The show must go on - how artists and creatives adapted during lockdown

the show must go on

Writer Twinkle Troughton

Images courtesy of Artists and businesses While the majority of artists work in solitude, art is ultimately made with the viewer in mind - to be seen, experienced and to provoke thought. But with the shattering arrival of Covid-19, exhibitions and projects that artists had spent months if not years planning and working towards were all brought to a standstill. Globally galleries and studios closed their doors. Workshops, seminars and classes were cancelled. But, curiously, the art world seemed rapidly to find its feet, forging new ways to continue working

Take a tour

As gallery doors closed, Carl Freedman Gallery launched Viewing Room #1, with an exhibition specifically curated for viewing online. Their virtual exhibition featured eight of the gallery’s artists, with the tour introducing visitors to each of their works (cfgviewingrooms.com). Turner Contemporary made sure we could still tour its groundbreaking exhibition We Will Walk – Art and Resistance in the American South via the gallery’s website, featuring works which have never been seen in the UK before. (turnercontemporary.org).

Ramsgate gallery Nice Things was due to exhibit works by Westgate artist Rory Strudwick. Instead How to Break a Hue was moved online, as the gallery promoted artworks on their website and featured short “meet the maker” films of the artist in his home studio. (nice-things.co.uk).

Keeping connected

Connectivity has been high on the agenda for many of Thanet’s arts organisations. Pie Factory Margate took to its social media to encourage people to share photos and stories of artworks they discovered at the gallery - and now own. Gallery managers Jenny Duff and Tim Williams say, “We wanted to share the love for Pie Factory and the artists who have shown here. There are many people like us who have found joy from artwork in the gallery, which is now in their homes.”

Open School East’s Young Associates Programme transferred all teaching online. Students received artmaking materials at the beginning of lockdown and tutors began teaching through Zoom. The school also focused on supporting students' mental health, encouraging daily walks and talking to them about how they were coping. In May the Young Associates started a new project with Graphic Design studio Kellenberger White, making personalised backdrops for Zoom calls, as well as working with OSE 2020 Associate artist Jenny Boat to create animated illustrations about their lockdown walks to post on Instagram. See what the group is up to @oseyap.

Marine Studios has been keen to give people something to work towards and look forward to. Their project Back & Fill aims to use a pop-up recovery festival to create space for postponed events, inspire new work and create a focal point for seaside businesses who will need to bounce back. Local businesses and creatives are invited to coordinate events and work together, with the aim of drawing visitors back to the coast when it is safe to do so. See how you can take part at backandfill.uk

Resort Studios continued with its immersive Sound and Vision drawing classes led by Lilias Buchanan, moving the lessons online. For each lesson Lilias paired an iconic album with an iconic visual artist and participants made work inspired by both art forms. Lilias says, “Moving the classes online worked really well. It was a social interaction, an escape from our homes and great fun! It was a privilege for me to spend this time with such talented artists, local and international, with people joining us from Texas and Amsterdam!”

Resort Studios also established a support network programme called RESORTful, funded by South East Creatives. Mercedes Workman, the studio programmer, tells me, “The aim is to get grants and mentoring to creative freelancers, sole traders and small businesses in the southeast. There will be online webinars and tutorials as well as support for specific needs such as branding, sales and marketing, in among interviews, online exhibitions, art classes and more.” Find out more at resort.co.uk/ resortful

Similarly Crate Space adapted and devised a digital programme continuing with their theme Continuing Professional Development for Thanet and East Kent Artists. Crate aimed to engage participating artists, and encouraged their audience to contribute to the programme. They have also posted new opportunities for BAME artists to take part in Trickster, Teacher, Chaos, Clay which is a paid digital residency. Keep up to date at cratespace.co.uk

Children were also encouraged to get creative, with community group GRASS launching a colouring competition using a template created especially by Cliftonville illustrator Michael Goodson. Winners received an art goody bag and bespoke framing from Lovely’s on Northdown Road. See winning entries at grasscliftonville.org/colouringcompetition-winners

