The John M Parrott Art Gallery

Virtual Hug by Joanne Chalmers from Faces & Places online exhibit

Wendy Rayson-Kerr: Acting Curator, Belleville, Ontario

How has the pandemic affected you?

I started working at the Parrott Gallery in early March, stepping into the very big shoes of Susan Holland. Within two weeks we had closed the building because of COVID 19. We didn’t stop working though; we decided to extend the Parrott Gallery into a virtual exhibition space.

How have you made technology work for you?

Nothing can replace viewing art in person – period. Right now however, it isn’t possible to visit the Parrott Gallery, so we have found a way to bring it to the community through our online shows. Our online gallery is open all day, every day: 24/7. Technology works in reaching more people too; we are hoping to have virtual artist talks that anyone with a smartphone and a little bit of know-how can access anywhere across the country and even the world. This pandemic has forced us to use technology even more than ever, so why not make it work for the better?

How has this experience affected your perception of the importance of art and artists?

I obviously already think art is important to society and to our community specifically. If I didn’t, I shouldn’t be working as a curator. I can say that almost 4,000 people logged in to view our first online exhibition, and many people took the time to thank us for sharing the art online. This says to me that we should continue bringing art to our community any way we can!

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