Blog: There is Still Life
April 23, 2020 - Joy Reed Belt
Like you, these past few weeks, I have sat in countless Zoom conferences trying to make sense of all the recent challenges. We sit together apart discussing survival strategies and attempting to reinvent a relatively unknown future. Most of my Board and Committee appointments are with arts and educational institutions. Both of those sectors are extremely vulnerable to physical and economic uncertainty and change.
Historically the arts and schools, at all levels, have relied on human contact to disseminate their enriching and informational gifts. Now, with social distancing, classrooms, symphony halls, museums are empty, silent. Annual arts events and festivals have been cancelled. And, yet, creativity finds an outlet, a connection.
We have moved on line, plunged into the digital space for both the important and the mundane. And, we have reinvented human contact with and through the arts in this new dimension. For me, these decisions have been mentally and emotionally exhausting. It’s hard to let go. Thankfully, I primarily work with smart, positive and resourceful people so there have been some successes, including our first virtual First Friday art walk at the gallery.
On First Friday, May 1, 2020, JRB Art at The Elms will be virtually presenting Beth Hammack’s wonderful abstract paintings for all of you to enjoy. Certainly, we will miss the ambiance of being with friends and acquaintances in our wonderful historical space, surrounded by the sheer scale, color and volume of Beth’s work. In the comfort of your home, at your leisure, we invite you to endlessly and obsessively indulge your senses in her work, her colors and her imagery. Compare one painting with another, zoom in for details, and envision their impact in your space, your life. Bring your own libations and treats to our virtual first Friday opening, and send us your thoughts about this show.
More importantly, you can still buy art. Online! Salut!
Images:
Beth Hammack, ”There Is Still Life,” Acrylic on Canvas, 60 x 60 in., $4,200
Beth Hammack, “Revisiting Matisse,” Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 60 in., $3,200
Beth Hammack, “Woman and the Chair, Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 60 in., $3,200
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