Planning and mounting an exhibition is always difficult. This one was made even more difficult because most of the work was done during the pandemic when the museum staff at the Art Institute of Chicago was working remotely or spending limited time at the museum.

We asked Elizabeth Siegel, the curator of the show if she would share the background story of the exhibit and some of the special challenges they faced.  Her answers are below. 1. An exhibit of this size normally takes how long? An exhibition like this usually takes several years. Each layer of complexity-research, travel, many to international lenders, planning for a tour, or publishing a catalogue-adds time to the project. But that doesn’t mean we are working on a single project for the entire time. I typically juggle different projects at different stages of completion. Things definitely heat up in the final stretch! 2. Was this exhibit planned before the pandemic started? Oh, yes. (See the answer to question #1 about how long a show like this takes!) The travel and bulk of the research was completed before the world shut down, but then we had the added complexity of doing much of the collaborative work remotely. 3. Did the funding come from one or multiple sources i.e. individual donors, foundations, grants, etc,

We had funding from several sources. We are always grateful to our funders, who help turn our ambitions into reality, and we always thank them wherever we can. You can see the list of individuals and foundations who helped support the exhibition and book in the acknowledgments pages of the catalogue, the exhibition credits on the title wall of the show, and on our website.

4. I know you used photos from the AIC collection and you were loaned additional photos from collectors, galleries, and museums in the United States, Canada, and Germany.  Can you explain the process the AIC goes through to assemble the photos that will ultimately be in the exhibit? Well, one thing that was definitely reinforced for me during the pandemic was the need to see photographs in person! One of my main arguments in this exhibition is that photographs are objects, not just images, and so I needed to go see each one to assess the quality of the print. (Fortunately, Kertész was a very good and consistent printer, so there weren’t many surprises.) And I was also trying to show a range of works he produced during this period (known and unknown), as well as make sure that really key photographs-such as Satiric Dancer, Chez Mondrian, and Fork-could be included in the show. The process is a bit of detective work, combing through old auction catalogues, relying on the terrific memories of dealers and colleagues, visiting museums, locating collectors. 5. Each lender was sent a complete frame package (frame, strainer, matboard, acrylic and backing board). They then framed their photos and shipped them back to the AIC. This, obviously, takes extra work and more time.  What is the reason you didn’t have them send you the photo unframed and had the framing done at the museum? As I mentioned, I wanted to make sure visitors understood these photographs as complete objects, not just images. That meant, to me, including all the blank space of the carte postale, which I believe Kertész included as a kind of built-in frame for the image. The way that the objects are framed is a crucial part of this argument: each photograph is floated in an 8-ply mat, which emphasizes the material qualities of the whole print. We also wanted a uniformity of appearance among the many lenders’ works, and so we devised a framing profile that just looks fantastic. (Thank you, Metropolitan Picture Framing!). Once we figured out how we wanted everything to look, we had to consider logistics of shipping (as well as the object’s return) and the safety of the art. Working with our registrar, preparator, and conservator, we decided it was best to ship the frames to each lender in advance and have the whole package sent back to us. 6. Working with multiple staffs and departments is always challenging. Doing this during a pandemic with reduced museum hours and many of the staff working remotely takes a Herculean effort. Can you discuss some of the issues that each had to address i.e.  curatorial,  marketing and communication , exhibition design,  installation, funding, public programming , interactive education, preparators, etc. It was quite an experience! To begin with, it helps to have a really top-notch team, and every single person working on the exhibition demonstrated creativity, resourcefulness, and personal pride in the project. One example I can speak to is the exhibition design process. Our designer, Samantha Grassi, worked with me over Zoom to iterate several designs (she is a whiz with changing things in the software on the fly). What we ended up with was a design that really speaks to the blank and negative spaces of the paper and the individuality of the photographic object, all in a beautiful setting for viewing. We had one bang-up, four-hour design session in which we laid out every single object in the exhibition. After that, there were small tweaks but we basically got it. If only I could be that productive in other areas of my life!

André Kertész

Photographer André Kertész (American, born Hungary, 1894-1985) arrived in Paris in the fall of 1925 with little more than a camera and some savings.

