Due to the new coronavirus pandemic, museums are closing, travel is restricted, and we are all trying to keep up social distancing to help ourselves and our neighbors stay safe and healthy.
But by doing the socially responsible thing, you’re now trapped inside, working from home, avoiding parties—for who knows how long—and wondering what to do and where to find inspiration…
So, I thought I’d put together a little list of how you can still engage with art even while we’re all shut away!
(FYI, if you buy a book through one of the links below,
this site will earn a small commission from Amazon
at no extra cost to you!)
Panic-Buy Books!
Yes, I’m a novelist so OF COURSE my first suggestion is to read more books about art. Here’s a list I put together of some of my favorite novels about art/artists and some of my favorite non-fiction books about my favorite artists, too. Also, if you happen to be looking forward to my Raphael novel, the ebook version will be enhanced with links to all the artwork as it’s mentioned… so if you want a visual tour through Raphael’s work to go along with your novel, the ebook might be for you! (Pub date: April 7)
#MuseumFromHome
On Twitter (and Instagram) there’s a great hashtag — #MuseumFromHome — which gives all kinds of fun ways to enjoy museums from your couch. Examples: The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC will take people on a virtual tour of a different gallery each day. And MoMA posts some very cool art & music combos to cut through the doldrums! This hashtag is just a fun way to explore museums—even with the doors are closed!
Museum Virtual Tours
Here’s a great list of 12 museums that offer virtual tours of their galleries. But one of MY favorites is not on this list: The Vatican offers several virtual tours, including of the Raphael Rooms AND the Sistine Chapel. (Considering my latest novel covers both of these spots, you know I’ve spent WAY too much time on this site!)
Watch Art Movies
As long as you are stuck at home, you can always stream a great classic film, TV show, or documentary about art. Here’s a list of my top 10 favorite narrative films about art to inspire your searches. For documentaries, I personally love Exit Through the Giftshop, HBO’s Price of Everything, or The Art of the Steal (there are tons of other great art docs. Now I realize I need to write a post about that)… I can’t think of any great TV shows about art or artists that I just love… someone, please help me out and give me some tips via social so I can start binge watching immediately!
Create Your Own Art
When you have a lot of downtime, get out your own paintbrushes, drawing pads, sculpting tools, musical instruments, or keyboards to create your OWN great art! Don’t know where to start? It doesn’t matter, just START expressing yourself in whatever way you can. If you do, you might not only inspire yourself to live a more colorful life, you might inspire others, too. (this photo from contributor DaVinci at BigStock.com)