The world is presently confronted with a global public health crisis that swiftly shuttered international business in a collective rally to flatten the contagion curve. The arts and culture sector — a market historically founded in the ability to physically convene and experience art in person — harrowed in light of forced closures and shelter-in-place mandates. Yet innovation and creation did not stagnate. In fact, arts organizations quickly rallied to create digital collectives while arts foundations and collectors rallied resources behind comprehensive relief efforts and grants programs in an effort to mitigate market volatility.
As I found myself musing on the public engagement strategies, both novel and otherwise, that have arisen in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, I turned to fellow colleagues in the arts sector who have elegantly navigated the present challenges and undertaken new approaches to arts programming:
Mitra Khorasheh is the talented curator and founder of signs & symbols, a gallery committed to time-based media and performance in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The gallery assuredly pivoted to present a series of online solo video exhibitions acknowledging that “these video works were always intended to be shown on a screen, so exhibiting them online wouldn't compromise their integrity.”
No longer able to convene collectors in the gallery itself, signs & symbols innovatively spearheaded an initiative leveraging the original direct marketing channel: the US Postal Service. Mitra recounts the genesis of the project: “Snail mail is often overlooked these days, but right now it is one of the only ways to tangibly communicate with others. For $35.00 USD, one of our artists will directly mail you a unique drawing, collage or text-based work made on a 4 x 6 inch postcard...employing whatever materials they happen to have on hand during this time in quarantine — some have access to their studios while others don’t.” The result: an entirely unique, socially-distanced exchange that is transmutable to the digital sector through social media.
signs and symbols postcard project, 2020. Courtesy of the artists and signs & symbols. More information via the gallery website.
Kodie-Ann Walcott has approached the challenges presented by COVID-19 from the perspective of an expert development officer in her role as Individual Giving and Events Officer for the esteemed photography not-for-profit, Aperture. In speaking of their newly-launched weekly programs streamed through Zoom, Kodie-Ann states: “It was a big adjustment to manage the production of a new series of weekly programming...but now that we are in a groove, things are falling into place naturally,” Kodie-Ann relays. “The biggest reward has been seeing a double in attendees. The work day ends officially at the same time, commuting isn’t a consideration, and being out of town isn’t a reason to miss an event anymore!”
Beyond a national reach, Kodie-Ann notes that Aperture’s programs are garnering “engagement from our international community...members are tuning in from Ireland, New Zealand, and Ukraine.” Mitra similarly acknowledges the expanded global reach, adding that “artists are now sending [postcards] to Australia, Germany, Canada, Sweden, and others, including some countries most affected by coronavirus like Italy. It's amazing to see the far reach of our little gallery in New York, and it's beautiful to see these new relationships forged across countries and cultures.”
Beyond their collectors and members, I was curious to hear how artists affiliated with signs & symbols and Aperture were grappling with the shifting tides. Mitra notes that “several have been compelled to create new work...Tony Orrico has developed a new participatory performance that originates in a virtual exchange, Annabel Daou has been livestreaming on our Instagram a new durational performance in which she worries for others, and Jen DeNike has just released a hopeful new print featuring a blue nitrile glove.”
Jen DeNike, Visions of the Daughters (seeking flowers), 2020. Digital c-print. 12 x 8 inches. Edition of 20.
For Kodie-Ann and the photography world, “there is a community of photographers finally finishing projects that have been on their to-do list for years. I also believe that there is a new wave of creativity approaching those who thrive in isolation, people may start to experiment...to make the most of the resources that they have available.” Acknowledging the rise in Instagram activity, Kodie-Ann adds that “being behind the camera, editing, and sequencing are all things that require full attention and now we are able to see an extension of personality, inspiration, and interaction with the free time that these amazing people have.”
View of @aperturefnd. Essay by Aaron Schuman available at Aperture’s website.
While these are only two examples of the strategies arts organizations have employed to remain abreast of shifting tides, they are emblematic of the creative adaptability and thoughtful attention to community that distinguishes the art world and marks its resilience in the face of hardship. I remain energized by the prospect of collaborating in the kind of environment that re-evaluates interpersonal communications and ultimately prioritizes integrated — analog and digital — means of fostering community.
Ellie Hayworth is the Founder of Hayworth, a strategic communications consultancy committed to promoting intrepid ideas in art & design. Follow Hayworth on Instagram at @hayworth.co and @ellie.hayworth.
Photo: Phil Anema. Courtesy of Hayworth.