By the end of 1928, he was contributing regularly to magazines and exhibiting his work internationally alongside well-known artists like Man Ray and Berenice Abbott. The three years between his arrival in Paris and his emergence as a major figure in modern art photography marked a period of dedicated experimentation and exploration for Kertész. During this time he carved out a photographic practice that allowed him to move between the realms of amateur and professional, photojournalist and avant-garde artist, diarist and documentarian.

For those three years only, Kertész produced most of his prints on carte postale, or postcard, paper. Although his choice may have initially been born of economy and convenience, he turned this popular format toward artistic ends, rigorously composing new images in the darkroom and making a new kind of photographic object. The small scale of the cards also allowed them to circulate in a way befitting an immigrant artist-shared with a widening circle of international friends at the café table or sent in an envelope to faraway family.

André Kertész. Satiric Dancer, 1927. Family Holdings of Nicholas and Susan Pritzker. © Estate of André Kertész 2021

André Kertész. Mondrian’s Pipe and Glasses, 1926. Family Holdings of Nicholas and Susan Pritzker. © Estate of André Kertész 2021.

André Kertész. Hilda Daus, 1927. Private collection, courtesy Corkin Gallery, Toronto. © Estate of André Kertész 2021.

André Kertész: Postcards from Paris

Oct 2, 2021 – Jan 17, 2022

Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, IL

This is a one of a series of interviews with our customers to see how they are adapting to the COVID-19 world.

Lisa Golightly lives in Portland Oregon and has been a customer since 2012. Her work revolves around memory and how snapshots shape, influence, change and even create memory. She works with acrylic and high gloss enamel, using found photos to create work that is both anonymous in nature but also very personal.

This is her #artinthetimeofcorona story.

lisagolightlyart.com

How was Portland affected by the COVID-19 virus? How have you been affected personally? How have the fires affected you?

Portland is much like the rest of the country.  We shut down mid March and have slowly reopened some business in the last few months. My studio is here at my house. I converted the old detached garage in our backyard some years ago into my studio, so in many ways my days are the same.  My husband’s job has mostly been from home for years as well, the biggest change was my son and daughter’s school going online since mid March. Thankfully, they are both older and are able to independently work. We are safe here in Portland, though the smoke has been at hazardous levels for a week.

Do you have a daily routine that keeps you grounded these days? 

I try. It pretty much consists of coffee/studio/lunch/coffee/studio.

Are you reading, cooking, streaming, or doing any activity that is helping you cope?

Having a show to work towards has really been the best distraction, to be honest. It has kept me busy and focused. We also got a puppy. That has been the biggest amount of work/distraction of the past 6 months!

With museums and galleries closed are you seeing a shift to the internet for viewing/selling art?  How is this affecting you?

I think galleries and the art world in general have been moving online more and more, this has just sped up that change.

Do you see any positive changes for artists in a post pandemic world?

For me the biggest change is that I won’t be at my upcoming show in November at the George Billis Gallery in Los Angeles. This is disappointing but ultimately I know there will be future shows and this is just one moment.

This is a one of a series of interviews with our customers to see how they are adapting to the COVID-19 world.

Bob Nugent lives in Healdsburg, CA and has been a customer for over 20 years. Brazil and the Amazon River Basin are the subject and inspiration for his work.

This is his #artinthetimeofcorona story.

bobnugentstudio.com

How was Healdsburg and northern California affected by the COVID-19 virus? How have you been affected personally?

The virus is here, but we live outside the small town of Healdsburg among the vines. When I go into town it seems the locals have adapted very well and they are all wearing masks. Most of the fatalities here in wine country have been in senior facilities. Normally there would be many tourists in town, but of course most are not traveling these days, myself included. I am normally in Brazil at this time of year, doing research for my work. I travel a lot during the year and have cancelled four trips this year myself. And we have the fires to contend with again this year. We were lucky to make it through the first round, but there are still two more months to go. Don’t let anyone tell you there is no climate change. The whole country is feeling it and will continue to suffer from it. 
 
Professionally not much has changed for me. We are fortunate to live in the wine country and my studio is at the back of our property. I work everyday, even when I don’t feel like painting I go to the studio and clean-up, sweep and look at the work, absorbing it while I am doing other things. I also have a 1947 Chevy Fleetmaster Woodie I am restoring which is a good diversion.

Do you have a daily routine that keeps you grounded these days? 

