Art View
By Jim Christiansen
We are aware that the recent virus emergency has wrought havoc on event schedules, with cancellations and postponement of Events. Third Thursday Art Walk was called off March 19, and that will continue through this month, and won’t know until next column if that will hold for May or June. The 9th annual Stanislaus Artist Open Studio weekend at the end of this month has been postponed and rescheduled until the October 10 and 11 weekend. Hold on to any map books for the original April 25 and 26 weekend, as they will be useful in the fall. Some of our non-gallery venues closed temporarily in March, and we hope re-open soon. The Mistlin Gallery is closed this week as I write this column, and next show is the “Meet the Artist” show. Might have to keep your 6-foot social distance or watch for photos on the Central California Art Association/Mistlin Gallery Facebook page or web site. For the future summer schedule, Chartreuse Muse is still accepting submissions to participate in their emerging Artists show, with deadline, April 15. The Muse is also offering limited small family group classes and activities, check in with them for details.
Art imitates life, Life imitates art. Art is Life. Art, a reflection of Life. Art is! There is an art to survival. Whatever your personal take on these well-known tropes, artists take on these themes of everyday life, disaster and hope, and incorporate into their art, how things are, or wish they were. For many of us art a great coping tool, and used by the beginner, student, novice, hobbyist and professional alike. So, in this age of Social Distancing, and self-isolation, what can we do when the galleries are closed or on restricted schedules, art events cancelled or postponed, and classes suspended?
Artists are creative. Tri-Chromatic Gallery posted its own Art Walk Online tour on Facebook and Instagram. The March student show at Mistlin Gallery was well documented on their Facebook page, with videos in categories on a virtual tour of the show as displayed in the gallery. Like local musicians, you can find local artists in virtual galleries, or online art classes and demonstrations, on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or their own web sites, and on YouTube. Just like Bob Ross. Modesto View has posted links to downloadable coloring books for kids, and pro-tip there are similar links for adults. Many of the great museums of the world recently released their trove of databases full of entire collections of art, artists documentation, art history you can access from your phone or home computer. I post a lot of these links on my personal Facebook page, or on my Artists of Modesto Community page.
At my house on the alley I’m spending my time finishing my carport conversion to Art Studio. I’m just getting started on new art, and have my Open Mic tee shirts for sale. I have paintings going up on the alley fence to mark the site. Milo Wedel suggested artists set up plywood in the front yard, for a drive by viewable display, at curbside social distance. Many of us have more art supplies than we will use to get through the emergency, so ask for any surplus, particularly for out of school students. Online demonstrations will be the thing, like online music and comedy. Check it out, and especially with the online edition of www.modestoview.com<www.modestoview.com>
