Art in the Time of COVID-19

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Hi. I am taking a moment as I write this, to take a deep breath. Care to join me? Thank you for being with us today.

Last night, as I was preparing to go to sleep, I worried of what I might dream about. We had decided to give ourselves a “COVID Break” that day and we walked 3 miles, worked in the yard, did foot baths and watched an epic film on the power of knowing and telling our story, as well as the power of dreaming. It was the movie ‘Australia'. This blog is not about that movie, but it got me thinking about the pandemic from a different angle. How are we telling the story of this time through the arts? How will we tell it later? What are we dreaming of right now? What parts of ourselves must we sing back to us if we lose them along the way in all of this?

Our “COVID Break” was a lovely day. Even with that, as I lay my head down I knew I was still working through everything in the world in the subterrain of my psyche - how could I not? Would my “COVID Break” end abruptly in my dreams? Then just as suddenly as my worry arose, I saw a flash of chalk art from our walk earlier that day, “Hi Neighbor!” and “Don’t Worry, Be Happy!”. In that moment and as strange as it sounds, I felt a bit more at ease. When we walked by it, I just thought, “Oh. Cute.” and kept walking. In the dark of the night, I saw it more clearly. Someone I didn’t know (an adult, a child?), on their hands and knees drawing a greeting on the concrete. Bright pigments gripping the tooth of the sidewalk to create hearts and rainbows and some contrast to the gray we find ourselves in. As we keep our distance these days, we can leave breadcrumbs of remembrance that we aren’t truly alone.

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As these days have worn on, I discovered that I was gathering inspirations and creative expressions in the burrows of my psyche. I noticed the art making happening in response to the pandemic as well as the art making happening in spite of the pandemic. We are dreaming of new ways and we are telling the story now. We are seeing creative expressions from the masters as well as the every-day-artist-within folks. Creativity is its own contagion. I imagine many of us are gathering inspirations as well as nurturing our creativity during this time. In all my video conference calls, we ask, “What’s inspiring you? What’s getting you through?” We exchange ideas and marvel at creativity’s endurance.

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In light of imagining we are sharing a cup of tea and exchanging inspirations, here are a few things from our list.

Art Making In Response to COVID-19

  • Amplifier Art, a design lab that amplifies the voices of grassroots movements is both calling for art in response to the virus and asking you to vote on your favorite images submitted. Check out the amazing work, vote and join the project here.

  • The Marsh Family sing their version of Les Miserables, “One Day More“ a la the Coronavirus. We clapped it was so good!

  • The New York Times Photo Essay, “The Great Empty”. This collection created by NYT photographers capturing a world without us in it felt like a gallery exhibit that worked slowly on me, image after image, leaving me in tears.

  • Follow the #isolationcreation for an art-of-the-moment collection in response to the virus.

Art Making In Spite of COVID-19

  • Alvin Ailey Dancers, their tour of “Revelations” on hold for now, dancing separate but together. Watch a short video for a mini catharsis in 1 minute.

  • Want to support local San Diego theatre? Our friends at MOXIE Theatre are bringing theatre to your home through “ZoomFest” on April 3rd and 4th, 2020. Check it out here.

  • Learning from pandemics of yore…quarantined van Dyck painted a pandemic saint. Learn how Saint Rosalie’s bones are still carried through Palermo and how his painting from 1624, “Saint Rosalie Interceding for the Plague-Stricken of Palermo” weaves in with our pandemic today.

What’s on your list?

Take good care. Check in with folks. Share what’s working for you, what’s giving you life. Make space for all your feelings. As our favorite quarantined dance teacher Ryan Heffington says, “We’ll get through this. We’ll get through this. We’ll get through this.” And that I must believe.

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