My routine has managed to stay the same. I get up, drink coffee, read two newspapers, and then answer emails. I must have all of that out of the way before I cross the garden to the studio. My assistant Kara comes into her office at 10 am and we discuss the chores for the day. She keeps track of inventories with dealers, correspondence and helps me when I need her for other things. Her office is in the studio, but we are still social distancing. I paint until about 4pm when Kara goes home. It is a routine I have had for many years.

Are you reading, cooking, streaming, or doing any activity that is helping you cope?

I am doing much more reading about the Amazon and keeping up with current articles about the situation there since I cannot be there myself. I have been working with friends and trying to protect the indigenous people throughout the region for the last 35 years. I make paintings about the destruction going on with the strip mining and deforestation. To unwind I cook dinner almost every night. My wife cleans up. It is a good arrangement.

With museums and galleries closed are you seeing a shift to the internet for viewing/selling art?  How is this affecting you?

This year I was to have two major solo shows of my work; one in Santa Clara, California at the Triton Museum of Art and the other in Brazil at the Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Sorocaba. A new publication was produced in conjunction with these planned shows. Both exhibitions have been postponed until next year. In addition, all my dealers are closed so there are no sales.  I’ve never tried selling my work online. I have found that if someone wants a painting with a fairly healthy price tag they want to see it in person, not on a small screen. In my early years I learned to budget my sales over a five year period buying supplies and frames with extra cash, so that when times are lean I can continue to live and work. It has served me well. I now have enough supplies to continue to paint for five years without any sales. It also helps to have a patron or two that continue to support you during these times. 

Do you see any positive changes for artists in a post pandemic world?

Artists are always the first to go into a recession and the last to come out. I believe we must just keep working and painting about things that cannot be expressed in words. And when the world gets rid of this virus, people will celebrate with us again.

This is one in a series of interviews with our customers to see how they are adapting to the COVID-19 world.

Herman Mhire lives in Lafayette, LA and has been a customer for over 25 years.

Mhire was named Distinguished Professor in the College of the Arts at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He also served as Director/Chief Curator of the University Art Museum, where he envisioned and established the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum. Additionally, he is the founding president of Festival International de Louisiane. Trained as a painter and printmaker, his work has been widely exhibited and critically acclaimed.  Through his many roles as a curator, artist, and professor he continues to serve as an ambassador of the Arts for Louisiana locally and internationally.

This is his #artinthetimeofcorona story.

Herman Mhire “Loop de Loop” 2020 archival pigment print, 29” x 22”

How was Lafayette, LA affected by the COVID-19 virus? How have you been affected personally?

Since the COVID-19 virus was first diagnosed, there have been 8,168 cases and 106 deaths in Lafayette Parish, LA. The widespread closure of schools and places of business, coupled with stay-at-home directives, transformed a normally active city into a ghost town. Friends and family remained in contact via social media, email and cellphone, shared lists of favorite films available on Netflix, and posted photos of their latest culinary creations on Facebook.

How have you been affected personally?

Lafayette was blessed with unusually cool and dryer than normal weather this spring, which encouraged residents of all ages to walk, jog and cycle in my neighborhood every morning and evening. Seeing neighbors outdoors, albeit at a safe distance, provided much needed live contact while remaining isolated in my home the rest of the day. Mandatory masking and social distancing have reduced significantly the infection and mortality rates.

Do you have a daily routine that keeps you grounded these days? 

In addition to working in my studio, I have pets and a sizable garden to care for which require attention every day. Limiting activities away from my residence has allowed me to pay greater attention to my studio work and my immediate environment.

Are you reading, cooking, streaming, or doing any activity that is helping you cope?

The rapid spread of COVID-19 coincided with the arrival of Spring. Because I’m an avid gardener, the anticipation of creating a new garden this year was both exciting and therapeutic. In the midst of a global pandemic and an economic downturn, gardening provided a way to engage in a productive activity, plunging my hands into the soil and soaking up rays of sunshine.

With museums and galleries closed are you seeing a shift to the internet for viewing/selling art?  How is this affecting you?

I’ve read that online viewing and selling of works of art has increased. Because I’m not currently an active participant in the commerce of art, I have not been affected by this trend.

Do you see any positive changes for artists in a post pandemic world?

