As the coronavirus outbreak turns some people stir crazy, for others it is stirring their creativity.
Art lovers across the world are using some extra time to recreate recognisable works of art out of everyday items found around the house.
The Stay At Home challenge has been embraced by art galleries worldwide as they go digital to celebrate user-submitted creations.
From Vincent van Gogh to the Vincent family
Karen Vincent has been spending the past few weeks at home with her two sons in Cooma, New South Wales.
She first became aware of the art challenge when it started overseas, with European galleries forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I've seen thousands of creations online around the world of people doing this," Ms Vincent said.
"People really love it — it's something they can get involved in at home but still keeps you connected to the art world."
The Vincent family has recreated a few famous works, their first using Lego to pay homage to Jackson Pollock's Blue Poles, which is also a signature piece at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra.
Ms Vincent used to be an art teacher in Canberra so has a broad repertoire she is able to canvas for inspiration.
She said the creations do not take much time to put together, so was surprised their version of Blue Poles went viral.
It has set the bar for everyone else, with Ms Vincent encouraging everyone to take up the challenge.
"Art is such an important thing and it's what's getting us through this crisis," she said.
"We all turn to art when there's nothing else to keep us going.
Unprecedented lockdown follows seasonal slump
Ms Vincent's musings are shared by NGA director Nick Mitzevich.
"I always say that in times of difficulty and in times of uncertainty that the answer is art and love," he said.
Mr Mitzevich shared the Vincents' creation across several social media channels, saying it reached over 300,000 people and will likely reach millions more.
This encouraging reaction served as an energy pill for gallery staff who have been struggling in the wake of coronavirus and a summer of natural disasters.
"Bushfires, the hail, and now the virus will have a multi-million dollar effect on our bottom line and it's quite devastating to us," Mr Mitzevich said.
"We've pretty much dropped everything and pushed a lot of content into the digital sphere to hopefully encourage people to stay connected with us."
The pain has been shared across the country, and the world, in other cultural institutions.
Director-general of the National Library of Australia (NLA) Marie-Louise Ayres described closing the doors as "unutterably sad".
"I don't think that any national librarian thinks they're ever going to have to do that," she said.
"I saw the very last reader at the door, who happened to be a person that I know to be extremely vulnerable.
"I managed to drive home safely and then I burst into tears."
But Ms Ayres has also been heartened by online engagement with the NLA; use of its digital classroom has doubled since this time last year.
Specifically, there has been a huge increase in searches to do with pandemics, the Spanish Flu, and World War I.
She attributed it to people trying to know the past to understand the present.
What is more, coronavirus has solidified the core mission of the NLA to reach as many Australians as possible.
"I always say to my staff '98 per cent of Australians live more than three hours drive from this beautiful building'," she said.
"At the moment, 100 per cent of Australians can't visit us."
Stay At Home challenge sets high bar for institutions
The way national cultural institutions operate will likely be changed forever, even after the coronavirus pandemic subsides.
Regulars like Ms Vincent will still physically go to the NGA when she can.
She is raising her sons to embrace art and they have been to many of the big exhibitions in Canberra.
But with new formative experiences taking place online, the challenge is for directors of these cultural institutions to keep the conversation going after the outbreak is over.
"We all have to regroup and work out the best way to make sure that when our doors open we can do what we're here to do," Mr Mitzevich said.
"To make sure that art touches the lives of as many Australians as possible."
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA0LTI3L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXJlc3RyaWN0aW9ucy1hcnQtZ2FsbGVyaWVzLXN0YXktYXQtaG9tZS1jaGFsbGVuZ2UvMTIxNzcxNjbSASZodHRwOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMjE3NzE2Ng?oc=5
2020-04-26 23:44:36Z
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