If you have been keeping up with our latest blogs, then you know about some of the great artistic resources out there to help keep us entertained during social distancing. While these are nice resources to keep us distracted from all of the doom & gloom out there, virtual resources are starting to get exhausting. At least for us. That’s why, for this week’s blog we decided that we are going to look ahead of the doom & gloom, and give a list of ideas for exciting artwork to see once social distancing restrictions are lifted.
- Go see a Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirror Room.
These beautiful displays will bring you into enchanting worlds that, as the name implies, seem to go on forever. The 91-year-old, Japanese artist started making Infinity Mirror rooms in the 1960s. Today, they are a popular spectacle to see across the globe. The closest one to our little shop is at the Wndr Museum in Chicago. The Wndr Museum is a must-see place once it is safe to be out and about again. Luckily, one of our writers was able to see the Infinity Room last summer.
The piece above is titled, Let’s Survive Forever, and is made up of dozens of mirrored balls. The piece is a reminder of how connected we all are and how we reflect one another.
Other pieces will be on display in New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, and Tokyo. To find out more about those, click here.
Until we are able to go out and enjoy these pieces, check out this video of Kusama’s work.
2. Find Some Street Art
In recent years, street art has risen in popularity. Unfortunately, you’re not likely to see any while you’re stuck at home. Thank goodness for the Google Art Project: Street Art. Google is a major tool in giving us some great artistic content while in lockdown, so of course, they have the resources for street art.
Follow along with the project to explore street art and the stories behind it from all over the world. See art from Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, and Athens! Google is even offering audio-guided tours and online exhibitions!
Check out more on that here.
For more street art, follow along with Google Arts & Culture to find a number of different Banksy murals. Thanks to Google Street View, you can see 12 of his famous murals. To find out more about Bansky and some of his crazy stories, check out the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. It goes behind the scenes of the street art world, but it is rated R, so viewers discretion is advised.
So, going out to find a Banksy after social distancing is lifted is a bit of a stretch, but there is a ton of street art all around to check out. I guarantee you’ll find some art in your communities. Some great examples take us to Black Cat Alley in Milwaukee.
The alley has beautiful murals, and if you’re lucky you may even see a famous Jeremy Novy koi fish. The koi fish represent Novy’s mission to bring beauty to the world. He also paints monarch butterflies. Novy moved from Milwaukee to Los Angeles a few years ago, but you can still see the Wisconsin native’s art is still seen all over the city.
3. Concerts
Who else had all of their concert dreams crushed because of COVID-19? For someone who loves live music, this has been absolutely soul-crushing. We are lucky enough that musical artists have taken to live streams on Instagram and Facebook to bring their fans the music they love, even if they can’t experience it in person. Artists have also released recordings of their concerts for us to watch.
Notable artist include Bruce Springsteen and his concert video from London.
The rest of the show can be seen here.
In fact, YouTube is a prime source for concert videos. Check out this playlist full of over 200 full-length concerts from artists like the Foo Fighters, Iron Maiden, Kings of Leon, Paramore, and more! Try searching your favorite artists and see if they have full-length concert videos for you to view. This way, you can feel a little bit more in the moment.
Once social distancing is over… Go. To. The. Show. Don’t hesitate to get tickets for a show. Go out and see your favorite artists. Go to your local venues, or go see a one-man show at a bar or coffee shop. Whatever you do, go out and support some live music. You’ll be glad you did.
Hopefully these ideas have helped to spark a little hope for the future. Check out some of the resources provided and plan out some of the fun things you can see and do once we are all able to again. Make a list and share it with us! We’d love to see it. Until then, Never Stop Creating, and never give up hope.
Here are some more virtual resources you may find interesting.