It’s too early to know what the long-term impact of COVID-19 will be on artists. The current health, economic and social justice crises will no doubt provide subject matter for artists to draw upon for years to come.

This is a one of a series of interviews with our customers to see how they are adapting to the COVID-19 world.

Joanne Ungar lives in New York City and is represented by the Front Room Gallery in  New York City. She is a visual artist who makes poured wax artwork.

This is her #artinthetimeofcorona story.

USPSartproject collaboration between Mindy Dubin and Joanne Ungar.

Mindy Dubin, started it as a charcoal drawing (on the right), and I finished it (left).

Charcoal, gouache and colored pencil on paper, 9” x 12”, June 2020

How was New York City affected by the COVID-19 virus? How have you been affected personally?

I’m going to paraphrase from wikipedia: NYC was the worst-affected area in the country in March.  By April, the city had more confirmed coronavirus cases than China, the U.K., or Iran, and by May, had more cases than any country other than the United States. By April, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers were out of work with lost tax revenues estimated to run to approximately 10 billion dollars.

I have freelanced part time in the video-post-production industry in order to support my art career for over twenty years. This year I’ve been out of work since mid-March, and I don’t expect to work again until July or August at the earliest. That’s a rough year! But I feel lucky to have stayed healthy during this time, and I’m doubly lucky that I have enough savings to get me through the economic drought. I only just started leaving my apartment to travel to my actual art studio for art-making two weeks ago, in early June. For most of March-May I used a temporary home-studio in a corner of my small apartment where I made little paintings and collages. It was a radical change for me in all ways: size of work, 24/7 access, materials, and ideas.

My friend Christina Massey started a pandemic project in April with the two pronged idea of keeping isolated artists connected AND supporting the ailing United States Postal Service (USPS). It’s called @uspsartproject, and basically, 2 artists each create ½ of a work, and then they mail them to each other for completion. I’ve been steadily doing this with multiple artists during my home studio time and now at my art studio. It’s been refreshing and exciting. When it’s all over, I’ll have done 10-15 collaborations, each one producing 2 works of art. It feels great to experiment and try new ideas and new materials all while having a visual dialog with another artist.  The image I’m showing above is one of these collaborations. Mindy Dubin, who is a compatriot video artisan as well as an accomplished fine artist, started it as a charcoal drawing (on the right), and I finished it (left).  There will be a traveling physical show of the @uspsartproject results beginning in August. More information can be found on the Pelham Art Center site.

Do you have a daily routine that keeps you grounded these days? 

I am lucky to have a husband who cooks!  I’ve been baking a little bit. I like to knit — it helps to keep me calm, so I’ve made big progress on my knitting project. But like most artists, I’m accustomed to being alone and being quiet, so lockdown didn’t feel completely horrible to me. I feel bad for my extroverted friends!

Are you reading, cooking, streaming, or doing any activity that is helping you cope?

Now that I’m back at the art studio, the traveling to and from via bicycle is a steady and exhausting routine. (Formerly I took public transportation to get to my studio). I like to grumble about it, but I know it’s actually very beneficial, both for the body and the head.

With museums and galleries closed are you seeing a shift to the internet for viewing/selling art?  How is this affecting you?

Absolutely. I am represented by the Front Room Gallery in NYC. They have temporarily closed their physical gallery but are reopening in July.  While the gallery has been closed, they created and have maintained a robust online program.  They have also held a weekly zoom meeting for their artists which has been great. It keeps us all from feeling lost and alone in the art world. We discuss online shows and ideas that might work as well as what’s happening in the larger world and to each of us individually.  Artists can share tips about social media and share what they’ve got going on outside of the gallery. I’ve been very impressed and inspired. I’m proud to be a member of this gallery.

Do you see any positive changes for artists in a post pandemic world?

I wish I had a crystal ball so I could tell you how the world is going to be changed. For myself, personally, I don’t think much will change. I will continue to make art as best I can, as I always have. My gallerists are valiantly figuring out how to keep up with the changes from their end, and I’m grateful to them for that.

Artist Laurie M. working in her home studio.

This is one in a series of interviews with our

customers to see how they are adapting to the COVID-19 world.

Interact is a progressive studio of artists challenging perceptions of disability located in Saint Paul, MN.

