It is not easy to have a grand opportunity, event, or lifetime of hard work taken away in the blink of an eye. Yet, these are challenges that many artists have had to undergo during the Covid-19 pandemic. Art teachers, professional artists, museums and galleries, and aspiring art students have all witnessed and experienced alterations in the world of imagination and entertainment as they adapt to the “new normal.”

Due to restrictions brought upon by the pandemic, it is not as easy for art students to gain the insight and ideas they would be able to in a usual year. In past years, senior Grace Gillis, an art student, has enjoyed visiting the art room and spending time with other art students. Sadly, though, the opportunity to do this has been hindered during these times. Gillis said, “It is upsetting not being able to hang out with other students in the art room on your lunch or off periods.”

Art classes may also prove difficult with new limits in supplies, in order to prevent the spread of the virus. “The biggest change comes from the fact that we are not sharing materials,” said art teacher Jennifer Turner. “The students have been given their own set of art materials to bring back and forth to class. The positive side to this is students are taking excellent care of their own things, especially since it is very difficult to replace these items because we have limited supplies,” added Turner.

Another change in the art program is how students’ projects are viewed. Now, they take pictures of their artwork and submit them through Schoology, Art Department Chairperson Vincent Lentini explained. Of course, this is not the preferred form of submitting artwork. Freshman Ryan O’Connor explained that image quality decreases in the process of getting a picture onto the tablet, and that most of this year’s artwork has “looked better in person than in a photograph.” Junior Zoe Zou added, “Asking for constructive criticism and advice remotely is also difficult, since the camera cannot show the best quality of the artwork.” Junior and art student Christell Diaz shared that motivation, too, can be harder to find when doing school at home.

Despite these negative aspects of remote learning, some art students have actually enjoyed the new experience. Junior Ronan Mansfield said that taking art class online has been easier than classes in school. “Online learning can offer a much wider range of different resources for learning art,” he said. Mansfield mentioned that videos on the Internet can help educate people about art. Another positive effect of the changes this year is that students have more time to work on a project at home. “I was happy to realize that we had to bring our art projects back and forth throughout home school,” added O’Connor. “As someone who works relatively slow, this was a big plus for me,” O’Connor said.

Unfortunately, many artistic opportunities are not available this year. The changes in National Portfolio Day may diminish the artistic experience, but students are looking on the bright side. “Portfolio Day is a day where students can go and have their portfolio reviewed by schools,” said senior Olivia Dublin. “Thankfully, there are, so many resources and places we can have our portfolios reviewed.” Students are also missing other annual art events. “For the National Art Honor Society, our largest event, the Night of The Pumpkins, was not able to take place, as well as our holiday ornament sale, which usually occurs at the Winter Gala,” recalled senior Jolie Orbeta. “Personally, I was disheartened that the 2020 All-County show could not take place, as it was my first time having a piece featured,” added Orbeta.

Along with LHS’ art program, museums, galleries, and exhibits have also needed to find ways to safely display art while respecting Covid-19 precautions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has established rules of mask-wearing and temperature check upon entrance. Visitors are encouraged to stay six feet apart from one another and use the newly implemented hand sanitizing stations. Visitation used to be walk-in, but visitors now must register beforehand to attend at a specific time interval. As a result, the museum is working at a quarter of its typical capacity.

Aspiring artists have missed the ability to view artwork in a museum. Senior Grace Gillis shared that before the pandemic, she thoroughly enjoyed her opportunities to visit art museums, which always left her feeling inspired. However, in the midst of these lost opportunities and disappointments, new opportunities have arisen. The Met has created a new, electronic manner by which people may view its art, called “The Met Unframed.” According to its website, the Nassau County Museum of Art has also discovered ways to share art online: it recently began offering online art classes.

Though it has surely been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the world of visual arts is staying strong and adapting. “We are doing our best to connect with every student every day,” said Turner. Orbeta shared, “While the ‘new normal’ prevents me from seeing many of the other students, my teachers have faced this challenge with great strength and are extra supportive during these times.” People may find themselves using art to strengthen their spirits. “I feel that the art program is one of the things holding me together through what we are facing,” said Dublin.

“Students who create art will find that they lose themselves for a while in their artwork and that they become more mindful as they concentrate on their projects,” said Lentini. ”There is definitely a sense of peace that we all get from creating in a tactile way that art really allows for. There is a sort of therapy that happens when creating art that is authentic and real,” he added.

Q&A with Professional Artist Connie Borup

Q: How have your experiences in art shows and exhibits changed during the pandemic?

A: I was scheduled to have a show at a gallery in Salt Lake, opening March 20. This show would exhibit paintings I had completed in the last two years, and I had already paid to frame them. The show was postponed until June 20, and because of Covid concerns, the gallery was only open by appointment. Of course, the sales were way down, and I lost out on a lot of income. I pay to rent a studio space, and I pay for supplies, time, and expertise. This has been a difficult time for me as a professional artist.

Q: How has your work changed? Have you found yourself painting more or less often? Are you gaining more or less inspiration?

A: Well, I am very committed to my work, and I continue on with my regular schedule. I inherited the work ethic of my father.

Q: What advice might you give to aspiring artists in these difficult times?

A: Keep on keeping on. It’s worth it. Teaching is a good career choice for an aspiring artist, as it keeps you thinking as an artist, and you can’t help but grow.