Take a peek here.
Not everyone is ready to visit galleries or geographically capable of visiting New York right now, so there are other things you can do to engage today. Some of the virtual tours I have viewed are amazing …. check out the Vatican Galleries. In particular, the Frescos in Rafael’s Rooms are something I can stare at endlessly. Or, for a dynamically different experience, on MOMA’s website you can view a video from Faith Ringgold, an activist painter who documented what was happening in the 60’s in America from the lens of an African American woman. This article shares other online museum options that you can view and appreciate in real time.
Today, I try my hardest to not get caught up in what has occurred but to appreciate what I have and to think about the healing process that needs to happen on so many levels. This “forward looking” perspective helps me remain optimistic and prevents me from getting stuck. And, I am grateful to have both live and online art experiences to help take my brain to places that I need to go to find the strange, nuanced and special experiences that most often showcases the best of humanity.