This is their #artinthetimeofcorona story.

Interact’s first entirely online exhibition, featuring work by artist Katie Bretzman.

How was Interact affected by the COVID-19 virus?

Pre-pandemic, our Saint Paul studio was home to the creative practices of over 70 visual and 30 performing artists every week, plus 24 staff who are also artists and performers, so we really miss being there together.

The pandemic presents new challenges daily, but we’re doing the best we can to continue supporting the professional careers of Interact artists. Even though our building is temporarily closed, the artists are still making work. We’ve moved all our programming online. We’re really fortunate to have an incredible studio staff who have been developing an extensive series of virtual workshops. Using group video conferences, Interact artists and staff are holding critiques and drawing sessions, collaboratively reading plays, and staging improv performances from their homes. We’re adding new workshops to the roster every week and may offer public programs in the future.

Does the gallery have a daily routine that keeps the studio grounded these days?

We have a daily digital coffee hour with staff and artists that has been really popular. A few pets have also made their way onscreen.

Are you reading, cooking, streaming, or doing any activity that is helping you cope?

In addition to our online workshops, artists and staff have been watching films, refining favorite recipes, and gardening, among other things. Some of us recently saw Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (2020) and really enjoyed it. Artist Victor Van has been cleaning up his neighborhood, practicing daily meditation, and making hand-sewn masks to give away in his community.

With art museums and galleries closed, are you seeing a shift to the internet for viewing/selling art? How is this affecting you?

With more people operating in the digital world right now, we’re excited by the opportunity to share Interact artists’ work with new audiences.

On May 11, we launched our first entirely online exhibition, We Are Not Disposable. WAND is an artistic response to public perceptions of disability, and how access to critical healthcare is threatened for people with disabilities in the face of the pandemic. Our goal is to advance the recognition of Interact artists online and to raise money for the Disability Visibility Project — a digital platform that creates, shares, and amplifies disability culture. On August 3, 2020, our second online exhibition Fresh Work was launched aiming to amplify the voices of Interact artists at a time when online presence feels especially vital.

We’re grateful to have felt a lot of support from the community around this exhibition. Interact artists have raised over $2000 from the sales of their work, with 50% going directly to the artists, and remaining proceeds being donated to the Disability Visibility Project. You can view the exhibition at shop.interactcenter.org.

Do you see any positive changes for artists in a post pandemic world?

Lately, being connected with each other online has felt like an opportunity to grow. The artists are making and writing some incredible work from home. In these increasingly digital times, we’ve been sharing in-progress studio projects with an audience beyond our building in a way that we couldn’t have before. You can follow along on Instagram or Facebook through the hashtag #ArtWorkingFromHome.

We’re so grateful to our community of supporters for keeping up with our work right now, even though we can’t hold physical performances or exhibitions. Despite new challenges and uncertainties in today’s world, we are fortunate to remain connected with people who value the voices of Interact artists.

During this time of remote learning and creating, we are also raising money in order to continue our programming and retain our talented staff. You can learn more about our mission and how to donate at interactcenter.org.

We also welcome your inquiries and correspondence at gallery (at) interactcenter.com.

This is a one of a series of interviews with our customers to see how they are adapting to the COVID-19 world.

Pete Myers lives in Santa Fe, NM and has been a customer since 2008. Myers is a fine art photographer known for his vivid abstractions of the decaying ruins of the American West.

This is his #artinthetimeofcorona story.

petemyers.com

How was Santa Fe affected by the COVID-19 virus? How have you been affected personally?

We have had 155 confirmed cases in our large county, and 3 deaths.
I may have had COVID-19 back in February, but have been unable to get an antibody test to prove it. No fever, but the oddest “flu-like” symptoms, with massive pain at times—a two week run. Exposed by some one that was in Italy in January and may have been a silent carrier in the very early phases.
I also had a self-proclaimed “red neck” confront me for no particular reason in a grocery store, yelling at me and my wife that we were “communists” and had “drinken” the Kool-Aide” for wearing face masks. The outburst was so severe that we nearly ended up coming to blows. The police and store manager made minimal effort to deal with the out of control customer. It was not a pleasant experience. It has made me wary of going to town or even traveling into rural areas where I use to photograph a great many of my works. I find it appalling when people weaponize the virus for political posturing in the midst of the pandemic.
I finally yelled at the guy, “hey, I WENT to science class!”, which oddly enough seemed to shut him up.