Kirsty Widdicombe's Open Lockdown Studio

Lilias Buchanan’s online drawing class for Resort

Margate artist Annabel Losa launched two art competitions through her group SquirrelARTS, one for children and one for her peers. Aiming to bring people together during isolation, children were asked to create artwork around the theme During the Coronavirus and local artists were given the theme Lockdown Painting for Hope. You can see all entries at squirrelarts.com

Art for charity

Margate-based international curator Lee Cavaliere established CoLAB (thecolabsite.com), which is an online collaboration across six galleries globally, featuring artworks created on paper by both emerging and established artists. Lee said, “CoLab was set up in answer to the lockdown, but aims to continue and develop. The art world has historically been very slow to get online in any meaningful way, and thanks to the virus, it’s necessary.” A percentage of all sales will be donated to arts and education charity the Sixteen Trust, which nurtures aspiration in young people with an interest in the arts.

Lee is also taking up the post of director of VOMA, the world’s first virtual museum of art. Conceived by artist Stuart Semple as a way to tackle restrictions to “real life” during lockdown, VOMA is aiming to position itself as a global institutional project, showcasing the best contemporary art, with historically significant pieces. Check it out at voma.space

Birchington artist Kristy Widdicombe (@woodleastudio) launched an open lockdown studio at the front of her home. Giving away original artworks and plants (with her nine-year-old son decorating the plant pots), Kirsty said her main aim was “to make people smile, cultivate kindness, and to encourage those who take something to pay it forward and donate to a charity if they can”.

In Broadstairs, New Kent Art Gallery’s owner artist Karen King raised funds for the NHS by producing colourful paintings and greetings cards and selling them online. Joining in with the delivery services of many local restaurants, Karen hand-delivered purchases to people’s doors. She explained: “Making small sales was the only way I could keep the gallery viable during this crisis, and give someone a colourful memento of this very peculiar time in our lives.” New Kent Gallery has now re-opened its doors, follow @newkentartgallery on Instagram to find out more.

Rainbows also feature in an NHS charity print designed by Margatebased illustrator Melanie Johnsson, being sold through evermade.com, a collaboration she has found to be very positive. Melanie says, “I chose to represent a woman with a huge, flowy, colourful mane of hair. She only spreads colour and light and her name is Joy.”

Chalk Walk is a creative fundraising project, which has been established in direct response to the lockdown. Encouraging creative participation to raise awareness and support for local communities, the project is fundraising for local frontline volunteers and small organisations working for children’s mental health and wellbeing in and around Thanet. These include Cliftonville Community Centre, BeYou by Porchlight, Home-Start Thanet and Ayaan Bulale. Go to the website chalk-walk.org for information on how to participate and donate.

Going solo

Artists have responded individually in a variety of ways too. Pippa Derbyshire had to cancel her exhibitions planned for this year, both in Margate and in France, and so created her own online exhibition New Departure. It features her paintings of Margate’s sea and ships, all of which were created from her new studio on the 14th floor of Arlington House. You can see more at pippadarbyshire.com

Illustrator Megan Metcalf asked people to send her photos of their lockdown washing up bowls, after noting that being at home all the time meant chores seemed neverending. In her typically fresh and fun style, Megan’s Instagram @meganmetcalfstudio is now filled with delightful illustrations, giving us an insight into people’s lockdown domestic life.

Also on Instagram, Artist Support Pledge has provided an outlet for artists to sell artwork and maintain an income whilst supporting other artists. Myself, Melanie Tong and Matt Odell are just some participating in the scheme, creating an economy for artists who lost work and opportunities due to the lockdown. Many artists have also been donating from their earnings to charities, keeping the spirit of generosity alive. Search #artistsupportpledge

At the time of writing, galleries have the option to re-open on 4 July. Check out the social media or website of your favourite arts organisations for regular updates.

To find out about other arts-based online experiences you can partake in, check out our Virtual Hotlist on page 6 and see what galleries have been doing on page 16.

If you want to get creative, you can buy art materials from Lovely’s on Northdown Road via their online shop. lovelysgallery.co.uk