Have you ever noticed that life is almost never a straight line, moving from A to B in a predictable fashion? Instead, it’s much better described as a series of random connections between people, things, and events that present you with choices you can make and opportunities you can explore, if you just look for them.
If you’re an artist who’s used to exhibiting in public venues or in brick and mortar galleries, your “business model” has been completely upended by Covid-19. No more large gatherings, no more studio visits, no more receptions tied to shows and exhibits — unfortunately, this is the new normal.
So what do you do? You could hole up in your studio and just wait for things to open up again. Or, you could use the current global pandemic to get you “thinking out of the box.” As both a marketing communications specialist and an artist, I’ve recently found myself in this very place, at the tipping point between business as usual and letting go of the old model to explore exciting new ways for artists to “stay in the game.”
For example, what if you could move your exhibits and shows to an online space, creating a virtual experience that showcases your art and lets people wander through your exhibits from home at their own pace and on any device? You could reach friends, family, and followers who are sheltering in place and let’s face it, could probably use a little distraction. No donning mask and gloves, getting in the car, driving to a venue, finding parking, and then reversing the process. Your art is accessible with a click of the mouse, and virtual galleries can be refreshed with new images uploaded from your phone or PC whenever you want to add new work.
Like many breakthrough ideas, seeing is believing. Here are two virtual galleries that explore just some of the possibilities:
From my website, and click on the Virtual Tour tab.
Click here to see the ArtQuest artist collective’s Virtual Tour.
And if you would like to have a virtual tour of your own, feel free to contact Kathy Wilson at khwilson1546@gmail.com. I would be glad to help!