Do you have a daily routine that keeps you grounded these days? 

We live on 10 acres of rolling hills in a rural area of Santa Fe County. I take our two Austrian Cattle Dogs on a hike around the periphery of our property. Not only is it a good workout, but the love from my dogs is never failing and keeps me sane.

Are you reading, cooking, streaming, or doing any activity that is helping you cope?

I am also a musician, and I can disappear into the ether for hours playing my Fender Stratocaster.

With museums and galleries closed are you seeing a shift to the internet for viewing/selling art?  How is this affecting you?

Sadly, most of my patrons and supporters have all but disappeared during COVID-19. I feel that people are in such an emotionally raw state right now that they have virtually no ability to absorb anything new. So my job is simply to do the work. Courage, keep moving.
As an artist, this is one of the greatest times for doing the work. Reflecting even one moment of this time within one’s work related to how humanity reacted to COVID-19 is important to our collective story. I would have never imagined the world coming to a dead stop in such a short period of time, and so drastically and dramatically. It exceeds belief by anyone.
Humanity should also be happy and proud that our losses were narrowed by unilateral action across the planet. In comparison, World War II was a five-year battle, with an estimated loss of 70-85 million people (mostly non-combatants) or about 3% of the global population at the time. Perhaps at a planet, we have taken a step forward together.

Do you see any positive changes for artists in a post pandemic world?

I think there is potential for great change ahead, especially in the arts. It would seem that most of the world had wandered off the beaten path many years ago, with numbness and emotional detachment being the norm. Post COVID, I feel that people want to re-gain their civility and humanity and our emotional connection to one another. Art, being a metaphor for feeling, offers a commonality among those experiencing it, which simply results in us feeling more human and connected.

This is one in a series of interviews with our customers to see how they are adapting to the COVID-19 world.

Ying Li lives in New York City and has been a customer for over 15 years. in addition to painting in her studio she is  an art professor at Haverford College.

Li’s work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including internationally at Centro Incontri Umani Ascona (Switzerland), ISA Gallery (Italy), Enterprise Gallery (Ireland), and Museum of Rochefort-en-Terre (France); in New York City at Lohin Geduld Gallery, Elizabeth Harris Gallery, Tibor de Nagy Gallery, Lori Bookstein Fine Art, The National Academy Museum, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

This is her #artinthetimeofcorona story.

yinglistudio.com

How was New York City affected by the COVID-19 virus? How have you been affected personally?

I am a painter and a professor in Fine Arts at Haverford College, outside Philadelphia. I live and work both in New York City and at Haverford. I have always enjoyed the contrast between the vibration of the big city and the tranquility and beautiful arboretum campus at Haverford. They inspire me in very different ways and keep my senses fresh and alert.

Since the pandemic began I have been staying in our apartment on campus. I have been painting consistently outside on campus and in my studio in the house. I am essentially a landscape painter and I feel very lucky to have the space and nature around me, to be able to live inside of my motifs. My heart is with New York, the most diverse and complex city in the world, the city of artists. I keep in close contact with my friends, most of whom are artists. My thoughts are with them, my mood swings depending on how they are doing.

Do you have a daily routine that keeps you grounded these days? 

My life is grounded in painting. I am a painter, I paint, that is what I do. But there is a difference these days- since I teach full time at the college, I’m always multi-tasking during the academic year. I also travel to paint, do artist residencies, and teach workshops during the summers in normal times. But my scheduled travels and workshops are all cancelled or postponed through this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the lockdown has provided me, willingly or not, an uninterrupted period to work on a body of paintings, which intensely reflects my feelings and thoughts on the current time.

I usually play 45 minutes of ping pong with my boyfriend in the morning before starting painting. He is a jazz musician and has his routine of practice. I love hearing him practice, it gives me a sense of continuity and inner peace.

I am working and preparing two exhibitions coming up this year. The first one is at the Pamela Salisbury Gallery in Hudson NY, which will run from June 27 through July 28. The paintings in this show are landscapes I painted in different locales in Europe and in the States, most of them are pre COVID-19. Read more in the Hyperallergic review of the exhibition.

The second show will be at Haverford College in September-October where I will show a series of works entirely done during the Pandemic.

Are you reading, cooking, streaming, or doing any activity that is helping you cope?

I am reading Kay Ryan’s selections of essays, “Synthesizing Gravity”, and rereading Joan Didion’s “The Year of Magical Thinking”. We cook a lot, take turns. Artists usually are good cooks and good eaters. We have been watching “Treme”, a TV series about New Orleanians, including a bunch of jazz musicians, trying to rebuild their lives after Hurricane Katrina. Good characters and devastating stories. It makes me feel so sad after seeing people suffer and, at the same time, uplifted as they persevere during both natural and manmade disasters.

With museums and galleries closed are you seeing a shift to the internet for viewing/selling art?  How is this affecting you?

Internet for viewing/selling art is not new, it has been going on for quite a while. I go with the flow. Fortunately, the galleries where I am showing will exhibit on-line, as well. This gives artists exposure, but at the same time the digital images are not the paintings.

Do you see any positive changes for artists in a post pandemic world?

The only unchanged thing in the world is change. There will always be something changing, if not the pandemic it will be something else. Change is always complicated. I try to be grounded, to know where my core is, to see the permanency in the change. (I think painters are good at that). At the same time, I keep my eyes open, and try to look at the world with new appreciation and intensity.

This is one in a series of interviews with our customers to see how they are adapting to the COVID-19 world.

Lisa McShane lives in  Bow, Washington. She has been a customer since 2013.

She says, “I paint landscapes to capture light and to convey a powerful record of the world I see.

These lands are at my core. In northwest Washington I capture the crystal clear light, early dawn, cold northern lakes, fog and long, dark shadows of winter. In eastern Washington I convey the stark beauty of this exposed, eroded land using a saturated, luminous light so that I can chase and give form to my memories.”

This is her #artinthetimeofcorona story.

lisamcshane.com

How was Bow, Washington affected by the COVID-19 virus? How have you been affected personally?

I’m in Washington State, my county has had a high rate of infection, and our Stay Home/Stay Safe order was announced mid-March. One of the super spreader events was here in Skagit County and took place just three days after my art show opened on March 7^th. We dodged a bullet.

The gallery closed ten days after my solo show opened and my paintings are still hanging there. I had another solo show scheduled for June which was cancelled, and the Seattle Art Fair is cancelled. The cancellations are painful, but I am focused on my drawings right now and planning out a larger project for next year.

I am fortunate, I don’t know anyone who has died. But my children live in Germany and Chicago and I don’t know when I’ll see them next. We live near the Canadian border and every time I see the sign saying “the US/Canadian border is closed to nonessential travel” – it really hits me that I cannot see the people I love.

Do you have a daily routine that keeps you grounded these days? 

I’ve been drawing, a lot. When I’m stressed I draw and by early April the work was starting to pile up. So I started sending drawings off as gifts to the world: art collectors, friends, family, people I wanted to thank for their leadership or kindness, people who needed to be cheered up, friends of friends, strangers who asked. I sent out 16 drawings on April 8^th and then kept going. You can see some of this on my Instagram feed, @lmcshaneart. I sent out Pandemic Drawing #161 today.

I mail a small drawing, a poem, and a personal note. A few weeks ago I ran out of drawing paper and a nearby printmaker resupplied me with gorgeous imperfect papers and cut ends. Sending these packets off allows me to focus deeply on others, on what I believe they’d like, what poem and stamp reminds me of them, and it takes me outside of myself. The responses I get from people – whether on social media or letters back in the mail – have been delightful. Governor and Trudi Inslee were in the first wave of drawings I sent off and he sent back a 3-page letter with drawings of a walk they took around the capitol! That cheered me up.

The first thing I do every day is draw; I play records and I draw. The packets go into the mailbox, and then I settle in to work. I don’t know when I’ll stop this project, it feels so right for this moment.

Are you reading, cooking, streaming, or doing any activity that is helping you cope?

We have 15 acres of forest on an island off the coast of Washington and I’ve been running on forest trails and sometimes to the beach. These are the beaches you can see in many of my paintings. I’ve also spent time listening to books while pulling invasive ivy out of our forest. These two things help keep me healthy, sane, and grounded.

With museums and galleries closed are you seeing a shift to the internet for viewing/selling art?  How is this affecting you?

I had a trip planned to in early April to visit my daughter in Chicago and with that cancelled, we went online together and did virtual visits of the Hermitage, the Getty, the Kunsthistorisches Museum. I was in Washington, she was in Illinois so we dressed up, opened identical bottles of Washington wine and discussed paintings. It was kind of wonderful.

The gallery that represents me, Smith and Vallee in Edison, Washington, has a robust online ordering system and I think they are seeing some sales. People are also finding their way to the gallery to purchase in person. Since starting my Pandemic Drawing Project three of the people who received a drawing bought a painting in the gallery.

Do you see any positive changes for artists in a post pandemic world?

Yes, so many.

We aren’t going back to the pre-pandemic world and I believe people are understanding the value of art in our lives. I was reading the New York Times on Sunday and noticed ads for expensive handbags and wondered, in what universe does this matter anymore? Consumption suddenly feels dated and the things that matter are having people to love, good food, a forest trail to walk in, poetry, music, and art. I’m planning to buy a painting at an upcoming art exhibit and I feel certain I’m not the only one who wants more art. Everyone who needs a better Zoom background should buy art!

This is one in a series of interviews with our customers to see how they are adapting to the COVID-19 world.

Ben Huff lives in Juneau, AK and has been a customer since 2018. He is a photographer and the founder of the independent publisher, Ice Fog Press.

This is his #artinthetimeofcorona story.

huffphoto.com

How was Juneau affected by the COVID-19 virus? How have you been affected personally?

Here in Juneau, it feels like we’ve dodged a bullet to some degree. We’ve only had 26 total cases, and had a twenty six day stretch with no recorded cases, until two were reported last week. Juneau, and the state, have been diligent at adhering to social distancing and mask wearing, and it appears to have worked. But, as I type this the governor has lifted all restrictions today – going from phase 2 of our statewide plan straight to phase 4 – with all businesses opening without restrictions. I hope we don’t soon lose our standing as the state with the least cases in the country.

Do you have a daily routine that keeps you grounded these days? 

Since the start, I’ve been in the studio most days. I live very close, and the building is empty, bar two tenants, so once I navigate the front door of the building, I’m clear. Most days in the studio at the beginning revolved around tending to some needed archive work, printing, working on a book mockup of a current project, and making and shipping books for my indie publishing imprint Ice Fog Press. Recently, I’ve been getting out to make pictures for myself, and some local clients and magazines.

Are you reading, cooking, streaming, or doing any activity that is helping you cope?

My wife and I have always cooked a fair amount, and that has now become more necessary. I’ve recently moved vegetable starts from the kitchen into the garden, and tending to house projects that went neglected all winter. But, mostly, to cope, I’ve been skiing, running, and packrafting close to home. One of the great draws to living in a small town in Alaska is that I can be on my skis, with my dog, in twenty minutes – headed for a ridge and a view, without coming in contact with anyone else. It’s absolutely essential to me during normal times, and this current madness has me even more thankful to exist in this place.

With museums and galleries closed are you seeing a shift to the internet for viewing/selling art?  How is this affecting you?

I was preparing for an exhibition at the Anchorage Museum when the pandemic took hold. We’ve rescheduled for next spring, and to be honest I’m happy to just still be on the calendar. I’ll be showing the same project, Atomic Island, at the Alaska State Museum in the fall of this year, assuming that things keep on a downward trend. Initially, the lost momentum of the rescheduling of both exhibitions was really dispiriting. It’s important to me to have shows in physical spaces, but my priorities have been upended in a very short period of time. It seems everything I care about is in jeopardy, and it’s difficult to prioritize in the ways I’m accustomed to.
As for sales – I don’t currently have representation, so print sales generally come from recommendations from curators and other artists. It’s a tough time. I don’t know anyone who has a solid feel for how things are going to play out. I certainly don’t.

Do you see any positive changes for photographers in a post pandemic world?

In simplest terms, artists make art. Some of my friends are working, some can’t find it right now, but they will. We’re all processing this in different ways, but art will be made. I don’t subscribe to the idea that all great art comes from tragedy, but the artists that come out of this on the other side will have stories to tell. It’s our shared history now.